Hope floats

The Tran family, faced unimaginable hardships surviving as farmers with insufficient resources in their home country of Vietnam. Forced to flee their home near the Mekong River Delta due to dire living conditions, the family sought refuge in Cambodia in 1991 with their two children, who now work in Phnom Penh.

Although life has improved in Cambodia, it remains challenging for the entire refugee family. The grandchildren moved in with their grandparents two years ago and now live on a boat, navigating the daily struggles of life on water. Despite these difficulties, the family finds solace in their faith, attending a local Catholic Church, and in the support from our project partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Cambodia.

In 2010, their application for refugee status was approved, marking the beginning of much-needed assistance. JRS has since provided them with essential supplies such as rice, oil, and other basic needs.

The Tran family's resilience is a testament to the human spirit.

With your generosity, our project partner JRS Cambodia continues to accompany, serve, and advocate for forcibly displaced people, ensuring they live in dignity, feel included, and have their rights upheld. In 2023 alone, JRS supported over 6,800 refugees, migrants, and stateless individuals, providing shelter, meals, counselling, and more.

Thanks to your support of these refugees:

Your contributions have made a profound difference. Every act of kindness brings hope to families in need. Thank you for standing with us in this mission to uplift our sisters and brothers living on the margins.

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"The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over. My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil."

Proverbs 4:19-27

We pray for our refugee friends living in Cambodia. We pray that they continue to receive opportunity, hope and a clear path forward. Through your loving kindness, grant them the restoration of their dignity.

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1. Desire...

I ask the Spirit for Clarity.

I find and hold an object that symbolises the gift of spiritual clarity for me.

I consider, 'Where is clarity present in my life?’

'Where is clarity absent in my life?’

‘What is the contrary of clarity to me?’

I ask the Spirit for the gift of spiritual Clarity.

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2. Choice...

Today I choose the Way of Spiritual Clarity.

I choose to follow the clear, focussed way, of the good spirit, toward God’s love.

I reject the obscure way, of being confused by a bad spirit.

I turn and walk in the contrary direction, from confusion to clarity, to peace.

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3. Faithful...

I live in Trinity of Clarity.

I imagine I am in a circle surrounded by the Trinity of Clarity, Father, Jesus and Spirit. Each addresses me by name, saying, ‘Discern the clearest way forward, I will help you.’

I rest for a moment in clarity of the Trinity. I feel clear minded and spiritually focussed. I conclude giving thanks for the Spirit of Clarity.

PRAYER TIME: 10 minutes.

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Click here to download the Prayer of Repairing Clarity.

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We invite you to join thousands of Australians this St Ignatius Day, 31 July, by taking part in One Foot Raised and walking in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.

One Foot Raised challenges participants to walk, raise awareness and much-needed funds for Jesuit Mission’s life-giving work in Myanmar and communities in crisis.  

A number of prominent Australian Jesuit schools and parishes have already signed up for the challenge, will you join the campaign of justice?

In Myanmar, millions of 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. People are living in fear and struggle for their basic needs with limited food, water, income and jobs available in these camps.

Speaking anonymously from Myanmar, a staff member of one of Jesuit Mission’s projects, verbally shared her confronting and tragic personal story of surviving years of conflict in Myanmar, multiple displacements to flee for safety, and her motivation to work in one of the thousands of camps for displaced people. Sadly, her story is common to most people in Myanmar, as is the tenderness of her closing words.

Our partners continue to prioritise emergency relief such as medicines, shelter, food and clothing to those who are displaced and trapped.

"Walking together, we can shine a light on the urgent needs of the people in Myanmar and offer them a lifeline of support and hope. Our steps symbolise the solidarity and compassion we share with those facing unimaginable challenges,” said Helen.

You can choose your distance:

• 2km - Walk for Education
• 4km - Walk for Shelter
• 10km - Walk for Peace 
• 18km - Walk for Justice 

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It’s easy to sign up, take on the One Foot Raised challenge at onefootraised.org.au.

Register Now

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"I feel happy studying at school. I enjoy learning how to read and write with my friends,” said Samaira, a second grade school student at Tenuahi primary school in north-eastern India.

Thanks to your unwavering generosity, the Jesuit Mission family has made an extraordinary impact on the lives of children like Samaira. A bright and ambitious young girl from the marginalised Korwa tribe, Samaira hails from the remote Garwa district in Jharkhand, India.

While her father works as a daily wage earner far away to provide for the family, her mother takes care of the household. Her elder sisters either assist their mother or are married, leaving Samaira with significant responsibilities at home before she joined the school in 2021.

