NEW DELHI (UCAN) – The new leader of the Jesuits in South Asia says he will encourage his congregation to find new areas of work even as they reinvigorate traditional services.

Father Edward Mudavassery took over as the Provincial of South Asia (POSA) on May 31 at a ceremony in New Delhi attended by about 60 people, including Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi and Auxiliary Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

Jesuit superior general Father Adolfo Nicolas appointed Father Mudavassery as provincial on Jan. 20, to succeed Father Hector D’Souza, who has held the post for the past five years. Father Mudavassery was the rector of Vidyajyoti Jesuit Theology College in Delhi at the time of his appointment.

With more than 4,000 members, South Asia has the largest number of Jesuits in the world. They work in 18 provinces and two regions that are grouped under the Jesuit Conference of South Asia. The provincial oversees Jesuit’s common formation houses and social service institutions in the country.

Father Mudavassery told the gathering he would follow the recommendations that emerged during the Jesuits’ 35th general congregation meeting in Rome last year. These urged members to strive for new work frontiers while reviewing their traditional services.

The new provincial noted that Asia, especially South Asia, faces various types of conflicts and the Jesuits have to seek new ways to promote dialogue and reconciliation. He also said the Jesuits need to adapt their services to help more poor people. For example, Jesuit educational institutions should stress formation of good citizens as they work for academic excellence, he said.

Father Mudavassery also recalled Pope Benedict XVI’s address to the general congregation delegates about the need to address moral and ethical problems facing the rapidly changing modern world and to find new ways to preach the Gospel.

Father D’Souza hailed his successor as a man of courage and vision who had earlier led the Jesuits of Hazaribag province in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

He recalled how Father Mudavassery had inspired fellow Jesuits in 1997 after the headless body of a murdered confrere, Father A. T. Thomas, was found in a forest. The priest’s work among poor, landless dalit people had upset some landlords who had oppressed the former “untouchable” caste people for decades.

Father D’Souza said Father Mudavassery had urged his dejected congregation to continue their fight for the rights of the poor, just as their slain confrere has done. Father D’Souza also said his successor’s training in spirituality and counseling will help him to chart new territory for the Jesuits in South Asia.