New Indian Province created

March 20, 2006 in General, News

 
Jesuit work flourishes in India

A new Jesuit province was created last December in Delhi, India, bringing the number of Jesuit provinces in the Indian subcontinent to twenty. There are over 3,800 Jesuits working in the entire subcontinent, and 1,363 of these are preparing for the priesthood.

Many of these Jesuits are themselves missionaries – men from Kerala, in the south, who work thousands of miles away, in the northern states of India. Their work is varied, as is the case with Jesuits everywhere. They are involved in education, parishes, mission stations, retreat centres, communications, justice outreaches, and social centres.

In the spirit of St Francis Xavier, the missionary outreach to the very poor is a central concern among Indian Jesuits. So too is their hope to reflect the best aspects of Indian culture in their ministry and in the life communities and apostolates which they run.