The 3rd of December 2022 was a joyful and historical day in the history of St Ignatius College, Chishawasha, Zimbabwe. For the first time in its 60 years of existence, the college now has a statue to commemorate its patron saint: Ignatius of Loyola.
Sculptured from a beautiful black soapstone mined in Mashava, a small mining town almost 400km from the school and sculptured in Mrewa; a village 40 km from the school, the statue certainly undertook a long journey to reach its destination. The sculptor, Mr. Makono initially gave the statue distinctly African features since the school is in Africa, but the college chaplain, Fr Josse Julio S.J felt it would be best to reproduce Ignatius as he really was, and the sculptor then made a few alterations to his original work.
During the unveiling ceremony the college Rector, Fr Lawrence Daka S.J, humorously shared the difficulty they faced loading the heavy statue into the vehicle that went to collect it. He narrated that it was only after the loaders had commanded “Ignatius go to your home” that the statue was finally successfully loaded into the truck. Listening to this story is reminiscent to Matthew 17: 20 when Jesus says, “If you have the faith of a mustard seed you can say unto this mountain move, and it will move”. The incident also echoes Ignatian spirituality which insists that God is present in our world and active in every aspect of our lives.
The statue is placed adjacent to the school entrance, making it the first thing that visitors see on entering the newly constructed and beautifully designed entrance. The entrance is a gift to the school from the parents’ association and was officially handed over to the school on the same day as the unveiling. Fr Leonard Chiti (S.J), the Jesuit Provincial for Southern Africa, was present to officially bless and open the new entrance as well as unveil the statue of Ignatius of Loyola.
After the unveiling, the college community comprising parents, teachers and students celebrated mass led by Fr Chiti S.J, Fr. Daka S.J; Fr Josse Julio S.J, the school chaplain; and Fr Patrick Makaka S.J, the assistant chaplain.
For us here at St Ignatius College, the statue is not just a beautiful sculpture, but is a symbol of the Ignatian values and spirituality that we embrace. It is a symbol to all who enter our gates of the 4 C’s: commitment, competence, compassion, and conscience, that we uphold. It heralds to parents and other visitors that we are an institution that strives to produce “men and women for others” who upon completion of their studies will go out and set the world on fire.
