The Assistancy Secretaries met at Xavier University, Bhubaneshwar for a very important meeting from August 5 and 6, 2017. The process and the procedure of the meeting were unique. The process helped the secretaries to assimilate the GC 36 model of Discernment. The entire meeting was one of Spiritual conversation and discernment. It was an invitation for all of us to follow this Ignatian Discernment process in all our meetings at all levels.

Based on the input given by POSA on the Spiritual Conversation model, the process of proper communitarian discernment, we expressed our affective understanding of the Assistancy priorities. We prayed, shared our feelings, looked at the burning issues, and responded the challenges through the ministries we are engaged in. All the discussions and reflections were, in fact, very well aligned with the Universal Society’s mission perspective and the vision and mission priorities of the South Asian Assistancy. Our Global Mission is brought out by the GC 36 as Discernment, Collaboration and Networking and Peace and Reconciliation.


In the Assistancy JCSA has identified the following priority areas.

• Peace and Reconciliation: Response to fundamentalism, casteism, nationalism.
• Ecology & Justice
• Informal Education: Literacy and Skilling.
• Quality Education and Research: School and higher Education in particular
• Entitlement (Lok Manch) -Food, Water and sanitation and entitlements of Schedule Caste and Tribe under subplans.
• Migration: land alienation, displacement, trafficking.
• ‘ A new way of being a Jesuit Pastor’
• Ignatian Spirituality

After POSA introduced the dynamics of the Spiritual Conversation, Fr. Siji and Mr. Lourdes presented the effort made in the area of inter-ministerial collaboration on Ecology and Non-formal Education.

In the afternoon Sunny Jacob introduced the Alternative Narrative and Strategies for Reconciliation in the New India. He brought out the overall situation of the South Asia and India in particular. Based on the JCSA statement he brought forth 10 manifestation of divisive ideology and 10 areas of counter strategies that we need to follow in all our ministries. The task is urgent. A collective proactive response is the only way forward to overcome the dark forces.

The Second day we had the session on Inter-ministerial collaboration on Ecology, Non-formal education and Reconciliation and peace.

Each Secretary then presented 10 minutes each the report of the Secretariat on the work that is done, the initiatives the Secretariat came up with this year and the future vision and plans of the Secretariat. There are a lot happening in isolated way. What we need now is to consolidate the works as a corporate body by owning up the ministries on priority basis. This needs increased Inter-ministerial collaboration. The Meeting also discussed the Restructuring of the Commissions. The models proposed were discussed. Finally, it ended with POSA giving a concluding address. Bro. Siluvainathan, SJ and Fr. Siji,SJ represented Patna Province and two commissions in the Assistancy.

~ Edited from a report by Sunny Jacob SJ