Curia Generalizia della Compagnia di Gesu
Borgo S Spirito 4
CP 6139/00195
ROMADRATJ (Italia)
2nd May 2003
Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ,
When a group of former Jesuits met at Stonyhurst in May 1803 for an act of d ed ication, they did so in troubl ed times. Since the Society of Jesus had been suppress ed 30 years before, the American war of lndependence, the terror of the French Revolution and the upsurge in industrialisation had radically alter ed the world in which they liv ed . To many people who even remember ed the Jesuits at that time, they were merely an item of history, recogniz ed perhaps as a distant, flickering flame in White Russia where a remnant still officially taught in the schools. But when a new pope, Dius VJJ, gave verbal permission for the scatter ed ex-Jesuits to re-assemble, former members of the English (now British) province respond ed . Fr William Strickland, Fr Marmaduke Stone and the men who gather ed at Stonyhurst to re-associate themselves with the society of Jesus, were full of hope and courage in a time of instability and fear. They could only glimpse an uncertain future, but they knew of a distinguish ed past.
My pr ed ecessor as Father General, Everard Mercurian, first sent Jesuits to work in England in 1580, at a time when the catholic church was persecut ed and both laity and their ministers risk ed torture, ignominious trial and execution for the practice of their region. From this point until the suppression of the Society in 1773, the province produc ed an unprec ed ent ed 29 canonis ed and beatifi ed martyrs for the faith, whose numbers includ ed Sts Edmund Campion, David Lewis and John Ogilvie.
The re-birth of the province on that day at Stonyhurst 200 years ago produc ed a mark ed change in Jesuit presence In Britain. Fre ed more and more from a persecution that dictat ed ministering in secret, the province courageously respond ed to the ne ed s of Catholics, rich and poor, in cities such as London, Liverpool, Le ed s, Manchester and Glasgow. A growing number of priests and brothers oversaw a phenomenal development of schools and parishes. The province also provid ed missionaries to the new churches being establish ed in various parts of the world and especially in Guyana and South Africa, where its members still serve. In the later 20 th century British Jesuits continu ed their mainstream pastoral work and made notable contributions in the fields of philosophy and theology. They have also been in the Vanguard of the renaissance in Ignatian prayer which has seen a blossoming in publications, retreat work and centres of spirituality.
It is this same Lord who continues to call us today
On this bicentenary of the restoration of the society of Jesus in Britain. I would like to join with you in giving thanks to the lord for the numberless graces that have flow ed from these years of Jesuit apostolic endeavour. I send greetings to my brother Jesuits and I would like also to express my deep gratitude to the many co-workes. Friends and benefactors of the province who have join ed with them on this journey
The world in which we live may appear radically different to that of 1803, but the fundamental challenge remains the same- to proclaim the world with passions and joy, with love creativity. It is this good News that the world still ne ed s to hear. More than ever
May the blessings if Christ be with you all
Peter-Hans Kolvenbach SJ
Superior General
Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ,
When a group of former Jesuits met at Stonyhurst in May 1803 for an act of d ed ication, they did so in troubl ed times. Since the Society of Jesus had been suppress ed 30 years before, the American war of lndependence, the terror of the French Revolution and the upsurge in industrialisation had radically alter ed the world in which they liv ed . To many people who even remember ed the Jesuits at that time, they were merely an item of history, recogniz ed perhaps as a distant, flickering flame in White Russia where a remnant still officially taught in the schools. But when a new pope, Dius VJJ, gave verbal permission for the scatter ed ex-Jesuits to re-assemble, former members of the English (now British) province respond ed . Fr William Strickland, Fr Marmaduke Stone and the men who gather ed at Stonyhurst to re-associate themselves with the society of Jesus, were full of hope and courage in a time of instability and fear. They could only glimpse an uncertain future, but they knew of a distinguish ed past.
My pr ed ecessor as Father General, Everard Mercurian, first sent Jesuits to work in England in 1580, at a time when the catholic church was persecut ed and both laity and their ministers risk ed torture, ignominious trial and execution for the practice of their region. From this point until the suppression of the Society in 1773, the province produc ed an unprec ed ent ed 29 canonis ed and beatifi ed martyrs for the faith, whose numbers includ ed Sts Edmund Campion, David Lewis and John Ogilvie.
The re-birth of the province on that day at Stonyhurst 200 years ago produc ed a mark ed change in Jesuit presence In Britain. Fre ed more and more from a persecution that dictat ed ministering in secret, the province courageously respond ed to the ne ed s of Catholics, rich and poor, in cities such as London, Liverpool, Le ed s, Manchester and Glasgow. A growing number of priests and brothers oversaw a phenomenal development of schools and parishes. The province also provid ed missionaries to the new churches being establish ed in various parts of the world and especially in Guyana and South Africa, where its members still serve. In the later 20 th century British Jesuits continu ed their mainstream pastoral work and made notable contributions in the fields of philosophy and theology. They have also been in the Vanguard of the renaissance in Ignatian prayer which has seen a blossoming in publications, retreat work and centres of spirituality.
It is this same Lord who continues to call us today
On this bicentenary of the restoration of the society of Jesus in Britain. I would like to join with you in giving thanks to the lord for the numberless graces that have flow ed from these years of Jesuit apostolic endeavour. I send greetings to my brother Jesuits and I would like also to express my deep gratitude to the many co-workes. Friends and benefactors of the province who have join ed with them on this journey
The world in which we live may appear radically different to that of 1803, but the fundamental challenge remains the same- to proclaim the world with passions and joy, with love creativity. It is this good News that the world still ne ed s to hear. More than ever
May the blessings if Christ be with you all
Peter-Hans Kolvenbach SJ
Superior General