Jesuits & Friends 115, Summer 2023

& friends

Signs of God’s presence

Sharing the promise of gospel freedom

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From Fr Provincial

There is a distinctly carceral flavour to this edition of Jesuits & Friends, which you may think sits uncomfortably with the free, relaxed mood of summertime. If you are lucky enough to find yourself reading this magazine on a beautiful, sunny day as you sit by the sea, a prison cell is the last thing you will want to think about. And yet, the liberation of captives is one of the great symbols of salvation which the Bible uses to express the power of God’s activity in the world. The promise of freedom is one of the most significant attractions of the gospel itself.

Is gospel freedom primarily about our inner lives? Freedom from attachments, addictions and compulsions; freedom, if you like, from sin? St Ignatius was certainly clear that the Spiritual Exercises could help free the believer inwardly, enabling them to join Christ’s mission in whatever state of life God willed. Or is it more social and political freedoms which are at stake: freedom of religion or speech, freedom from oppression and persecution? The Church’s answer

is ‘both’. Catholic social teaching states: ‘Far from being achieved in total self-sufficiency and the absence of relationships, freedom only truly exists where reciprocal bonds, governed by truth and justice, link people to one another’ (Compendium, 200)

That is why, since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has become one of the strongest champions of social and political freedoms. Jesuits have been at the forefront of that achievement, whether it was Fr John Courtney Murray SJ, the American theologian whose writings helped the Church to embrace the principle of freedom of religion, or the Jesuits of El Salvador and other parts of Latin America, who committed themselves to solidarity with the oppressed poor, the ‘crucified people’, as Fr Jon Sobrino SJ described them.

These days, the question of personal freedom arises in quite a new way. The unspoken rule of modern life is that you are free to do anything as long as

it doesn’t impinge on the freedom of others. It’s a sensible rule which works well in many situations. It doesn’t help, though, in a world of almost infinite interconnection. Should I really be free to maintain a lifestyle that imperils the well-being of future generations by taking more than my fair share of the world’s resources? And if not, should I be free to protest about that very injustice in a way which interferes with the freedom of others as they go about their daily business? We are in the early stages of working out how to live together freely in a world in which we depend more than we realised on one another to be moderate and considerate in ways that can be costly.

Followers of Jesus Christ will not be fazed by this. They will be concerned, wanting to devote themselves to safeguarding that vital but mysterious good which is the true freedom of the children of God. That’s a wonderful thought to take to the beach.

Damian Howard SJ

22 It was Jesuit Missions’ last London Marathon, and those who ran for them and for JRS UK gave it their all.

Lucy Gillingham shares the transformative work being done by a Jesuit-run addiction programme in India.

WINDOWS OF hope AVENUES TO A place of belonging

Thomas Horton is part of Jesuit Young Adult Ministries’ Magis @ Home community in Brixton, for young Catholics who care about social and ecological justice. Here he outlines his work in the criminal justice system.

When I was fourteen, I was sent home from school with a letter informing my parents that my school would be taken over by a Christian charity. The old, leaky building was to be demolished and replaced with a multi-million-pound academy, boasting state-of-the-art facilities including television and radio studios, a salon,

a motor vehicle maintenance workshop, a gym, and more besides.

Sometime later, a 3D model of the new site was unveiled at a public consultation event. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the same thing: instead of being inward looking, the new building would face outwards, towards the town

centre; it would be glass fronted; and the tall metal fence would be removed.

Everyone sniggered – these ‘do-gooders’ clearly didn’t know anything about our town. Residents warned them that it would be ruined, smashed, broken into, driven into. Seemingly unphased, they told us that if any glass was broken, they’d replace it, and they went on to share their vision of a school and community where everyone belonged, was included, and able to reach their God-given potential. Not everyone was convinced by their response.

The academy was built just as the 3D model showed. But it wasn’t just a school. In the years that followed, we developed a thriving community gym, fitness classes, youth groups, arts classes, soft-play facility, football groups, trampolining sessions, adult education, fun days, and much more.

You might wonder what that has to do with my work in the criminal justice system. There, in my hometown, I saw

The Jesuit Institute’s Prison Project seeks to integrate the gifts of Ignatian spirituality into a culture of rehabilitation. Vron Smith and Sarah Young tell us more.

The smell of sea air, the raucous sound of seagulls, the changeable weather. You might be forgiven for thinking this describes a typical British holiday on the coast. However, this was the backdrop against which two prisons recently hosted retreats run by the Jesuit Institute. We seek to reach people where they are and to empower them, through Ignatian spirituality, towards a deepening relationship with God. Prisons are places where people would not normally choose to go boldly. Prisoners

are often out of the sight and mind of the general public, but not of God. The Prison Project offers to walk alongside these residents for a short time, to share prayer, to talk together of God and life.

‘I’ve been able to express things I’ve been through in the past – my relationships –my relationship with God and with my family. Love is the most important part of the relationship.’

The roots of our Prison Project took hold during the Covid-19 pandemic. Realising how invisible the work of prison chaplains is and how dedicated they are to improving the lives of those in their care, the Jesuit Institute offered an online retreat to prison chaplains. We wanted to provide support and a listening ear. This was deeply appreciated

by many, and they felt that the graces that they had received could also be a great gift to the men and women they serve in the prisons. They wanted the prisoners in their care to experience the love and mercy of God that they themselves experience. They saw the potential of Ignatian ways of praying to help prisoners develop a personal relationship with Jesus through engaging with the gospel. They valued Ignatian discernment and how it could offer prisoners opportunities to reflect on the choices they make, which may help them forge a better future. We found that the language of discernment is conducive to a culture of rehabilitation, which is applauded in the prison service.

During a later week of formation for ourselves and interested volunteers, we listened as some of those chaplains shared their experience with us, we read about rehabilitation and the Church’s response, and we prayed and conversed together to discover whether Ignatian spirituality might find fertile ground and answer a need within prisons. How might our retreats serve

the difference that working in a more community-focused way made, not just to educational attainment, but to community safety, health and wellbeing, people’s personal and spiritual development, and all of the things which help us to flourish (it also helps to explain why the building has remained remarkably unscathed). Since then, building community has been my greatest passion.

That passion has led me to a range of organisations and government departments. I currently work for His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service where I lead a pilot called Grand Avenues. Working with people on probation, Grand Avenues aims to reduce reoffending and intergenerational offending in two Cardiff neighbourhoods. I think of it as an opportunity to reimagine how the criminal justice system – and the wider public sector –works with local communities.