With a radiant smile, she now dreams of becoming a nurse, and this dream is steadily becoming a reality as she takes great pride in her education. Samaira’s lifestyle has transformed; she is now eager to learn and full of hope for a better future.

Tenuahi school began modestly under a tree on 12 acres of land owned by the Hazaribag Jesuits. Since then the initiative has blossomed into a vibrant learning environment, providing quality education to over 200 enthusiastic students from the Korwa tribe. Responding to the villagers' request for better educational opportunities, the Hazaribag Jesuits established the Tenuahi primary school in April 2022. Since then, the school's reputation has spread far and wide, attracting children who are determined to pursue their education.

In 2023, thanks to the compassionate support from our Jesuit Mission family, six new classrooms were built. Your generosity is not only funding teacher salaries but also supporting training for teachers and parents and providing essential learning materials. These efforts ensure that rural children, like Samaira, have the resources and opportunities they need to achieve their dreams.

Your support makes a tangible difference, bringing hope and education to a community in need. Samaira’s story is just one example of the countless lives transformed by your kindness. Together, we are building a brighter future, one child, one family and one community at a time.

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Thank you for standing in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, your support is a lifeline to people in desperate need. Myanmar remains in a tragic state of humanitarian crisis, which is getting worse. Compulsory conscription for all young men and women is driving Myanmar's youth flee the country, rather than be forced to join those who've long persecuted them, their families, and their nation.

Jesuit Mission Australia spoke to Father Mark Raper SJ, a long-time friend of the Jesuit Mission Australia family, and across Asia Pacific, and a local social worker (pseudonym Mia), who is bravely working with a local church organisation on the ground to assist internally displaced people.

"Myanmar is now a humanitarian, human rights, political and economic catastrophe. The United Nations report that a third of the population, 18 to 19 million people, are in great humanitarian need, of whom 6 million at least are children,” said Fr Mark.

"The military coup happened in February 2021...Since then, my family and I have been displaced many times in different places,” said Mia.

"For more than three years we have not been able to go home and I haven’t seen my father for over a year,” said Mia.

Being displaced herself, Mia and her team are working to provide education and other emergency lifesaving responses to those living in internally displaced camps. Thanks to your generosity, the team are focusing on improving the well-being of youth and bringing new initiatives to uplift communities.

These communities are living in temporary shelters built with tarpaulin sheets and bamboo, unsafe from the rain and wind, and the artillery, air strikes from the military. People struggle for their basic needs and many have no income or job in these camps.

"My motivation to serve our people is because I have witnessed the suffering of Myanmar, and as a displaced person I have experienced it myself,” said Mia.

Some youth serve as volunteer teachers at the school, however, there is a high dropout rate in the middle and high school level for many reasons. Many have great difficulty accessing basic education and many of the male students are joining the resistance to fight against the military.

"We experience artillery shelling, and air strikes every day. Since these are indiscriminate, we don't know where or when the air strikes will drop. So every day people live with fear, uncertainties and trauma,” said Mia.

Our partners are continuing to provide education to more than 2,000 students across three education institutions and community colleges. They continue to enhance access to safe and quality education for over 5,000 children living in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps. And they continue to prioritise emergency relief such as medicines, shelter, food and clothing to those who are displaced and trapped.

Your support has a big impact on the youth and next generation of leaders in Myanmar, for the continuity of their education, their protection, and their wellbeing.

"Now is the time for us to accompany and elicit hope among the youth and with your solidarity to reverence in them, both the human and the divine, for the greater glory of God. Thank you," said Fr Mark.

If you would like to support the people of Myanmar, you can show your solidarity by making a donation to our Emergency Action Fund today.

[call_action_button color="#e56a54" link="https://jesuitmission.org.au/myanmar-w/" target="_blank"]Donate Now[/call_action_button]

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From 10-14 June, Jesuit Mission's programs team hosted our partners meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia with 52 Jesuit and lay collaborators from across South-East Asia and India.

The meeting was another wonderful opportunity to review current practices and increase our knowledge in areas of safeguarding, community development, planning and program management. The program reinvigorated our collaborative mission and commitment to ensuring that effective and responsible practices are upheld by all partners in all of their programs.

The meeting was a great opportunity to collaborate and form friendships with people from different countries, to share and learn from each other’s experiences in Jesuit ministries around the world.

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"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

Loving God,

We bring together our hearts and minds in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, inspired by the Ignatian call to be companions in their journey of struggle and hope. In this time of upheaval and uncertainty, we join our voices in prayer, seeking strength, peace, and justice for all who are affected.

Grant us the grace to walk with the people of Myanmar as companions on their path, allowing ourselves to be touched by their joys and sorrows, their hopes and fears. Help us to listen respectfully to their stories, to see your presence in their resilience, and to respond with compassion and solidarity. May your Spirit guide us to stand against oppression, to offer comfort to those who mourn, and to foster hope in the hearts of those who feel despair.

