Our sister Jesuit social ministries in Australia, Jesuit Social Services and Jesuit Refugee Service, are holding a National Week of Prayer and Action for Afghanistan next week, as part of the Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum.
The week will include a webinar and several ways you can take action to advocate for more humane treatment of people seeking asylum.
Thanks to your generosity, Loyola College graduate Emanuel is thriving in his Jesuit Mission supported scholarship at the National University of Timor- Leste Lorosa’e (UNTL).
Emanuel is thrilled to be in his fifth semester studying electrical engineering and majoring in electronics.
“When the scholarship program started in 2019, I immediately applied for the opportunity. I am very grateful that I was selected to be a part of this program,” he said.
This year 32 highly motivated graduates like Emanuel, of the Jesuit-run secondary school Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loiola (CSIL), also known as Loyola College, received this scholarship for their tertiary studies.
Students of Loyola College often come from vulnerable families in rural Ulmera-Liquica, where the secondary school is located. Many parents of these students are farmers and almost all of them face the same difficulty of covering student expenses.
For scholarship students it is an opportunity to pursue their dreams and removes the financial stress often associated with education for some rural families in Timor-Leste.
“The allowance that we receive from this program also allows me to buy my practical equipment for my electrical class, printing materials, covers transportation costs to campus, internet for my online classes and to buy lunch at campus,” he said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic most university classes across Dili were conducted online in lockdown, yet that did not deter Emanuel from giving his education his all.
“I think this scholarship program is a privilege. Life is difficult and there are many others who are not as lucky as I am. I would like to say thank you to our donors. Your sacrifice helps us thrive in our education and I hope that one day I can do the same for other people who need help,” he said.
A very special thank you to Katrina Varis and all the wonderful volunteers who are working tirelessly making and distributing our jams and relishes in Melbourne.
Traditionally, a lively community of parents at Kostka Hall, Xavier College, have run a jams and relishes stall at the annual Maytime Fair to raise money for our projects overseas.
With the Maytime Fair unfortunately cancelled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the jams and relishes are now available online for sale and our volunteers are delivering the goods themselves.
“As a school holiday activity my children have been packing orders and my 17 year old is getting her ‘Learners’ hours up by driving to different people’s houses. We’re only allowed to go 10km, so we meet another volunteer and give them orders that are within their 10km that they deliver. We know what’s in our 10km zone now that’s for sure,” she said.
Katrina is a member of the Maytime Fair Committee and parent at Kostka Hall, who is responsible for a number of stalls at the Maytime Fair, the success of which is hinged on the dedication of incredible volunteers like herself.
“This year and last year, we’ve probably had 8-12 people, current parents and past parents that have contributed by cooking by themselves, making jams and relishes. Now there are 550 jars in my living room!”
The Jesuit Mission Maytime Fair is a beloved institution that has been hosted by Xavier College for 70 years. It is only made possible by the great work of our volunteers and the support from the wider community.
“Jesuit Mission and Xavier College have built an important community together to support those in need. It gives parents and students a reason to give back. When we do have a Fair the kids contribute, they make cards or lucky dips for the stalls. They’re participating and they begin to understand the big wide world and a greater purpose,” she said.
If you live in Melbourne and would like to support vulnerable communities overseas, you can purchase jams or relishes made by our volunteers at fundraise.jesuitmission.org.au/shop.
Delivery is currently available to those who live within 10 km of a Xavier campus, all other orders will be available for collection at Jesuit Mission Office, 130 Power St, Hawthorn once lockdown restrictions ease.
Click here to visit our online shop
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An impactful ministry in Jesuit Mission’s 70 year history has been the work undertaken by Fr Tony Herbert SJ among Hazaribag region’s Bhuiyan villages and other Dalit communities in India. For the past 40 years, the Australian Jesuit – who arrived in India in 1965 – has brought hope to these members of India’s vulnerable and most marginalised caste.
His role, Fr Tony wrote in his book Disturbing the Dust, was not to save the Dalits or even necessarily change their lives, but to simply “be present with the people on the hard edges”.
Fr Tony has maintained a steadfast presence while engaging in tireless social activism.
He has advocated for the Dalits in criminal, educational, health and land rights disputes, and spoken out against their exploitation by coal mining and logging companies.
“I to a certain degree entered their world, and have treated them as equals, with respect and dignity. I haven’t set up anything big for them, but I have made a thousand trips to police stations and hospitals to break through the prejudices against them,” he writes.
On a practical level, Fr Tony’s ministry has overseen the implementation of life-changing health and educational programs, the creation of women’s savings groups and the reclamation of disputed land.
Perhaps most poignantly, it has affected a gradual change among the Dalits, from the limitations imposed due to their caste identity to one which values self-respect and empowerment.
