Jesuits & Friends Spring 2012

Jesuits and FriendsA faith that does justice

Spring 2012 Issue 81

Jesuits and FriendsJesuits and FriendsA faith that A faith that does does justicejustice

Spring 2012 Issue 81


Spring 2012 Issue 81Spring 2012 Issue 81


Summer 2011 Issue 79

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The devastation of Cagayan de Oro

The Companions of Magonde

Guyana in pictures

Humbled by the faith of prisoners

www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Spring 2012 Jesuits & Friends 3www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Spring 2012 Jesuits & Friends 3

ContentsSpring 2012 Issue 81

Editorial, Tim Curtis SJ

Washed away by the torrents,

Stefan Garcia SJ 4

A relationship that widens horizons,

Karl Herrmann SJ 6

Nurturing healthy, confident and generous children,

A snapshot of Barlborough Hall School 8

The Chinese Challenge, 400 years after

Matteo Ricci, Paul Nicholson SJ 10

Vietnam: where Jesuit vocations flourish,

Louis Caruana SJ 11

Guyana, Land of Many Waters,

the photos of James Broscombe 12

What makes Jesuits tick?

asks Matthew Power SJ 14

The ‘privilege’ of going to prison,

Henry Longbottom nSJ 15

Come explore this wondrous Presence,

Michael Beattie SJ 16

Serving Faith … Promoting Justice,

Julian Filochowski 17

The RMS Titanic – 100 years on,

Tim Curtis SJ 18

Publications 19

Bits ‘n’ Pieces 20

Obituary and those benefactors who

have died recently 22

How you can support our work 23

Pupils from Barlborough Hall School show their friendship bands asa symbol of their links with Makumbi School in Zimbabwe. Readmore on pages 8 and 9.

Jesuits and Friends is published

three times a year by the British

Province of the Society of Jesus

(Jesuits), in association with JM.

Tim Curtis SJ

Executive Editor

Ged Clapson

Editor

Editorial group:

Denis Blackledge SJ

Andrea Brown

Annabel Clarkson

James Conway SJ

Richard Greenwood

James Potter

Tom Smith

Graphic Design:

Ian Curtis

www.firstsightgraphics.com

Printed in the UK by

The Magazine Printing Company

www.magprint.co.uk

To protect our environment,

papers used in this publication are

produced by mills that promote

sustainably managed forests and

utilise Elementary Chlorine Free

process to produce fully recyclable

material in accordance with an

Environmental Management

System conforming with BS EN

ISO 14001:2004.

Editorial office: 11 Edge HillLondon SW19 4LRTel: 020 8946 0466 Email: [email protected]

Cycling through floods(James Broscombe, May

2010). A girl is ferried homefrom a visit to the nearest

hospital in Aishalton Village,Guyana. Her ankle injury

might have been caused asshe was clearing grass,

either by a machete or asnake-bite. The photo was

taken on a clear day after arainstorm, during the rainy

season, about an hourbefore sunset, when the light

was low and soft. Jamesused a Nikon D700, 70mm,

f/4.5, 1/250 sec, ISO-800,Fill-Flash. For more photos

by James Broscombe, seepages 12 and 13.

4 Jesuits & Friends Spring 2012 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk4 Jesuits & Friends Spring 2012 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk

Ignatius, as he was founding theSociety of Jesus, did not want theJesuits to be the largest religiousorder in the Church, or the mostpowerful or the most prestigious.His dream was for a body of men whowere sufficiently prepared andspiritually disposed to go where theneed seemed to be greatest. Hisdream was that Jesuits be flexibleand not so entrenched in what theyare currently doing that they could not respond to agreater need elsewhere.

St Francis Xavier is a prime example of that. And, atheart, all Jesuits would like to be like him. He wasIgnatius’ right hand man in Rome, helping with thecomposition of the Constitutions and dealing with thecorrespondence. He was not the one chosen to go on themission to evangelise the people of India, Japan andChina. However, when Nicholas Bobadilla fell sick,Ignatius asked him to go in his place. After a day darninghis cassock, Francis was ready to go.

Now, after five years as Editor of Jesuits and Friends, Iam on the move too: the British Provincial has asked meto return to Guyana and to work amongst the Amerindians,the indigenous people of the rainforest. So this is likely tobe my last issue of Jesuits and Friends, although I’m sureyou will be hearing about my work there in future issues.

It is certainly a shock to the system to be asked to leavemy current job, looking after missionaries and theirsupporters, to go once more into the field to help todetermine the shape of the future development of theAmerindian peoples. Fortunately, I’ve been given morethan a day to repair my cassock! But I will have to learnagain how to sleep in a hammock, get used to bathing incold water and how to cope with a minimum of electricity.

What drove Francis, and what still inspires Jesuits today,is the knowledge that we are part of a network whichproclaims our common faith and works for justice. As myProvincial has discerned that this new work is a priority forour province, I will certainly give it my best shot.

As we prepare for the celebration of Holy Week andEaster, let us remember those celebrating these events insituations far different from our own. We are linked by ourcommon faith in the power of grace to overcome everybarrier and we are energised by this grace to work for theKingdom inaugurated by our crucified and risen Lord.

I hope you enjoy the current issue of the magazine and Iwish my successor well.

With my best wishes and prayers.

From the Editor...

Stefan Garcia SJ, a Scholastic of the BritishProvince, was in the Philippines for a threemonth home visit when Typhoon Sendong

hit the island of Mindanao last December. Hewitnessed the storm and its aftermath firsthand.

I was swinging a thurible when the storm crashedinto the village. It was an early evening Mass andthe house blessing of the dormitory where childrenof the local school lived during term time. We weresoaked as we ran back to the main house; I hadnever seen rain like this before during my stay,despite being in a mountain village regularlyenshrouded by cloud and surrounded by rainforests. The water jack-hammered our tin roof.

In the morning, Pedro Walpole SJ, Director ofEnvironmental Science for Social Change, thegroup that helps run the school with the localcommunity, surveyed the damage in the village. Hefound that the stream beneath the house hadswelled into a river with large trees strewnchaotically on its banks. News from the villagers

Washedaway by thetorrents

JM

Credit: Dr Iso Montalvan

quickly reached us. The road to thevillage was blocked by a largelandslide, which was a problem, sincewe were meant to leave in the jeep thefollowing day to take our flights backto Manila.

