Jesuit schools from across Britain came together today (Thursday, 12 June) for a special Jubilee mass to mark the end of months of fundraising for Jesuit Missions.
The service, held at Wimbledon College and led by British Provincial Fr Peter Gallagher SJ, celebrated the ‘Pilgrimage of Hope’ initiative coordinated by the Jesuit Institute.
This project saw the country’s Jesuit schools raise money for international development organisation Jesuit Missions by collectively walking the equivalent of the 640km Ignatian Camino pilgrimage route.
The schools took part in a variety of ways across the year – from local walks to prayer services and art exhibitions – all built around this year’s Jubilee theme of hope.
Addressing the congregation, Jesuit Missions’ Director Paul Chitnis said: “I have been very moved by the many ways in which you have commemorated this Jubilee year of hope.
“Hope can feel in very short supply these days, with wars, famines and climate change affecting our world, especially the poorest people.”
Paul referenced two beneficiaries of Jesuit Missions’ work: Collins, a student in Zambia whose previously arduous journey to school became much easier after being gifted a bike, and Khin Oo, from war-torn Myanmar, who was able to train as a teacher.
He also spoke of his meeting with Kenyan Jesuit Fr Victor Luke Odhiambo, who was murdered in South Sudan in 2018. Fr Odhiambo, despite being surrounded by violence and desperate poverty, was optimistic of a brighter future.
“Do not let anyone tell you there is no hope, however difficult things may seem,” Paul added. “A better world is possible, and the virtues set out in the Jesuit pupil profile, which you know so well, mean something for people like us.
“Do not despair – do something. And you can make hope something real, visible and impossible to resist.”
In his homily, Fr Gallagher also touched on the theme of hope, the power of pilgrimage and prayer, and the need to continue one’s spiritual journey through the remainder of the Jubilee year.
Pupils and staff from Jesuit schools in London – Wimbledon College, Donhead and St Ignatius College – attended the mass in person, while those from other parts of the country – St Mary’s Hall, Stonyhurst College, St Joseph’s School, Mount St Mary’s College and Barlborough Hall – took part virtually.
Representatives from St Aloysius College in Glasgow also managed to join in, despite being on a bus taking them on pilgrimage to Lourdes.
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