Jenny Cafiso presenting Pope Francis with a copy of the CJI Newsletter.
(Photo: Servizio Fotografico Vaticano)
Last November 4-8, 2019, Jesuit organizations from all over the world came together in Rome to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES). The Secretariat serves as a coordinating body for the six Jesuit Conferences in their work promoting social justice and uniting Ignatian social ministries.
Right at the outset of the Rome Congress, Fr Arturo Sosa, General of the Society of Jesus, challenged all participants to make the gathering not only a time to celebrate the many accomplishments of the last 50 years, but to take advantage “of this special moment in which God is again speaking to us and inviting us to remember, to thank, to discern, and to take audacious, bold, and risky decisions to accompany Jesus and his people at the frontiers, together with the most excluded, poor, and vulnerable.” Fr Sosa also met with all the women in Congress at a special ad hoc meeting. This came about as Father General laid out ten challenges during his address, one of which was the role of women in Church.
Jenny Cafiso, CJI Executive Director, was one of four representatives from the Province of Canada and moderated the first panel, “A Faith that does Justice: Life and Spirituality of Social Apostolate.” Jenny, along with all the other delegates at the Golden Jubilee, met with Pope Francis at the end of the celebration.
