We all have some difficulty to believe it but the fact is that we are nearing the end of the present Tertianship program.  After the Ministries of the Christmas Season, spent by all ten tertians in the mountains of the Cordillera, in the Vicariates of the Mountain Province and of Kalinga-Apayao, January has been dedicated to an intense but still “sapiential” and “spiritual” reading and study of the Constitutions.  The fact that we are studying our Institute while the General Congregation is meeting in Rome adds a lot of interesting questions and insights to our sharings.

In early February, the group will go out again for the last experiment of the Tertianship, which is called “elective” because each tertian is invited to choose whatever type of experiment he would like to have in order to complete his Tertianship journey.  The choices are quite varied: two tertians are returning to the place of their Christmas Ministries for pastoral and retreat work, two will be joining the prison ministry (with the hope of being paroled or released after three weeks), two will do some chaplaincy work in hospitals, one will join the community of L’Arche near Manila, one will do some campus ministry at the University of the Philippines, one will pursue his Islamic journey and go into interreligious dialogue, and one will even go to Japan for some ministry among the Chinese Community of Tokyo. 
 
And then, the sad (?) end will come on March 8, with the “dispersion” of the community and the return of each one to mission.

MAGiS summer programmes kick off! There are trial experiments planned between December and February in various locations around Australia and Asia, with limited slots open for interested Australian young adults. Take a summer break through India, or share a few beers over Australia Day celebrations in the MAGiS programme. More information on the news and events page for each Australian state.

The Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus is preparing to establish a “Jesuit Volunteer” service, which may be called “Matteo Ricci Volunteers.” These full-time or part-time volunteers, either young adults or retired (semi-retired) persons, will work in apostolic works related to the mission of the Society of Jesus on the territory of the Chinese Province (China Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.) The Society of Jesus will provide spiritual formation and spiritual accompaniment to the volunteers, based on Ignatian spirituality.

The Chinese Province is now looking for a lay Catholic to start the project and manage it on a long-term basis. This is a paid job, open to either male or female applicants, based in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau. The manager will be incorporated into the employee system of the Society of Jesus, with related benefits.

The manager will have to establish the basic structure of the volunteer service. He (she) will also have to (1) come to a deeper knowledge of the apostolic institutions, (2) understand the concrete needs for volunteers and (3) establish networks.

The manager must have a good knowledge of the Society of Jesus, have done the Spiritual Exercises and have a strong sense of mission. He (she) should already have at least seven years of experience in the management of tasks and of people, and must be able to work independently while also being good at teamwork. The applicant must be a college graduate, and be fluent in Mandarin and English. The work will involve much travel. We expect the manager to be aged between 30 and 50.

Employment will begin on August 1, 2008. Interested applicants should send their resume, autobiography, and copy of their academic degrees before April 30, to either of the following addresses:

Rev. Luciano Morra S.J.
Jesuitas
Largo de Sto. Agostinho, 4
Macau (S.A.R.) China

Or

墨朗神父收
【10650】台北市和平東路1段183巷26號

Todo comenzó unos minutos antes de la misa, cuando el recién nombrado General, acompaniado de un grupo de electores y un diácono, se dirigieron a las camarettas de San Ignacio. Se trata de las habitaciones de Ignacio donde escribió las constituciones. Tras un momento de oración en silencio, el diácono proclamó el pasaje de San Mateo (Mt.23:8-12) donde dice –Vosotros no os dejéis llamar Maestro, porque uno solo es vuestro Maestro; y vosotros sois todos hermanos. Ni tampoco os dejéis llamar líderes, porque uno solo es vuestro líder: Cristo.– Tras esta exhortación, el secretario de la Companía, dirigiéndose al Padre Nicolás le recordó el tipo de persona que la parte IX de las constituciones dicen que debe de ser el Padre General. Terminado el breve gesto, el grupo volvió hacia la sacristía donde les esperaban el resto de los electores. La misa de acción de gracias estaba lista para empezar.

Everything started a few minutes before the Mass, when the newly elected Superior General, accompanied by a group of electors and a deacon, entered the rooms of Saint Ignatius. This is the place where Father Ignatius wrote the Constitutions. After a moment of silent prayer, the deacon proclaimed a passage from the Gospel of Saint Mathew (Mt. 23: 8-12): –You must not be called teacher for you are all brothers and have only one Teacher. Nor should be called leader because your one and only leader is the Messiah. The greatest among you must be your servant.– After this, the secretary of the Society turned to Father Adolfo Nicolás and reminded him of the kind of person Part IX of Constitutions says the Superior General ought to be. Then, the group went back to the sacristy where all the rest of the electors were waiting for them. The Mass of Thanksgiving was ready to start.

Tout a commencé quelques minutes avant la messe, quand le Général nouvellement élu, accompagné d’un groupe d’électeurs et d’un diacre, se sont dirigés aux chambres de saint Ignace. Il s’agit bien des pièces où Ignace lui-même a écrit les Constitutions. Après un moment de prière silencieuse, le diacre a proclamé le passage de l’évangile de saint Matthieu (23, 8-12) où l’on peut lire: « Ne vous faites pas appeler « maître », puisque vous n’avez qu’un seul Maître et que vous êtes tous frères; ne vous faites pas appeler « seigneur », car vous n’avez qu’un seul Seigneur, le Christ. » Après cette exhortation, le Secrétaire de la Compagnie, en s’adressant au père Nicolás lui a rappelé le type de personne que la 9e partie des Constitutions décrit comme père Général.
Après cette courte célébration symbolique, le groupe est retourné à la sacristie, là ou l’attendait les autres électeurs. On pouvait donc commencer l’eucharistie d’action de grâce.

