Jesuit Congregation begins in Rome
The Thirty-fifth General Congregation (GC35) of the Jesuits was formally opened in Rome on Monday 7 January. More than 220 Jesuits from around the world convened at the Jesuit Curia, which is close to the Vatican, to elect a new Superior General and to discuss the apostolic challenges confronting the Society in the years ahead. Father Kolvenbach is expected to offer his resignation to the General Congregation and, following the election of a new Superior General, the Congregation will move to the discussion of a number of issues concerning Jesuit identity and mission. The opening address of GC35 was delivered by Cardinal Rodé you can download it here.
Belvedere put rugby collection on show
Belvedere’s unique collection of rugby books and programmes, the Ray Carroll Rugby Collection, has been catalogued and housed in the Jesuit Library. Recent visitors – Edmund Van Esbeck (Irish Times), Seán Diffley (Irish Independent) and Willow Murray (Archivist, IRFU) – were very impressed. It will be officially launched by Ollie Campbell on Thursday 6 March at 8.30pm, two days before the Ireland-Wales match. At the launch, the €4000 profits from Belvedere’s Rugby Heroes, edited by Oliver Murphy, will be donated to Ollie Campbell’s charity for those who have suffered serious rugby injuries.
Diving deeper in Galway
The Galway Centre of Spirituality ran a one-day course on Deepening Faith and Prayer on 5 January 2008. Seventeen people attended the course, which was given by Charlie Davey SJ, Angela Marsden and Dermot Mansfield SJ from Manresa. The centre also runs a course in Spiritual Direction, also called spiritual mentoring or spiritual accompaniment, understood as the ministry of guiding others in their faith lives.
Marriage of spirituality and sexuality
Milltown Park is the venue for a two-weekend seminar on spirituality and sexuality. It will be given by Ab Straatman, a Dutch homeopath who has founded the Irish School of Homeopathy and various other homeopathic bodies in the course of the last thirty years. Straatman is convinced that celibacy can be a fulfilling and vibrant path to God in which sexuality and spirituality are happily integrated. The weekend seminar, he says, would be helpful both to those who are walking or intending to walk the path of celibacy and to those who wish to make their sexual relationship with a partner a path to God. The first weekend seminar is on 26-27 January, and the follow-up weekend is 29-30 March. Myles O’Reilly SJ is hosting these weekends. He may be contacted at mylesforeilly@eircom.net.
Art of Africa
Colm Brophy was back in Dublin recently to give the homily for Philip O’Keeffe SJ, who passed away before Christmas. They had come through Jesuit formation together and had lived and worked together in Zambia. Colm is currently studying art therapy at Leeds Metropolitan University and is on placement at an National Health Service therapeutic community in Birmingham. See Colm’s art on: http://picasaweb.google.com/colmbrophy2003/art. See a copy of his homily on Philip O’Keeffe.
Bridging troubled waters
A long-time peace worker living in Belfast’s Jesuit-led Columbanus Community has been awarded an OBE in the New Year’s honours list. Revd Paul Symonds was deeply involved in reconciliation in Harryville, Ballymena, and was recognised for his “leadership role in engaging with people across barriers of denomination and background”.
Belfast Telegraph http://qurl.com/9t16w
Marking 40 years of Milltown
The Milltown Institute celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. This jubilee will be marked by a series of special lectures throughout the year. The opening Jubilee celebration takes place on 14 January, with Mass at 7.30pm celebrated by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. After this, both Dr Christopher O’Donnell OCarm and Dr Una Agnew SSL will address the subject ‘Keeping the memory’. For further information on the jubilee events, email info@milltown-institute.ie.
Changes in Province
The Provincial recently confirmed some changes in the appointment of Jesuits. Dermot Mansfield has returned to Manresa, Dollymount, from Birmingham. He will continue his spirituality work from a base at Manresa. Des O’Grady will be a part-time chaplain in the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, while living in Gonzaga. Brendan Carmody will be lecturing in ethics and religion in Milltown Institute for the spring semester and live at Milltown Park community.
We remember in our prayer
- Michael Ryan SJ, George Fallon SJ, Diarmuid Ó Peicín
- ill in hospital
- Christopher Murray SJ
- ill in Cherryfield
- Michael Punch and Eddie Cosgrove
- Irish Jesuit novices who recently began the 30-day retreat
- John Dardis SJ and Jim Corkery SJ
- Irish electors at GC35