News

JCSA Meeting, Pune

Reimagining and Restructuring the Society of Jesus in South Asia TO 27 OCT  (RRSJSA) We, the Provincials and Regional Superiors of Jesuit Conference of South Asia (JCSA) gathered for our annual meeting at De Nobili College, Pune from 22 to 27 Oct. The first three days, we had a very fruitful apostolic discernment in common, regarding ‘Reimagining and Restructuring the Society of Jesus in South Asia’.  ...


Age-wise Group Meeting, Chennai

Four age-wise group meetings were organized for the priests in the month of August 2023. Each group had a meeting for one and a half day   sat Citadel, Chennai Salesian Provincial House. Altogether about 100 CEN priests participated....


Revisit, Reorient, Recommit

From 11 to 19 July, about 32 Chennai Province officials (Local Superiors, Vice Superiors, Commission Coordinators and Work Directors), had a heart-warming eight-day retreat directed by Fr. Michael Alosanaya (MDU). The very purpose of this Province retreat was to imbibe the spirit of the first companions in realizing the union of minds and hearts....


SUPAM Meet

On Jan 30 and 31, the third SUPAM meet was held at PARAN Centre, Kadambur. On the first day, Fr. Baskar Antony, the SUPAM Director initiated us to the meet. The SUPAMites shared their insights, challenges, initiatives and theological and pastoral reflection in the context of the Synodal Church in their respective parishes. Fr. Mag Bay de Lawrence, the Vocation Promoter enhanced the meeting through his observations and reflections. He urged us to identify potential candidates for the SJ. In the a...


Ordination – 2022

On 27 Aug 2022, reverence and joy filled the St. Joseph’s College Campus, Tiruchi as hundreds of people arrived for the ordination of our ten deacons (5 MDU, 4 CEN & 1 JAM) post Covid-19 outbreak. It was a memorable day for them as they surrendered themselves to the Lord for priestly service resonating with the motto - To Immerse in Christ and Bear Fruit. The solemn procession began at 5.30 pm from the portico of the Jesuit Residence towards the historical Our Lady of Lourdes Church (as th...


Happy Feast

Happy feast of St Ignatius of Loyola...


Promoting Indian Constitutional Values

The Jesuit Chennai Province has declared 2022-23 as the year dedicated to promoting India's Constitutional Values. ...


Province Pilgrimage to Elakkurichy

Pilgrimage towards Renewed Spirit The Grand Finale of the Ignatian Year at Elakurichi Celebrating the grand finale of the Ignatian Year 2021-22, the members of the entire Jesuit Chennai Province along with the representatives of the Jesuit collaborators marched together as co-pilgrims towards the Shrine of Adaikala Annai at Elakurichi of Kumbakonam Diocese. This historic event took place on Sunday 24 July 2022 with a solemn and meaningful Eucharistic celebration with Fr. Jebamalai Irudayaraj, ...


Ignatian Month – 2022

Ignatius - Discerning Leader 1 July - 31 July Talks will be given by Jesuit Collaborators in Chennai Province Promo https://youtu.be/90Iar_UIAU0 Day 1  https://youtu.be/lk5bbRWruO0 Day 2  https://youtu.be/fsmXpGptVk8 Day 3  https://youtu.be/h9L0CVs9phI Day 4  https://youtu.be/nfZEArRCKgw Day 5 https://youtu.be/5gp3hws-_PM Day 6  https://youtu.be/D2k5wPBmHKc Day 7 https://youtu.be/cOHn35oPUPE Day: 8 https://youtu.be/0aLAclz98FM Day: 9 https://youtu.b...


JEMCEN -Inauguration

JESUIT MEDIA CENTER - JEMCEN Dear friends Today evening we were glad to inaugurate JEMCEN (JEsuit Media CENter) at Queen of Angels premises, Keelakottaiyur. Fr. Ignatius V, the charismatic Founder of this premises heartily welcomed the new initiative of the Province. He blessed the new Office and Fr. Jebamalairaja, the Provincial, inaugurated the office by cutting the ribbon. A set of six inspirational slides on St. Ignatius was released, being the 6th of July, to commemorate this event. The D...


