Many English Canadian Jesuits and our collaborators gathered at Manresa – Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre in Pickering, Ontario for five days at the end of July. There were about seventy of us from all over the country and from our various ministries – mostly Jesuits from English Canada, but, also, several Jesuits from our sister province in French Canada, lay Directors of our works in Canada and lay collaborators, such as representatives from the Christian Life Communities.
We have been through discernment processes in the past, but this one comes at a crucial moment in our history. The Jesuits in English Canada will be entering into closer relationships with the Jesuit provinces in French Canada and in the United States in the near future.
In his invitation this past Easter, Fr. Peter Bisson, the Provincial, explained why he was calling for this Province Mission Discernment exercise. "The purpose of our discernment together is to try to recognize how the Lord is calling us forward on mission in English Canada for the next 5-10 years. We need a sharper communal understanding of our mission in order to make good choices of priorities as we both seek to lighten the loads on our superiors and other leaders, and open ourselves up more to the mission needs of the worldwide Society of Jesus first in French Canada as we move toward a new single province and, secondly, in North America as we move toward a new Conference."
In his welcome on the opening evening, Fr. Bisson quoted from Isaiah, where the Lord reminds us that He is about to do a new thing. Several times, he came back to the line, "The Lord is up to something." He suggested that these days are about discerning what that "something" is.
The five days included time for personal prayer, communal prayer, daily Eucharist, input from Fr. Bisson, spiritual conversation in small groups, plenary sessions, reflections from a panel of participants, meals together with lively conversation and time for socializing and informal conversations.
There was certainly a lot of energy in the retreat house as we engaged in an energetic process. A few of the facilitated sessions made use of post-it notes to bring the fruits of our prayer back to the large group. This caused a few people to joke about "discernment by post-it note."
There was a development through the graces we were invited to pray with on each of the four full days: (1) to develop interior freedom and generosity while approaching our apostolic history/identity; (2) to become aware of our "apostolic name," the "name" that articulates God's desire for us as a province on mission; (3) to elicit great desires and the fostering of union of minds and hearts; and (4) to articulate key apostolic graces and their corresponding priorities, so as to better advise the provincial and better prepare our ongoing local apostolic discernment.
If you have made a retreat, you know that you can experience all kinds of interior movements. I can't speak for the other participants, but I can tell you that my interior life included tremendous spiritual movements. For instance, there was the consolation of gathering with friends. There was the desolation of facing the dark sides of our history as Jesuits in English Canada. I experienced consolation when my small group had a rich sharing of our prayer experience. I could go on, but it's safe to say that there were so many movements through the days that it was always welcoming to get back to my room, shut the door and sleep on the day.
On the final morning, the Provincial offered us his reflections on our days together and what stirrings of the Spirit he has been aware of. He spoke of our major apostolic sectors and how we are called to deepen our engagement by means of certain responses. We were invited to personal prayer and spiritual conversation in our small groups.
What was decided? Well, that wasn't the purpose of these days. But, hopefully, we have disposed ourselves to be free about where we go from here. As well, we have provided the Provincial with data to help him prepare a letter to the Superior General of the Jesuits about ‘how the Lord is calling us forward on mission in English Canada for the next 5-10 years “. This letter will be worked on and fine-tuned over the next few months. Please keep Fr. Bisson and our Jesuit Province in your prayers.