The February 2025 meeting of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia (JCSA) is underway in Loyola College Chennai. Centred on the theme “Reimagining and Restructuring the Society of Jesus in South Asia” (RRSJSA), the assembly aims to revitalize the Conference’s spiritual, educational, and social ministries to align with evolving global and local challenges.

Major Superiors shared their personal experience of accompanying and animating the ‘Reimagining and Restructuring’ process in their respective Provinces and Regions. Apostolic Conference Secretaries also gave presentations on the RRSJSA and participants were briefed on other initiatives, like the newly drafted Eco-policy and the De-addiction programme initiated in Madurai Province.

RRSJSA: A Vision for Renewal

The RRSJSA process which is initiated in the Conference, is a collaborative effort to revisit and reclaim our identity as creative, courageous and committed servants of Christ’s mission. It is re-dedicating ourselves to the mission with renewed dreams and designs. It is transcending the limits of provincial, national and ethnic identities by embracing the universal dimension of our vocation and mission through a culture of synodality.

It also looks at the apostolate with a new vision and new goals and searching for new pathways of realizing that vision and reaching those goals. It is to review and reorient our apostolic works through an apostolic discernment in common, strategic planning and review mechanism, and, if need be, to explore, evolve and engage in new ministries and structures which serve our mission of reconciliation and justice more efficaciously.

The RRSJSA is an ambitious project. It involves galvanizing about 4,000 Jesuits to revitalize about 930 apostolic institutions (435 schools, 82 centres of higher education, 139 Social work centres, 226 parishes, 41 Retreat Houses and 7 centres of interreligious dialogue).

Global voices, local impact

The meeting also presented the opportunity to benefit from the perspective of Jesuits from outside of the Conference. Fr Dalibor Renić (President of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials) outlined European collaboration models; Fr Roberto Jaramillo shared transformative strategies for social action after touring South Asian projects; Fr José Alberto Mesa presented trends in Jesuit global education; Fr Chuks Afiawari presented on the strategic plan of communication of the General Curia, and Fr John Dardis linked Jesuit discernment practices to Pope Francis’ synodal vision.

The JCSA

The Jesuit Conference of South Asia (JCSA) is the largest Conference in terms of the number of Jesuits and apostolates. ‘Reimagining and restructuring’, a concrete expression of Magis, is envisaged to make the JCSA a resourceful Conference with spiritual and intellectual depth and mission-driven men and communities.

Holding the meeting in Loyola College, Chennai was appropriate. Steeped in history, Loyola College derives its name from the Basque term for “muddy place” – a metaphor embraced to reflect resilience and growth. Just as wind blows dust to new heights, the institution has become a beacon of inspiration, shaping generations into leaders committed to social justice.