From June 28th to July 2nd, 2021, leaders and educators from the Jesuit Global Network of Schools congregated online for their second Jesuit education global colloquium. The first was of course historic–held nine years ago in Boston College, USA, where over 400 delegates participated.
This second gathering, however, was just as historic. Due to the pandemic, the planned on-site colloquium in Jogjakarta last year was cancelled. Instead, this fully online colloquium took its place.
The theme of the colloquium was “Discerning for a Hope-filled Future”–a reference to one of the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus: “To journey with young people in the creation of a hope-filled future.” The discernment process was focused on seeing our educational mission today through four lenses–or four strands–each of which was presented by two handpicked resource speakers.
- Educating for FAITH: Fr. James Hanvey SJ (Rome) and Agbonkhianmeghe Orabotor SJ (Africa)
- Educating for DEPTH: Margaret Silf (Ireland) and Fr. Joe Arun SJ (India)
- Educating for RECONCILIATION: Dr. Jasmin Nario-Galece (Philippines) and Fr. Elias Lopez SJ (Spain)
- Educating for GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: Dr. Fernando Reimers (USA) and the Secretariat Task Force on Global Citizenship
From the outset, the organizers were mindful of the differences between an onsite and an online colloquium. “It’s all about designing the experience,” Fr. Johnny Go SJ, Education Secretary for Asia Pacific, said. “The goal was to optimize the online environment so that the entire experience is meaningful and even powerful without exhausting everyone. So as we conceptualized the colloquium–including the pre-colloquium–we placed the audience’s needs and context top of mind.”
For this reason, for example, global plenary sessions were deliberately kept to a limit. There were only two: the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
However, for a full month before the colloquium opened, the participants already set to work, watching the eight keynote addresses and engaging in the global conversations made possible by Educate Magis. These conversations–posted in the participants’ mother tongue, but thanks to the technology, readily translatable to readers–were intended to prepare the participants for the discernment process embedded in the colloquium.
Between the Opening and Closing, participants were expected to participate in an online spiritual conversation in a smaller group of 20 called “Discernment Circles.” Constrained only by time zone and language, each Discernment Circle was a diverse mix, giving the participants an experience of the global nature of our network of Ignatian educators.
The Opening Ceremony began with an adapted Contemplation of the Incarnation by Mrs. Frances Tilly, Coordinator for Mission Formation, Jesuit Ignatian Spirituality, Australia.
Our three bilingual hosts set the tone for the rest of the ceremony with their energy and positivity.
Due to time zone differences, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies inevitably transpired very early in the morning in some parts of the world or in others, far too close to midnight. Nevertheless, attendance at the Opening Ceremonies was remarkably high: Over 400 participants joined the global community.
The Opening Ceremony featured a powerful performance by students and teachers from Asia Pacific, who gathered virtually to sing the song “Amore et Servire” in their mother tongues–a fitting celebration of Ignatius 500. The participants left the Opening Ceremony inspired and motivated to attend their Discernment Circles.
On July 2nd, the Closing Ceremony was held after a week of online discernment in common among our Ignatian educators. Mr. Brian Maraña, Principal of Loyola Blakefield, shared experiences and insights from his Discernment Circle and led us through a prayer that also allowed us to interpret our own experiences of our Discernment Circles.
The ceremony–once again hosted by Fr. Manny, Felipe, and Ciara–featured faces and voices from various Discernment Circles: facilitators and participants who shared how unique, enriching, and graced their online experience of Ignatian spiritual conversations had been.
In response to the UAPs’ call to “journey with young people in the creation of a hope-filled future,” the colloquium participants listened to our students’ and young alumni’s hopes and aspirations for the future. In an enlightening and inspiring video, students and young alumni from different parts of our Jesuit Global Network of Schools expressed their wishes for tomorrow.
The finale of the Closing Ceremony could not have been more powerful. Marvin Ong, an alumnus and currently teacher of our school in the Philippines composed a fitting song for the Ignatian Year called “Against the Wind”–a reference to that familiar image of the pilgrim Iñigo walking against the wind. The song was performed by students from our Jesuit Global Network of Schools.
In case you missed it, watch the Opening Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony of the II Colloquium JESEDU Global 2021.
It took no less than a virtual global village to organize and run this colloquium. The colloquium aimed to fuel collaboration within our network, but all the efforts that went into organizing this event were themselves collaborative on a global scale.
We have to thank the following:
- Our two Prayer Leaders who helped us connect to God at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies: Mrs. Frances Tilly (Coordinator for Mission Formation, Jesuit Ignatian Spirituality, Australia) and Mr. Brian Maraña (Principal, Loyola Blakefield, USA).
