That seems to have been the predominant sentiment as a total of 35 Ignatian educators completed their one-week workshop at Seven Fountains Retreat Centre on the 30th of September 2017.
All the participants of the Workshop on the Principle and Foundation of Jesuit Education at Seven Fountains Retreat Centre, Chiang Mai, Thailand
In an email sent from Wah Yan College Kowloon (Hong Kong), Lisa Wong shared: “On our journey, we learnt we were not alone in facing challenges of teaching Ignatian values in an ever-changing world, but now endowed with a stronger mission and vision than before, we can set off to form men and women for and with others for the betterment of society.”
Lisa from Wah Yan Kowloon receives her certificate from Frs. Chris Gleeson and Johnny Go.
The one-week workshop on “the Principle and Foundation of Jesuit Education” was facilitated by Frs. Chris Gleeson SJ (Australia), Stephen Chow (Hong Kong), and Johnny Go (Philippines). It was a great introductory–or refresher–course on the history of Jesuit education, its basic characteristics, and its goals as summed up in the 4 Cs (Competence, Conscience, Compassion, and Commitment).
Fr. Stephen Chow gives a talk on Human Excellence as Competence.
Gus Masters from St. Ignatius Riverview (Australia) shared: “We experienced a very productive and enriching workshop in Chiang Mai. We examined the Foundation and Principles of Jesuit Education through our regional prism, which illustrated our shared concerns and joys. We clearly have more in common than different. I am looking forward to ensuring that our momentum is not lost as we return to our busy roles. It is nice to know that we all have friendships and collegiality across so many contexts.”
Our friends Rath and Yith from our newest school, Xavier Jesuit School in Cambodia
Two birthday cakes for Fr. Vincent of Macau.
Marisse Paraoan of Sacred Heart School (Ateneo de Cebu, Philippines) adds: “It was a very nurturing experience especially for an Ignatian formater like me. I hope and pray that other Jesuit educators can have the same reflective journey.”
Thanks to the team from Sacred Heart School (Ateneo de Cebu, Philippines), the group quickly bonded, and by the time the workshop ended, another network of educators has been strengthened.
Nothing like the games on the second night to break the ice and get the participants to meet each other.
Participants of all size and age really mixed with each other.
The workshop consisted of the usual talks, but what made the experience truly powerful for the participants was the small group sharing of experiences that happened across countries, so they got a chance to learn about the contexts of Jesuit education in Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
Matt Smith of St. Ignatius Riverview, in particular, pointed this out when he said, ” I really enjoyed my meeting up with so many like-minded educators from across the region. I was especially struck by the shared experience of educating students in the Ignatian tradition. It was a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and I look forward to continuing to work with everyone in the network.”
The sharing in small mixed groups was an essential part of the workshop experience.
The plenary discussions were truly multilingual since thanks to the interpreters, the participants were able to speak freely in Khmer, Cantonese, and Nihongo.
Isabel Tang from St. Aloysius Technical School (Taiwan) shares during the Plenary Session.
Fr. Joseph Haw, President of Ateneo de Iloilo/Sta Maria Catholic School (Philippines), probably best sums up the Chiang Mai experience.
Fr. Jhaw SJ of Ateneo de Iloilo/Sta Maria Catholic School (Philippines)
“Learning with educators from different parts of Asia Pacific made me appreciate more the universality of the mission of the Society of Jesus in educating our youth, and the unique contribution of our lay collaborators in fulfilling this mission. Many of the participants in this conference were not Christians/Catholics, yet their desire of leading their students to discover a reality beyond themselves is already a glimpse of God who ‘works and labors’.”