Texts flooded in from familymembers, as news about a hugestorm hitting the normally typhoon-free province of Bukidnon becameknown. My own worried mothercalled and informed us how Cagayande Oro, the nearest large city to thevillage, was devastated by floods, andhundreds of homes and people hadbeen washed away.

The car could not drive past thelandslide, so we had to hire motorbikesto get around the piles of mud androck. We reached Cagayan de Oro onthe Sunday afternoon after the Fridaynight typhoon and went straight to theareas reportedly affected. Pedro, atrained hydrologist, needed todocument the damage, in particularphotographing where and how thewaters flowed. We heard stories of thehorror people experienced. One ladyhad managed to get her family to thesecond floor of her house, but she

could not escape the terror ofthe screams of the peoplearound them who were beingwashed away by the waters.The great clean-up had begunfor those who still had houses,with people desperatelyclearing out the wet mud thatcoated everything, before itdried like cement. This was clearly impossible,however, as the shortage ofclean water meant that whatlittle they had was reservedfor drinking. The car park of the newCity Hall, irresponsibly built next to theriver, was strewn with the debris ofwhat were the municipal vehicles, fourwheelers piled on top of minivans. Thelarge billboards next to the bridges hadfallen on the houses beneath them.

A long-term solution to theprecarious living conditions of somany people in the Philippinesrequires a government crackdown onthe land speculating that buys off allthe safe land in the city by a fewwealthy families, leaving onlyinaccessible or dangerous places forthe poor to live. The Philippine

government needs toredevelop the land from some of thelarge, private landholdingcorporations and build on these areassocial housing close to work. Forcingpoor people to live miles away fromtheir livelihoods will never succeed.People will move back to disasterprone areas closer to their livelihoodswhen memories fade. This time wecannot allow people to lose sight ofthe suffering so sharply experienced;never forget because the next"biggest disaster" will surely come. Itis up to us whether we are ready for itor not.

www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Spring 2012 Jesuits & Friends 5

According to the Jesuits in the Philippines:At Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City,staff and students set up a Relief Center toreceive donations of food, water, medicalsupplies and blankets, and distributed themto the many victims of the disaster. It openedits campus as an Evacuation Center toprovide shelter to those whose houses hadbeen destroyed by the floods, and its clinic totreat patients. University medical personneland students were deployed to provide firstaid and trauma debriefing. The University alsodonated five hectares of land in the uptownvillage of Lumbia to serve as a permanentresettlement area for survivors. Work on theresettlement area began within two weeks ofthe floods and about 500 displaced familieswill be relocated to this site.

FACT FILEJM

JM

Credit: Dr Iso Montalvan

Credit: Gary Yim / Shutterstock.com

A relationship thatwidens horizons

The vision of the Companions’Programme follows the motto of theJesuits: Men and women for others.Here, of course, it is: Children for andwith others. It is a friendship thatsurpasses boundaries andbackgrounds.

Ours is a rural school started by theJesuits in 1962. Today it has about430 children, many of whom areorphans. In the crèche there areabout 70 children, and a teacher hasa class of about 45.

Between 2005 and 2009, Zimbabwe

was in a dire situation, with very highinflation and violence during theelections of 2005 and 2008. Civilservants, including teachers andnurses, quit their professions or leftthe country in search of better paidjobs. This situation came to an end

Jesuit Missions in London started the Companions’ Programme in 2005. It links Jesuitschools in the UK with Jesuit schools overseas, mainly in Africa. St Rupert Mayer PrimarySchool in Magonde, Zimbabwe, was linked with St John’s Beaumont in Berkshire. Here,Father Karl Herrmann SJ, the Superior at St Rupert Mayer reflects on the relationshipwith their British counterparts and the value of the programme.

6 Jesuits & Friends Spring 2012 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk

JM

A cuddly companion across continents: pupils at

St Rupert Mayer with a St John’s bear

only during 2009. Today, the situation in the schools

has improved. All primary schoolshave received enough books for theirsubjects, thanks to a countrywideinitiative from UNICEF. Teachershave come back and are more or lessdoing their work, although the salaryis still very poor. During the badtimes, exam results dropped to an alltime low (20% pass-rate); but lastyear, we were back to our old results(about 60%), and hope to improve inthe coming year.

Our companionship is a relationshipbetween brothers and sisters, onepoor, the other, less so. This is ourfamily situation. What do we do? Partof the programme is the exchange ofletters on different topics between thechildren. Daily we pray for ourCompanionship-brother and sister. Wemight soon be able to communicatewith each other through the internet(we have a few computers), becauseour village was recently connected tothe web and a booster was erected just

above our school. However, powercuts are the problem.

In 2008/09, when the situation wasworst, thanks to our sister school wecould help the children with porridge,maheu and some of their school-fees; the teachers also received asmall top-up. When the programmestarted we had no textbooks. StJohn’s Beaumont helped us topurchase a number of these. InFebruary 2009, Jesuit Missions helda workshop in Harare to evaluate theprogramme: all the JesuitCompanions schools in Africa, fromNairobi to Harare, met. It wasorganised by Ashleigh Callow who,on this occasion, visited our schoolfor the first time. Another result ofthis meeting was a kind ofcompanionship with HartmannHouse, one of the finest Jesuitprimary schools in Zimbabwe. Sincethen we had another Companions’meeting in October 2011, and I metand spoke to the St John’s Beaumontboys when I visited the school in

November 2011. The high point so far has been the visit

of our headmaster, Mr Charles Suruvaiand his deputy, Mrs Concillia Mhuka,who is also the co-ordinator of theprogramme, to St John’s Beaumont inDecember 2009. In her report followingthe visit, Mrs Mhuka wrote:

“There is a great deal of successlooking at our story so far. Theprogramme brought togetherchildren from two worlds far apartand made them one family. Childrenhere are now so into St John’s andalways praying for them and bringingin ideas for strengthening therelationship. They also benefitedsocially through the letters, andspiritually through the Masses andprayers; they benefited physically aswell, through the clothes and shoes,and educationally through thestationery, bags and sportingequipment. The school has grownand horizons have been widened dueto this relationship. Things aremoving forward ...”