Stan Swamy – Sharing by Fr Provincial

Sharing by Fr Jebamalai Irudayaraj L., SJ on Fr Stan Swamy SJ on his first death anniversary. https://youtu.be/0j0QeMl9rsI...


Fr Stan Swamy – First Death Anniversary

On the first death anniversary of Fr. Stan Swamy We celebrate his memory and legacy. He lived for his people and for a society based on justice, equality, dignity & fraternity of all as envisaged in the Constitution of India. His death was an institutional murder! May he always be a source of inspiration and motivation to all! Especially those willing to stand with those denied justice, deprived economically thro’ denial of fair wages, whose meagre resources plundered and politically&...


ARCALI – Children’s Mela

ARCALI organised its first children's Mela. 260 children from 22 study centres participated. Fr Jebamalai Irudayaraj SJ graced the occasion. Congratulations and thanks to Fr Philip Kumar SJ and Sch Theophine Michael SJ for successfully organising the event. ...


Scholastics Meet

Scholastics Meet at Dhyana Ashram We, the CEN Scholastics, have been revitalized and rejuvenated with the sense of companionship with one another in the offline first summer meet held at Dhyana Ashram on 1 & 2 May. Frs. Parthasarathi (Coordinator), Victor Roch and Vasanthakumar organized the program together with an extended committee of Scholastics. Fr. Parthasarathi, welcomed the gathering in the Inigo Block and we had a procession towards Our Lady of the Sea and offered a floral tribute to...


Province Congregation

The first Chennai Province Congregation: The first Chennai Province Congregation (PC) was held at Dhyana Ashram, Chennai from Mar 3rd (evening) to 6th (evening), 2022, in view of the 71st Procurators’ Congregation convoked by Fr. Arturo Sosa, the Superior General. Of the 49 delegates (Ex officio - 4, elected - 40 and appointed - 5), Fr. Jerome Kulandaisamy (appointed) could not participate due to his ill health. The PC had seven sessions and each session began and ended with prayers. On ...


Ordination

Among the many invaluable lessons learned in these pandemic times is one that celebrations could still be meaningfully held with a limited number of participants sans fanfare. We express our profound sentiments of gratitude to the Provincials and the PCFs of MDU and CEN Provinces for their meticulous planning and willingness to allow our parents and siblings to attend the ceremony with proper protective measures. Due to the unexpected restrictions imposed by the government on public worship an...


CM’s Relief Fund

To express our solidarity with the Chief Minister’s efforts to fight corona, Province Curia, Loyola College Society and units in the campus gave Rs 30 lakhs to the CM’s relief fund....


Province – Inauguration of the Ignatian year 2021-22

On 01 October 2020, Fr. Jebamalai, the Provincial had constituted a Team (Frs. Antony Robinson, Gladwin, Jerry, Maria Arul Raj, Robin Seelan, Prof. Edwin of LCV, Schs. Frankly, Vimal) to plan, deliberate and discern all the proceedings of Chennai Province for the Ignatian Year 2021-22. The IGY - team’s first meeting took place at Dhyana Ashram on 11 December 2020, with a Special Eucharistic Celebration with the presence of Fr. Ilanko, the Socius. Having collected more than a hundred suggestion...


RIP – Fr X Savarimuthu SJ

The announcement of the sad news that at 5.15 p.m. on 03 Mar 2021, Fr X Savarimuthu died at St Joseph Hospital, Dindigul, came as a shock to the Jesuits of Tamil Nadu and the Catholic faithful to whom he had been ministering as a pastor, retreat preacher and spiritual guide. As a spirited Jesuit, he lived his life in constant union with God who was his EVERYTHING. Born on 28 May 1937 at Rammathapuram in Tirunelveli District to Mr Xavier Madurendiram and Mrs Annamariyal, he grew up with his two b...