These communities have long been associated with high levels of crime

and deprivation. For many years, the area housed one of the largest council estates in Europe. However, as we spent more time there, we began to see a proud, resilient, close-knit community, where people looked out for each other. It was a side of the community that we didn’t

usually hear about. It reminded me of my own community.

If our task was to support people to lead crime-free lives, we knew that connecting people back to their community and encouraging them to become active citizens was fundamental.

The language of discernment is conducive to a culture of rehabilitation, which is applauded in the prison service.

to complement other initiatives in the prisons which strive to develop this culture of rehabilitation?

This initiative was warmly welcomed by the principal chaplains of the Catholic, Anglican and Free Church traditions. They have been instrumental in helping us make this idea become reality. Through them, we have been helped to navigate the security clearance needed to be able to work in prisons for the next five years.

We adapt an Ignatian retreat for prisoners and for prison staff. Each prison has its own culture, and in conversation with the chaplains we seek to identity where Ignatian spirituality and aspects of rehabilitation might best engage in that time and place. The security level of each prison decides what kind of retreat experience we can offer – either a traditional week of guided prayer or an encounter week, which is more grouporientated with workshops.

Through guided prayer, discussion and reflection we hope that prisoners

experience the love God has for them and hope for their future lives.

Through the week we explore how deepening a loving relationship with God can help prisoners cope with difficulties and loneliness.

‘[The retreat] brought me back to my past, where I lost God, and where I found him again.’

The prisoners are offered tools to make better choices and develop good habits.

‘When I got back to the wing, I had quiet time to think about my life –sometimes going too fast – I need time to be still.’ (After the workshop on ‘Making good choices’)

We explore what’s really important in life and what might get in the way. We invite each person to discover more of the truth of who they are and the good within. We encourage them to expand their hope for the future, offering our own belief that a better future is possible.

‘I will continue to use the prayers especially “Jesus healing my shoulder”. Thanks to all for your wonderful stories. I am that man in Luke keeping my faith with God into the next chapter in my life.’

Some days after a week of guided prayer in HMP Haverigg, a letter was passed on from a prisoner via the chaplain to the Jesuit Institute team. In the letter, the prisoner recalled praying the psalms during the week. He writes: ‘I’m most drawn to Psalm 32, verse 7: “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance”.’ And he adds, ‘And so it is’.

Amid the constant noise of clanging doors, the endless shouts of prisoners, the removal of physical freedom and security, there is God who gives refuge, protection and gladness. Our joy is being present as prisoners understand that God has never left them, and never will.

We therefore established a dedicated team of probation practitioners to work with local people on probation. Instead of reporting to the city-centre probation office, people on probation now attend community hubs. The hubs we use are run by local churches and community groups. Unsurprisingly, the support of the faith community has been fundamental to the success of the pilot.

One of the many benefits of this approach is that we can provide people on probation and their families with better and more immediate access to support. An individual might come to see their probation officer, but whilst there, they can access a wide range

of support including with health, housing, finding work, learning new skills, and managing debt.

The environment is noticeably different. When you walk in, it still feels like an open, welcoming community centre. You will be greeted by a peer mentor – someone with their own lived experience of the criminal justice system.

One of the most transformative aspects of the work has been encouraging

people on probation to engage in positive activities in the community. Examples of this include participating in a men’s group, volunteering in community centres, creating community gardens. There is even a group which produces, edits and publishes a weekly podcast on Spotify where they reflect on topics such as mental health and their experience of the criminal justice system.

I was recently speaking to a young adult on probation. Since leaving prison six months ago, he has turned his life around and committed himself to giving back to the community. When I asked him what had prompted this change, he told me that it was coming back to his community and discovering that he had been missed by people who cared about him. That made the difference.

Whether it’s in the criminal justice system, the Church, or anywhere else, I think that is our task: to love and care for one another so that we know that we would be missed if we went away.

Coming back to his community and discovering that he had been missed by people who cared about him made the difference.

Lessons in EUCHARISTIC LIVING

Eddy Bermingham SJ draws inspiration for all of us from the MAGIS programme that Ignatian young people will follow this summer in Lisbon.

This July, in and around Lisbon, thousands of young adults from the Ignatian family will gather for a meeting known as MAGIS, which takes place before every World Youth Day. For ten days these young adults will pray together, discuss formal inputs, engage in fun activities, join in worship of the Blessed Sacrament and work in teams on service projects – all the time being encouraged to reflect on their experience. Of course, this is just the formal programme. There are also the late-night conversations and debates, the early morning walks with newfound friends, and the slowly deepening sense of being called to membership of a worldwide Ignatian family, with all that that means for their future lives.

MAGIS is an experience which is designed to form those who engage in it to find ways of living eucharistically for the rest of their lives. If we look at the elements of the programme, we get a sense of what it means to live eucharistically.

Prayer and silent adoration are essential components, but not ones entered into privately. There is a communal dimension: we pray and adore with our friends both old and new, and alongside complete strangers whose names and languages remain unknown to us. For many of us, we replicate this experience every Sunday, sitting in the pews alongside those we know well and those who are strangers

INTENTIONS FOR THIS PERIOD

JULY

For a Eucharistic life

to us. And we do this comfortably because we each share the deep desire for communion with our God. This desire is not merely rooted in a shared ideology, even though Catholics have a great capacity for ideological differences; it is rooted in a person, the Risen Lord in our midst.

The element of fun, the communal celebration of life, is another significant part of the MAGIS gathering. Loud laughter, often at our own expense, is a hallmark of any eucharistic life. It is, along with moments of awestruck silence, our human way of joining with the creator in seeing that ‘it [life] is good’.

The days spent in teams, working for the service of others, reaching out to those on the margins and prayerfully reflecting on this experience, are for many the most potent part of the MAGIS event. We discover through reflecting on an experience of servicelearning that often we receive more than we give. Through an encounter with our common humanity, we enter into feelings of empathy and solidarity far deeper than we imagined were possible.

Most of us cannot live our whole lives at the level of intensity that MAGIS demands; however, if we are open to how the Spirit works in us we will find ways to make MAGIS’ core elements integral to our Christian discipleship.

In July, let us pray that our Christian discipleship may be characterised by prayer and adoration, fun and the celebration of life, and sustained service of those on the margins of our society.

In August, let us pray for all those who gather in Lisbon to celebrate their Catholic faith.

We pray that Catholics may place the celebration of the Eucharist at the heart of their lives, transforming human relationships in a very deep way and opening to the encounter with God and all their brothers and sisters.

AUGUST

For World Youth Day

We pray the World Youth Day in Lisbon will help young people to live and witness the Gospel in their own lives.

