Nurturing Creation

During this Season of Creation (1 September - 4 October), we are reminded of our shared responsibility to care for our common home and nurture the earth’s gifts. The Community Development program in rural Cambodia, run by our project partner, Karuna Battambang Organisation, is a perfect example of how sustainable farming practices can heal and sustain our planet and its people.

With your generous support, over 600 rural farmers and 100 children have been empowered through sustainable training and support networks in the last six months. The program works by establishing self-help cooperatives, or community groups, focused on long-term, eco-friendly farming methods.

As Pope Francis says in Laudato Si',"The environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all." – Laudato Si' 95.

Each co-op receives training in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a farming technique, developed by a French Jesuit, that uses fewer seeds, less water, and no chemicals. This method reduces the strain on natural resources while allowing farmers to grow more food with a lower environmental footprint. Additionally, farmers receive $250 to start sustainable farming activities and establish a savings plan, supporting a circular economy within their villages.

The impact is not just on the farmers but also on the environment. By promoting sustainable agriculture, these communities are restoring the land, protecting biodiversity, and making better use of water resources. During this Season of Creation, their work is a beautiful reflection of what it means to care for our common home.

"We have to realise that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." – Laudato Si'

This Season of Creation, let us celebrate these efforts in Cambodia and across the world, where communities are working hand-in-hand with nature to build a sustainable future.

One of the strongest storms to hit South East Asia in recent decades, Typhoon Yagi, has brought widespread devastation from severe flooding and landslides, especially to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. In response, Jesuit Mission Australia has activated the Emergency Action Fund to assist its project partners’ enormous relief efforts for flood-affected areas.

In Myanmar, the situation is dire. The country has seen its worst flooding in recent history, with over 420 deaths reported, the destruction of hundreds and thousands of homes and more than 630,000 people affected.

It’s a crushing setback to a nation with one third of its population already living in extreme need. More than 2.8 million have been forced to flee their homes since 2021, due to political insecurity, while access to basics like education, healthcare and employment is severely limited.

Our project partner and Regional Superior of Myanmar, Fr Girish Santiago SJ, recently visited severe flood-affected areas in Taungoo, Bago State, collaborating with leaders from different religious congregations and individuals committed to the common good to assist people in need.

"There is an immediate need for food and relief supplies for flood victims and displaced families, as well as educational assistance for students and teachers in Internally Displaced Camps (IDP)," said Fr Girish Santiago SJ, Regional Superior of Myanmar.

Thanks to your generosity, flood relief efforts in Myanmar will expand to cover seven states, with specific attention to Myitkyina (Kachin), Taungoo (Bago), Taungyyi (Shan), to assist 15,000 vulnerable people over the next four months with food, medicine, shelter, livelihood support and education programs.

In Vietnam over 270 deaths are reported, with 74,500 displaced. In response Catholic communities have rallied to provide emergency aid in the northern dioceses, where many isolated areas remain in desperate need of food and supplies.

"This year has seen unprecedented damage. We will provide 6000 packs of food supplies and drinking water to 6000 families in these areas," said Fr Peter Phuc SJ, Head of the Jesuit Social Apostolate Ministry of the Vietnam Province.

Meanwhile, in Laos, severe flooding has damaged schools and homes, displacing over 40,000 people, with many regions struggling to access clean water and food.

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Jesuits are organising immediate relief efforts and planning long-term recovery projects.

"With help from the Australian community, we aim to reach 1,000 families in need with essential food supplies and assist in repairing at least four schools in affected areas, to restore children’s access to education,” said Fr Hoàng Thanh Phong SJ.

To support Jesuit Mission’s Emergency Action Fund donate at the link below.

Over 13,000 “de facto” refugees in Indonesia, not recognised under UN Law, who have been surviving in the most desperate circumstances and meagre existence, have been dealt a massive blow.

The United Nations is cutting funding for some of the most vulnerable refugees in Indonesia, due to a severe shortage of funds and the need to prioritise other global crises.

Ahead of World Day of Migrants & Refugees on 29 September, Jesuit Mission Australia is appealing for help for de facto refugees in Indonesia. UN law only recognises refugees as those who are ‘persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.’ It does not recognise women, men and children who have involuntarily fled their home countries to escape armed conflicts, poor economic policies or natural disasters.

