Challenge to Synergy for Mission

Dear Presidents and Principals of the AJCU-EAO:

It was my pleasure to join a meeting of Consultors, Secretaries and Directors of Work of the JCEAO at Arrupe International Residence last Oct. 4-5, 2008.  Chaired by Fr. Mark Raper, President of the JCEAO, it was an opportunity to contribute to the JCEAO's self understanding in a post-GC 35 era. The main output of this meeting was a formulation of "The Purpose and Goal of the JCEAO" as follows:

The purpose of the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania (JCEAO) is to clarify, focus and ensure implementation for Asia and the Pacific of the universal mission of the Society.

The Conference:
JCEAO applies the Society's mission to this region by discerning apostolic priorities for the local context.

JCEAO helps to implement the society's mission by establishing and/or joining with local and transnational collaborative programmes and setting in place appropriate mechanisms for apostolic accountability.

The President of JCEAO:
The JCEAO President, with and through the Major Superiors of EAO, gives discerning leadership for the Conference's activities by specifying this global Jesuit mission of EAO and by impelling implementation through supra-provincial and inter-sectoral cooperation and organization.  

While the Jesuit Provinces continue to be the major local apostolic unit of the Society of Jesus, JCEAO appreciates the call of GC 35 to move towards Provinces "synergized" for global mission.  This means, in general, that Provinces are not merely coordinated on the Conference level towards enhancing the effectivity of individual Provinces, but are organized there to work together in shared global mission.

In AJCU-EAO - today representing higher education and the intellectual apostolate - the challenge seems also to move out of a mode where we are coordinated for the benefit of member schools, but organized to work together and with others towards global mission.  

Our resolutions formulated during our last General Assembly in Cikarang to collaborate in Service Learning and in shared research on environment, migration, culture and religious dialogue is certainly a step in this direction.  Let us work together to implement our resolve.

Sincerely,

Joel Tabora, S.J.