“Networking and collaboration are fundamental to our mission and way of proceeding … to attend to the whole human person and the society in which we live,” Jesuit Superior General Arturo Sosa reminded participants of the webinar on the digital map of Jesuit social centres worldwide. Over 450 persons, Jesuits and mission partners, registered in the official launch of the map.
The Secretariat for Social Justice and Ecology published, on its website, the interactive world map of Jesuit Social Centres on February 3, 2023. The tool provides summary information and geolocation data on each Jesuit social centre. In addition, the map has thirteen filters that offer an overview of each Jesuit social institution working in a sector or specific theme. Father General Arturo Sosa officially launched the map’s online publication.
Drawing inspiration from Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher’s 1646 artwork, Fr Sosa said, “Today we are committed to remaining a tree rooted in Jesus Christ, leafy, with branches connected that receive the sap from its only root: Jesus. Our mission to serve and walk with Him, who became incarnate and identified with the poor, has led us to the most difficult and challenging frontiers of the world.” He continued, “the interactive map of Jesuit Social Centres shows where you are rooted, and from where you reach those at the margins.” Then, he identified the purpose of the global interactive map, “It can help develop a sense of identity as a universal body with a shared apostolic mission. Nothing can be more powerful than having a strong sense of life-mission shared fully in the networks through collaboration to achieve maximum efficiency.”
Father Sosa applauded the publication of the interactive map on the eve of the Third International Day of Human Fraternity, “a day in which the UN recognizes the gesture of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in signing the important joint document on Human Fraternity.” The document “invites us to make [human fraternity] the object of research and reflection. So that it may help create new generations that bring good and peace and defend the rights of the oppressed and the least everywhere.” He also congratulated the Secretariat for Social Justice and Ecology “for the immense and effective work done to produce this interactive map.”
He invited Jesuits and coworkers to use the online resource to “strengthen further the networking that seeks to improve the links to engage in research, socio-political analysis and publications in the struggle for social justice and reconciliation, inspired by the Gospel and making effective use of Ignatian discernment.” He passionately pointed out that the map could help us recognize that no one is alone in searching for solutions to the social challenges we all face today.
He also requested participants “to keep up-to-date information about your centre, people, programmes, etc. [to maintain] the map’s effectiveness as a working tool to facilitate communications between centres and establish advocacy links.”
Finally, Fr General articulated his hope “may this map become a networking tool not only for social centres or institutions but with every apostolic work of the Society of Jesus to fulfil the mandate of the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAP).”
Source: SJES
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