Denied refugee status and the opportunity for permanent residency or citizenship, denied permission to work and denied access to education, de facto refugees in Indonesia face the most extreme and challenging lives. Jesuit Mission Australia in collaboration with Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Indonesia, is supporting individuals like Sophie (30), who along with her family, is not granted refugee status and is trapped in limbo.

Her family’s harrowing journey began in Myanmar when, after joining a peaceful uprising, the military sought Sophie. Witnessing the military’s brutal violence, the family fled in fear for their lives until they reached Indonesia.

From day one in Indonesia, the family lived on the streets in a makeshift ‘camp’ struggling to survive day to day.

"The United Nations has now confirmed they have substantially reduced their funding to UNHCR Indonesia leaving 850 de facto refugees with no support from July, and another 380 from next year," said Fr Dam Febrianto SJ, Country Director of JRS Indonesia.

But with support from Australian donors and JRS Indonesia, Sophie’s family, and around 1,000 de facto refugees each year have been provided with food, healthcare, education and financial assistance for rent.

"Demands for support from organisations like ours are already increasing, we urgently need your help to respond," said Fr Dam.

In his annual message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2024, Pope Francis emphasises, "God walks with His people," regardless of who we are, we are made in God's image and likeness, as one family.

On arriving in Indonesia recently, Pope Francis immediately met with a group of refugees hosted by Jesuit Mission's project partner JRS Indonesia and other extremely vulnerable women, men and children.

"They are close to my heart," said Pope Francis - a consistent advocate on behalf of migrants and refugees.

Recently Sophie's family received news that they may have the opportunity to resettle in Canada. Jesuit Mission and JRS Indonesia are working tirelessly to Improve quality of life, give hope and advocate for the rights of de facto refugees.

With UN funding cuts and demands increasing, Jesuit Mission Australia is appealing to Australians to make a tax-deductible donation to help support de facto refugees in Indonesia.

In an incredible show of community spirit and generosity, 10,000 guests flocked to our annual Jesuit Mission Bazaar on Saturday, 14 September, at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview in Sydney.

The event was a thrilling day of fun, purpose, and faith in action, with stalls selling out in record time, and record sales at this year’s wine auction. In true Sydney form, a glorious sunny sky contributed to the echoes of laughter from countless joyful reunions with old friends and the excitement of many children on rides.

For over 70 years the Jesuit Mission Bazaar has been a community staple. Thank you to the hundreds of parents, students, alumni, parishioners and neighbouring schools each year who come together to fundraise for marginalised communities around the world.

This year Fr Tony Herbert SJ, himself an old boy of Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview and Hazaribag Missionary of over 50 years, joined the Bazaar to directly thank the community.

Fr Tony who has served and advocated for the rights of Indigenous Dalit communities in rural India for most of his life, concelebrated the closing Mass, and shared with hundreds of students in attendance.

"The deeper meaning of your work on the Bazaar, is the fact that you have touched the lives of people far away, people you’ve never seen before, people whose results of your efforts you will not know," said Fr Tony.

The Bazaar began in 1952, to support the works of the early Australian Jesuit missionaries, like Fr Tony, who were sent to Hazaribag, India, to uplift the outcast through education and social activism, with the expectation that they would never return home to Australia.

"We had a sense that we were on mission with them (as co-missionaries in Australia), by doing things like the Bazaar, by praying for them, by walking with them," said Fr Tom Renshaw SJ, Rector of Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview. 

"I’ve had the privilege of visiting Fr Tony in Hazaribag five times and it deeply enriched and changed my life for the better. It enriched my answer to that question of who is Jesus? I got to see how Jesus became present in local cultures there in north-east India," said Fr Tom.

These personal experiences of transformation and connection are part of the larger story of the mission's growth and impact.

Now over 70 years later, Jesuit Mission has expanded its reach, to empower marginalised communities in over 10 countries around the world.

The success of the Bazaar is a beautiful testament to the wider Jesuit community committing to putting their faith into action, not only bringing joy to many here, but also touching the lives of those far beyond our immediate reach.

We are very grateful at Jesuit Mission for the wonderful support received by you all at this year’s Bazaar and we invite you all to get involved in next year’s event.

You can view more photos from the day at the link below.

Thank you to all of our amazing supporters and volunteers who came out for a joyful day of friendship and fundraising - schools, parishes, teachers, students, parents and friends. 

The Bazaar would not be possible without your support!

"My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.

But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up."