Constitution Values – Competitions

AWARENESS JOURNEY ON THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION Noting the reality around us and the anti-constitutional activities currently going on in the country, AICUF-TN, Committee for Campaign on Constitutional Values (CCCV - CEN) and Youth Commissions of CEN and MDU, under the able leadership of Frs. Parthasarathi and John Wilson, are currently engaged in a month-long awareness spreading exercise from 31 Mar to 29 Apr 2022. Starting from Chennai and all the way down to Kanyakumari, a team of AICUFers wi...


Documentary Film

Marching Forward - Jesuit Chennai Province- Documentary Film https://youtu.be/dRoHMOOdgdQ Fr Vasanthakumar...


Colloquim for Major Superiors

COLLOQUIUM FOR THE NEW MAJOR SUPERIORSGENERAL CURIA, ROME28 NOV TO 11 DEC 2021 We, the thirteen new Major Superiors appointed since 2019 (South Asia 4: AND, CEN, JAM and RAN; Europe 4: ELC, EOF, PME and SVN; Africa 2: ACE and RWB and others from COL and UEA Provinces, and TAI Region) participated in the Colloquium. The entire programme was systematically planned and coordinated by Fr. Joe Magadia, the Regional Assistant of Asia Pacific Conference. It was a tight programme. I really enjoyed ...


LIBA Inauguration

LIBA Inauguration LIBA’s efforts of re-strategizing its future gained further strength in the formal inauguration of the state-of-the-art LIBA building by the Hon. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru. M.K. Stalin on 15 Oct in the presence of Dr. K. Ponmudi, Hon. Minister for Higher Education, Tamil Nadu, Fr. Jebamalai Irudayaraj, Provincial, Jesuit Chennai Province, Fr. Danis Ponniah, Provincial, Jesuit Madurai Province, Fr. Francis Xavier P., Rector, Loyola Institutions, Thiru. Dhayanithi M...


RIP-Fr Andrew Francis SJ

The sudden and untimely death of Fr. Andrew Francis on 10 September 2021 at Jalandhar shocked and dismayed every Jesuit in Tamil Nadu.Fr. Andrew Francis, as a member of the NAAC Committee, went to Jalandhar to visit Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya. Fr. Andrew being a man on a mission, God called him to His eternal abode when he was on a mission. Fr. Andrew Francis was born at Kanakkankuppam on 17 February 1961. He entered the Society of Jesus on 10 July 1981 at Beschi College, Dindigul, after c...


Martyr of the Marginalized

A PILGRIMAGE FOR JUSTICE IN CEN (17 July to 02 August 2021) ARCHDIOCESE OF MADRAS - MYLAPORE The Urn containing the ashes of Fr. Stan was received from ISI-Bangalore by Chennai Province on 17 July. On 18 July, we started the Pilgrimage for Justice in Loyola College, Chennai, with a solemn Eucharistic celebration at Christ the King Church followed by the homage by Hon. Mr. M.K Stalin, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and other dignitaries. The Urn was kept in the church till 3.30 pm, for the pub...


LIBA – Blessing

On 24 July, the new ‘state of the art’ LIBA building was blessed and opened by Fr. Jebamalai Irudayaraj, Provincial and Fr. Francis Xavier P., Rector respectively, in the presence of the Jesuits of different units in the campus, staff and research associates of LIBA. In his welcome address, Fr. Joe Arun said, “the new building is not just a physical structure, but a symbol of desire to become different and unique. The facilities must be used for empowering the marginalised, following the ...


Jesuit Media Centre- JEMCEN

Jesuit Media Centre- JEMCEN: On 26 July, 2021, the long-awaited dream of starting a media centre came true when Fr. Jebamalai Irudayaraj, Provincial formally blessed and inaugurated the centre in the Viscom Block of Loyola College, Chennai. In his felicitation he thanked and appreciated the initiatives of Fr. Irudaya Raj and his team. He also underlined the fact that media centre should play the role of meaningful intervention in secular media, lobbying with the secular world and network with ot...