JM

Fr Karl in the classroomat St John’s Beaumont


Barlborough Hall School inNorth Derbyshire is set in 300acres of picturesque parkland

in a truly stunning location.Approached by a magnificent tree-lined drive, it never ceases to amazevisitors as they arrive at the school.“We are lucky to have such beautifulsurroundings in which to nurtureour pupils,” says Head Teacher, MrsWanda Parkinson. “From theyoungest to the oldest, our pupilsare able to use the woods, lakes andwalkways to enhance theirlearning.”

Barlborough Hall School began asthe junior school to Mount St Mary’sCollege, becoming its PreparatorySchool when it moved to its currentlocation in 1939. The Hall – a Grade 1listed building – was built in 1583 andretains much of its character. Thechapel and many of the teachingrooms are in the Central Hall, whilethe Jacobean stable outbuildings anddomestic quarters house the EarlyYears department (for children aged3-5), the theatre, lakeside studio,

recreation rooms andgym.

Barlborough Hall seeksto form children who arehappy, confident andsuccessful. It offerseducation at its most varied, basedon the Jesuit tradition. While thecurriculum is academicallychallenging, it also recognises theimportance of all areas of a child’sdevelopment, spiritual, intellectual,emotional, artistic, and physical. Theschool’s ethos concentrates onsupporting and caring for others.Throughout the year, pupils, staff andparents hold fundraising events,which involve the whole community,greatly supported by the BarlboroughHall School Parents' Association, agroup which very generously helpsto organise many of the activities.The main fundraising effort began in2003 through the Jesuit MissionsCompanions’ Programme whichlinked the school with Makumbi Orphanage and PrimarySchool in Zimbabwe (see

www.gbjm.org/companionsprogramme/schools/). “The children havereally enjoyed supporting their fellowpupils through funding schooldevelopments,” says Mrs Parkinson.“But more important is theconnection between the schools,

Nurturing healthy, confidentand generous childrenSnapshot of a historic school steeped in the Jesuit tradition


which gives pupils a deeperunderstanding of a very differentculture. Our relationship withMakumbi has grown over the yearsthrough various projects which havebeen a fantastic opportunity for thechildren to learn from others.”

From the early years right throughto the Upper School and Year 6,children are taught a diverse and richcurriculum in small classes. Pupilshave specialist music, French andswimming lessons from the age ofthree. In Pre-Prep II and I, formalschooling begins along withstreaming for main lessons. TheUpper school is introduced to Latinand more specialist teaching in the

areas of science and technology,games and languages in a traditionalpreparatory school system.

Music and drama play a veryimportant part in school life, with a

large percentage of children engagedin peripatetic music lessons fromspecialist instrumental teachers. Theschool’s orchestra and three choirsreflect the excellent quality of musicprovision. It has a brand new lakesidedance studio, along with facilities formusic, drama and academicexcellence. Balborough Hall is alsocommitted to keeping the pupilshealthy and fit through sport; they allenjoy regular PE lessons andswimming in the indoor heated pool,while older pupils experience a broadvariety of sporting opportunitiesincluding a wide range of matchfixtures against other local schools.

All pupils at Barlborough HallSchool enjoy a varied and extensiveextra-curricular programme, whichhelps them to find new interests anddevelop their talents in manydifferent areas. There areopportunities to enjoy hobbies after

school and on Saturdaymornings, including morethan 20 activities such asarchery, ballroom dancing,baking and needlecraft.

Head teacher, Wanda Parkinson, isproud that Barlborough is a warm,happy place for pupils to develop andgrow their talents. “This is attributedsolely to our ethos and theimportance we place on ensuringpupils look out and care for eachother,” she explains. “All childrenproudly carry a vision card in theirblazer pocket which sums up ouraims and how the whole schoolcommunity tries to live out the Jesuitethos in our every day lives.”

Top – Chaplain, Fr Peter Knott SJ, chats with pupils in theschool chapel. Middle – Sports and archery are among activitiesenjoyed at Barlborough Hall. Bottom – Pupils learn aboutMakumbi Primary School with teacher, Mr Blessing Mwedzi.

Cherish the cultural relics – nostriding!” insists a notice at the

tombs of the Ming emperors outsideBeijing. Chinese culture continues torepresent an intriguing challengefor the proclamation of the Christiangospel. In the days of the greatJesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, thechallenges included learning thelanguage and its variations,developing an empathy with thepeople, recognising the signs of Godat work in their experience andhelping them to become more awareof these signs themselves. One keyquestion this raised 400 years ago,and still raises today, is how theCatholic Church in China relates tothe Christian community worldwide.

Similar challenges faced a smallteam from Loyola Hall in Merseysidelast year, as they accepted aninvitation to lead a month-longintensive course in spiritualaccompaniment at the diocesan

seminary in Beijing. “We wereinvited by Eamonn O’Brien, aColumban priest who helps tobuild up the Chinese church bybringing in people from Europeand North America to offerappropriate training,” explainedFr Paul Nicholson SJ, one of theBritish team.

For 30 years Matteo Ricci - oneof the pioneers of inculturation -worked to make the Christianfaith understandable by, andacceptable to, the educatedclass of Chinese society. RuthHolgate, the Director of Loyola Hall,Vron Smith (one of its spiritualdirectors), and Paul Nicholson who isthe Jesuit novice master in Britain,were conscious of building on thefoundations of his work.

“The course targeted priests andsisters responsible for religious andseminary formation,” Paul toldJesuits and Friends. “Fourteen took

part, from across China. All hadpreviously studied to master’s level inEnglish-speaking institutions, solanguage didn’t present too much ofa problem. After a six-day retreat,there followed three weeks of theory,role-play, and reflection onsupervised experience of directingone another. Discernment was the

core skill being taught, theability to recognise how Godis at work in the experienceof those being listened to.”

Paul and the rest of theteam feel the course wentwell and plans are alreadybeing made to see how it canbe followed up. “One idea isfor some of the participantsto be invited to direct the fullSpiritual Exercises. Forthose of us in the team, thetrip could only scratch thesurface of a culture which,if not quite as unknown inthe West as it was in Ricci’sday, still represents achallenge for anybodyentrusted with proclaimingthe gospel.”

