Novices begin their journey in Innsbruck

October 11, 2022 in News

​Four young men including Irishman Seán McMahon entered the Jesuit novitiate in Innsbruck, Austria on 18 September 2022. They made a further commitment on 3 October after two weeks of candidacy, expressing their willingness “to live for the greater glory of God in the novitiate of the Society of Jesus according to its Constitutions”,​ and to discern their vocation sincerely.

The novices who started their journey are pictured from left to right: Rodolfo Tromellini (Italy), Lukas Mayerhofer (Austria), Seán McMahon (Ireland), Konrad Glosemeyer (Germany), and – already in the second year of the novitiate – Gabrielius Zaveckas (Lithuania). In the photo, a painting of the renowned German theologian Karl Rahner SJ hangs on the wall behind them.

The novices are living in an international community, which includes five Fathers from four different countries, The novitiate training they will undergo involves a combination of quiet and active time, personal reflection, prayer,​ and the ​​​Spiritual ​Exercises​. They will also take part in social or pastoral engagements that support the personal steps and discernment of each novice’s formation.

The novitiate of the Central European Province of the Jesuits moved from Nuremberg to Innsbruck in March 2022​ and is part of the Jesuit College, where more than 30 Jesuits live and work. Irish novices previously ​did their training​ at the North-West European novitiate in Birmingham, UK,