On November 1, 2023, a group of Hekima University employees embarked on a sojourn of contemplation at the Mwangaza Jesuit Spirituality Center, located in Karen’s verdant suburbs. Since it is a time for introspection and prayer when one is meant to maintain composure and have a private conversation with God through prayers and other ways like confessions to replenish their body and soul, such a period normally deserves some minor excitement from the participants.
The team was led by the college Chaplin Fr. James Campbell, SJ who was accompanied by Fr. Patrick Nganga, SJ Assistant Administrator at Mwangaza, and two scholastics namely Dominic Mutunga & Robert Kangethe, SJs, both of Hekima College.
The Chaplin Fr. Campbell warmly welcomed the participants and took them through an introduction session to prepare them for what to expect during the two-day recollection.
The first Presenter was S. Dominic Mutunga, SJ who offered a brief history of the Society of Jesus and discussed how the Society of Jesuits was founded by St. Ignatius and his six companions despite the difficulties they faced at the time. Key events in the life of St. Ignatius were highlighted by Mutunga, SJ in his presentation, including the encounter at La Storta Chapel near Rome, the youthful Ignatius, the Canon Ball Moment, the temptation of Ignatius, and the River Cardoner experience. We acknowledge that St. Ignatius faced difficulties and temptations in his life, just like any other person. He struggled to choose between thinking about God and thinking about the world, feeling both consolation and desolation from these thoughts. Nevertheless, he overcame these difficulties by leading a life of prayer, reading literature, and discernment.
The speaker also provided a succinct overview of the Jesuit formation process, the Jesuit Eastern Africa Province (AOR), and the administrative blocks of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), highlighting the programs and operations of the Jesuits under this authority. In addition, he discussed the Universal Apostolic Preference (UAP) and the need for Jesuits and their collaborators to reconsider their lifestyles, careers, and interactions with the communities they serve.
“The Universal Apostolic Preferences have been above all the Society’s response to the needs of the people of God – seeking the most universal good as the ultimate goal of the numerous apostolic activities the Society carries out.”
The second talk was delivered by Kang’ethe Robert, SJ. His discussion was focused on spiritual exercises, discernment rules, discernment of attitudes, and discernment. To show participants how an individual might remember themselves while searching for God, they were put through practical exercises. All of these were interspersed with homilies delivered by the Chaplin Fr. James Campbell, SJ at the Pedro Arrupe Jesuit Community chapel.
The third and last presentation was given by Fr. Patrick Nganga, SJ. He talked about Jesuits and their Collaborators.
By Geoffrey Obatsa,
JHIA Administrative Assistant