JM


The Chinese Challenge, 400 years after Matteo Ricci

The course leaders with the group in Beijing,

and in front of Matteo Ricci’s tomb (above)


Over the past few years, theBritish Province has beenhelping the Jesuit centre for

studies in Vietnam, at Ho Chi MinhCity, the city formerly known asSaigon. The official name of thiscentre is St Joseph Scholasticateand it caters for the formation ofmany young Jesuits as they gettrained for work in that country orfor missionary work in othercountries. Up to now, the help of theBritish Province consisted primarilyin sending two philosophy lecturersfrom Heythrop College, Universityof London, to teach philosophy therefor some weeks during the summer.Fr Louis Caruana SJ was in Ho ChiMinh City in August 2009 and againin August 2011, and Fr Terry WalshSJ was there in August 2010, and isplanning to go again this summer.

The Jesuit presence in Vietnamstarted around 1615. For about 150years, Jesuits worked strenuously toestablish a solid foundation for the

Vietnamese Catholic Church, and tohave a positive impact also on thelocal culture. In fact, it was primarilythe Jesuit Fr Alexander de Rhodeswho rendered the Vietnamesewritten language into its Latinalphabet version still in use today.Their work stopped in 1773, and onlyrestarted 184 years later, in 1957.The new strategy they adopted wasto focus on training priestsfor all of Southeast Asia. ThePontifical College they ran inthe city of Dalat produced 14bishops and about 250priests, serving a Catholicpopulation of about sixmillion.

In 1975, things changeddrastically when thecommunists took control ofsouthern Vietnam and allforeign Jesuits had to leave.Only a very small groupremained: 11 priests, tenscholastics, one brother,

four novices and 15 candidates.Living in a communist society, theseJesuits faced many difficulties butcontinued to develop and serve God’speople with perseverance andgenerosity. The group thrived andincreased, and on 14 July 2007, itwas officially promoted to the statusof a Jesuit Province. These lastyears, vocations have flourished, and

in 2010 there were 42 Jesuitpriests, 75 scholastics, 23brothers, 22 novices, and 100candidates. The number ofscholastics studying at St JosephScholasticate at present is 54.

Jesuit Missions has also beeninvolved in this wonderfulapostolic adventure in its ownway. It was instrumental inshipping about 120 philosophyand theology books for the libraryof St Joseph Scholasticate,ensuring thereby that the youngJesuits in Vietnam will have nolack of useful books to read.

Vietnam: where Jesuitvocations flourish

Jesuits in Formation in Ho Chi Minh City withFr Terry Walsh and (right) Fr Louis Caruana

JM


GUYANALand of Many Waters

During the past two years, Jesuits and Friends has featured some of the photographsof James Broscombe who, between February 2009 and November 2010, wasstationed in the interior of Guyana with his wife Sarah, a volunteer with Jesuit

Missions. On his return to Britain, James compiled some of his photos into a stunningbook: Guyana, Land of Many Waters. Not only do they provide a colourful record of thescenery, people and aspects of life in this beautiful country of South America; they alsoexplore some of the techniques James uses for taking photos and the challenges he faced.

‘I took a journey with Duane de Freitas from Dadanawa

Ranch up river to the WaiWai village of Masakenari. It

took a week to reach this remote tribe who still hunt

with curare tipped arrows and do not smoke or drink

any alcohol.

‘This WaiWai family, spanning three generations, is

returning from their riverside farm with a crop of sugar

cane. All food is shared and eaten communally in the

village.’

‘The villages in the interior of Guyana depend upon a groupof hardy Bedford truck drivers who are available for hire tocarry goods and construction materials into areas with noroads. Most journeys involve getting stuck in soft mud orlong breakdowns which may take days to repair.

‘This young boy is the son of a truck driver. Most of hiseducation will be on the road, but he will at least becomean expert in vehicle repair!’


‘I was determined to take a new photograph of KaieteurFalls, different from the usual travel brochure pictures. Iwas planning to take a night exposure showing star trailsbehind the falls, but on the first evening there I realised thatthe mist from the water builds too quickly to be able to seethe stars.

’I was lucky with the lightning! The storm started far awayto the left of the waterfall, and was travelling to the right,but very slowly. I waited for about half an hour, taking 30second exposures of the waterfall, but the lightning wasalways out of frame to the left. The final lightning strike ofthe night was above the waterfall, right at the edge of thepicture. My settings were right and I’d managed to catch it.’

‘The Anglican Cathedral in Georgetown is rumoured to

be the tallest wooden building in the world. I’d decided

I wanted to take a long exposure photograph of it at

dusk, but I wanted a high viewpoint. In my second year

in Guyana, work started on a new bank building near the

Cathedral. As soon as the new building was high

enough I managed to persuade the building site

manager to let me climb up to take a picture.’

Guyana, Land of Many Waters by James Broscombe is currently available atwww.blurb.com and www.jmbphotography.co.uk

JM

Readers of Jesuits and Friendsare well aware of what Jesuitsand their co-workers are

getting up to at the beginning of the21st Century. Some of the men whocontact me to express interest in aJesuit vocation often have little idea.Certain myths – that we are theshock troops of the Vatican, or areall subversive revolutionaries, mayhave piqued their curiosity; someepisode from our past – the heroismof our British martyrs or the breathtaking boldness of the Paraguayan

reductions as captured in the filmThe Mission, might have fired theirimaginations; or they may have hadan experience of imaginativecontemplation in a chaplaincyretreat. But few will have a clearsense of our day to day lives, how welive in community, what we dedicateour lives to now, and what deepdown makes us tick.

‘Young people can only choose whatthey know and love’. So reflected theJesuit Provincials gathered inGeneral Congregation back in 1995.‘Every Jesuit and every Jesuitcommunity must do everythingpossible actively to present theSociety to others in such a way thatthose whom God calls will know andappreciate who and what we are’.(Decree 10, General Congregation 34)

It is this need to let people ‘knowand appreciate who and what we are’that is leading to a series of eventsgoing under the title, ‘ExploringJesuit life’. We began with a weekendin November 2010 in Loyola HallJesuit Spirituality Centre: an openevent for all-comers. It was

advertised in such a wayas to indicate it might be of

help to those considering avocation to the Society, but was

also open to others. One of themost engaged participants was a

young woman, not Catholic,researching different models ofcommunity living and churchengagement. We repeated theweekend in November 2011; andthis year we will be adding to theprogramme an afternoon/early

evening event in Oxford (29 April), theHurtado Centre, Wapping (13 May)and in St Aloysius Parish, Glasgow (inthe autumn, date to be confirmed).

