Message Board

Dear Friends,

The month of July is a special month for all of us, Jesuits, as we celebrate the Feast of our beloved Father, St. Ignatius of Loyola. The name ‘Jesuit’ itself is a precious gift and a legacy handed down to us by St. Ignatius, his First Companions, and the generations of Jesuits who have gone before us.

When we look back on our history, we are filled with gratitude and admiration for the indefatigable hard work, and the incredible contributions of our forefathers. Whether in linguistics, theology, philosophy, spirituality, astronomy, numismatics, biology, ecology, and countless other fields, they have left indelible footprints on the pages of history – history, not only of the Church, but of the entire world. Their intellectual calibre and missionary spirit, not only helped the Church reach far and wide but also contributed to human advancement.

Moreover, our men ventured into lands that were scarcely known and, in some cases, not even found on the maps of their time. They crossed oceans, cultures, and frontiers with unwavering courage and complete trust in God’s providence. One such missionary expedition brought St. Francis Xavier to our shores. We, as members of the Jesuit Madurai Province, are truly honoured to be part of the rich Jesuit legacy from the beginning, with the arrival of St. Francis Xavier. From then on, our Province has crossed many milestones through the Old and the New Madura Mission, the Vice Province of Madurai, dependent on Toulouse Province and then the independent Province of Madurai in 1952. This year marks the 75th anniversary of this historical milestone for us – the Platinum Jubilee Year, beginning on July 31, 2026, and ending on July 31, 2027.

Dear Friends, while we are grateful to God for all the graces He has showered on us for the last 75 years, it is a moment to pause and listen to the crucial question: ‘Where is the Lord calling us?’ Jubilee is an occasion to review our past with immense gratitude and look forward with a sense of great hope to the future. It is an occasion to realize the presence of God here and now and renew our commitment to God and His people. May our plans and programs of the Jubilee year enable us to respond generously to the call of the King.

The legacy we proudly cherish today, is the fruit of the tireless labour and indomitable missionary spirit of our forefathers. With a singular focus on the propagation of faith and the promotion of justice, they devoted their lives to the service of God and humanity. It is through their hard work, sacrifice, and fidelity, that this rich legacy was built - a legacy that continues to inspire us and challenge us with a pressing question: How long can we live on the glory of the past?

We are invited not merely to admire this legacy but to add our own chapter to the long and glorious history of the Society of Jesus. We are called, not simply to inherit a legacy, but to become a legacy for those who come after us. Following in the footsteps of our Founder and the generations of Jesuits who have gone before us, we are challenged to live with the same zeal, spirit, and burning desire for the greater glory of God.

Therefore, my dear friends, we are called today not only to celebrate and cherish the legacy handed down to us by our elder brothers but also to enrich it and make it our own. The future of this legacy rests not merely in what we have received, but in how we contribute to the mission entrusted to us. The legacy of St. Ignatius was not built in a comfort zone, but through complete trust in God and a readiness to go wherever the need was greater. The same call is given to us today. In his address to the Major Superiors of the Society of Jesus on October 24, 2025, Pope Leo XIV extended a challenging invitation to all the Jesuits with these words: “The Church needs you at the frontiers—whether they be geographical, cultural, intellectual or spiritual. These are places of risk, where familiar maps are no longer sufficient.”

In a rapidly changing world, we are called to go where people are in great need of hope, faith, and justice. Like St. Ignatius and his First Companions, we should be willing to take up new challenges. We are called to remain open to the Spirit, ready to let go of our comforts and familiar paths whenever God’s greater mission calls us elsewhere. Let us not be content merely with preserving a glorious legacy; let us enrich it and become a legacy in our own times.

As we celebrate this feast, may St. Ignatius inspire us to become the legacy we have inherited. Happy Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola!

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

Fr. Thomas Amirtham, S.J.,

Provincial, The Jesuit Madurai Province