July 2007
About the Institute
What do we offer?
The Jesuit Institute is dedicated to encouraging debate on current social issues from a faith perspective and to stimulating critical reflection, research and dialogue. It provides reflection on, and critical analysis of, contemporary social and religious issues from a Catholic perspective.
Work with faith-based communities
The Jesuit Institute seeks to provide resources and training for those in the church, to help better equip them for their mission in spreading the good News. It does this by creating opportunities for laity, religious and clergy to benefit from various kinds of training in theology and related disciplines, such as applied ethics, psychology and philosophy. We hope to equip Catholics and other Christians with a fuller understanding of their faith so that they may be better able to reflect critically and make a significant contribution to dialogue on the issues and concerns of our time both in the church and in our wider society.
The Institute incorporates the Centre for Ignatian Spirituality which offers days of recollection, retreats, both residential and in daily life, spiritual direction and the training of spiritual directors.
Work with wider society
We work with people from the business, political and educational sectors, with religious groups, NGO's and with others interested in improving society. The Institute is committed to an integrative, multi-disciplinary perspective. this is made possible through dialogue between the areas of specialisation of its own staff of Jesuits and lay professionals and by networking with others working in similar areas of interest. current areas of specialisation include moral theology and applied ethics; psychology and organisational development and Christian Spirituality.
Present activities include:
- Conferences, seminars and workshops
- Educational courses, training days, focus groups
- Consultancy to church-based and non-governmental organisations
- Retreats and spiritual guidance
- Publications
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Centre for Ignatian Spirituality (CIS)
The Centre for Ignatian Spirituality forms part of the Jesuit Institute of South Africa. The work of CIS is to share the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola. We work across cultures and religious denominations to provide opportunities for retreats both residentially and in daily life and train spiritual directors in the Ignatian tradition. We have a mixed team consisting of laity trained in Ignatian Spirituality and Jesuits.
What we offer:
- The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius
- Residential Retreats 30-days; 8-days; 5-days
- Weekend retreats
- Retreats in Daily Life including parish retreats and Weeks of Guided Prayer
- Workshops on the Discernment of Spirits
- Enneagram workshops
- On-going Spiritual Direction
- Supervision of Spiritual Directors in groups and individually
- Talks and presentations on Ignatian Spirituality
- Ways into Ignatian Prayer Course
- Prayer Guide Training
- An advanced training in Ignatian Spirituality
- Retreats for Teachers
- Take some time to slow down from the rush of the day and become aware that God is with you. Ask God to show you where he has been drawing you through the events of your day.
- Think back over the day from the time you woke up and allow it to replay in your mind-almost like rewinding and playing a video cassette.
- Notice the different things that happened and how they left you feeling.
- Notice first moments in the day which drew you closer to God. You can discover these by noticing the experiences which left you feeling more generous, more hopeful, more alive and creative; times when you felt peaceful, excited or content.(eg. perhaps attending a particularly interesting lecture; spending time with friends or receiving an encouraging e-mail or sms). Sometimes painful moments like hearing something on the news which makes you more aware of the suffering of others can also draw you closer to God. Ignatius called all of these ‘moments of consolation.’
- Spend some time thanking God for those moments of consolation in your day and storing up those experiences in your heart to encourage you in the tough times.
- Now notice moments in day when you felt alienated from God, others or yourself. Times when you felt frustrated, ill-at-ease; anxious or trapped; moments when you felt less generous; less open to God. Ignatius called these moments of desolation.
- Spend a few minutes bringing those moments in the day to God and asking for whatever healing or forgiveness you need.
- Think about the day ahead and what grace you need. Maybe you need courage to cope with a difficult meeting or energy to cope with a very full day. Whatever it is you need ask God for it confident that he wants to help you.
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Staff of the Jesuit Institute
 Mr Raymond Perrier, Director, comes from the UK where he was working for CAFOD, the official development agency of the Catholic Church in England & Wales. CAFOD has grown to be one of the leading UK charities raising around £50 million from the Catholic community for development and emergency relief programmes in 50 countries. His role there was to oversee a department of 75 people in 22 locations around the country working with Catholic communities (dioceses, parishes, schools, youth centres, interfaith groups) to build awareness and solidarity, educate and raise funds. While at CAFOD, he spearheaded a ground-breaking survey about the Catholic community which he was recently privileged to present to the plenary conference of English Bishops.
