By Therese Fink Meyerhoff It’s safe to say that before the last quarter of 2019, the circle of people who had given significant thought to pandemics was relatively small. Father Michael Rozier, SJ, was among that group. He spent seven months of his Jesuit formation at the World Health Organization, working on ethics and international …
By Jerry Duggan As hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 rise around the world, many are looking to help overburdened health care workers. The Jesuit Community of Belize has found a novel way to help, offering their second floor bedrooms to health care workers from a local hospital. The Jesuits hatched the idea at a …
Jesuit Community of Belize Offers Rooms to Health Care Workers Read More »
By Jerry Duggan For a man discerning his vocation, in-person interactions with vocation ministers, men in formation and other discerners are fundamental to the process. When COVID-19 rendered these meetings impossible, the vocation promotion team got creative in their outreach. They devised several new strategies to connect with discerners. For starters, Fr. Eddie Gros, SJ, …
Vocation Promotion Team, Novitiate Respond to Pandemic in Creative Ways Read More »
By Jerry Duggan God has a way of putting the right people in the right place at the right time. A great example is Fr. Jeremy Zipple, SJ, associate pastor at St. Martin de Porres in Belize City, Belize. When the pandemic hit in March, the parish, long an anchor in its economically impoverished neighborhood, …
By Fr. Joseph Tetlow, SJ This liturgical season reminds us of our hope at a time when it can be difficult to find hope in the world. Advent may be the best time of year to consider what will come out of the pandemic we are suffering through, for this liturgical season reminds us of …
Father Mark Thibodeaux, SJ, never expected an impulsive decision to result in thousands of YouTube views and a published book—but that’s exactly what happened when he decided to lead an online retreat during the pandemic.
By Jerry Duggan Over their nearly 500-year history, Jesuits have searched for a new “frontier” or sacred space to encounter the Divine. A believer in the power of personal connection and student of Ignatian Spirituality, Fr. Hung Pham, SJ, provincial assistant for formation for the Jesuits USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province, normally traveled across …
By Jerry Duggan The UCS Province offers retreats for both members of the province and lay colleagues. The pandemic forced the cancellation of in-person retreats, but the commitment and creativity of retreat planners allowed both the Colleagues Retreat and the Province Retreat to proceed online. Colleagues Retreat The annual Colleagues Retreat has become an important …
By Jerry Duggan Father Mark Thibodeaux, SJ, never imagined a single text from a parishioner would set so much in motion. New Orleans was caught in the throes of COVID-19 in early April, with stay-at-home orders in place and the churches closed for in-person Masses. The Holy Name of Jesus Parish community needed a spiritual …
As the pandemic raged on through the summer, the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province continued its mission as normally as possible. Highlights included a socially-distanced ordination Mass, continued efforts to provide spirituality at a distance, the celebration of 40 years of Jesuit Refugee Service, and several golden jubilees for UCS Jesuits. Read about all …