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Jesuits - Assistancy
By Gratian Carlo, SJ
Fr General’s concern for “the best
possible formation”: Fr General spoke to
the members of the JCSA in February 2012
and later wrote to Fr Edward, POSA in his
letter of 13 March ‘12 things which have
direct relevance to the recommendations
of the Studies Commission Report. He
wrote: ““Considering the emerging needs
of the world Church I see it as of special
importance: a. To provide our men with
the best possible Formation, so that
they will be effective and helpful agents
at the service of the Church and the
people they meet, or to whom they will be
assigned. This has particular reference
to the Assistancy Houses of Formation
that will need an adequate number of
well-prepared Professors, Superiors and
Spiritual Fathers.
b. To prepare a good number of
capable Jesuits in Ecclesiastical, Human
or Natural Sciences. This preparation will
help the Province, the Conference and the
Society at large in responding intelligently
and effectively to new challenges and
directions in an increasingly complex
world.
c. To make sure that “Ongoing
Formation” becomes our normal way of
growing as persons and ministers (priests)
and thus supports a creative ministry that
will be able to respond to the new Frontiers
that emerge from within and from without.
d. To discern in what areas we will
need Jesuits who are well-prepared, so that
they can help the Church and our different
ministries in facing new situations and
needs.”
Fourth Commission related to
formation: JCSA’s concern for formation is
nothing new. In the course of 32 years the
Jesuit Conference of South Asia (JCSA) has
seen four commissions dealing with issues
of formation: 1. Inculturation Commission,
1978; 2. Formation Review Commission,
1992; Integration Commission, 1999;
4. Studies Commission of 2010. JCSA
has been ever conscious that changing
circumstances in a world that is fast moving
require a regular review of the vision,
policies and practices related to formation
not only of the formees but also that of
formators whether they are Superiors,
professional formators/spiritual guides or
teaching staff.
There has been a lot of interest in
the Studies Commission of 2010. This
article is an attempt to bring the readers of
Jivan up to date on the background and the
present status of the Studies Commission
“The Best Possible
Formation”
- Studies Commission Report
and its follow up
Report and the planned follow up on its
recommendations.
By his letter of 25 Dec 2011, the POSA
(Provincial of South Asia) promulgated
the Report of the Studies Commission.
In the letter he said, “The JCSA Studies
Commission that was constituted on 10 Jan
‘11, successfully completed its work and
submitted to me a comprehensive report
on 11 March 11..The Commission was
set up principally to explore and examine
ways in which the teaching and studying
of ecclesiastical courses of Philosophy
and Theology could enable us to respond
more effectively to the exigencies and
imperatives of our Mission in today’s
complex and challenging world.
“Fr Michael Amaladoss (MDU)
graciously accepted the onerous
responsibility of the Convenor while Frs.
George Pattery (CCU), Christie P. Maria
Joseph (MDU), Job Kozhamthadam
(DEL) and Francis Minj (RAN) were active
members of the Commission. The coopted
members of the Commission were Rekha
Chennattu, James Ponnaiah (JDV Faculty),
Lawrence Fernandes (MDU-SN), Francis
Gonsalves (GUJ-VJ), Rudi Heredia (BOM),
Mathew Jayanth (CCU), and Francis
Jayapathy (MDU). All of them have
contributed in diverse ways to its collective
findings and recommendations.
What did the Commission do?: “The
Content, the Methods, our Post Graduate
Programmes and Staff were core areas
of concentration, analysis and review
for the Commission. In dialogue with
students and staff, the Commission was
mandated to come up with some concrete
proposals towards streamlining, updating
and invigorating the courses at the graduate
and postgraduate levels and creating an
academic climate that would challenge and
propel both the staff and students towards
excellence. It was heartening to see a basic
good will coupled with a generally positive
attitude ...in its interactions with the Staff
and students. After situating its work in the
larger perspective of today’s context and
...the assets and strengths already available
in different domains of our Ecclesiastical
Institutes and what it discovered in the
surveys and extensive interactions,.. the
Commission makes some significant
recommendations.
JCSA accepts and POSA promulgates:
“The JCSA in its meeting in October 2011 in
Pune, deliberated on the Report, and after
placing its unstinting appreciation for the
work accomplished by the members and
the co-opted members of the Commission,
requested the Provincial of South Asia to
formally promulgate it, so that the benefits
of its recommendations start percolating
into all levels of academic life in the Jesuit
Ecclesiastical Institutes of South Asia.
Obviously not all the recommendations
spelled out by the Commission can
be carried out overnight. Nor will the
multiplication of bodies and structural
creations ensure the implementation of
the spirit of the Commission’s Report. I am
hereby promulgating and forwarding the
Report to the Presidents/Principals/Deans
and the Staff requesting them to deliberate
on it and collectively to explore ways of
applying its recommendations...”
ADF explains: The POSA referred
to an accompanying document from
Fr Gratian Carlo, the ADF (Assistancy
JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012 13