Message Board

Dear Friends in the Lord,

We have commenced the Platinum Jubilee Celebration of our Province with the beautiful theme: “Celebrating Our Journey, Cherishing Our Heritage, Co-creating Our Future.”  Let this platinum jubilee help us celebrate the 75 glorious years of our journey as a Province. We gratefully and lovingly remember the French Jesuits of the Lyons Province, who served here for 15 years, and, later, the Jesuits of the Toulouse Province, who generously shared their lives and missionary zeal with us for nearly a century. They accompanied, moulded and shaped the early mission of our Province and laid the foundations that have enabled us to become what we are today. Their lives, sacrifices and missionary spirit remain an enduring part of our heritage.

Seventy-five years is not merely a number of years we have existed. They refer to a grace-filled journey of God’s fidelity, God’s abiding presence, and His unconditional love and mercy. When we look back at the journey of our forefathers, we not only witness our achievements but also our struggles, failures and pains. We read pages of our history that were written by blood and sweat; we also see pages filled with joy and fulfilment. Above all, it is a journey marked by God’s calling and the generous response of our forefathers to His calling. Let us celebrate this journey, as this is an integral part of our life and mission. It is like a powerhouse giving us energy to go ahead.

Let us also cherish our heritage. We inherit a heritage that is close to five hundred years beginning with the arrival of St. Francis Xavier. It is a heritage shaped by men who dared to come to this land, even when they knew the dangers and ordeals that awaited them. We know of expeditions taken up in the history of the world, where novelty, adventure and, sometimes, desire to expand one’s empire have been the motives behind those expeditions.

Our Jesuit missionaries did not come in search of comfort or security. They came because of their love for Christ and their love for the people entrusted to their care. They gave themselves wholeheartedly to the mission. They worked tirelessly, under difficult circumstances, with dedication and missionary zeal. Some endured hardships; some sacrificed their health and comfort; many shed their blood, and some even gave up their lives for the mission. We are aware of many young Jesuits who became victims of tropical diseases at a young age. It is a heroic heritage that withstood oppositions, persecutions, and life-threatening situations.

The letter of Fr. Balthasar da Costa, written in 1642, gives us a glimpse of the hardships willingly embraced by our early missionaries. He wrote: “Since my coming to this country, I have not dwelt two months at a stretch in the same residence. Ordinarily I walk on foot in the burning heat, often with no shelter

for the night.” (A South Indian Mission – The Madura Catholic Mission, J. C. Hopert, p. 48). These words remind us that our heritage was not built merely through institutions and structures. It was built through lives poured out in service and sacrifice; through feet that walked the dusty roads in scorching heat; through hearts that embraced the people; and through lives generously offered for the mission.

Our history, therefore, is a history written in blood, sweat, tears, prayers and sacrifices - the sacrifice of generations of Jesuits, religious, lay collaborators and countless people who worked together for the mission. We stand today on the shoulders of those who walked before us. By revisiting the past, we gain strength for the future. By remembering our legacy, we rediscover our identity. By honouring our forefathers, we rededicate our commitment to the mission entrusted to us today. The Platinum Jubilee, therefore, is not merely a celebration of 75 years. It is an invitation to receive our legacy with gratitude. As we celebrate our journey and cherish our rich legacy, may we have the courage and confidence to carry forward the glorious history with the same faith, love and the thirst for Magis.

Call it a moment of God’s grace, it is appropriate that we have been in the process of RRR for the past many months. This Jubilee is an added incentive for us to take our Province to greater heights in serving this great nation and, more especially, the underprivileged. May our Platinum Jubilee be not only a remembrance of the past, but a grace-filled moment to discern God’s call for the future.

Fr. Thomas Amirtham, S.J.,

Provincial, The Jesuit Madurai Province.