Today Fr Tony’s work with the Utthan Uplift Project is empowering Dalit people by opening up new ways to overcome stigma, access education and gain opportunity. As schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Uplift Project responded by opening Tuition Centres to provide daily lessons, so children wouldn’t miss out (or drop out) of school.
The enduring impact of Jesuit Mission – which turns 70 this year – is exemplified by the work of Australian Jesuit Fr Paul Horan SJ, who arrived in India as a missionary in 1965 and worked as a teacher and headmaster for the next 40 years.
Approaching his own 70th birthday in the mid-2000s, he transferred the invaluable experience he’d gained in Hazaribag to the Lhotshampa people living in refugee camps in Nepal and again in 2018 at the Campion Institute for ethnic minorities in Yangon, Myanmar.
In Nepal Fr Paul coordinated Spoken English classes in response to the refugee crisis. This mass displacement of Lhotshampas – who had settled in Bhutan after migrating there from neighbouring Nepal in the first half of the 20th century – was precipitated by the Bhutanese government’s decision in 1985 to strip them of their citizenship and expel them from that country.
Stateless and numbering around 120,000, they awaited third country resettlement while living under deeply unfavourable conditions.
[quotes]"But in the Spoken English classes, there's a certain liveliness, and I felt I was doing something that was helping somebody." [/quotes] [quotes_author=000] Fr Paul[/quotes_author] [break height=30]In Myanmar Fr Paul again taught Spoken English at the Campion Institute in Yangon and at St Aloysius Gonzaga (SAG), Taunggyi, two well-established higher education institutes founded by the Jesuits and supported by Jesuit Mission.
Reflecting on his work in these marginalised communities, Fr Paul hopes he was able to contribute in some way to inspiring hope among his students to break the cycle of poverty through education and bring opportunity to their communities.
Returning to Australia in March 2020, Fr Paul continues to be involved as a Companion to Jesuit Mission by giving thank you calls to supporters and providing spiritual conversation.
Let us join together in the Prayer of Restoring Consolation, written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.
Thanks to your generosity, farmers in Cambodia like Mrs Neang, are being trained in sustainable agricultural practices to save money and triple their yield.
Run by our partner Karuna Battambang Organisation (KBO), the project teaches farmers skills in growing rice, vegetables and fruit, as well as raising animals. In addition, the project fosters collaboration and sharing amongst local people through self-help groups.
Locals are trained in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an agricultural technique developed by a French Jesuit priest that uses less seeds, less water, and no chemicals.
“With SRI, I was able to make a profit," said Mrs Neang, a 37-year-old mother with two sons and three daughters who joined the program in Banteay Meanchey Province in 2020.
“At first, I didn’t believe that the SRI rice could bring a good harvest, but I tried it out in 2020 and the harvest was unexpected,” she said.
The three-year project aims to train 550 small landholder farmers in sustainable practices including rice harvesting, animal raising and waste management.
Before joining the SRI project, Mrs Neang was a construction worker and helped her husband with chemical rice farming activities, which proved to be very expensive and left their family in debt.
Now debt free, Mrs Neang welcomes an exciting future for her and her family.
“My family’s lives are better than before, please continue to support us and other families to live in better conditions,” she said.
In order to provide her children with a better education, Mrs Neang will expand her activities to include chicken and pig rearing, whilst her husband continues to work as a construction worker to earn additional income for the family.
Many Cambodian families are experiencing economic hardship during the pandemic with loss of employment in the factory and tourism sectors.
To help support families during this difficult time, KBO has also been providing emergency relief packages and additional farming supplies to vulnerable communities.
“My heartfelt appreciation to the donors and KBO staff for their support and generous advice during this challenging situation,” she said.
Let us join together in the Prayer of Restoring Consolation, written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.
After Cyclone Seroja hit Timor-Leste on Easter Sunday this year, heavy rain resulted in flash floods and landslides that damaged 28,000 households and resulted in 48 fatalities.
With your generous support, our partner Jesuit Social Service (JSS) responded to the flood crisis by providing emergency food supplies, mattresses and kitchen utensils for families significantly affected by the floods.
One of the affected households included Domingas and her three kids who live in Becora, Dili.
[quotes]“Half of our stuff and furniture were swept away by the flood. It has been a month, we have been sleeping on the floor. It was wet and cold. I was worried about my kids because sleeping on the floor could cause them to fall sick due to cold and dust." [/quotes] [quotes_author=000] Domingas [/quotes_author] [break height=30]
Fortunately Domingas and her family were also one of 330 households that were given mattresses and kitchen supplies by Jesuit Social Service, allowing her family to find hope in such difficult circumstances and to rebuild their lives.