SEPTEMBER

For people living on the margins We pray for those persons living on the margins of society, in inhumane life conditions; may they not be overlooked by institutions and never considered of lesser importance.

OCTOBER

For the Synod

We pray for the Church, that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a lifestyle at every level and allow herself to be guided by the Holy Spirit towards the peripheries of the world.

In September, let us pray that those on the margins may find ways to maintain their human dignity, and that all institutions and authorities working with groups on the margins may carry out their duties in a way that does not demean people in any way.

In October, as the Church continues to struggle to respond positively to Pope Francis’ challenge to become synodal, let us pray that the Spirit will lead us to creative and faithful initiatives to make this a reality at all levels of the Church.

ARE YOU AGED 18-35?

Visit jesuit.org.uk/magis to find out about the MAGIS experience.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE – or not?

On a recent visit to northern Ethiopia, Jesuit Missions’ Director Paul Chitnis heard the challenges levelled by displaced people at an indifferent world in a new and powerfully affecting way.

The provincial town of Dabat in northern Ethiopia is now home to some 24,000 refugees displaced by a conflict which started in November 2020 in the nearby province of Tigray. They are a fraction of the 28 million people in need across the country. I am visiting Alem-Wach refugee camp with Jesuit Missions’ partner, JRS International. Despite my thirty years in international development, I am shocked by what I find.

We drive up a dusty track past women carrying jerry cans of water and donkeys laden with sacks of grain. At the summit, a vast city of tents opens up before us. Crowds of refugees are queuing for food and medical attention. Another group is gathered around a figure in military fatigues who is gesticulating imperiously.

I speak with a group of women. We sit inside a shack hidden from the other refugees to safeguard their identity and afford them the freedom to speak freely.

As I have done in refugee camps around the world for decades, I sit with my notebook listening intently to the women as their words are translated. Of course, nothing can really translate

their brutal experiences into words. One of the younger women, Feven, swathed in a vibrant red headscarf, her eyes blazing with anger, speaks: ‘This is not the first time someone has interviewed us, written down our

What have I done for Christ?

What am I doing?

What will I do?

answers, visited our tents and offered their sympathy. And what difference does it make?’

As I hear this, the pen falls from my hand and tears well in my eyes. This woman has spoken from the depths of her being to the depths of mine. In that moment, it is not just me she addresses but the rest of an indifferent world. They know how the world has responded to war in Ukraine, the welcome given to refugees, the mobilisation of immense resources to support an embattled people. How different it is from their experience!

I thank Feven for her courage and candour. She smiles gently and, in that moment, I know she is not condemning me. But she is right and I determine to tell their story.

Their food rations have been cut because the UN appeal for Ethiopia is 79% under-funded. The children are sick with no medicines to care for them. They are cold at night and have no blankets. They cannot work or travel because their ID cards have been invalidated.

Unsurprisingly the young men lose hope and turn to drugs and alcohol. Many flee through Sudan to Libya and thence to Europe, some ending up on the beaches of Kent.

We walk along the dusty track, over the open sewer and between the

Bisrat and her grandson, Robel

The Alem-Wach refugee camp (All photos: Paul Chitnis)

tightly crowded tents to visit the one that belongs to Bisrat.

Sitting on the floor is her daughter, Hanna, a young woman in her twenties. Her hollow eyes stare blankly at me as I enter. She is painfully thin. Her mother explains that, on their eight-day flight from Tigray, Hanna had a miscarriage. Hanna gazes into the middle distance, lost in her thoughts. Bisrat introduces Robel, her six-year-old grandson. He is traumatised when he sees soldiers because of what he has witnessed. I remember the imperious soldier at the entrance of the camp.

As we become easier in each other’s company, Hanna starts to talk. 115 people started with her but they were divided by the smugglers, then threatened by armed men. Hanna and a fourteen-year-old girl were separated from the others, taken into a forest and raped repeatedly.

Bisrat is in tears as she listens. Hanna explains that she is now stigmatised by the rest of the community. I understand

now why she sits inside the tent, invisible and unseen. So painful are the memories and so shameful the stigma that Hanna has attempted suicide. Bisrat shows us the antidepressants her daughter is taking.

We leave Bisrat’s tent as silently as we leave church on Good Friday. At lunch, we ponder what we have heard. These experiences are neither new nor unusual. I recall the boldness of Feven, shrouded in her red scarf, challenging us

about what will change as a result of our visit. It is a question that goes to the core of our faith.

In his Spiritual Exercises, St Ignatius invites us to gaze at Jesus on the cross and ponder: what have I done for Christ? What am I doing? What will I do?

This Easter, I could not see Jesus on the cross – only the faces of Hanna, Feven and Bisrat.

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Feven (front row, left) and other refugees in the Alem-Wach camp

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SUPERIOR GENERAL MARKS anniversary

My deep consolation is knowing that our Jesuit mission here, now in its fifth century, continues.

Top to bottom: Fr General (second from left) and his team meet The Beatles in Liverpool; with Br Ken Vance SJ (left) and Fr Denis Blackledge SJ (right); and with librarian Clemens Gresser.

Fr Arturo Sosa SJ’s whistlestop tour of the British Jesuit Province gave him a glimpse of the past, present and future of the Jesuits in Britain. John McManus describes a busy week for the Superior General.

We in Britain live in an old country, but there aren’t too many organisations on these islands that can point to four centuries of (sometimes suppressed, often violent) existence, and yet not only still be going strong, but actively innovating to confront new opportunities and challenges. A 400th anniversary of that nature deserves to be marked by a very special visitor – and the arrival in Britain of Fr Arturo Sosa SJ, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, was intended to highlight some of the diverse ways in which contemporary Jesuits are still living their mission.

Fr Sosa’s first stop was in Liverpool, to acknowledge and pay tribute to a long-standing institution that has had the Jesuits at its heart. St Francis Xavier church in Everton is also celebrating an anniversary in 2023 – at 175 years old, it’s a much-younger sibling to the British Province, but like the Society, it has adapted while remaining focused on serving and enriching the community of which it is a part. Fr Sosa’s celebration of Mass marked the end of the Jesuits’ long association with the parish, with Fr Denis Blackledge SJ and Br Ken Vance SJ departing for pastures new, and the parish – which has been in the care of the Archdiocese of Liverpool for some years – will from now on be run by diocesan clergy.

Fr Sosa’s next stop was in north Wales, where he met the staff of St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre. In something of a theme for his trip, St Beuno’s is also marking 175 years, having started as a theology faculty, then becoming an infirmary, before taking on its latest mission in the 1970s. During Mass in the packed chapel, Fr Sosa spoke in his homily of the centre’s ‘core task’ being ‘the healing of the human heart, the overcoming of its sinful desire to expel God from the world’. He said that the vocation of St Beuno’s included connecting the first and fourth of the

Universal Apostolic Preferences –showing others the way to God, and working with others for the care of our common home.

