30 PARTICIPANTS FROM CAMBODIA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, MACAU, AND THE PHILIPPINES + 4 FACILITATORS
From the 26th of April 2019 until the 1st of May, a diverse group of educators from our Jesuit schools in Asia Pacific found themselves in Seven Fountains Retreat Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for a week of learning and networking.
This particular Ignatian leadership workshop was on discernment in common, one of the identified Universal Apostolic Priorities of the Society of Jesus. Its full title is a mouthful: APOSTOLIC PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING THROUGH COMMUNAL DISCERNMENT. After all, discernment in common is a complex and difficult, albeit worthwhile process.
The facilitators were Ms. Jennie Hickey from Australia, and Fr. Roy Ragas SJ, Je Ching, and Fr. Johnny Go SJ from the Philippines.
From L to R: Fr. Johnny Go SJ (JCAP Basic Education Secretary), Je Ching (Ateneo SALT Institute), Jennie Hickey (Jesuit Education Australia), Fr. Roy Ragas SJ (Emmaus Psychospiritual Center for Formation)
The workshop was designed in a way that provided the participants a first hand experience of discerning in common, with particular emphasis on listening to others as well as listening to one’s interior movements. It’s counter to what educators are accustomed to, given their workload and busy lives.
The spiritual conversations were conducted in mixed groups to allow the participants to learn from one another, given the diversity of their contexts and cultures.There were moments of personal prayer and reflection in preparation for the spiritual conversations.It was important for the participants to listen attentively not only to the members of their own groups, but also to the plenary reports from the small groups.The daily Eucharistic Celebrations, here presided by Fr. Roy, capped each day of the workshop, when the participants gathered together to give thanks to the Lord for the blessings we received.Our workshops have become known for their Socials, when with the help of our friends from Ateneo de Cebu / Sacred Heart Jesuit School, we organize an evening of games designed to break the ice and build our sense of community.Here Je Ching poses with the two finalists for the game of… Paper, Rock, Scissors!Towards the end of the evening, the participants have let down their hair and were ready to enjoy the party.No party is complete without the obligatory community dancing. Here our four facilitators pose for a picture with Sumio, our lone participant from Japan.The Filipinos came in full force, including the delegates of Ateneo de Cebu/Sacred Heart Jesuit School who, as per IGNITE tradition, designed and facilitated the structured socials.The Jesuit schools of the Chinese Province were represented by these delegates from Hong Kong and Macau.Xavier Jesuit School in Sisophon, Cambodia, sent a big group, here shown posing with teh facilitators after the workshop graduation.Four Jesuits were at the workshop: (L to R) Bro Howard Tu (CHI), Fr. Johnny Go (PHI), Fr. Roy Ragas (PHI), and Fr. Paul Chen (CHI).As always, one of the best parts of the workshop was the friendships formed. These personal relationships are the crucial ingredient to the networking that we hope to strengthen among our schools in Asia Pacific.Perhaps the best expression of the participants’ sentiments as the workshop ended was provided by Bro. Howard during the graduation. This calls for a caption!
The participants were most grateful for the actual experience of spiritual conversations. We ended the workshop with the optimistic resolve to find ways of incorporating some of the elements of communal discernment in selected decision-making processes in our schools. As Jennie put it at the end of the workshop, we hope that our schools will truly become schools of discernment.
II COLLOQUIUM JESEDU JOGJA2020 is just a few months away: June 29 to July 4 next year! Only the second global gathering of its kind, approximately 500 educators and leaders of Jesuit schools from around Read more…
The following reflection was written by Fr. Clement Tsui SJ, the education delegate of the Chinese Province. The Ignatian Teachers Program (ITP) was held on 11-15 November 2019 at St. Ignatius’ College, Riverview in Sydney, Read more…
As of 2019, there are 46 Jesuit-owned and affiliate schools in Asia Pacific: Australia, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
