The novices of Britain and Ireland have just returned from their autumn work experience placements, known in Jesuit jargon as “experiments”.

Experiments were designed by St. Ignatius to test a man’s vocation through the two-year novitiate period. Experiments mirror the various steps taken by St Ignatius after his conversion. For centuries, Jesuit formation has included these same methods as a means to test, stretch, clarify, and confirm the novice’s vocation.

Typical novice experiments include hospital work (meaning work with marginalised people, who in St Ignatius' day tended to live in "hospitals" or places of safety run by religious), a pilgrimage, the 30-day Spiritual Exercises, and teaching.

Testing the equilibrium

Paolo Beltrame has just returned from Dublin where for the last six weeks he has been teaching and assisting in the chaplaincy of Belvedere College.  Paolo, who was doing post-doctoral research in astro-particle physics before joining the Jesuits, taught science to fifth formers and was asked to give a number of talks on his specialist subject to wider audiences.

“I have had lots of experience teaching at tertiary level” commented Paolo, “but teaching high school boys was new to me.  I think the idea of the experiment is to push the boundaries of where you feel comfortable and test how I can engage, collaborate and work with different groups.”

Belvedere College chaplaincy has a well-embedded programme which connects the intellectual approach with opportunities for social justice and retreats for spiritual renewal.

“One thing I noticed,” Paolo observed, “is that there is a tension in the Ignatian approach between the intellectual and social justice work. The two poles don’t easily come to synthesis.  I see it a bit like walking for which you need two legs! – Each time you take a step you move out of a state of equilibrium, but you have to do this in order to move forward.  Everything we did in the school - study, homework, social justice ministry - was an opportunity for reflection and was in itself a kind of prayer.  Whether you are looking at stars or supporting the poor you need to engage your intellect, otherwise how do we provoke any change?  These young men were all very thoughtful, very committed and not afraid to question.”

More Ignatian than the Jesuits

Also on experiment in an Irish Jesuit high school was Ian Jackson who spent six weeks at Coláiste Iognáid (known as The Jes) in Galway.  He taught Maths and RE including teaching St Ignatius’ examen prayer to both pupils and teachers; and he supported the schools’ Kairos leaders, sixth formers leading retreats for younger children, and managed to inspire them with his vocation story - ”I was really happy about that,” he said, “they were very intelligent, mature, creative and independent minds so I was delighted they were touched by my story”.  During the half term break he worked for Educate Magis – the global network of Jesuit educators which connects those working in over 2,300 Jesuit schools worldwide.  Like Paolo, Ian was inspired by the lay collaborators: “They were more Ignatian than the Jesuits, it was awesome to see them just getting on with it”, he commented.

A joy-filled time of laughter and love

Matthew Tumulty spent his experiment living in the L’Arche community in Edinburgh -  a community where people with and without learning disabilities share life together. Matthew, gained interesting insights of God at work. “I quickly realised as a member of this community that in fact I was the one with the disabilities. The people I was living with who could not communicate verbally were absolute masters at non-verbal communication. I felt much more limited in what I was able to express.  I came to realise that societal norms are very inhibiting, and we tend to smother out the laughter. My friends showed me how to enjoy every moment and to give unconditional love and trust. God was working through them to show me something that I really wasn’t expecting, it was a joy-filled time of laughter and love.”