The Jesuits have deep links with other parts of the world, and Manresa House in Birmingham, which houses the province’s novitiate, and which Fr Sosa visited next, serves not only Britain, but also Ireland, the Czech and Slovak Provinces, and the region of the Low Countries. Father General met with the men who are training for religious life before taking their first vows, then blessed the house. It has been recently rebuilt, partly to provide better accommodation for novices coming from Europe.

Pope Francis has made care for the environment one of the defining themes of his pontificate, and his second encyclical Laudato si’ has been the springboard for the Jesuits to look more closely at what they can do to care for our common home. Bearing the same name as the encyclical, the ecological research institute based at the Jesuits’ Campion Hall in Oxford, was the next stop for Fr Sosa. The institute’s researchers, drawn from a variety of intellectual backgrounds, use a transdisciplinary method to advance

integral ecology, attending to both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. After meeting Laudato Si’ Research Institute staff, Fr Sosa presided over the eucharist with the Oxford Jesuits, which was attended by members of the wider Campion Hall community. He said that it struck him that, ‘Campion Hall is an unusual, perhaps unique institution in the Society: an authentic Jesuit presence within an ancient and elite university, which, while secular today, has profoundly Christian roots.’ Its role, he continued, was to show that the gospel is ‘not some disembodied ethos. It’s people living together in solidarity because God lives in total, unconditional solidarity with them.’

The final stage of Fr General’s journey brought him to the London Jesuit Centre in the heart of the capital, where he met members of the Jesuit community based in and around London, and the staff who work with them. Fr Sosa opened and blessed the new Cana Room, then made his way to the Heythrop Library, where he was shown a copy of the Jesuit journal SIC , with one of his own articles in it, dating from the 1970s. In the Jesuit Archives, he blessed the Nora & Fr Bernard Hall Room (named in honour of the British Provincial Superior from 1970-76 and his sister), and viewed items held in the collection, including a relic of Edmund Campion and Frederick Copleston’s top hat.

Following a private address to the London Jesuits, Fr Sosa celebrated Mass at Farm Street church, then met with Jesuits, staff and congregants, and other well-wishers at a packed reception.

‘I am sorry my visit to you is so short. I know London is a great city, two thousand years old, so full of history and significance. But my deep consolation is knowing that our Jesuit mission here, now in its fifth century, continues. Thank you, my brothers, friends, collaborators and benefactors, for all that you do and share together. May the joy, the peace and the life of the Risen Christ make you fruitful ad maiorem Dei gloriam.’ (Excerpt from Fr Sosa’s homily at Farm Street church on 14 April 2023).

Archivist Rebecca Somerset (right) shows Fr Sosa some items in the Jesuit Archives collection.

* Title pun by Jakub Kowalewski

Getting AHEAD:

MOVING ON FROM DRUG ADDICTION IN MADURAI PROVINCE

On 22 May 1982, Fr Giuseppe Pittau SJ read out the ‘final testament’ of Pedro Arrupe: ‘To my spiritual sons, I bequeath the young manipulated by drugs.’ Jesuit Missions’ Lucy Gillingham spoke to Fr Francis Jayapathy SJ about how Fr Arrupe’s bequest is being honoured by the Jesuits of India’s Madurai Province.

Jesuit Missions has a long history of partnership with the Jesuit Province of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, the oldest and largest province in India. In 2021, Jesuit Missions supported the province in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic with funds, food baskets and medicines for 1,000 marginalised families during lockdown. In the context of the pandemic, the Jesuits in Madurai Province became increasingly aware that addiction had become more widespread in a state which already had the highest rates of addiction in India. The issue is particularly pronounced among young people. Jesuit Missions is now supporting a three-year project with the Arrupe Health Enclave for Alcohol and Drug Dependents (AHEAD), to fight what its director, Fr Francis Jayapathy SJ, describes as a disease afflicting youth.

Fr Francis notes that each period of history is characterised by a particular disease. In Jesus’s time, it was leprosy. In the Middle Ages, plague became a defining factor. During the Industrial Revolution, consumption. In the contemporary period, coronavirus is the focus. According to the World Health Organisation, addiction to alcohol and drugs contributes to some 3 million or 5.3% of deaths annually worldwide. This is roughly similar to the estimated number of deaths from Covid-19 in 2020. Yet, Fr Francis emphasises that addiction is not being seen as a pandemic. The Jesuits of Madurai have recognised this as a disease which has a particularly detrimental impact on

society. Determined to do something, the Jesuit Ministry to Alcohol and Drug Dependents (JMAADD) came into existence in 2006.

The aims of this ministry are:

• To increase awareness.

• To facilitate treatment of addicts.

• To provide support to addicts and their co-dependents.

JMAADD and its outreach work through AHEAD has served more than 6,500 families, providing them with information, support and hope to combat drug addiction, which not only affects the victims but also their families and friends. The treatment and recovery programme offered by AHEAD is grounded in Ignatian Spirituality. The twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which are a key part of the approach, have a great affinity with the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. The dynamics of the programme at AHEAD move the patient from a self-knowledge to a deep and personal knowledge of the creator in a truly Ignatian way.

Fr Francis is clear that the battle is not over, saying: ‘We have many more miles to go if we are to make some meaningful impact.’ In the last four years, it has become increasingly evident that addiction among young people has increased at an alarming rate. Marijuana has overtaken alcohol as the drug of choice among young people. Around 10% of the drugs which flow into the state of Tamil Nadu, especially marijuana, are supplied to college and university students. The problem is recognised by the government, educators and the media. In the last few years the government of India has launched a campaign, Nasha Mukt Abiyaan (‘Drug Free India’).

Fr Francis is clear that the problem of increasing addiction among young people in Tamil Nadu is best addressed by creating mass awareness of it. However, while most people who work with youth agree that the problem exists and is increasing exponentially, there is very little hard data on hand to initiate any action plans. Very few educational institutions in the country have policies in place on substance abuse.

Only a handful of schools and colleges have trained staff to identify those who may have problems, or the means to provide professional support. Typically, students who have drug problems are either suspended or dismissed from school or university. Counselling or rehabilitation is seldom available.

The patient moves from a self-knowledge to a deep and personal knowledge of the creator in a truly Ignatian way.