May we be instruments of your peace, working tirelessly for justice and reconciliation.We pray for wisdom and courage for the leaders of all nations, that they may be guided by principles of justice, compassion, and solidarity in their actions and decisions. Together, as companions in the Ignatian tradition, let us journey with the people of Myanmar, offering our prayers, our support, and our commitment to a future where all may live in dignity, peace, and freedom.

May our prayer be a source of hope and strength for the people of Myanmar, assuring them that they do not walk alone in their struggle. Amen.

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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 absent in my life'?
'What diminishes faith in my life'?

I ask the Spirit for an increasing, confident faith.

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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.

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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.

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Click here to download the Prayer of Tracking Faith.

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Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has been in a state of humanitarian crisis. In April 2024, the military junta commenced compulsory conscription for all young men (18-35) and young women (18-27), triggering new levels of turmoil as young men and women attempt to flee the country.  

Right now, over one third of the country’s population is living in extreme need. More than 2.8 million have been forced to flee their homes, while access to basics like education, healthcare and employment is severely limited.

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Watch and hear Khine's story:

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7 November 1934 - 15 May 2024

This week we farewelled a true Jesuit Mission fundraising hero, Dr Terry Horgan. As an Old Xaverian and an honorary Old Ignatian, Terry exemplified Ignatian values by serving others throughout his very full life, and inspiring his family and friends to join him.  

Terry was integral to starting two extremely popular and successful Jesuit Mission fundraising initiatives – The Sydney Old Xaverian Car Raffle, and the Sydney Golf Day. Not only did Terry found and work on both committees for over 40 years and over 25 years (respectively), he enthusiastically marketed and attended the Jesuit Mission events and ensured they were inspiring and a great success.

Many in our Jesuit Mission family, especially those in Sydney, will remember Terry for his humour, passion, and always with a camera around his neck. As a good friend to many people, Terry used his charm, passion and boundless energy to encourage thousands of people to support marginalised communities by buying an Old Xaverians Car Raffle ticket, attending the Jesuit Mission Bazaar (‘the Indian Bazaar’), or attending the Jesuit Mission Golf Day.

Terry’s lifetime of service in fundraising for Jesuit Mission and other Catholic charities earned him a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2010. And in 2022, the Australian Jesuit Province awarded Terry with a Jesuit Companions Medal in honour of his long-term volunteer contribution to the Province’s mission. 

We share our condolences, prayers and love with Terry’s beloved family. The family’s eulogies at Terry’s funeral service were a wonderful tribute to an incredibly inspiring man. In sharing stories of Terry’s commitment to raising funds for vulnerable communities, his son, John Horgan, asked for a show of hands from the full church on how many people had purchased a Jesuit Mission Car Raffle ticket from Terry - around 80% of the congregation raised their hand!  

While Terry’s infamous ‘hole in one’ (on the 7^th hole at the Jesuit Mission Sydney Golf Day on 29 May 2006) was a legendary achievement, we will always remember Terry and his lifetime legacy as we witness the impact of his decades of service in the stories of thousands of lives transformed through the programs Terry helped make possible.

Vale Dr Terry Horgan.  

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After Jesus had washed his disciples feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."

John 13:12-17

We pray that the teachers at Loyola College continue to serve students from rural communities, providing them with life-changing education to form Timor-Leste's next generation of leaders and global citizens.    

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1. Desire...

I hold my body in a bow - symbol of Service.

I hold my body in a humble bow, symbol of surrender, reverence and service. Holding this gesture, I consider who I serve now, and who I would like to serve. I reflect on the meaning and joy service gives to my life. I open myself to the Spirit of Service.

I ask the Spirit for the gift of to offer generous service.

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2. Relish...

Today I live in the Serving Trinity.

I imagine I am surrounded in a circle by the Serving Trinity. Father, Jesus and Spirit, address me by name, saying, ‘I serve you daily.

Help me to serve others.’ Unsure how I can serve others when I have so little, or over-extended with so little energy, or when I already have too any competing demands, I sit humbly, awhile, with my desire to serve, in the mystery of the Serving Trinity.

I relish being of service.

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3. Serve...

I breathe in the Spirit of Service.

I imagine and feel the Spirit of Service and generosity into me.

I breathe it in deep, wait, then breathe it out through my desire to serve. I repeat as desired – breathing, generous, ready to serve.

I conclude giving thanks, looking forward to humble service of others.

PRAYER TIME: 10 minutes.

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Click here to download the Prayer of Service.

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