Fr. General participated in the Annual Meeting of the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education (ICAJE)

The International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education (ICAJE) met in Rome from May 29th to June 1st. As part of the annual gathering Fr. General joined the Commission during a session dedicated to reflecting on the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs). During the conversation Fr. Sosa encouraged ICAJE to spread the word and motivate schools to engage with the UAPs as a horizon that invites us to discern the best way to serve our common mission of reconciliation and justice.

The annual meeting is an opportunity for the six regional delegates, the Secretary for Education and the assistants to the Secretariat to come together, share the status of Jesuit Education in the world, the projects of the Secretariat and discuss initiatives that will support the growth and development of the Global Network of Jesuit Schools.

At the end of the meeting the Commission celebrated Eucharist in the “Camaretas” also known as the “rooms of Ignatius” the place where he lived his last years before he died on July 31st  1556.

The Commission share Eucharist daily in the Oriental Chapel located inside the General Curia building.

Some of the topics discussed during the meeting:

  1. Every Regional Secretary reported on the ongoing projects in their Region as well as the news, the challenges and how the region is responding to theJESEDU-Rio2017 Action Statement.
  2. The Secretary presented some highlights of his annual report to Father General and some areas in which the Secretariat will be focusing in the next years.
  3. ICAJE had time to pray and reflect on the Universal Apostolic Preferences and discuss how we can help the network to experience them as the apostolic horizon of our work.
  4. ICAJE discussed the final draft of the New Document and the role it will play in the upcoming II Colloquium JESEDU-Jogja2020. A possible name for the document is: Talking Points about Jesuit Schools in the 21st Century: an Ongoing Exercise of Discernment.
  5. Fr. Johnny Go SJ presented an update in the preparation process for the II Colloquium in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, JESEDU-Jogja2020.
  6. Mr. Éamonn McGuinness, Director of Educate Magis presented the current developments of Educate Magis and the plans for the next 10 years.
  7. Ms. Catharine Steffens, the new Secretariat Assistant for Global Initiatives, presented the final report of the Global Taskforce on Global Citizenship and the proposed framework to animate this important dimension of Jesuit Education today.

Fr. Mesa commented,

This year’s meeting has been very special since it has been framed within the spirit of the UAPs as the apostolic horizon of our work. We felt consoled and challenged by the UAPs. We see in them a great apostolic opportunity for our schools. The UAPs confirmed the path we decided on with the JESEDU-Rio2017 Action Statement but we are also aware of the invitation to go deeper into our process of discernment. We see the upcoming II Colloquium JESEDU-Jogja2020 in Indonesia as an important step to continue this ongoing discernment that will be animated by the publication of a new document on Jesuit Education at the end of the year. These are no doubt exciting times for Jesuit Education.”

Participants:

  • José Mesa, SJ – Chair, Secretariat for Secondary and Pre-secondary Education
  • Catharine Steffens – Assistant to the Secretariat for Global Initiatives
  • Rafael Galaz – Assistant to the Secretariat for Global Networks
  • William Muller, SJ – Director of the JSN- Canada and US
  • Ilse Dekker –  Director of JECSE -Europe
  • Sunny Jacob, SJ – Secretary for JEASA – South Asia
  • Saúl Cuautle, SJ –  President of FLACSI – Latin America
  • Johnny Go, SJ – Secretary for Secondary Education JCAP – Asia Pacific. Assistant to the Secretariat for Mission and Identity.
  • Joe Arimoso, SJ – President of JASBEAM – Africa and Madagascar
  • Eamonn McGuinness – Director of Educate Magis