Jesuit Voices Podcast

Father Joseph Xavier is member of the Madurai Province, in the south of India, a region with many Dalits, castless people. He has been coordinator of social ministry at the Jesuit Conference of South Asia in Delhi. During that time he was able to mobilize 1500 very poor people to participate in the World Social Forum in Mumbai (2004).

On the request of the Archbishop of Orissa, he has been sent to that region to encourage and motivate the people after the attacks, destruction of property, and killings perpetrated by Hindu extremists.

He has been invited to the first meeting of the Jesuit Task force on ecology to see what the Jesuit response could be to the ecological crisis, taking into account the desire of General Congregation 35 to consider the right relationship to creation as a fundamental part of our Jesuit Mission today.

Paterne-Auxence Mombe (°1970) est un jésuite de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, de la République de Centrafrique. Il a reçu une formation théologique, pastorale et scientifique dans plusieurs pays d’Afrique et aux Etats Unis. Il est l’auteur du livre “Rayons d’espoir”. Comment vivre et bien vivre même si l’on est atteint par le Sida? Il a travaillé trois ans dans le Centre Espérance Loyola à Lomé. Depuis quelques mois, il est le successeur du Père Michael Czerny comme directeur d’AJAN (African Aids Network) à Nairobi.

Le Père Paterne nous raconte son intérêt pour la science, pour la Compagnie de Jésus et pour le Sida, “cet ami des pauvres”.

Father Bill Oulvey is a Jesuit from the Missouri Province (USA). For the past four years he has served the Society of Jesus as Secretary of the US Assistancy in Rome. This clerical position, involving both paperwork and computers, put him in touch with the rich tradition of the Society which views correspondence as holy since it represents a person made in God's image and likeness. From his office in the General Curia he has been in touch with Jesuits from all over the world and their ministries; he served at the most recent General Congregation held in Rome and has come to understand the profound relationship between the Society of Jesus and the Holy Father.

Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator grew up in a traditional Nigerian family near a Jesuit Parish. At age 14 he became fascinated by the baptism of young people during the Easter Vigil. Two years later he was baptized and, at age 19, he entered the Society of Jesus. Throughout formation he demonstrated a great ability for learning; he studied in the Congo, Kenya, the United States and Great Britain. There he earned a doctorate in Systematic Theology focusing on the Church in Africa. He was then assigned to teach at the Jesuit school in Nairobi, Kenya, Hekima College. Presently he is provincial superior of the East African province. He speaks about the future of his province with 70% of its members in formation; he describes the visit of Father General to his province several months ago, and about the recently concluded meeting of the African provincials (JESAM) in Rome.

Pierre Salembier (°1943) est un jésuite Français qui a voué toute sa vie à l’éducation dans les établissements scolaires de la Compagnie; d’abord comme professeur de philosophie, puis comme délégué du Père Provincial pour l’éducation. En vue du Congrès Mondial des Anciens Elèves de la Compagnie à Calcutta en 2003, il a été nommé à la Fédération Nationale Française et tout de suite aussi comme délégué du Père Général auprès de l’Union Mondiale des Anciens Elèves. Il a fait de grands efforts pour faire réussir le premier Congrès Mondial en Afrique, l’été dernier à Bujumbura, au Burundi, et continue à accompagner le déploiement des fruits de ce congrès, notamment la collaboration entre l’Afrique et l’Inde et des jumelages dans la perspective de vraies échanges entre des Fédération de plusieurs parties du monde et des Fédérations Africaines.

As a young Jesuit from Arizona Anthony Corcoran went as missionary to Siberia after the fall of the communism. He served in the parishes in and around Novosibirsk and in the formation of young priests. 16 months ago there was a terrible shock among the Jesuits in Russia when regional superior Otto Mesmer and Victor Betancourt were murdered in Moscow. Corcoran was appointed as regional superior for the Jesuits in Russia, Siberia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. His attention goes to the support of the deeply affected Jesuits and collaborators in the region, but also to the development of the Saint Thomas Philosophical Institute in Moscow and a new Spiritual Centre in Novosibirsk.

Après le génocide de 1994 les évêques Rwandais n'ont pas pu participer au premier Synode sur l'Afrique. En 1997 le P. Alexis Habiyambere fut consacré évêque de Nyondo. 12 ans plus tard le Synode est un moment fort et réconfortant qui confirme que l'Église Rwandaise est sur la bonne route, celle du pardon et de la reconstruction nationale. Sa plus grande joie est qu'il y a beaucoup de vocations et que tous les paroisses sont de nouveau ouvertes. Les points cibles pour le futur sont la vie des familles, les communautés chrétiennes et la collaboration avec les hommes politiques.

Giuseppe Riggio is an Italian Jesuit in formation. During his philosophy studies in Padua he worked with an association serving refugees and those seeking asylum; he organized courses for people interested in knowing more about immigration.

Next, as part of his formation, he worked two years in the Social Justice Secretariat at the Jesuit General Curia in Rome. During that time he had the opportunity to attend the World Social Forum in Brazil and was able to spend some time in a community of indigenous people.

Presently he is studying theology in Paris in preparation for priestly ordination.