Faith shines in action at the Jesuit Mission Bazaar

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.