PUBLICATION | The 2017 Yearbook of the Society of Jesus is dedicated to the indigenous peoples

“The world is our house”. With this sentence, Jerónimo Nadal, one of the first Jesuits, starts the main part of the 2017 Yearbook of the Society of Jesus, dedicated to the Jesuit commitment with the communities and the indigenous cultures.
In these pages we can find some testimonies of Jesuits who work for the weakest people around different places of the world defending the same upholding the indigenous peoples in Australia, helping the indigenous rural population of Bolivia to improve their conditions of life, preserving and promoting cultures and tribal identities of India, sharing faith and the daily life with the people of Guyana, healing the scars of the 20^th century wars in the Jeju islands, Republic of Korea, and Okinawa, Japan, or working hard for offering education, health and hope to the remote communities of Zimbabwe.
Ignacio sent Jesuits to all the borders , the New World, “to announce the Word to the people and cultures who didn’t know Him yet”. The 2017 yearbook reflects how that message is actualized today, after 470 years. As one of the principal actors, Chrispen Matsilele SJ, says the indigenous peoples “call and invite us to a deeper reflection on the life in the suburbs, and also to choose the poor not like a Messiah, but as fellow pilgrims, making the journey”.
In the other hand, on the occasion of the celebration of the 36^th General Congregation from the 2^nd October to 12^th November 2016, the 2017 yearbook dedicates a special part to the last general congregations of the Society of Jesus. In the last five decades, the Society of Jesus has carried out “a path of renewal and reinvigoration of its life and mission”, according to John W. Padberg SJ, through these historical events.
Finally, similarly to previous years, the yearbook offers a view to the Jesuits world and his apostolate. Among other issues, this edition is addressed to articles about the Ignatian pilgrimage, the pastoral work in the border between Mexico and USA, the communitarians radios in Argentina, the awareness against VIH in Africa schools, and the communities of Christian Life around the world and the new initiatives of the Apostleship of Prayer. In these histories we see the strength of the Crucified and Risen Christ, we realize our own weakness and we recognize the Grace of God, which stimulate us to go forward.
The volume of almost 150 pages has been published in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian, and delivered in these days to Jesuits, collaborators and institutions from all the provinces of the Society of Jesus.
This post was originally published in Spanish here.