In response to this situation, the project developed by AHEAD provides support for educators across the state, providing discussion of issues and up-to-date facts and figures on addiction and rehabilitation. As a Jesuit organisation in a province with more than twenty educational centres, AHEAD is well-positioned to provide this much needed outreach initiative. The programme provides awarenessraising and mechanisms to deal with the problem of addiction among students. Fr Francis is confident that the work will have a ripple effect in schools across the state.

AHEAD’s initiative has been welcomed enthusiastically by the headteachers of the schools where it works in Tiruchirappalli, one of Tamil Nadu’s largest cities. They have hailed it as the most appropriate response to the current drug crisis. AHEAD offers training of teachers, direct contact with students and parents, and support of initiatives in each school. Those who share the message are recovering young adults. Their stories strike a chord, and their journey from addiction to recovery both acts as a telling warning and helps to instil hope. Last year, AHEAD connected with twenty schools and seven colleges, reaching nearly 50,000 students. This academic year, it plans to offer training in addiction intervention and recovery support to interested teachers in schools and colleges across the state. AHEAD is delighted at the welcome the programme has received from the administrators and the students themselves in this important area.

Fr Francis Jayapathy SJ (above) and with beneficiaries of the AHEAD programme (below)

THE LONG AND WINDING HISTORY OF Jesuit life in Liverpool

Br Ken Vance SJ tells the story of the Jesuit presence in Liverpool, which came to an end at Easter when the church of St Francis Xavier was handed over to the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

St Francis Xavier’s church (SFX) in Liverpool opened on a wet Monday afternoon in December 1848 and was crowded with worshippers for the opening ceremony. Soon after, it was visited by the then Jesuit General Superior, Fr Jan Roothaan SJ . In fact, he visited Liverpool twice –he must have liked it! However, it was 175 years before another Jesuit Father General made a visit. On Tuesday 11 April 2023, Fr Arturo Sosa SJ arrived to celebrate the church’s 175th anniversary and to mark the departure of the Society of Jesus from Liverpool.

The fortunes of SFX during the intervening 175 years were similar to those of the great city of Liverpool in which it is located. At the turn of the twentieth century, there were more millionaires in Liverpool than anywhere outside London. By the 1980s, the Thatcher government was talking of leaving it to its ‘managed decline’. Likewise, SFX expanded and flourished for its first hundred years of existence, and then swiftly followed the city in its degeneration.

However, the presence of Jesuits in the area goes back much further than the foundation of SFX. In 1580 Edmund Campion and his colleagues based themselves at Meols Hall near Southport, home of the Hesketh family, regularly saying Mass in Liverpool for the small congregation that still existed in the town of about 2,000 inhabitants. This work carried on when they moved to nearby Crosby Hall, home of the Blundell family, and in 1707 Fr William Gillibrand SJ managed to build the first

Jesuit chapel in the town, disguised as a warehouse. Sadly, with the suppression of the Society of Jesus this work ceased, although the ex-Jesuit Fr John Price continued to minister there and renewed his vows when the Society was restored in 1803. The chapel he served was demolished to allow the building of the diocesan church of St Nicholas in 1813.

Almost thirty years later, in 1840 a group of men with Jesuit connections met in the Rose and Crown inn near the centre of the town to discuss the possibility of building a church to be staffed by the Society. The Society of St Francis Xavier quickly managed to purchase a parcel of land known as the Angel Field and by 1848 presented the new church to the English Provincial Superior. Some years earlier, in 1842,

a small school had been established nearby, which was to grow into SFX College. The adventure had begun.

Swiftly SFX grew into the largest Catholic parish in England and Wales and by the 1880s had more than 12,000 parishioners and an average Sunday Mass attendance of almost 6,000 worshippers. Meanwhile the college, with over 400 students, was the largest Catholic secondary day school for boys in the country, growing alongside the parochial schools which in 1891 educated over 2,000 pupils.

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century the parish continued to flourish, with hundreds of men serving in the forces during the two world wars. The parochial school numbers increased considerably, then in 1962 the college moved to a new site on the outskirts of the city. However, all was soon to collapse. Most of the houses in the parish were substandard, if not semi derelict. The 1959 BBC documentary, Morning in the Streets,

Fr Arturo Sosa SJ (left) with outgoing parish priest of SFX, Fr Denis Blackledge SJ

helped expose the desperate living conditions and encouraged the local council to embark on a massive slum clearance programme which decimated the area. St Francis Xavier’s imploded. Within a few years the parish was almost non-existent. The church and derelict school buildings were surrounded by vast acres of wasteland and demolished housing.

It took several decades – and a threat to demolish the church nave – before any sort of light was to be seen on the horizon. In 1997 Hope University College, situated on the outskirts of Liverpool, was looking for a city-centre campus. With a bit of coaxing and much encouragement by the Archdiocese of Liverpool, they moved into the derelict school and church buildings. At the same time the building of social housing encouraged people to move back into the area. This gave the parish a new lease of life and a renewed interest in the Victorian jewel that was SFX church. Energy was returning to what has been described as ‘the most moving repository of Victorian art in the country’. The Heritage Lottery Fund financed the re-roofing and rewiring of the Grade II* church. Hope University spent over £30 million in renovating the buildings for their Creative Campus, with more than £4 million raised to return the church to its former glory.

In 2008 Liverpool was nominated as the European Capital of Culture. SFX responded in typical manner by launching a year-long programme of celebrations, the highlight being the ‘Held in Trust’ exhibition. For two months the church nave displayed treasures which were normally housed at Stonyhurst College. Mary Queen of Scots’ prayer book vied for attention with gems such St Thomas More’s hat, stunning vestments embroidered during the sixteenth century persecutions and beautiful illustrated manuscripts defaced by the so-called reformers. From dawn to dusk the church was filled with visitors from all over the country and from many parts of the world. A corner had been turned in the life of SFX. Although the parish still suffered from neglect and social deprivation, the parishioners, who had been deeply involved through the celebratory year, felt a great pride in their parish and

Fr Sosa praised and thanked the Jesuits and all of their co-workers who laboured in Liverpool for the greater glory of God.

the area. The sleeping giant that was SFX was slowly re-awakening.

Since then, much has been achieved. Links with a joint Anglican/Roman Catholic primary school which opened in 2004 have been deepened, a strong relationship with Notre Dame secondary school has been forged and the neighbours, Hope University, are regularly involved in parish life.

Sadly, just before Christmas 2022 it was announced that the Society of Jesus would be leaving SFX. The reduced numbers of Jesuits in the British Province meant that two of the ten parishes staffed by the province were to be handed over to their respective dioceses. Corpus Christi, Boscombe moved last year and SFX was handed over just after Easter.

