On October 9, 66 people gathered via Zoom to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) by reflecting on the organization’s history and how it can better support the poor and marginalized in today’s rapidly changing world.
What began in 1955 as support for missionaries heading to Darjeeling has grown into strong partnerships with Jesuit institutions in Africa, Asia, and Latin American whose work demonstrate compassion, strive for justice, and offer hope, according to representatives of CJI partners who spoke at a webinar.
Fr. Jeffrey Burwell, SJ, Provincial of the Jesuits in Canada, set the tone for the celebration. “This year marks CJI’s seven decades of commitment to faith that seeks justice,” he said. “It’s a mission embraced by so many good people who believe that a more just and compassionate world is possible.” He said CJI, its partners, and supporters have responded to the Gospel call to stand alongside the excluded, amplify silenced voices, and accompany communities striving for dignity and peace. “I give thanks, we give thanks for the countless individuals, our Jesuits, partners, collaborators, and donors, who, over these 70 years, have responded with such generosity.”
CJI’s story began in Darjeeling, said Fr. Shajumon Chakkalakkal, SJ, Provincial of the Jesuit Darjeeling and Nepal Province, who spoke movingly about the legacy of the first Canadian missionaries who arrived there following an invitation extended to the Upper Canada Province in 1946.
“Much of what we do is a result of the untiring efforts of CJI,” he said. The fruits of this partnership are visible everywhere, he said, citing schools, social centers, churches, and agricultural projects that continue to serve communities today.
Among these initiatives, he said, Jesu Ashram stands as a flagship program—the only one of its kind in the entire Jesuit Conference of South Asia. Jesu Ashram offers free shelter, food, medicine, and rehabilitation to the homeless and destitute, spending approximately CAD$300,000 per year.”No charges, nothing for the patients,” said Fr. Chakkalakkal.
In Latin America, Martha Lucía Márquez Restrepo, Director of CINEP Jesuit Social Centre in Colombia, shared stories about the impact of CJI’s work, which she said, aligns with Pope Francis’s Jubilee of Hope. CJI supports sustainable community projects, agroecology initiatives, leadership formation, and protection of Indigenous ways of life throughout the region. Examples include supporting Peruvian peasants practicing sustainable agriculture, women leaders in Panama preserving communal relationships, and projects aiding migrants and displaced people with basic needs, education, and legal support. She noted that 50% of Latin American migrants are women, and 20% are children, who are fleeing poverty, violence, and persecution. CJI supports Jesuit partners whose projects provide food, healthcare, legal assistance, integration support, and education, to help them rebuild their lives with dignity.
In the Amazon, which Márquez Restrepo emphasized is “the lung of the world, producing 20% of the world’s oxygen,” CJI helps Indigenous women preserve traditional relationships and production methods, contributing to climate justice while stopping deforestation.
She also said that, with CJI’s support, her organization has begun to construct strategies of protection in territories where there is war and criminality. This includes doing cartographies to identify where criminal activity is prevalent , choosing safe routes for migrants, developing communication strategies, and protecting women and girls who are most vulnerable. She noted that Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries for leaders who defend the environment.
Across Africa, Fr. Rampeoane Hlobo, SJ, Director of the Justice and Ecology Office for the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar, illustrated how CJI creates concrete hope. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, CJI supports the Fe y Alegria educational movement, which goes beyond traditional schooling to train teachers, principals, and even parents in communities scarred by decades of instability, he said. In Ethiopia, over 2,000 refugee women and girls receive literacy and numeracy training, reclaiming their voices and futures. In South Sudan, CJI supports the Sowing Seeds of Transformation project, where communities receive education, training in agroecology, and access to certified English courses. In Zambia, CJI supports the Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre, which trains small-scale farmers to move from chemical dependence toward organic and sustainable methods. The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection in Lusaka works to form engaged and informed citizenship.
“Hope is not just optimism or wishful thinking,” Fr. Hlobo said. “It is concrete. It is born when a refugee woman learns to read, when a small-scale farmer revives their land sustainably, when youth stand up to defend the planet and their future.”
Jenny Cafiso, CJI’s Executive Director, acknowledged that the context in which CJI operates has dramatically changed over 70 years. She noted that the panelists had identifiedchallenges that include war, resource extraction, gender-based violence, climate change, and organized crime. Cafiso also cited unprecedented threats such as drastic cuts to international aid, with Jesuit Refugee Service alone experiencing a 30% budget reduction in aid from the United States. She said these cuts will have devastating consequences: an estimated 15 million people will die in the next decade due to eliminated vaccination programs, food aid, malaria and anti-retroviral drugs. She described this as a reflection of a cultural shift that sees selfishness and lack of support for others as a virtue.
Fr. Hlobo named it clearly: “There is a crisis of solidarity, a crisis in humanity that excludes others and creates a culture of indifference even in the midst of suffering.” He said that people are no longer moved by the suffering of others, pointing to situations in the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo where those who can intervene are not doing what should be done to stop the suffering.
Márquez Restrepo added that this is a moment requiring not just action, but deep reflection, creativity, and spiritual formation. “We have to touch hearts,” she urged.
Fr. Chakkalakal said that despite many challenges, there is still hope in the world. For example, when devastating floods recently struck Nepal and Darjeeling, people rushed to help. “There is hope,” he said with deep conviction.
