On the occasion of the feast of St. Francis Xavier and the International Day of Volunteeringy), the Magis and Entreculturas Office presented in Madrid the experiences of Jesuit International Volunteering. They did it with four personal testimonies of volunteers and companions.
In the words of Alvaro Galera, from the MAGIS Pastoral Office, the Jesuit international volunteering is "a single Ignatian proposal but with different expressions" to "transform persons and commit themselves to build the Kingdom and to make a fair and fraternal world". These experiences must be loaded with "depth" and "horizon". Deep because they must overcome the barrier of selfie, of "volunteer-tourism"... and horizon in the same sense of transformation of persons.
The young people who are going through these experiences are asked for a previous journey, such as having had some social commitment or volunteering in Spain, and a certain spiritual and community journey, apart from availability and seriousness. The program offer previous formation and a proposal to accompany the return processes.
In the framework of the presentation, Ana Vázquez, linked the life of Francisco Javier with the international volunteer, of which he forms part as a team. What does this Jesuit saint teach us when applied to volunteer work? Francisco Javier challenges us to foster intercultural competences; to horizontality in his relations of friendship with the people he met in his life; to personal and group transformation and to take the leap to distant lands... "Sometimes we need to leave our land for certain personal transformations", concluded Ana Vázquez.
More info: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. Click Agree to accept.