Fr Sosa’s visit took the form of a Mass, thanking God for the 175th anniversary of the church and to remember and

thank the tens of thousands who have worked alongside the Jesuits since they arrived in the area. His flight to Manchester was brought forward by several hours and so he and his companions – Fr Victor Assouad SJ and Fr Fratern Masawe SJ – had time to explore Liverpool. They first visited the Catholic cathedral where Sean Rice’s stunning statue of Abraham caught Fr Sosa’s eye, as Abraham is the patron of the Jesuit Universal Apostolic Preferences. Moving on to the Anglican cathedral, a similarly impressive building, the group finished by posing in front the Beatles statue at the Pier Head (see the resulting photo on page 10).

During the evening Mass, Fr Sosa spoke of the impressive history of SFX and the work of Jesuits in Liverpool. He also praised and thanked all their co-workers who laboured for the greater glory of God. Following the Mass he joined in the reception, before fortifying himself with a supper of Scouse, crusty bread and beetroot in preparation for his journey to St Beuno’s in North Wales. On the following Sunday the final Jesuit Mass was celebrated in the church and on the next day the Jesuits left Liverpool.

As one wise parishioner said: ‘We’ll miss you, but I’m sure it’s not the last we have seen of Jesuits in Liverpool’.

L-R: Fr Arturo Sosa SJ, Fr Fratern Masawe SJ and Fr Victor Assouad SJ with Sean Rice’s ‘Abraham and the Ram’ in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

‘DRAINING THE COLOUR from our lives’

Accompanying those held in immigration detention has been a central part of the work of JRS UK since its beginnings. William Neal explains the context in which three of JRS’s refugee friends tell their stories.

Despite over 20,000 people experiencing detention each year, it can sometimes feel that immigration detention is one of the lesser-known elements of our immigration system, as if those who experience detention are hidden in plain sight.

Through the Jesuit Refugee Service’s (JRS) work supporting men and women held at two immigration removal centres (IRCs) near Heathrow Airport, we see the crushing impact any period of detention has on a person. People are wrenched from their lives and separated from families, friends and communities, leaving them feeling incredibly isolated. Immigration detention is indefinite with no release date, and no time limit on how long you may be held.

At a time when asylum seekers, refugees and migrants are reduced to being instrumentalised in point-scoring politics, it is important to remember the human beings at the centre of these policies and the real, lasting impact that immigration detention has. They are voices of stress, frustration, anxiety and anguish. But also voices of immense resilience in the most challenging of circumstances.

‘There are a lot of things in here that don’t make sense. The system is not fair. You’re getting treated the same as in prison, or even worse. It is really overwhelming with everything because you’re not in prison but you’re not out. Nothing is explained so it’s just really confusing. There is no one who is showing you the way forward. No one takes time to help.

‘It was difficult to cope, especially for people who had any mental health issues. There just is not enough help for mental health issues. I was waiting 47 days to see a doctor and I didn’t even manage to see the doctor before I was released.

‘I worked when I was in detention and this helped me to get through it. The pay I received for the work wasn’t fair but it was more about occupying your mind rather than the work itself. Just to have something to do and not to be stuck in your room. Especially for someone like me, I liked to keep myself to myself. There were moments when I just stopped coming out of my room altogether.

‘The only way you could contact the Home Office was through your Engagement Officer but they couldn’t

really do anything and there was no direct contact with the person responsible for your case. They don’t put enough effort into finding out who they are dealing with and looking at the circumstances of that person. We need to be seen as people and not as numbers.

‘I could always come and have a chat with JRS. It was helpful to know that there was someone there for me. I think there should be listeners there as part of the system – it shouldn’t be up to charities.’

Dom* was detained for two months at Harmondsworth IRC. He was released at the end of March and currently has a pending application within the National Referral Mechanism – the process that supports those who have experienced modern slavery or human trafficking.

‘There are a lot of things in here that don’t make sense. The system is not fair. It is inhumane and it is not safe. I am depressed, I am feeling sad and I am feeling lonely – it is like my life is over.

‘The depression gets to you. I don’t have the support I need in here and they have taken everything away from us. I don’t understand how the British authorities are allowing this to happen. I can’t stand this place.

‘It is very difficult. If you are coming to a country that you don’t know and you cannot speak the language, you should be helped. There are people that come here from traumatic places. There are people that don’t cope being here at all.

‘I don’t think people know how disgraceful a place this is. They don’t care about us, they don’t care about anybody. It is an unpleasant place to be in. They only care about their business. They’re robots, not humans.

‘Even the solicitors in here don’t help. People should recognise what they’re paying for. It is a waste of taxpayers’

money to pay for people who don’t care. The solicitors say that they will help but they don’t care. To be honest, it is thanks to JRS that I was able to get a solicitor. Without a solicitor I would be out of this country – they would have sent me back with nothing.

‘The support that I receive from charities is a very good thing. We need more people like that to support us in here. But most importantly there needs to be some heart in the way our cases are dealt with – we are judged on the papers and not on the person.’

Alex* is currently detained in Harmondsworth IRC. He was granted refugee status as a child but after a conviction that led to a sentence in a young offender institute he has faced deportation action despite his whole family being in the UK.

‘A normal day in detention is a day drained of colour. A day of enormous stress, with people shouting, people banging on walls. We tried to hold onto hope and support one another while there. It has impacted our lives, not only then, but also now, once released, it has changed us.

‘It was traumatic for me. It was horrifying. I have never visited a place like this before in my life. It really transcends everything, touching on so many aspects of being human. It affected us in the moment and it has affected our future selves. It isn’t anything I ever want to remember and we have to fight to try and leave it behind and not to have it affect us now, draining that colour from our lives now.

‘I saw people deteriorate rapidly. There was one woman who was diabetic and was managing okay

but then they took away her medication, the medication she had been taking for years, and replaced it with what they considered appropriate for her. She became very ill quite suddenly. I had a similar problem but when I spoke to an external inspector suddenly I got my medication back and everyone was being nice to me.

‘I got my strength from God. My faith spurred me on in the morning and in the evening when we could never sleep. I held onto my faith and knowing God was there with us,

SUPPORTING JRS’S WORK IN DETENTION

The JRS Detention Outreach Team of staff and volunteers works with men and women detained near Heathrow Airport. The team offers practical support, phone credit top-ups and casework advice, alongside emotional and pastoral support. We are grateful to all the generous supporters who make this work possible. If you are able, please consider donating to support our work and enable the JRS team to continue accompanying people in immigration detention: www.jrsuk.net/donate

Immigration detention is indefinite with no release date, and no time limit on how long you may be held.

and the second strength was the love of my children. It was not at all easy, none of it was at all easy.’