Walking with St. Ignatius

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PL2hJ0Gp35XL3sHVXXvyl-ha11SL0FS-1V&v=kbR6-ifwufQ&layout=gallery[/embedyt]...


RIP – Fr Rajarathinam

The Jesuits of Tamil Nadu were shocked and saddened by the sudden and unexpected demise of Fr. Raja Rathinam at 10.30 a.m. on 24 May 2021. He was born on 3 April 1959 as the second son to his parents, Mr. Rathinam and Mrs. Innaciammal, at Mathankovilpatty near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar District. With the help of Frs. Wenisch and Ignatius Sebastian, he entered the Society of Jesus on 30 July 1979 at Beschi College, Dindigul, after completing his B.A. in Economics at St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchi...


Final Vows at Loyola Campus

Final Vows at Christ the King Church, Loyola Campus, Chennai April 10, 2021 was a joyous day for our Mother Society as six of her sons made their final profession. Fr Ilanko, Socius, welcomed the gathering and highlighted the importance of the Final Vows in the Society. The Eucharist with the theme “,NaRtpd; topapy; ,iwahl;rpg; gzpapy;” was presided over by Fr Jebamalai Irudayaraj, the Provincial, and was concelebrated by the vowents (Frs Antony Robinson J., (Berchmans Illam), Arokia Dass J...


A Block – Loyola Men’s Hostel

Opening Ceremony of the A Block - Loyola Men's Hostel: On 4 Feb, the newly constructed A-Block with nearly 500 occupancy capacity in Loyola Hostel was blessed and opened by Fr Jebamalai Irudayaraj, the Provincial, Fr Francis Xavier P. and Mr AMSG Ashokan, Hostel Alumnus, President of All India Federation of Master Printers. Kudos to Frs Samuel Jeyaseelan S., Director Loyola Hostel and Andrew Francis, the Campus Treasurer who were the main architects of this historic milestone....


Happy New Year 2021

The Jesuit Chennai Province wishes you a very Happy New Year 2021. In spite of our sinfulness, wanderings, forgetfulness, the Lord is calling us to begin again... IMITATING JESUS IN LIBERATING HUMANITY Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. -Isaiah 40:4...


First Province Assembly – 2020

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Curia-Christmas Celebration

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Human Rights Day Competition

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Stand with Stan

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First Province Assembly -2020

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Loyola Fest 2020 – Winners

Loyola Fest - State level triple competitions '20 Winners List   ...


Loyola Fest – State level competitions 2020

Loyola Fest - State level triple competitions '20  ...


Fr Adolfo Nicolas, Intercede for us

Fr Adolfo Nicolás SJ, The 30th Superior General of the Society of Jesus passed away yesterday. The Jesuits of Chennai Province (CEN) would always cherish his passion for Christ, thrust on the Universal Mission, appreciation for cultures and his Enchanting smile :) Please pray for the repose of his soul and join us in thanking God for the gift of Fr Nicolás. Visit Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_2x14kcV4k&feature=youtu.be Wesite: http://nicolas.jesuitgeneral.org/...


Online Counselling to the Quarantined (In collaboration with the Civil Authorities)

Loyola College, Chennai: Tele-counselling for the quarantined people in Collaboration with Chennai corporation authorities. Online Counselling Services are provided by the Volunteers of the Social Work Department and Counselling Department of Loyola College people in Collaboration with Chennai corporation authorities for home quarantined people in Chennai city. Volunteers have made more than 23,000 calls so far offering support to air passengers and people under high risk categories. Th...


CHENNAI: Solidarity with COVID-19 affected and infected [Jesuit Migrant Service (JMS) and Loyola Institutions (Chennai)]

2000 Migrant, 159 Gypsy and 635 Domestic Women Workers with dry food materials and sanitizers Jesuit Migrant Service (JMS) to 2000 migrant and 159 Gypsy families, Department of Service Learning to 635 Domestic Women Workers with dry food materials and sanitizers. Jesuit Migrants Service (JMS) is working with the migrants from North and the South of India since last five years. They have identified 2000 migrant families, the standard migrant workers in and around Chennai and 159 Gypsy...