As time allows, we will aim in allthese events to convey how we live inthe spirit of St Ignatius today, why weoccupy the place that we do in theChurch – on the frontiers engagingwith other faiths and the secularworld, why we do so alongside laycollaborators, and what sustains usin our community lives and in ourprayer. We hope they will be eye-opening and heart engagingoccasions!

For more information on the‘Exploring Jesuit life’ events, pleaseemail: [email protected]

What Makes Jesuits Tick?Matthew Power SJ

SOUTH AFRICA

Fr Russell Pollitt SJHoly Trinity, PO Box 31087,Johannesburg 2017,South Africa, Tel: + 27 (0)11 339 2826,[email protected]

BRITAINFr Matthew Power SJLoyola Hall,Warrington Road,Prescot L35 6NZ Tel: + 44 (0)151 426 4137,[email protected]

Or visit www.jesuitvocations.org.uk

Have you or someone youknow considered life as aJesuit priest or brother? For more information,contact:


GUYANAFr Edwin Thadheu SJJesuit Residence, PO Box 10720,Georgetown, GuyanaTel: + 592 22 67461,[email protected]

As well as the ‘experiments’lasting a month or more, whenJesuit novices work full-time

in schools, make pilgrimagesbegging for their food and lodging,or serve alongside Mother Teresa’ssisters helping the homeless, themen in the initial stage of formationin the Society of Jesus spend oneday each week in a variety ofpastoral placements. Here HenryLongbottom, a British Provincenovice who began his training lastyear, describes a day in the work towhich he has been assigned.

Fellow novice Mark McDevitt and Ibecame godparents last September.The simple but dignified baptism andconfirmation liturgy took placeduring a community Mass attendedby about 30 male worshippers. Asthe priest welcomed him into theChurch and the congregationapplauded, my godson, aBirmingham-born man in his 30s,had an expression of excitement andserenity. Afterwards, he describedthe experience as being one of themost important events in his life.

It certainly had a powerful impacton me, reminding me of my ownbaptism when I was 13 and myreception into the Roman CatholicChurch a few years ago. The samesacraments yet very different

contexts. I say this because thevenue for the baptism last year wasthe chapel at HMP Winson Green,where Mark (a second-year novice)and I take part in this apostolatewhich he pioneered in 2010. Thecongregation consisted of inmates(plus two prison officers looking on atthe back) and the priest officiatingwas the Catholic chaplain. My newgodson is a prisoner who haddiscovered his Christian faith in jail.He is fond of animals and so he choseSt Francis of Assisi as hisconfirmation name.

As a Jesuit novice, one aspect of thenovitiate I particularly enjoy is my“social apostolate” at the prison. Theother novice and I go there onThursdays and Sundays to assist withthe work of the chaplaincy. Jesuitministry begins with day one of thenovitiate.

We help out with the liturgies, bibleclasses, and visits to individualprisoners. It is challenging butrewarding work. As I am let throughthe heavy gates of the prison’sreception area in the morning, I haveno idea what a day might throw up,what I might see or what stories Imight hear. The inmates can ask verysearching questions (they have a lotof time to ponder existential issues)and they often hang on every word of

your answer. I have been struck bythe amount and intensity of faithamong prisoners. It is veryhumbling. It can also be quiteharrowing at times, especially whenvisiting inmates who are on “suicidewatch”.

I was a solicitor before joining theJesuits and there is a nice symmetryfor me to be working in a prison now.I am seeing things from the otherside or you might say getting aninsight into the sharper end of law. Iam certainly experiencing the humanaspect more acutely, seeingprisoners as individuals rather thansimply as “a case” or a statistic. Inlistening to the prisoners, I am oftenstruck by the difficult and chaoticnature of their upbringing and familylives. Of course, every case isdifferent but I cannot help detecting ageneral pattern, especially amongthe younger chaps, that a combinedabsence of male role modelstogether with substance abuse leadsthem into a downward spiral ofcrime. It is a great privilege to beable to hear accounts first hand.

Henry Longbottom wrote thisoriginally for the novitiate blog,where weekly postings offer a flavourof the varied life of the novitiate. Youcan read, and subscribe to, the blogat http://manresaamigos.wordpress.com

The ‘privilege’ of going to prisonHenry Longbottom nSJ



Come adore this wondrousPresence” is the translation by

the late Father James Quinn SJ ofTantum Ergo Sacramentum,referring to the presence of Christ inthe Eucharist. Jesus Christ ispresent to us in other ways, too, andthe Holy Father’s intentions for thenext few months seem to have as acommon bond the wondrouspresence of Christ in our lives.

In April, we offer our day for youngpeople, that they will hear the call ofChrist and that many of them willhave the faith and generosity to offerthemselves for priestly service andfor the religious life. The Holy Fatheralso wishes us to pray that Christ will

be central to minds and hearts of allwho live in Africa.

In May, the month dedicated toMary, the Mother of God and ourMother, the emphasis of our prayer isin regard to Family life. We pray thatChrist may be worshipped and valuedas the central figure in every humanfamily.

“Tantum ergo Sacramentum” fitsperfectly into the papal intention forJune. We are so blessed with theReal Presence of Christ in theEucharist. We pray that more andmore people will come to arealisation of this “WondrousPresence”. We pray too that thecountries of Europe, struggling with

so many problems at this time, willnever forget their Christian heritage.Christ, yesterday, today and the sameforever.

In July, we are asked to pray that allmay find safe and wholesomeemployment. The Rule of St Benedictstates: “laborare est orare – workingis praying”. Praying puts us in thepresence of Our Lord and SaviourJesus Christ. Using the prayer ofBlessed John Henry Newman wecould pray that we ourselves andindeed all Christian volunteers inforeign countries will “spread thefragrance of Christ everywhere”.

That many young people may hear thecall of Christ and follow him in thepriesthood and religious life. We praythat the risen Christ may be a sign ofcertain hope for the men and womenof the African continent.

That the initiatives which defend anduphold the role of the family may bepromoted within society. That Mary, Queenof the World and Star of Evangelisation,may accompany all missionaries inproclaiming her Son Jesus.

That believers may recognise in theEucharist the living presence of theRisen One who accompanies them indaily life. That Christians in Europemay rediscover their true identity andparticipate with greater enthusiasm inthe proclamation of the Gospel.