Jan* was detained with her daughter in the Sahara Unit, a female unit of Colnbrook IRC, whilst her adult son was held in the main Colnbrook building. The family were moved frequently around the detention estate and she was separated from her son the entire time.

*Names have been changed to preserve anonymity.

SEVEN WEEKS IN

Aleppo

yearn for a sense of safety, for food and shelter, and for hope in a ‘better next hour’ – tomorrow is a distant horizon for so many.

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is intervening in multiple ways, combining food aid, health care and psychosocial support delivered by a committed, multidisciplinary team of volunteers.

One of the youngest people supported by us is two-week-old Zain. When the earthquake hit, his heavily pregnant mother fled Aleppo as their house was destroyed. She also had her two young children and her two young brothers in her care.

Fr Tony O’Riordan SJ wrote from Syria in April where, as the leader of a team of JRS volunteers, he has seen the devastation caused by the earthquake of 6 February 2023.

At the time of the first quake, I was 700km away from the epicentre, asleep in my bed in Damascus. Having spent many nights in hostels, and years in the wilderness of Maban in South Sudan, I have developed the ability to sleep soundly and yet wake when there is something unusual moving in the night.

The mild tremor was more than enough to wake me, but I didn’t think much of it. It passed within what seemed like a minute. I went back to sleep. It was not until a few minutes later, as messages pinged on my phone, that I began the journey of discovering how serious and deadly the earthquake was. Several weeks later I am still discovering the impact of one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent times, which claimed the lives of over 50,000 people in the region.

More widely, it’s affected the lives of 8.8 million people in Syria and over 100,000 people are displaced, many sleeping in shelters or open spaces. Some have now been displaced for a third and fourth time, having had to flee what they called home multiple times, in the heat of all-out war.

The earthquake has compounded the impact on emotional well-being, and the daily struggle for survival and dignity, which had already been severely assaulted by more than twelve years of war, crippling poverty, and a global pandemic. It is no wonder people here joke, ‘when will the asteroid hit us?’

Not only have thousands of concrete buildings collapsed or been damaged, leaving thousands homeless, the earthquake has also left millions with a sense of fear and new dread. They

The JRS outreach team came across Zain’s mother in the squalid, unfurnished room where they were sheltering. She showed signs of malnourishment and was struggling to cope. There was little food in the house and Zain’s mother had no money left. She was in unfamiliar surroundings and lost. Our immediate concern was for her health, and for unborn Zain and the welfare of the other children. We were able to support the family with a food parcel and access to medical care; Zain’s mother was hospitalised. Three days later Zain was born and weighed just over 1kg. Though vulnerable, he is a resilient child, and with care and medical intervention he has gained strength and weight. JRS supported mother and child with medical costs, and supplied them with nappies and other essential baby products.

Baby Zain is a symbol of both hope for Syria and the resilience of the Syrian people. His story is also an example of the valuable work JRS is doing across the country. In a recent survey conducted among those affected by the earthquake and supported by JRS, 90% reported feeling better and safer than a month ago.

In the seven weeks after the earthquake, JRS distributed food aid to 7,800

An inter-faith service

families, impacting over 35,000 children, women and men. These families have been provided with food baskets designed to support family meals for 25 days. In the coming weeks we will reach another 4,000 vulnerable families.

We have also provided 2,000 children with psychological first aid. As many schools were used as emergency shelters and schooling was disrupted, JRS has played a vital role in offering these children an ongoing safe space and educational activities. JRS has also provided basic psychological first aid to over 6,800 adults, and primary health care access through 10,963 medical consultations in our gynaecological, paediatric and general practice clinics. According to one paediatric doctor, ‘many children were treated for respiratory illnesses owing to dust inhalation and linked to sleeping out-doors in sub-zero temperatures’.

There is here in Aleppo a seed, a small but powerful example, of an alternative that the world needs.

A significant support event we organised one month on from the earthquake was an inter-faith prayer service. Such events are almost unimaginable in Syria. Yet, one of the possible blessings that can emerge from this disaster is the way in which its deadly and frightening impact connects people. The response invites people to look beyond divides and look more at our common humanity, which connects us. I was grateful that our diverse team embraced this opportunity.

The slogan for the fundraising effort following the earthquake is #SyriaNeedsYou . And this is true, the world had forgotten Syria and Syria needs help. However, there is something that I see in the commitment, bravery and love of our JRS team and others in Syria, that prompts me to risk saying that, in our very broken world, #YouNeedSyria In a fragmented world, which in so many places is being led off a cliff by poor leadership, there is here in Aleppo a seed, a small but powerful example, of an alternative that the world needs.

With the help of so many we have accomplished much in the last seven weeks. So much more is needed in coming months. Less than half of the nearly $400 million that the UN says is needed for earthquake relief has not materialised . The UN humanitarian fund required pre-earthquake is also underfunded. Without further resources reaching JRS and other organisations on the ground, Syria will be unable to recover from the multiple crises they experience.

JRS is making a significant difference to the lives of people in Syria. With your continued support we will and can do more. Please keep me, the team of 340 volunteers I lead and Syria in your prayers.

SUPPORT THE EARTHQUAKE APPEAL

Help Jesuit Missions provide assistance to victims of the earthquake, through their partners on the ground: jesuitmissions.org.uk/take-action/ make-donation/

JRS HAS SO FAR HELPED...

7,800 FAMILIES, BY DISTRIBUTING FOOD AID (FOOD BASKETS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT FAMILY MEALS FOR 25 DAYS)

2,000

CHILDREN WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID

6,800 ADULTS WITH BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID

AND OVER

10,963 MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS TAKE PLACE IN OUR GYNAECOLOGICAL, PAEDIATRIC AND GENERAL PRACTICE CLINICS

WOMBLING AROUND LONDON for the final time!

Whether as a first-time participant, a seasoned runner or veteran of the Womble suit, those who ran the 2023 London Marathon for Jesuit Missions or JRS UK were carried along by the crowds and the causes for which they were raising money.

Sunday 23 April 2023 arrived with a sense of anticipation for some London Marathon-runners, trepidation for others and adrenaline for all. The 2023 race was the biggest ever. More than 48,000 runners followed the cool and rainy 26.2 mile (42km) course, which took them from Greenwich to The Mall. For many, the motivation came from running for a compelling cause, as was clear from the plethora of extraordinary costumes and vibrant charity colours. Among these were one Womble, 23 other runners from Jesuit Missions and four JRS UK runners.