Enhancing Livelihood Options to the COVID-19 affected people (Disaster Management Committee of Jesuit Chennai Province – DMC)

Province Disaster Management Committee (DMC) takes efforts to enhance the livelihood options to the COVID-19 affected people A Disaster Management Committee (DMC) is formed at the Jesuit Chennai Province (CEN) level to work for Enhancing Livelihood Options to the COVID-19 affected people of Tamil Nadu who belong to the marginalized and disadvantaged sections of the society. This is in collaboration with funding agencies and well wishers of Jesuit institutions. The beneficiaries of th...


Solidarity and consolation – The Society of Jesus within the COVID-19 context

Here in the Jesuit Curia in Rome, life has taken up a new rhythm with the advent of COVID-19. Less travel, more desk work. Less meetings face to face; more use of virtual media. Work goes on and the governance of the Society is going forward. Father General is at his desk daily and, as well as his normal schedule, he has been receiving the accounts of conscience of those in the Curia community. Governments are learning how to deal with this situation from the experiences of China, Korea and Ita...


COVID-19: Discerning a path to God

What part of the path to God is the COVID-19 epidemic showing us? The current experience of COVID -19 is showing us many things about ourselves and our world. In particular, I want to focus on how it is lighting up various aspects of our path to God and how, even in difficult times, there is consolation to be found. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-mMevVuK8I[/embedyt] First of all, it is showing us that we are one humanity. Every human being, every people, each culture that contrib...


PROVINCE PILGRIMAGE TO PERIANAYAGI MADHA SHRINE, KONANKUPPAM

PROVINCE PILGRIMAGE TO PERIANAYAGI MADHA SHRINE, KONANKUPPAM   The pilgrimage to Konankuppam Shrine was the very first proposal that the Provincial of Chennai Province came up with in the first Superiors’ Meeting held after his installation. It was unanimously accepted, and the Provincial asked Fr Selvaraj Arulnathan, the Superior of Loyola College, Vettavalam, to be the Convener and to organize the entire program on Feb 15, 2020. Periyanayagi Madha Shrine has a great legacy, as ...


The creation of an additional Jesuit province, news in Jesuit Curia website

A rare event: the creation of an additional Jesuit Province: the Chennai Province With a total membership of 501 Jesuits (329 Priests, 135 Scholastics and 37 Brothers) Madurai (MDU) is the fourth biggest Province in the whole Society of Jesus; while the other three are big because of the merger of existing Provinces. Madurai, which is coterminous with the State of Tamil Nadu, India, is by itself rich in manpower and its apostolic works are numerous and varied. In his video address to Madur...


Jesuit Madurai Province Assembly

Jesuit Madurai Province Assembly 28th & 29th December 2019 Venue: Bertram Hall, Loyola College, Chennai. Theme : Rooted in Mission, Rejoice and Shine! View Invitation...


Fr.Arturo Sosa SJ

Jesuit Schools: A Living Tradition

TO THE WHOLE SOCIETY Dear Friends in the Lord, On December 8, 1986, during the celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the first Ratio Studiorum, Fr. General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach wrote to all Major Superiors to announce the publication of the document Characteristics of Jesuit Education as a continuation of the educational tradition that the Society of Jesus began with the Ratio. Characteristics was not intended to be a new Ratio Studiorum. Rather, according to Fr. Kolvenbach’s words, it ai...


Fifty years of the Secretariat for Social Justice and Integral Ecology (SJES)

To follow Jesus accompanying the People on the road toward a reconciled world Dear participants in this World Congress of the Social Apostolate of the Society of Jesus. Thank you for being here; thank you for your commitment to the service of the faith that struggles for the justice of the gospel, in dialogue and collaboration with many persons of different religions and cultures who contribute to reconciliation and peace. In November 2018 I invited you to meet here in Rome during these da...