A special meeting for Jesuit brothers, to get to know each other, to share and to reflect together, took place in Rome, July 1-10, 2022, during the Ignatian Year. Thirty-four brothers were present, as delegates chosen by each Conference, to portray a broad picture of the body of the Society. They came from Chile to Canada, from Congo to Hungary, from Nepal to Australia, as could be observed by the many shades of skin, hair, age – from 30 to 70 – the different stages of formation and the activities of each one: from doctor to teacher, from nurse to vocation leader, from astronomer to student.

The recurrent theme of the meeting

“The first and most important contribution of a Jesuit brother is the gift of self, freely offered in the service of the Lord”. This is defined in Decree 7 of the 34th General Congregation (1995). “Through probation, which is not only formation, through the experiences he lives and reviews, through his presence and listening, the brother is called to become that prophet who can be a sign for the Society and for all the people he meets,” Giacomo Andreetta, representing the Euro-Mediterranean Province at the meeting highlights. “For the Society he can be a sign of that religious life which in its essence is the joy of proclaiming the Kingdom of God through his life, and for others he can be that bridge that brings one back to the concreteness of life, remaining a friend and, indeed, brother and companion of those who work with him”.

There was time to get to know each other, to establish sincere and profound relationships by speaking a common language that was not so much English or Spanish, but the common call to the service of God and men in the Society of Jesus. We did this by having a drink together, visiting Le Camerette of St Ignatius, even sharing the songs of our homelands, in short, truly living a unity in diversity’.

Through profound consolation, ideas, insights, and proposals emerged

“We were welcomed for a week within the community of the General Curia, not as guests, but as Brothers, an integral part of a group of people who through their hidden work permit the body of the Society to be present in all parts of the world and in so many different areas.

We did not end the week with the compilation of a written document, but with the experience of a great consolation. It was a time when the joy of being there and of being Jesuits increased, friendship was born among us, we looked to the future with renewed confidence and hope. We return to our Provinces with ideas, insights and proposals, but we can only share them because of this profound consolation that we received.

The Pope’s visit and the image of the shared banquet

“To cap it all, we were also graced, at the curia, by the visit of Pope Francis, who wanted to share with us some of his memories and reflections on the Jesuit brothers and the present call of the Society. A simple meal followed, enriched with the gift of an excellent Argentine wine.

The Kingdom of God, in its final vision, is a banquet to which we are all invited: in part we have experienced it so that we can also extend it to the many services in which we are involved and to the many people that the Lord places and will place on our paths”.

A PERSONAL REFLECTION BY STEPHEN POWER SJ (BRI)

The international meeting of Jesuit brothers was inspired by a long-term missionary to Central Africa, who implored more support for brothers in Africa and in isolated places.  My experience of taking forward that proposal in collaboration with brother delegates from the six Jesuit conferences from around the world was one of the Holy Spirit taking over in finding a way to make it happen. 

Fr. General, Arturo Sosa, welcomed delegates to the central Curia of the Society of Jesus with the words, ‘this is your home’! These this is a very consoling sentiment which strengthens the now important understanding that we are all, first and foremost, Jesuit Religious together while some, even if the majority, have functions as priests. 

This meeting has provided a rare chance for brother delegates from all around the world to share their experience and discuss improvements in their formation, in understanding their identity and in how better to promote this vocation. The fraternal welcome from all the Curia community has done much to touch the hearts of all the brothers attending, especially some who have a legacy of feeling marginalised in the past. 

Already forty-two years in the Society, I am surprised how strongly this meeting with this body of talented Jesuit brothers has strengthened my faith that this vocation of life as a Jesuit Religious and my life-mission can be fulfilled without a need of ordination. The vocation of Jesuit brother can and should offer significant support to our fellow Jesuits who are ordained and who serve the Lord in that function, with all its present-day pressures.