David Law grew up in London and graduated from St Ignatius College, Stamford Hill in 1967, before joining the Jesuit novitiate. However, he realised that this was not his calling and went on

to train as a teacher, working in Kingston, Jamaica before moving with his wife to British Columbia, where he taught for thirty years. When asked about why he chose to run for Jesuit Missions, David said: ‘I admire the work that Jesuit Missions is engaged in and wanted to support their endeavours. Having spent my career in education, the goal of supporting the education infrastructure in the poor, war-torn country of South Sudan is extremely commendable.’

David has run three marathons before, including the 1996 London Marathon and the Victoria Marathon in British Columbia in 1997 and 1998. When asked about what he likes most about training he says: ‘Training gives me something to work towards, gets me out of the house, and keeps me fit and

active. At the end of a run, I usually feel invigorated and a sense of accomplishment.’ However, training in the Canadian winter presents its own challenges. ‘Where I live, with snow and ice on the roads from October to April, a lot of the training has to be done inside on a treadmill which is BORING!’

Fr Patrick Magro SJ, a Jesuit from Malta, took on the ultimate challenge and chose to run as a Womble. Donning the furry costume calls for extraordinary commitment and fortitude, both of which Patrick has in large reserve, having run the marathon three times previously. ‘Jesuit Missions does great work, and I am so very happy to support it’, he said. ‘As a Jesuit working in a university chaplaincy with young people, I truly believe in leading by example. I really would not like to be one who just preaches about reaching out to others, but rather one who sets a good example. So, I decided to run the marathon dressed as a Womble once again!’ He had lots of support along the way as family and friends from Malta and London joined him on the day to cheer him on.

Each year, Jesuit Missions has had at least one member of their team running in the event. This year Lucy Gillingham participated. ‘As International Programmes Officer, having visited our partners in Africa and Asia, I am lucky to know the people implementing the projects and the individuals and communities who are benefitting from our support. This year the fundraising theme was education in South Sudan, where I visited in November. I saw first-hand the huge challenges faced by the youngest country in the world, so

Jesuit Missions Director, Paul Chitnis, with Lucy Gillingham

Anna ran for JRS UK

Fr Patrick Magro SJ in the Womble suit

this gave me extra motivation.’ She went on to describe the atmosphere: ‘Everyone talks about how incredible it is, but the cheering crowds really do carry you and take your mind off the pain! A particular highlight was one man running as a Domino’s Pizza garlic and herb dip, who provided some much-needed comic relief.’

2023 was the final year that Jesuit Missions will host a team of runners in the London Marathon. Director, Paul Chitnis, expressed his gratitude for all who have run over the years.

‘Our marathon-runners have been exemplars of generosity, fortitude and (in the case of the Wombles) glorious eccentricity. Over more than a decade, they have raised thousands of pounds to help some of the poorest communities in the world. While our London Marathon days are complete, the work of building a more just and sustainable future with our partners overseas is an even greater marathon in which we invite everyone to join us.’

Jesuit Refugee Service had four runners, all of whom were first-timers. Speaking of her motivation, Ana said: ‘No-one wants to be uprooted from their home and surroundings, but it’s a growing global trend of which we see a little here in the UK. It’s incredibly hard to witness the cruelty of the hostile environment, which is unhealthy and unhelpful for everybody. So JRS UK has made me get up and run a distance I told myself I would NEVER do, and I feel privileged to do so.’

Another of the runners on the team was Francis. He said that he decided to run the London Marathon after people he found inspiring convinced him to take on the challenge. As well as being his very first marathon, he says it was probably his last!

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW JESUIT PROVINCIAL

The Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr Arturo Sosa Abascal SJ, has appointed Fr Peter Gallagher SJ (66) to be the next Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Britain with effect from 1 September 2023.

Fr Gallagher, who is from Coatbridge in Scotland, entered the Society in 1973. After a period of training which included studies at Heythrop College in the University of London and at Centre Sèvres, the Jesuit faculty in Paris, he was ordained priest in 1988. He taught for three years at St Aloysius College in Glasgow before commencing doctoral studies in philosophy at King’s College, University of London. His principal apostolic work has been teaching philosophy at tertiary level, first at

Heythrop College and for the last four years at Centre Sèvres. In both institutions, he served as Dean of Philosophy.

Fr Gallagher has also had extensive experience as a formator of young Jesuits, as a superior, as a spiritual director and as an assisting priest in a number of parishes.

The current Provincial, Fr Damian Howard SJ, who has been in post since 2017, commented: ‘This is a wonderful appointment for our Province and for Catholic religious in Britain. Fr Gallagher is a wise and experienced man with a deep understanding of our vocation and a tireless fidelity to Jesuit life. I pray that he will enjoy his term in this demanding but fulfilling leadership role.’

Anna commented: ‘I had a wonderful experience running the London Marathon, it exceeded all my expectations! It was great to be part of JRS, I especially appreciated everybody’s willingness to connect via social networks and train together before the event.’

Eileen expressed thanks to Dexys Midnight Runners, as for much of the route she was regaled with ‘Come On Eileen’! She was delighted to provide such inspired entertainment and laughter as she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. ‘The crowd of well-wishers who stood in the cold and the rain were superb! I loved the singers, the bands, the drummers – they all helped. Placards made me laugh, my favourites were: “Where’s everybody going?” and “PAIN is just French for bread”. And the children holding out their hands with Jelly Babies or for power-up claps, it was so good to see them there.’

RUN THE 2024 MARATHON

If you feel inspired to take on the challenge, apply now to run the 2024 London Marathon in aid of JRS UK at: jrsuk.net/london-marathon/

Fr Gallagher said: ‘For more than four hundred years British Jesuits have been working for the Church at home and overseas. It is an honour to be asked, at such a moment in our Province’s history, to try to support the members and co-workers in the way expected. I look forward to the task.’

Fr Peter Gallagher SJ

Eileen (right) with a supporter

Thanks to the generosity of our many supporters, Jesuit Missions has helped thousands of people in twenty low-income countries over the last year. Working with our local Jesuit partners, we have supported life-changing projects from Myanmar to Madagascar.

THE TRUE COST

of living

Sadly war, climate change and rising prices have hit the poorest people hardest. In recent years, the number living in extreme poverty worldwide has risen to nearly 1 in 10.

Women and children are affected most. Put yourself in the shoes of a mother in Ethiopia who has to feed her two children with rotting food from a skip, just as more rubbish is poured into it: for families like this, the cost of living crisis has a different meaning.

It is no wonder that, on average, ten children under the age of five die around the world every minute from largely preventable causes.

Please help Jesuit Missions to continue its lifechanging work – for the greater glory of God.

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