James 1:2-9

We pray for our sisters and brothers in Timor-Leste. As we witness the transformation that clean water brings to the lives of their villages, we ask that God's love continues to guide, help and support them to empower one another and lift each other out of the cycle of poverty.

1. Desire...

I ask the Spirit for Increasing Faith

I find and hold an object that symbolises the gift of increasing faith for me.

I consider, 'Where is faith increasing in my life'?

'Where is faith decreasing in my life'?

'What diminishes faith in me'?

I ask the Spirit for an increasing, confident faith.

2. Choice...

Today I choose the Way of Greater Faith

I choose the faithful way, led by greater faith and the good spirit toward God’s love.

I reject the disbelieving way, lack of confidence and doubt, amplified by a bad spirit.

I walk towards the gift and the Giver, from belief, to greater faith, to peace in God.

3. Faithful...

I live in the Faithful Trinity

Now I imagine I am surrounded in a circle by the Faithful Trinity. Each person addresses me by name, saying, ‘All things can be done for the one who believes.'

I rest, for a bit, in the ungrudging generosity of the Trinity. I feel faith deepen in me. I conclude giving thanks for the Spirit of Increasing Faith.

PRAYER TIME: 10 minutes.

Click here to download the Prayer of Greater Faith.

For years, the small village of Ermeta in Bazartete, Liquica municipality, Timor-Leste, faced an everyday struggle that many of us take for granted—the ability to access clean water.

In this remote community, 39 households relied on a single fountain at the bottom of a steep hill to meet their daily water needs. But today, thanks to your generous support, that struggle has finally come to an end.

Thanks to your generosity and the wonderful work of our project partner Jesuit Social Service Timor-Leste, a new water facility has been constructed, bringing clean, reliable water to the people of Ermeta.

This life-changing project has transformed the lives of villagers like Marcelino, the village chief, who recalls the immense hardship his community faced.

"It was difficult during the summer but even more difficult when four to five families had to line up to get water from one fountain,” says Marcelino.

"Many times, a family could only bring back 10 litres of water for a whole day that would be used only for cooking and drinking.”

For Marcelino and his neighbours, the daily trek up and down the hill, often with small children in tow, was exhausting and dangerous.

"We had to carry the containers in our hands; we could not use our cart to help us because of the steep hills. My children could not lift heavy containers as they are still small,” says Anita, a mother in the village.

But now, with the installation of a solar-powered water pump and a reservoir system, the burden of collecting water has been lifted.

The system gathers water from the fountain, pumps it up the hill, and stores it in a main distribution tank. To ensure the sustainability of this vital resource, JSS is working with the community to promote water conservation and environmental protection.

"What we will do from now on is to conserve the water so that we will not run out of water during the summer," says Marcelino.

This project is made possible by your unwavering support. This year the water project has already benefitted around 5,000 people. Now rural communities can focus on improving their lives and the future of their children. Thank you for making clean water a reality for communities in need in Timor-Leste.

Get ready for an unforgettable day of fun with purpose! On Saturday, 14 September, from 9am to 5pm, Jesuit Mission’s annual Bazaar will be held at Saint Ignatius' College Riverview.

The Jesuit Mission Bazaar is a vibrant community celebration filled with rides, live music, a variety of food stalls, bargains, fun games, and engaging activities for people of all ages.

Join over 5,000 people from the Sydney community for this spectacular day. Hundreds of  parents, students, alumni, parishioners and neighbouring schools kindly volunteer their time, energy, gifts and spirit to prepare and run the stalls and activities, and create a memorable and festive atmosphere.

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This community event began in 1952, to support the works of the early Australian Jesuit missionaries who were sent to Hazaribag, India, to uplift the marginalised and the outcast through education and social activism.

Now over 70 years later, the work of Jesuit Mission has expanded to empower marginalised communities in over 10 countries around the world.

"All proceeds from the Bazaar contribute to bringing education, hope and opportunity to our vulnerable sisters and brothers in Asia, Africa and emergency contexts,” says Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission Australia.

"Last year through the generosity of the Australian Catholic Community, over 550,000 people were supported through our programs.”

Funds raised at the Bazaar will help deliver life-changing teaching and education programs; provide essential services to refugees displaced by conflict; enable access to healthcare and livelihood training to vulnerable communities and provide emergency relief to those most affected by disasters.

You are warmly invited to join Jesuit Mission at the Jesuit Mission Bazaar on Saturday 14 September. 

