Curia Secretariats

2. Curia Secretariats Fr. Anthony da Silva, SJ Fr. Gerald R. Blaszczak, SJ Fr. Francisco Javier Álvarez, SJ Fr. Michael Garanzini, SJ Fr. José Alberto Mesa, SJ

3. GC35 and the Mission

5. MISSION

6. Mission For the promotion of JUSTICE In COLLABORATION withall At the service of FAITH

7. WHY • It’s aboutRELATIONSHIPS ; CONNECTIONS • OldTestamentTheologyofcovenant • New TestamentTheologyofDiscipleship • St. Ignatius and CollaborationwithLayPersons • Vatican II and TheologyofLaity in the Church • GC 34 (decree 13) + GC 35 (decree 06)

8. WITH WHOM? • WithFellow-Jesuits: Provinces, Conferences • JesuitNetworks, e.g. JRS, Fe y Alegria, AIDS … • Ignatian Family = otherReligiouswith Ig. Spirituality; LayOrganizations (CVX/CLC…) • AlumniAssociations • JesuitVolunteers • With “Others” i.e. Women and Menofgood-willwhoask/needour help in non-Jesuit Works

9. WHERE • Nationally and Internationally • CollaborationbetweenapostolicSectors, forexample: educational, social, pastoral, inter-religious, retreats … etc

10. HOW • FormationProgrammes in CollaborationforJesuitsaswellasothers (non-Jesuits) • Attitudinalchange: work in subordinate roles • Cultural openness and tolerancefordiversity • Willingnessto share Resources: human, financial, educational, infrastructural…etc • The threedimensionsofFAITH, JUSTICE and COLLABORATIONtobepresent in allour Works.

11. GC35 and the Mission

12. Goodeducation for all Patxi Álvarez sj Secretary for Social Justice and Ecology International Colloquium on Jesuit SecondaryEducation Boston, July 30th

13. Following God’s call… • The first Jesuits thought their missions would be short and flexible. They did not foresee schools: “…because the members of this Society ought to be ready at any hour to go to any part of the world where they may be sent… they ought not to take on the care of souls… However, nothing prohibits them on a single occasion from hearing the confessions of a whole monastery for special reasons”. (Const 588)

14. Following God’s call…They were called to educate • In 1548, they were called in Messina to found the first school to give instruction to the children of the city • At the death of St. Ignatius there were more than 40 schools in different cities .They were the first schools • For centuries the Jesuits gave instruction to the leading classes in many countries contributing to the growth of these societies • Ignatian Spirituality has always been the ground of this education, helping persons grow

15. Following God’s call…Called to teach the poor • In the last centuries, education became a right of every person that the State had to provide • But many poor children do not receive it • In 1955, Abraham Reyes –a construction worker–offers his house to Fr. Vélaz sj: “I offer my house as a school if you bring the teachers…” • Fe y Alegría began like this. Today more than 1 million poor children receive education through FyA • In the last decades dalits and adivasis in India have become students in many Jesuit schools

16. Following God’s call…Are there still calls today? • 70 million children do not go to school • Girls suffer more than boys in this regard • Another 70 million do not finish school • Sometimes because they cannot pay • Handicaps have far less opportunities • Lack of quality education in many places We cannot reach all these people … but we may be able to do something

17. A universal horizon: quality education for all • Education that aspires to improve our societies • For the benefit of the least advantaged • Promoting green schools Contributing to the mission of recent General Congregations

18. Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations1. Quality education for all In our schools we educate a number of students, but we aspire to a quality education for all the children The world is not only our house; The world is everybody’s house. Our commitment requires not only that we educate, but also involves our demand of quality education for all advocating politically so that all children may receive good education, without discrimination on economic or ethnic grounds

19. Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations2. For the improvement of our societies We educate students to contribute to a more just and harmonious society We are doing this in many ways: • Offering our students the possibility of being involved in social services; • Involving them in local citizen’s initiatives; • Encouraging parents’ associations and the larger educational community to engage in social justice activities; • Offering parents and students the possibility of participating in Ignatian lay communities that make a commitment to Church and society; • Doing all this in alliance with other works of the Society, in order to demonstrate corporate credibility and to establish a social base for sharing horizons and values. “We do not want successful professionals in failed societies” (A university president to graduating students)

20. Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations3. For the benefit of the least advantaged Ignatius always asked Jesuits to discern the best service they could offer. They should see: • where there is the greater need; • wheremore fruit can be produced; • wherethereisagreater duty to make return for what has been received; • where our service can be multiplied more

21. Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations3. For the benefit of the least advantaged Ifour education is really good – as we believe – we should offer it first and foremost to children with fewer opportunities This is what is asked of us by our Ignatian and Jesuit tradition

22. Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations3. For the benefit of the least advantaged Our most long-lived institutions have to examine whether our Jesuit presence continues to be needed Most likely our students would receive a quality education even if we were not there Perhaps we do not need to be there, and there are children in other places who are waiting for our arrival

23. Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations4. Promoting green schools Some aspects that may be introduced are the following: • Taking care that the educational space is free of pollution and toxic materials; • Using materials and resources that are recyclable; using clean energy and designing sustainable buildings; • Where possible, creating some green space on the campus where the students can learn about nature and care for it; • Offering courses on ecology and the environment; introducing students to the beauty of creation and the need to care for it.

24. Offering a universal visionin a fragmented world

25. We still need something of that sort Should not we try to work together in an endeavor as important as this one?: A meaningful vision That takes complexity into account That brings hope for a better world That calls for our commitment In our Jesuit tradition this universal vision is what was offered in the Ratio Studiorum. It is a vision that develops character, provides a critical perspective, encourages hope for the world, and moves people to collaborate.

26. Thank you! អរគុណច្រើន!