1) Pope Benedict XVI admires 50 years of work by Jesuits of the Chinese Province
    Pope Benedict XVI receives a copy of G rand Ricci from Fr. Benoit Vermander, S.J.

2) Fr. Franco Belfiori, S.J.  R.I.P.

3) Macau
    The Macau Ricci Institute’s International Symposium 2007

4) Hsinchu District
    New Book: The Story of Chingchuan

    First Indigenous Jesuit from Taiwan

    50th Anniversary of Chupei’s Jesuit Church

    Youth Eucharistic Movement in Hsinchu

On October 24, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI received in audience the Bureau of the “Ricci Dictionary Association” which manages the rights and development of the Dictionary compiled and edited by the Jesuits of the Chinese Province for more than 50 years. Admiring the copy offered to him as a gift, the Pope described the Dictionary as an “historical monument.” He listened with much pleasure to the explanations provided by Mr. Claude Haberer on the role of cultural bridge played by the Dictionary, as for instance at an exhibit that took place at the Shanghai Library retracing the history of Jesuit lexicography from the Jesuits’ earliest days in China till the publication of the Grand Ricci. [[The Pope encouraged the team to continue in the same way. Benoit Vermander accompanied the delegation, and offered the Pope a copy of Renlai magazine as well. All participants were introduced to the Pope by Cardinal Etchegaray, who helped organize the audience and introduce the endeavor in various councils of the Curia.]]

        On October 25, 2007, Fr. Vermander, S.J., and the delegation had lunch with Fr. General, who emphasized the importance he attaches to the cultural apostolate in China.

On October 31, Barry Martinson had a press conference in Taipei City to present the English version of his well-known book formerly translated into Chinese by the famous writer San Mao: “The Story of Chingchuan.” The book is a very colorful and lively poetic introduction to life in the Tayal mountain hamlets in the late seventies. Those who still have a heart of a child and/or of a poet will certainly like to read it. After the press conference, several newspapers published an article about the book, and the indigenous public TV channel also presented it in its daily news.

On November 3, the main parish of Chutung welcomed dozens of Jesuits and many friends to celebrate the Jubilarians of the year and attend the final vows of Br. Su Ah-yuan, who is the first indigenous Jesuit from Taiwan. He is from the Amis Tribe.  Fr. Provincial who was presiding at the Mass dedicated to St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, made a moving homily on how much vocations to the brotherhood are precious gifts for the Society and for the Church. Throughout the ceremony, the three brothers and two sisters of Br. Ah-yuan were seated in the seats of honor just nearby most of our Province’s brothers. After the Eucharist, a joyous multi-cultural feast followed. It was well-prepared by the parishioners of Chutung and our scholastics with aboriginal dances, multi-language happy songs and tasty Hakka food. The atmosphere was “countryside”, i.e. a little bit different from what we are usually used to having in Taipei City for such a festive event.

November 29 to December 1, the Macau Ricci Institute held its seventh International Symposium dedicated to Chinese Modern Literature. Looking back to its near past, the MRI research, interest and attention were placed on various historical and cultural, administrative and legal interactions between Macau-China and the Western World. In the past Symposiums we were also trying to cultivate the memory of our great predecessors in the Christian Mission to China, par excellence, of Francis Xavier and Wu Yushan.

Forty-five scholars took active part in this year’s Symposium; the theme – “The Individual and Society in Modern Chinese Literature” – the main concern and attention was paid to the Chinese person as well as to Chinese contemporary society, seen through the writers’ eyes.

The speakers tried an approach to a history of Chinese literature, from the point of view of “the history of social and human values.”

The Symposium provided a platform for Macau‘s famous poets and writers of Chinese and Portuguese languages, as well as of the Patois dialect.

History teaches us that in the final decade of the Ming Dynasty, the Jesuit order had initiated a Sino-European dialogue, based on knowledge and belief, arts and letters, friendship and diplomacy. The Jesuit intellectual activities in China were based first and foremost on a ground of communication and knowledge of languages. It can’t be said too often, that the very first bi-lingual, Portuguese-Chinese dictionary was compiled by Ricci and Ruggieri in 肇慶 Zhaoqing in 1588.

On October 24, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI received in audience the Bureau of the “Ricci Dictionary Association” which manages the rights and development of the Dictionary compiled and edited by the Jesuits of the Chinese Province for more than 50 years. Admiring the copy offered to him as a gift, the Pope described the Dictionary as an “historical monument.” He listened with much pleasure to the explanations provided by Mr. Claude Haberer on the role of cultural bridge played by the Dictionary, as for instance at an exhibit that took place at the Shanghai Library retracing the history of Jesuit lexicography from the Jesuits’ earliest days in China till the publication of the Grand Ricci. [[The Pope encouraged the team to continue in the same way. Benoit Vermander accompanied the delegation, and offered the Pope a copy of Renlai magazine as well. All participants were introduced to the Pope by Cardinal Etchegaray, who helped organize the audience and introduce the endeavor in various councils of the Curia.]]

        On October 25, 2007, Fr. Vermander, S.J., and the delegation had lunch with Fr. General, who emphasized the importance he attaches to the cultural apostolate in China.