When: 9:00am – 5:00pm Saturday 14 September 2024 
Where: Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview, 115 Tambourine Bay Rd, Riverview NSW 2066 

Click here for more information on the Jesuit Mission Bazaar including purchasing rides passes, raffle tickets, donating wine for our popular wine auction and more.

If you would like an opportunity to profile your business at the Bazaar, please get in touch with Katrina Tucker at Jesuit Mission to discuss sponsorship opportunities.  Katrina.tucker@jesuitmission.org.au

In the week coinciding with the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Australian Catholics of all ages participated in Jesuit Mission Australia’s One Foot Raised campaign, to raise awareness, prayers and funds for the people of Myanmar.

With prayerful hearts and a commitment to serve, participants followed the example of St. Ignatius the Pilgrim, who lived with “One Foot Raised” – ready to take action for justice and  help those most in need. Participants raised over $54,000 for people affected by conflict, oppression and poverty and with every step, they offered their prayers and intentions people suffering in Myanmar.

A number of Australian Jesuit schools, Parishes and ministries participated including, Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview (NSW), Our Lady of the Way Parish North Sydney (NSW), The Cardoner Network (NSW), Saint Ignatius College Geelong (VIC), Sevenhill and Riverton Parishes (SA), and Jesuit and Ignatian Spiruality Australia. Additionally, Xavier College Kew (VIC) will undertake One Foot Raised later in the year.

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"This was such a moving expression of solidarity with those communities experiencing suffering and conflict,” says Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission Australia.

"Now with two feet rested and hearts full of gratitude, we celebrate our Australian Catholic community's response to Myanmar's cry for help.”

In Myanmar, over 18 million people, including 6 million children, are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

Internally displaced people are living in temporary shelters built with tarpaulin sheets and bamboo, unsafe from the rain and wind, and the increasing indiscriminate artillery and air strikes from the military.

Jesuit Mission's partners continue to prioritise urgent emergency relief such as medicines, shelter, food and clothing to those who are displaced and trapped. The Jesuits are also providing thousands of children and youth with quality education and formation to make positive change for their country in the years to come.

We continue to pray for peace and justice for all those affected by conflict. It's not too late to make a meaningful difference and support this great cause. Jesuit Mission are hoping to raise $75,000 for One Foot Raised this year. Sign up or donate now at onefootraised.org.au  

Achara, the eldest daughter of a Karen family, comes from a rural village in western Thailand. Her father, a Karen environmental activist, went missing in 2014 after being arrested in a National Park, since then her family has sought justice for his disappearance.

After relocating multiple times, Achara and her family settled in a new village where she attended a local Catholic high school. Here for the first time Achara could focus on her studies, begin to dream of a brighter future for her family and move forward from the trauma of losing her father.  

Determined to pursue her education further, she joined Xavier Learning Community (XLC) in northern Thailand, which offers a Bachelor degree in English with profession-based training, including eco-tourism and hospitality.

XLC is transforming the lives of individuals like Achara, from ethnic minority groups that often face stigma and discrimination, giving hope through quality education and teaching sustainable agricultural practices.

"I feel very lucky to study here at XLC. I enjoy learning English and living in such a positive environment with my peers,” says Achara.

Your generosity in supporting XLC, eases the financial burden on Achara’s mother, who supports her five children on her own. XLC has given Achara the freedom to explore her interests and develop new skills.

Achara actively participates in the 'Teaching Village on Saturday' program, gaining professional teaching experience and challenging herself. She also enjoys being the master of ceremonies on campus, which has greatly boosted her confidence and public speaking skills.

Looking ahead, Achara dreams of working in the hospitality industry. Whilst pursuing this dream, during summer breaks she also returns to her village to help her mother with farming.

Achara’s story highlights the transformative power of education.

This year, XLC is educating around 90 students from vulnerable Indigenous groups, helping them find meaningful employment, build sustainable communities, and serve others. The diverse student body, from various ethnic minority groups in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, fosters a unique and unified community.

Learning in community, and in the Ignatian ethos, invites education both inside and outside the classroom, allowing the students at XLC to develop holistically through formal education and their own local knowledge.

Achara 's journey is one of resilience, hope, and the pursuit of justice. Her lively spirit and eagerness to learn inspire those around her. With your support, Achara and many other students can dream of a brighter future and work towards making it a reality.