On September 25, as part of the Ignatian Year, Laurence Loubières, XMCJ, and André Brouillette, SJ, organized an event that brought together the Ignatian family in Canada to celebrate its unique spirituality. Around twenty religious communities and lay movements gathered under the theme “To See All Things New in Christ.”
During the morning, participants watched video presentations on key figures in the history of Ignatian spirituality and heard testimonies on the challenges of mission today. They then had time to reflect and discuss together in groups. “It was interesting to notice how the mission lived in the Ignatian tradition has continued through the ages. Since the time of Ignatius, this has meant incarnating the Gospel anew in the midst of ever-changing contexts and discerning the traces of the Spirit at work in every reality, no matter how disconcerting it may seem,” wrote Sister Laurence.
“What was also very beautiful was the participants’ joy in meeting each other, in being part of an Ignatian family that extends throughout the country, and to discover the members of this family. There really was a beautiful energy, a beautiful joy in the mission and in the shared gift of Ignatian spirituality. There was also the sense that, within the mission, Ignatian spirituality really gives us the means to be very present in our everyday contexts, very much in touch with the realities in which we live.
These videos are available for everyone:
- Ignatius of Loyola – André Brouillette, SJ
- Francis Xavier and His Missionary Journey – John Meehan, SJ
- The Context and Mission of the Canadian Martyrs – Michael Knox, SJ
- The Spiritual Apostolate – Greg Kennedy, SJ
- Education and Youth – Josée Therrien, RJM
- The Intellectual Apostolate – Adam Hincks, SJ
- The Relationship with Indigenous Peoples – Priscilla Solomon, CSJ
Sister Laurence notes that watching the videos is a way for people who were not at the event “to also celebrate Ignatian spirituality, to understand more about what is at stake in some of today’s mission fields, and to see how Ignatian spirituality has helped us in the past and continues to help us today to live and give the best of ourselves.