That everyone may have work in safeand secure conditions. That Christianvolunteers in mission territories maywitness to the love of Christ.

April

May

June

July

Come adore this wondrous Presence

Michael Beattie SJ reflects on the Pope’s Apostleship of Prayer intentionsover the coming months, as he invites us to

JM has secured the services ofJulian Filochowski to help itwith advocacy. But what do we

mean by ‘advocacy’ and why is itimportant to the work of theJesuits? Jesuits and Friendscaught up with him recently to findout.

J&F: Julian, why is it important forJM to get involved with advocacy?

Julian: The Society of Jesus seeksto serve faith and promote justiceboth in the UK and overseas. JM isprivileged to help other provincesand our regions in this task.Sometimes the promotion of justicecan mean challenging laws andprocedures, rhetoric and action,governments and private enterprise,when they bear down oppressivelyon the most vulnerable in our world.

J&F: Isn’t this what JRS does?

Julian: Under its banner‘Accompany, Serve, Advocate’, theJesuit Refugee Service offers directassistance to refugees and asylumseekers, but it is also a formidablelobbyist for refugee rights, both atthe United Nations and withgovernments who contravene therights of people fleeing conflict andpersecution.

J&F: Practically, how will advocacyhelp our Jesuits working in Guyana,South Africa and Zimbabwe?

Julian: Let me give just oneexample. Within its overseasfunding, JM provides assistance tothe Amerindian people in Guyanathrough income-generating projectsin the communities. Yet amongst thebiggest threats to their future arenational and international miningcompanies which extract the gold,uranium and diamonds that lieunderneath and around their

traditional lands. Great swathes ofpolluted forest and river are visiblefrom the air, threatening not only theecology but the communitiesthemselves with poisoned waters inthe streams they depend upon. Theirland rights are infringed and cropsdamaged. Social ills have followed,including trafficking and prostitution.So, to advocate for the rights andwell-being of Guyana’s Amerindiansmight well become part of JM’sfuture agenda alongside moretraditional projects.

J&F: And I understand that JM isable to make a contribution toadvocacy at a global level?

Julian: Yes, the Society of Jesusworldwide has now set up five GlobalIgnatian Advocacy Networks, eachwith a major focus theme. They willtake advantage of the potentiallyunparalleled advocacy resourcesthat the Society can count on - fromdocumented testimony collected onthe frontline by Jesuits tacklingpoverty and exclusion, from theresearchers in Jesuit universitiesanalysing the underlying issues withreal competence, from Jesuit-linkedagencies which already campaign

and communicate effectively. Theywill seek to witness to faithalongside promoting social justice.

And this September, the BritishJesuits will welcome to London theadvocacy network dealing withmining for its first week-longmeeting. JM hopes to learn fromadvocacy experience in India, thePhilippines, the Democratic Republicof Congo and elsewhere that mightusefully throw light on thechallenges posed in Guyana, SouthAfrica and Zimbabwe.


Serving Faith … Promoting Justice

The Global Ignatian Advocacy Network (GIAN)goes back to the early 2000s when someJesuits expressed the desire to network andcollaborate on common projects. Their fivecore themes are migration, peace and humanrights, the right to education, ecology and thegovernance of natural and mineral resources.Collaboration enhances their work, drawsupon the expertise that the Society hasalready in several areas and takes advantageof its global reach to spread the impactbeyond local confines. It is founded onGeneral Congregation 35’s call to establishadvocacy links and build bridges acrosscommunities, sectors and regions.

JM

JM

A scar cut in the rainforest by mining atMarudi, Guyana (James Broscombe)

FACT FILE


The RMS Titanic – 100 years on

When the RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton on 10 April1912, she was the largest ship afloat at the time. On boardwas a remarkable Irish Jesuit Scholastic, Francis Browne,

who, by luck, was an enthusiastic photographer. His uncle had boughthim a ticket for the first leg of the journey to Queenstown (now Cobh,Co Cork, Ireland). During his 24 hours on board, he took manypictures, including the famous picture of the Marconi Room, fromwhich the distress signal was sent when the vessel hit an iceberg inthe Atlantic on its maiden voyage. On board he met a millionaireAmerican couple who offered to extend his ticket to New York, and hesent a telegram to his Provincial, asking for permission to go. Thereply was “GET OFF THAT SHIP – PROVINCIAL”. Fortunately, Brownewas an obedient Jesuit, otherwise we would not have his memorablepictures and he may well have been amongst the two-thirds of thepassengers who lost their lives. He was ordained in 1915.

To mark the centenary of the Titanic’s tragic maiden voyage,Messenger Publications in Ireland have re-published Father Browne’sTitanic Album, edited by Eddie O’Donnell SJ. [email protected] for details. And you can see his photos for yourselfat the ‘Flowers for the Titanic’ commemoration at St Francis Xavier’sChurch, Liverpool, from 20 – 22 April. More information onwww.sfxchurchliverpool.com (phone 0151 298 1911).

Below: Aboard the Titanic – first class accommodation, the grand staircaseand the Marconi Radio Room. Photos courtesy of Davison & Associates

Name:Owner:Port of registry:Builder:Launched:Maiden voyage:Stop over in Queenstown, Ireland:Hit an iceberg & sunk in North Atlantic Ocean:Rescued:Perished:

RMS TitanicWhite Star LineLiverpoolHarland and Wolf, Belfast31st May 191110th April 191211th April 191215th April 19127101,514

FACT FILE

The Philosopher’s Friend and Tales of Detection by Moff

Christianity in Evolution, an Exploration by Jack Mahoney SJ

PUBLICATIONS


The Philosopher’s Friend and Tales of Detectionis a rather off-the-wall take on some keyphilosophical themes by “Moff” (also known as

Fr John Moffatt SJ).Fr Moffatt is passionate about many things: cricket

and football, crime detection and puzzles, politics andkey political players, British education and neweducational policies, philosophy and the existence ofGod. He has also been known, on occasion, to downa pint or two in a public house whilst engaging indebate on any of his favourite topics. This book is theideal vehicle to articulate these passions in a way thatis both stimulating and challenging. I think it wouldbe immensely useful to anyone trying to engageyoung people to think seriously.

