Good governance according to our way of proceeding: superiors, DOWs, CCMs meet in Bangalore

On : 2021-11-09

Karnataka province superiors, directors of work (DOWs) and coordinators of choice of ministries (CCMs) met for a two-day deliberation at Prerana, Mount St Joseph on November 6 and 7. The theme for the deliberation was ‘Good governance according to our way of proceeding’.

The deliberations began with the reflections on the relationship between local superiors and directors. Fr Jerome D’Souza SJ made a presentation of the document of former General of the Society of Jesus, Fr Peter Hans Kolvenbach, on the said topic. Making reference to the document, Fr Jerome said that in the three types of works that the Society undertakes – works owned by the Society, works entrusted to the Society and works juridically autonomous – it was important to ensure a Jesuit identity. He also said that it was paramount important to make sure that there is a good verbal communication, witness value, animation and quality human relations between superiors and DOWs.

The assembly then broke into groups for spiritual conversation to reflect on the theme in the light of the presentation by Fr Jerome.

In his address to the assembly, Provincial Fr Dionysius Vaz SJ called upon the superiors and DOWs to be leaders according to the heart and mind of St Ignatius. He said: “Leadership begins with self-leadership. Every leader is God’s choice for a mission. The ultimate service of a superior is the service of discernment: helping the community to discern the charism of the Society for today’s times through cura personalis, cura communitatis and cura apostolica.”

He called upon superiors and DOWs to be ‘co-responsible for the mission entrusted to them’. “Pope St John XXIII gives us good advice: ‘observe everything, correct little, forgive much’,” he said.

The assembly also reflected with meaningful interventions on the challenges faced by the implementation of NEP, review of the implementation of Karnataka Province Apostolic Planning, among other themes.

Earlier, the assembly spent some time in the Jesuit cemetery to pray and intercede with the deceased members of Karnataka Jesuit Province. Fr Provincial blessed the tombs of the deceased as the members were united in prayer in the serene ambience of the cemetery.

The Kannada version of the Jesuit missal was also released on the occasion. Fr Provincial acknowledged the hard labour of Fr Olvin Veigas SJ who had coordinated the translation work.

In the evaluation that was held at the end of the two-day sessions, most felt happy about the deliberations. Many expressed their satisfaction of the conducive precincts of Mount St Joseph that enhanced the quality of the sessions. Some superiors also said that the session on relationship between superiors and DOWs and the spiritual conversation that followed helped them ‘to introspect themselves’.

A good spirit of cordiality and light heartedness was felt by most on both the days, what with excellent arrangements with regard to board and lodging undertaken by Fr Prashanth Wesley D’Souza SJ and team.