- Our 8 Keynote Speakers for their enlightening and provocative presentations: James Hanvey SJ, Agbonkhianmeghe Orabotor SJ, Joe Arun SJ, Margaret Silf, Jasmin Nario-Galece, Elias Lopez SJ, Fernando Reimers, and the Secretariat Task Force on Global Citizenship.
- The COJESEDU Team for overseeing the preparations: Jose Alberto Mesa SJ, Jonjee Sumpaico SJ, Johnny Go SJ, Felipe Carrillo, Eamonn McGuiness, and Jennie Hickey. Special thanks to Catharine Steffans and the Task Force for Global Citizenship.
- The Steering Committee–also called the “J-Team” (because all their names started with J!)–for working hard to design and run the colloquium: Jonjee Sumpaico SJ, Johnny Go SJ, Jude Liao, Jeraldine Ching-Wu, Jem Gemzontan, Jesus Avila Landeau, and Jennie Hickey. Special thanks to Tyler Boone for the technical assistance.
- The Philippine-based Video Production Crew for their powerfully inspiring “labors of love”: Ali Figueroa (Director & Editor), Toto Sorioso (Sound Engineer & Mixer), Fr. Manoling Francisco SJ (Songwriter), Marvin Ong (Songwriter) and Jem Gemzontan (Director for the Students’ Interviews and Colloquium teasers and logo animation.).
- ICAJE for all their support: Bob Reiser SJ (JSN), Ilse Dekker and Brian Flannery (JECSE), Raimundo Barros (FLACSI), Joe Arimoso SJ (JASBEAM), and John Ravi SJ (JEASA).
- The Educate Magis team for all the intense work for an online environment that was user-friendly and effective: Eammon McGuiness, Jesus Avila Landeau, Ciara Beuster, Karina Zapata-Roche, Gellert Merza, and Marc Cummins.
- All the students from the Jesuit Global Network of Schools who participated in our videos and their teachers who helped us get the recordings done (see credits at the end of the videos).
- Finally, our awesome Discernment Circle facilitators from across the globe. Without their leadership, patience, and magis, we would not have been able to conduct 27 Discernment Circles!
FACILITATORS FROM JSN
| Cindy Davis USA | Principal Bellarmine Preparatory School |
| Adam Green USA | Theology Teacher Walsh Jesuit High School |
| Ashley Woodworth USA | Teacher Fairfield College Prep School |
| David Laughlin USA | President Rockhurst High School |
| Stacy Dainard Canada | Chair, Guidance & Counseling St. Paul’s Winnipeg |
FACILITATORS FROM FLACSI
| Luz Silva Román Ecuador | Coordinadora Pedagógica Red de Unidades Educativas Ignacianas |
| Carlos Caballero, S.J. Paraguay | Rector Colegio Cristo Rey |
| Silvio Avilez Cevasco Nicaragua | Rector Colegio Centroamérica |
| Juan Manuel Montoya SJ Colombia | Rector Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé |
| Huber Flórez Colombia | Director de Pastoral Colegio San Ignacio |
| Orlando Rodríguez Ecuador | Coordinador Académico de Básica Superior Unidad Educativa Javier |
FACILITATORS FROM JECSE
| Brian Flannery Ireland | Education Delegate, Irish Province JECSE ST CO |
| Jimmy Bartolo SJ Malta | Education Delegate EUM Province |
| Ilse Dekker Netherlands | JECSE Director |
| Antonio Allende SJ Spain | Education Delegate Spanish Province |
| Miguel Poza Spain | Education Coordinator for Formation Spanish Province |
| Joachim Molina Spain | Education Coordinator Spanish East Zone |
| Sylvain Chariou SJ France | Education Delegate French Province |
FACILITATORS FROM JEASA
| Melwyn Lobo, SJ India | Principal, Karnataka School |
FACILITATORS FROM JASBEAM
| Arthur Garande Zimbabwe | Africa Region Delegate Director of Jesuit Ethos |
| Augustine Kalubi SJ Congo | Education Delegate Central African Province (ACE) |
FACILITATORS FROM JCAP
| Geraldine Niña Rocel Libron Philippines | Grade School Headmaster Ateneo de Davao University |
| Roberto Joseph Galvan Philippines | Junior High School Principal Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu |
| Jane Cacacho Philippines | Grade School Principal Xavier School |
| Joseph Seth Saga Philippines | Junior High School Assistant Principal for Formation, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan |
| Jervy Robles Philippines | Grade School Headmaster Ateneo de Manila University |
| Thomas Renshaw, SJ Australia | Rector St. Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney |
See you in Jogjakarta next!