The art of philosophy is to be able to makegeneralisations about the nature of things fromparticular instances which we observe. From whatwe can see we make inferences about what we cannotsee and then examine them to see if they makesense. Plato was concerned with abstracts, such as“beauty” and how these concepts are related to given

instances of something wejudge to be beautiful.

It might seem a big jumpfrom “what’s the point ofcricket” to “well, without aGod our universe is devoid ofmeaning”, but this is exactlythe sort of bridge Moff iseager to cross. I’m sure thematerial in the book wentdown well as Fr Moffatt waschallenging his students atOxford or Enfield to think about life and itsopportunities.

If you share his passions, or at least some of them,then this is a book for you.

The Philosopher’s Friend and Tales of Detection byMoff (Lulu 2011) is only available through the internetat www.lulu.com price £6.99 + postage and packing.

In any challenge to the doctrine of original sin,Christians – and especially Catholics – have hadto relate it to the doctrine of redemption, and

specifically the Incarnation. Anyone exploringoriginal sin and accepting evolution is forced toquestion why the Incarnation was necessary and theevolutionary role and significance of Jesus Christ.

These are issues that Fr Jack Mahoney SJ facessquarely in his book Christianity in Evolution, AnExploration, which was launched with a lecture atGresham College in the City of London last month. Itis inevitable that in such an “exploration”, a Jesuittheologian like Professor Mahoney asks fundamentalquestions about why Christ became man and whatwas achieved by his death. Before Darwin, deaththroughout the Bible was viewed largely as thedivinely-imposed penalty or punishment for originalsin – the human sin of disobedience. The author,however, argues that Christ’s purpose “was not tosave us from original sin … and placate God, for whichthere was no need, but to save humanity fromindividual death and meaninglessness, by conquering

death and in his resurrectionleading his fellow-humans to anew phase of evolutionaryexistence with a loving God.”

Fr Mahoney acknowledgesthat his proposals may causealarm or distress in somequarters. Some argue thatevolution, though challengingthe Augustinian definition ofOriginal Sin, does not have such far reachingconsequences as Fr Mahoney suggests. However,this is definitely first rate theology and well worth aread.

Christianity in Evolution, An Exploration is publishedby Georgetown University Press and is available fromAmazon (priced from approx £15). You can also listento Fr Mahoney’s lecture at the launch of this book onthe Gresham College web site (www.gresham.ac.uk).Follow the link to past lectures and events.


BITS’n’PIECES

Lottery Supports SFXRepairs

Procurators InNairobi

Schools Welcome NewChaplain

St Francis Xavier’s Church in Liverpool (SFX) has been awarded aHeritage Lottery grant of £151,000 towards the repair of itsstonework. As it is on the side of a hill winds from the Irish Sea

buffet the building on a regular basis. The grant will help to finance thefirst phase of necessary repairs and will concentrate on the eastern sideof the nave. In total, the church will need about £1.5million to bring thestonework up to a decent standard.

In 2000, a Heritage Lottery grant of £780,000 enabled the replacement ofthe roof of SFX and English Heritage said it would be willing to consider thephased funding of repairs to the stonework. The latest grant will furthersecure the place of this magnificent Grade II* listed church, situated in oneof the most deprived areas of the country, as a centre of worship andpastoral activity.

Fr Adrian Porter SJ will representthe British Province at theCongregation of Procurators of the

Society of Jesus in Nairobi this July. Atthe Province Congregation at thebeginning of the year, Fr Peter GallagherSJ was elected as Substitute Procurator.The Congregation of Procurators inKenya has to decide whether the Societyshould call a General Congregation. Itwill also be considering the state of theSociety as it looks forward to 2014, the200th anniversary of its Restoration byPope Pius VII. Writing to the Jesuits lastyear, Father General said: “As theRestoration was an event of re-creationfor the Society, I would like to inviteJesuits today to engage in a deeperreflection on the signs of new life andapostolic creativity in both traditionaland new ministries in the Society.”

Father Simon Ellis has takenon the role of Director ofChaplaincy at Mount St

Mary’s College and itspreparatory school, BarlboroughHall. Fr Simon, originally fromCambridgeshire, was a Church ofEngland priest near Nottinghamand in Bristol, before beingreceived into the Catholic Churchand ordained as a Catholic priestin 2011. He said he felt“honoured and privileged” tohave the role at the Derbyshireschools. “Although I have only been in post for a short time, I havealready seen and experienced just how special life is at bothBarlborough Hall and Mount St Mary’s. The two schools offer a uniqueeducational experience. As Director of Chaplaincy, my role is tosupport and offer advice on a range of matters to all involved with thetwo schools, overseeing worship and to have a significant involvementin pastoral care.”


BITS’n’PIECES

Running For Charities

The Jesuit Missionsteam in the VirginLondon Marathon is

attempting to raise over£75,000 this year – a 50%increase on last year’stotal. The 30 runners on22 April include pupils andstaff from schools who areraising money for theirCompanion schools, amarried couple, siblings,former Stonyhurst pupils,a head teacher fromZimbabwe, ex-JM staffand relatives of currentJM staff and many more. All have a link to the Jesuits and thework of JM. Three of the team are raising funds for JRS UK andthe rest will go towards projects in Guyana, Kenya, South Africaand Zimbabwe. For details of runners and the projects they willbe supporting, visit the JM web site: www.jesuitmissions.org

The NewMagazine Team

In addition to a change of Executive Editor(see page 4), several new members joinedthe editorial team for Jesuits and Friends

at the beginning of 2012. Andrea Brown willbring her experience from London JesuitVolunteers at the Mount Street Jesuit Centreand also the Hurtado Jesuit Centre inWapping. For the first time, tertiaryeducation will be represented on the team:Annabel Clarkson from Heythrop College,University of London, will bring herexpertise as the college’s Head of ExternalRelations to the magazine. And Tom Smith, amember of Christian Life Community and aregular participant in FS Plus at Farm StreetChurch joins the group with input from youngadults’ activities in the province.

Restoration Of St Peter’s Church

Acongregation of 900 pupils, parents,staff and alumni from StonyhurstCollege in Lancashire attended a Mass

of Celebration in January for the re-openingof St Peter’s Church, after a year-longprogramme of restoration and conservation.Masons have replaced large expanses ofstone, eroded by wind and rain; stained glasswindows were re-leaded and cleaned;stencilling from the 1850’s and 1950’s,previously covered by whitewash, waspainstakingly re-painted, and themagnificent ceiling was restored in thishistoric 180-year-old building. The repairs,renewals and redecoration were funded inpart from the sale of the Cuthbert Gospel.

