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Jesuits and lay people will convene at Boston College this Saturday for a three-day conference, representing the first initiative to develop an international network to assist the mission of the Society of Jesus in the globalization era.
The “International Networking in the Society of Jesus” conference, organized by the Jesuit Institute along with the Graduate School of Social Work and the Center for Ignatian Spirituality, is in answer to the Society of Jesus’ 35th General Congregation’s call for more international and interprovincial collaboration, organizers say.
Some 30 Jesuits from five continents are expected to attend, and will work to facilitate and maximize the Jesuits’ impact as a transnational body with a universal mission. Also present at the conference will be lay people, who along with the Jesuits are from various levels of Jesuit governance and apostolic works.
Conference participants will consider various aspects of international networking, involving people from different regions and cultures and combining an academic approach with practical experience. Organizers expect the event will identify topics for further development and result in a website devoted to relevant Jesuit documents on networking and related materials, including the participants’ papers from the conference.
Speakers will include University President William P. Leahy, SJ, who will address the topic of mission, Carroll School of Management Associate Professor of Information Systems Gerald Kane, who will talk about organization, and Founders Professor of Theology James Keenan, SJ, who will discuss spirituality.
Other Boston College-affiliated presenters and participants will include GSSW Dean Alberto Godenzi, Jesuit Institute Director T. Frank Kennedy, SJ, Center for Ignatian Spirituality Director Michael Boughton, SJ, Center for Human Rights and International Justice Director David Hollenbach, SJ, Law School Associate Professor Gregory Kalscheur, SJ, Assistant Professor of Sociology Gustavo Morello, SJ, GSSW Assistant Professor Rocio Calvo, Visiting Research Scholar Maryanne Loughry, RSM, of Jesuit Relief Services, Australia, Tomeu Estelrich of University Mission and Ministry, and School of Theology and Ministry students Jeremy Zipple, SJ, Jose María Segura, SJ, René Micallef, SJ, and Gonzalo Villagran, SJ.
Other conference speakers will be: Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, SJ, provincial of AOR (Eastern Africa); Dan Halgin of the University of Kentucky; Daniel Villanueva, SJ,, and Luis Arancibia of Entreculturas, a Jesuit NGO in the Spain Province; Frank Brennan, SJ, of Australia National University and Australian Catholic University; Jorge Cela, SJ, president of CPAL (Latin America); Jose Magadia, SJ, provincial of Philippines; Mark Raper, SJ, president of the Asia Pacific Jesuit Conference; Patxi Alvarez, SJ, secretary of Social Justice and Ecology, General Curia; Philip Endean, SJ, of Oxford University, and Tom Regan, SJ, of Loyola University Chicago.
For a full list of speakers and other conference details, see the conference website at http://bit.ly/J4Ft6y.