Raymond first got to know South Africa in the 1990s when was in the world of business. As a director of Interbrand, one of the world's leading branding consultancies, he advised organisations on how to optimise their brands through effective investment and marketing strategies. Companies with whom Raymond worked in South Africa included SAB Miller, BP, ABSA and Tiger Foods. But Raymond also knows the Jesuits well, having been a scholastic (seminarian) for 6 years. While a novice (alongside the parish priest at Braamfontein, Russell Pollitt!) he worked in a L'Arche community providing residential support for adults with learning disabilities and also taught in the Jesuit high school in Scotland. For 2 years he led a project for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Uganda accompanying Southern Sudanese refugees who were moving from the UN camps back to their homes. He has also worked as a fund-raiser for The Passage homeless charity in London, and has been involved in the Strangers into Citizens campaign to persuade the UK Government to regularise undocumented migrants. Raymond holds a MA in Philosophy and Theology from New College Oxford, an MA in Philosophy from Heythrop College of the University of London and an MSc in human rights from the London School of Economics. He speaks a number of European languages (French, Italian, Spanish, German) as well as British Sign Language. He acquired some basic Juba Arabic while working with the Sudanese and looks forward to learning some isiZulu. He has published numerous articles in newspapers and journals, and edited a book entitled Brand Valuation (Premier Books, London, 1994). |
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 Frances Correia, was born in 1975 in Johannesburg, South Africa. After matriculating from Sacred Heart College, she studied Literature and Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand. She has worked as a Spiritual Director and Trainer for the Centre for Ignatian Spirituality since 1999.
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 Fr Anthony Egan SJ, was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1966, and entered the Society of Jesus in September 1990, having completed an MA in History at the University of Cape Town. He studied Philosophy and Theology at Heythrop College, University of London (1992-1995) and at Weston Jesuit School of Theology (1999 – 2003), as well as completing a PhD in Political Studies at University of the Witwatersrand . He was ordained a priest on August 30, 2002. He has lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand (political studies) and at St Augustine College of South Africa (applied ethics), and has published in the areas of history, politics and ethics. His interests include: political leadership, South African politics, moral theology and bioethics.
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Fr Chris Chatteris SJ was born in 1950 in Ndola, Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia). He was brought up there, in Zimbabwe and the UK. He joined the Jesuits in 1968 in Scotland and did a degree in French and a postgraduate certificate in education, as well as the usual philosophical and theological courses. At the age of 50 he completed a Master's in theology on the topic of teaching preaching. As a Jesuit he has been a secondary school teacher in France and the UK, a parish priest and director of novices in KwaZulu Natal, a Jesuit Superior in Johannesburg and a seminary teacher, also in KZN. Sidelines have been spiritual direction and retreat-giving and some freelancing print journalism.Interests are numerous but of late has become fascinated by the climate change issue.
Fr Peter Knox SJ, a native of Johannesburg, matriculated at De la Salle College in Victory Park. After studying chemistry at UCT, Peter joined the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in 1983. His Jesuit formation has taken him to England, Germany, Canada, Australia, Cedara, Soweto, and Cape Town. Peter has a doctorate in Systematic Theology from St Paul University in Ottawa. His area of particular interest is contextual theology, trying to "bring home" to Africa 2000 years of Christian wisdom.
Puleng Matsaneng, was born in 1969 in South Africa and grew up in Soweto. After matriculating at Mohaladitoe Senior Secondary School and studying for a B.A. degree at Vista University, she joined the Centre for Ignatian Spirituality in 2002 and is now part of the Jesuit Institute where she works in Spirituality and researches Ignatian Spirituality in an African context.
Dr Annemarie Paulin-Campbell, is a Catholic laywoman. She has worked full-time for the past eight years in the area of Christian Spirituality, doing spiritual direction and retreat work, and training spiritual directors in the Ignatian tradition. She is a qualified educational psychologist and has worked in particular in the areas of trauma counselling and commmunity psychology. Annemarie completed a Masters Degree in Christian Spirituality at Heythrop, the Jesuit College of the University of London and then went on to complete her doctorate on the interface between psychology and Christian Spirituality from the University of KwaZulu Natal.»
Ignatian Spirituality Links
- Pray-as-you-go.org
- The Way - Review of Contemporary Christian Spirituality
- Loyola Hall - Jesuit Spirituality Centre, Prescot
- St. Beuno's - Jesuit Spirituality Centre, Wales
- Manresa - Centre for Ignatian Spirituality, Dublin
- Taize - France
- Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in South Africa
- Sacred Space - a place for daily prayer and reflection, hosted by the Irish Jesuits
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Get involved
If you feel like you could help us, please contact us and tell us.
We are especially looking for people who could serve as a contact person in your parish or local community and act as a liaison for the distribution of posters, etc.
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Catholic Social Teaching
Rerum Novarum
The Condition of Labour
In brief, it addressed challenges such as Industrialisation, urbanisation, poverty and introduced the issues of "Family wage"; workers' rights.
Issued by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, this encyclical letter explores the conditions of the working classes in the wake of the industrial revolution. He sets out the rights and duties of workers, employers and governments.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xi...