DEATHS &OBITUARIES


Fr Charles Praeger SJ

Fr James Berry SJ

Fr John Eddy SJ

Fr Stanley B. Marrow SJ

Mrs Maureen Kelly

- aunt of Fr Gerry Gallen SJ

Mrs Anna Bage

- aunt of Fr Amar Bage SJ

Mr Dariush Mehrtash

- cousin of Br Bernard Elliot SJ

Mrs Frances Monks

- sister of Br Ted Coyle SJ

Mr Brian Rogers

- brother of Fr Ted Rogers SJ

Mrs Agnes Washington

- sister of the late Fr Vincent Hawe SJ

Mr Leo Bridges

- nephew of the late Fr John Bridges SJ

Mr Evaristo Makaka - brother of Fr Pat Makaka SJ

Mr Vicente Gadea

- father of Sergio Gadea SJ

Mr Anthony Suvekeen

- father of Roshan Suvakeen SJ

Rt Rev John Jukes

Revd Roy Dorey

Sr Valsa John SCJM

Sr Lucy Cairns DC

Sr Anne Holden SHCJ

Sr Hilda Denyer RA

Mr Piers Wooley

Mr David Charles Rogers

Mr Alan Lester

Mr M Trotter

Mrs Maureen Ferguson

Mrs Ethel MacDonald

Mr Michael Parnham

Mr Ranjit Croos-Fernando

Mr Owen Hayes

Miss Joan Day

Mr Pat Rimmer

Mrs Joanie Archer

Mrs E P Murnaghan

Mr Andrew Harvie

Mr Oscar Idion

Mr Redmond Mullin

Mrs Angela Gibbons

Mr Denys Twist

Mrs Sally Byrne

Miss Edith Mary Sexton

Mrs Claris Wray

Mr Paul Haddon

Mrs Olga Keswani

Mrs Margaret Tudor

Please pray for those who have died recently.May they rest in peace.

A native of Harrow,Middlesex, CharlesWalsh Praeger wasbrought up as a

member of the Church of England andwas educated at Merchant Taylors’School. He studied Modern Languagesat St John Baptist College in Oxfordand, in 1940, while at university, he wascalled up for military service and satfor a War Emergency Degree. He spentfive-and-a-half years in the army,serving in the Middle East, duringwhich time he was received into theCatholic Church, at Stella MarisMonastery, Mount Carmel, Haifa(September 1946).

Charles was fluent in French and

German, and also had an interest inItalian and Russian. He resumed hisstudies at Oxford after the war andachieved an MA in Modern Languages.He took a post as lecturer in Frenchand German at the Army EducationCollege in Mount Carmel until theevacuation of civilians from Palestineforced him to return to England in1948. He then spent some time as ajunior lecturer in English at the PolishUniversity College in London.

In September 1948, Charles enteredthe Society of Jesus at Roehampton andbetween his philosophy degree (1952)and his theology degree (1959) – both atHeythrop College in Oxfordshire – heachieved his Teacher’s Certificate at

Roehampton. As a scholastic, his firstteaching appointment was atStonyhurst College in Lancashire; andafter his ordination in 1958, he taught atPreston Catholic College and atCardinal Newman College, created in1978 by the merger of Lark Hill ConventGrammar School, Winckley SquareConvent School and Preston CatholicCollege.

Fr Praeger continued living inPreston as a member of the St Wilfrid’sJesuit Community until 2004 when hemoved to the Oulton Abbey Care Homein Staffordshire. After four years there,he moved to the Corpus Christi JesuitCommunity in Boscombe, Dorset,where he died on 8 November 2011.

Fr Charles Praeger SJ10 June 1920 – 8 November 2011

1. The Jesuits in the Philippines responded to the catastrophe of Typhoon Sendong but also work long-term withvulnerable communities.

2. The gift of education and friendship: thank you for supporting the children of Zimbabwe.

3. Guyana is a land of great beauty but also many challenges. Please help the work of Jesuits working throughout thecountry.

4. Every pound helps! Please sponsor our runners in the Virgin London Marathon who are running for projects in Kenya,South Africa, Zimbabwe, Guyana and refugees.

You can send your donations to the address below, or log on to our website whereyou can increase your donation by 25% through the Just Giving scheme. Thank you!

The JESUIT DEVELOPMENTFUND helps to establish andmaintain churches, schools,retreat centres and apostolicworks of all kinds at home andoverseas. At present thetrustees are assisting thedevelopment of our work inSouth Africa, and providingnursing care and attention forthe elderly Jesuits of the Province.

YOUR GIFTS in response to any appeals, orfor any of our Missions overseas, should besent to JM, which is the central missionoffice. Please make all cheques and postalorders payable to JM.

GIFT AIDFor every pound you donate we can reclaim25p, thanks to the government scheme. If you need further details contact the JMoffice.

www.gbjm.orgJM · 11 Edge Hill · London · SW19 4LRT: + 44 (0) 20 8946 0466 F: + 44 (0) 20 8946 2292 E: [email protected]

Reg. Charity Nos.England and Wales: 230165Scotland: SCO 40490

Why not senda donation tosupport us?

All Benefactors are remembered in the Masses and prayers of every Jesuit in our Province.Thank you for your generosity

A BEQUESTWe would be delighted if you remember JMor the appeals mentioned here in your Will.We shall be happy to send you details of theofficial wording.

How Can I ?The JESUIT SEMINARY ASSOCIATIONhelps to defray the expensive cost oftraining Jesuit priests and brothers.


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Help

This illustration of the Last Supper was especially commissioned for there-built Redemptorist Chapel in Chisawasha, Zimbabwe, after the

previous chapel was destroyed by fire. It is one of a set of paintings bythe late Fr Tony Berridge SJ who died suddenly last year.

"May You be praised, O Lord our God, Kingof the Universe, You who feed the wholeworld with goodness, grace, and mercy.”

(Believed to be the wording of the blessing at the end of theLast Supper at the time of Jesus)

Documents

Jesuits & Friends Spring 2012