[quotes] “I am really glad when JSS came right away to see our living conditions and I am grateful that they came to give us what my kids and I needed." [/quotes]Let us join together in the Prayer of Restoring Consolation, written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.
The Ignatian Year celebrates the 500th anniversary of St Ignatius’ cannonball wound at the battle of Pamplona and his subsequent conversion to commit himself to God’s work, to walk with the marginalised. While recovering from his injury, St Ignatius discerned a call to the religious life, leaving his desire for fame and glory as a military leader behind to found the Society of Jesus and the Spiritual Exercises.
We invite you to reflect on Fr Andy Bullen’s SJ poem on St Ignatius, ‘Pamplona’.
Wherever Pamplona is:
you mistake the enemy
and overtrust your own boldness,
flourish an outdated flag
for the last time and with style:
you’re on the defensive.
The yells and roar and fire
are a dazzling confusion:
then the long quiet proclaims defeat.
Pain tells the soldier his leg
is turned to a mess of blood
– the wound will heal all his life.
Call this Pamplona.
Pamplona is whatever
wrenches failure into blessing.
It is the end of noise
and can happen anywhere.
Whenever fame goes – and style goes –
and you’re useless is Pamplona.
Only later will it announce
a new away of being history.
Pamplona is the lifelong beginning
of the journey into silence.
In coastal Vietnam, many water sources are highly contaminated by dangerous industrial waste. Local people have no choice but to purchase bottled water or drink the contaminated water and risk becoming sick with life-threatening diseases.
With your support, our partner the Jesuit Province in Vietnam is installing 40 RO UV water stations (‘Reverse Osmosis Ultraviolet’) that sterilise and filter contaminated water, across four coastal districts in Vietnam.
“The quality of life of local people will be better thanks to these hygienic water stations,” said Fr Peter Than Van Chat, local parish priest.
Before a water station was installed in her village, Mrs Loan, a mother of five children and a widow from the coastal village Lang Khe, had to purchase bottled water to use for drinking and cooking. This cost her $2 per day – a large portion of her total daily income of $11 per day.
The cost of buying water was compounding Mrs Loan’s poverty.
Thanks to your financial support, that changed when a new water station was installed in her village, providing Mrs Loan with access to safe, clean water which she collects twice per week.
Now she pays only 50 cents for this water, as part of her community contribution towards the ongoing operation of the filter system.
The Ignatian Year celebrates the 500th anniversary of St Ignatius’ cannonball wound at the battle of Pamplona and his subsequent conversion to commit himself to God’s work. In addition, the 31 July is the feast day of St Ignatius and we invite you to reflect on Fr Andy Bullen's SJ poem Pamplona.
Click here to read Pamplona.
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It took “all kinds of stuff” – including 360 dozen lamingtons – to build the fledgling Jesuit mission after the first Australian missionaries set off for Hazaribag in 1951, 70 years ago. For back home in Australia, a small band of supporters was gathering all the resources they could to raise money for the mission. One of them, Mary Brabenec, was just three years old when her mother Jeanette Connellan held the first ever fundraising function, in Melbourne.
[quotes]“We had a house party, and in fact it became an annual event which raised money to set up the first Maytime Fair.”[/quotes] [quotes_author color=000] Mary Brabenec[/quotes_author] [break height=30]The fair is now a beloved institution which Mary and her entire family have been involved with for the past 70 years. She recalls a sign made one year by a Xavier College art teacher for the trash and treasure stall.
[quotes]“He wrote an enormous, very highly coloured sign saying “All kinds of stuff”. And I said, ‘That's not very classy’ and he said, ‘It’s not classy. That's exactly what it is: it’s all kinds of stuff’.”[/quotes] [quotes_author color=000] Mary[/quotes_author] [break height=30]Mary, who had visited India in 1972, returned early last year. The progress made in the intervening years was self-evident, she says.
[quotes]“You couldn't calculate how many hundreds of thousands of kids they've educated and the education of girls is just such an extraordinary achievement.”[/quotes] [quotes_author color=000] Mary [/quotes_author] [break height=30]In Sydney, 82-year-old Maureen Punch, recalls being asked as a teenager to run a stall at the Jesuit Mission Bazaar. She was president at the time of the Riverview Younger Set.
Years later, when her three sons were enrolled at St Ignatius’ College Riverview, she was asked to run the cake stall.
After her children had left school, Maureen started selling second-hand clothing at the Bazaar and at a monthly market in Sydney.
The Ignatian Year celebrates the 500th anniversary of St Ignatius’ cannonball wound at the battle of Pamplona and his subsequent conversion to commit himself to God’s work. In addition, the 31 July is the feast day of St Ignatius and we invite you to reflect on Fr Andy Bullen's SJ poem Pamplona.
Click here to read Pamplona.
More