Quadragesimo Anno
The Reconstruction of the Social Order
In brief, it addressed challenges such as the Great Depression, Communism, and fascist dictatorships and introduced the solution of subsidiarity as a guide to government interventions.
Pope Pius XI issued this encyclical in 1931 to mark the fortieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. He rejected both unfettered liberalism, and the totalitarian forms of government that were emerging in the Post War period, introducing the principle of subsidiarity into Catholic teaching. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_...
Mater et Magistra
Christianity and Social Progress
In brief, it addressed the issue of technological advancement and introduced the idea of global justice between rich and poor nations
Pope John XXIII issued this encyclical letter on Christianity and social progress in 1961. He saw poverty and inequality as international questions requiring the solidarity of the whole human family. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_xxiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-...
Pacem in Terris
Peace on Earth
In brief, it addressed challenges such as the Arms race, and the threat of nuclear war and introduced a philosophy of human rights and social responsibilities
This 1963 encyclical letter from Pope John XXIII focuses on issues of peace in a nuclear age. Addressed to all people of good will, it reflects in detail on human rights. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_xxiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-...
Gaudium et Spes
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
In brief, it discussed younger generations questioning traditional values and explained how the Church must scrutinize the external "signs of the times"
The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World was issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965. Its presentation of the role of the Church in the world marked a major development in the understanding of the place of work for justice in the mission of the Church. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents...
Populorum Progressio
The Development of Peoples
In brief, it addressed the challenge of the widening gap between rich and poor nations and introduced the notion of "Development" as a new word for peace
Pope Paul VI's 1967 encyclical introduced the idea of integral human development. Noting the disparities in wealth between countries as the process of decolonization progressed, it declared development to be the "new name for peace".
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_...
Octogesima Adveniens
A Call to Action on the 80th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum
In brief, it addressed the challenge of how urbanisation marginalises vast multitudes and how Lay Catholics must focus on political action to combat injustices
In this 1971 Apostolic Letter Pope Paul VI reflects on the challenges of post-industrial society and the inadequacy of ideologies to address them.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-v...
Justicia in Mundo
Justice in the World
In brief, it addressed the challenge of how structural injustices and oppression inspire liberation movements and how "Justice ... is a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the gospel"
The 1971 Synod of Bishops issued this statement on justice in the world. They proclaim work for the promotion of justice to be an essential part of the mission of the Church.
http://www.osjspm.org/majordoc_justicia_in_mundo_offical_test.aspx
Evangelii Nuntiandi
Evangelization in the Modern World
In brief, it addressed the cultural problems of atheism, secularism, consumerism and reaffirmed how the salvation promised by Jesus offers liberation from all oppression
Pope Paul VI's 1974 Apostolic Exhortation on evangelization in the modern world remains a landmark document in the understanding of the dimensions of the mission of the Church. It affirms the witness of life as the first means of evangelization. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/h...
Laborem Exercens
On Human Work
In brief, it addressed how Capitalism and Communism treat workers as mere instruments of production and why work is the key to the "social question" and to human dignity
Pope John Paul II issued this encyclical on human labour to mark the ninetieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. It is notable for its well developed spirituality and philosophy of work.
http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0217/_INDEX.HTM
Sollicitudo rei Socialis
On Social Concern
In brief, it discussed the persistent underdevelopment in the world, and the division of the world into blocs, whilst explaining how "Structures of sin" are responsible for global injustices
Pope John Paul II's 1987 encyclical on social concerns marks the twentieth anniversary of Populorum Progressio. It examines the nature of development and economic progress and emphasizes the virtue of solidarity.
http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0223/_INDEX.HTM
Centesimus Annus
On the Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum
In brief, it addressed the Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and how Catholics should combat consumeristic greed in new "knowledge economy"
Pope John Paul II's last major social encyclical was issued in 1991 to mark the one hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. It reflects on the collapse of the Soviet Union and the role of culture in authentic human development. http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0214/_INDEX.HTM
Caritas in Veritate
Charity/Love in Truth
In brief, it draws on the riches of Catholic Social Thought, particularly that of Pope Paul VI, and proposes a new approach to integral human and economic development based on the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity.
Pope Benedict XVI employs a profound anthropological and theological approach and the multiplicity and relevance of the themes treated provide the occasion for a wide gamut of analyses. Despite the crisis that the world is going through, the encyclical offers a message of hope: Humanity has a mission and the means to transform the world and progress in justice and love in human relations, even in the social and economic field. If development has to be at the service of man and all men, we cannot escape the deepest question: Who is this man to be served. The horizon expands to themes that were not touched upon in previous social encyclicals: the defense of life, the vision of sexuality and the family, themes which the Pope once again goes courageously against the current of widespread if not dominant cultural tendencies today.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_...
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