2006 Jesuit Jubilee Letter from Fr. General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.
Curia Generalizia della Compagnia di Gesù
Borgo S. Spirito, 4
C.P. 6139 / 00195 ROMA-PRATI (Italia)
Tel . 06/689.771 - Fax 06/686.8214
Jubilee Year
TO ALL MAJOR SUPERIORS
And their Collaborators as "Friends of the Lord"
Dear Father,
The Peace of Christ.
The year of our Lord 2006 will be for the Society a welcome occasion to commemorate events related to three of our first companions.
On July 31, 1556, 450 years ago, Saint Ignatius went to encounter for ever his Lord and Friend whom he had learned to love and to serve.
Five centuries ago, were born Francis at Xavier in Navarre on April 7 1506, and Pierre Favre at Villaret in Savoy on April 13.
A future communication will try to present the characteristics of our Jesuit life that these three companions exemplify and that this commemoration will invite us to rediscover and to deepen. This present letter is simply meant to provide information on the organization of the jubilee year.
The jubilee will begin on December 3rd, 2005, coinciding with the traditional pilgrimages on the feast of Saint Francis at Xavier in Navarre and in Goa, India. The jubilee year will end on December 3rd, 2006. The whole Society will celebrate the three first companions the 22nd of April, 2006, feast of Our Lady, Mother of the Society of Jesus.
On the occasion of this jubilee year, provinces are already planning meetings and publications, pilgrimages and exhibitions. In general, these initiatives are being taken together with lay partners in our apostolic works, with the Christian Life Communities and other groups of Ignatian spirituality, with religious families founded by Jesuits or inspired by the Ignatian Constitutions and, last but not least, with the alumni and alumnae, former and present, of Jesuit educational institutions. The Curia will draw attention to some of the more noteworthy initiatives. Two international congresses are already in preparation: one at Loyola on the Spiritual Exercises from the 21st of August till the 26th of August, 2006, and one in Rome on the Constitutions from the 9th of October till the 14th of October, 2006. The Major Superiors are requested to inform in good time their provinces or regions of planned celebrations.
According to Decree 23 of the 34th General Congregation (No. 486), a meeting of all the Major Superiors has to be convoked approximately every six years beginning from the last General Congregation "to consider the state, the problems and the initiatives of the universal Society, as well as international and supra-provincial cooperation". Since the last meeting of this kind was held in September 2000, it would be most convenient that the encounter of all the Major Superiors take place from Saturday November 26th in the evening at Loyola so as to finish on December 3rd, 2005, in the morning, coinciding with the beginning at Xavier of the jubilee year. In Lent 2005, the agenda of the gathering of the Major Superiors will be communicated.
I commend all these planned events to your prayer and to your attention.
Fraternally yours in Our Lord,
Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.
Superior General
2006 Jesuit Jubilee: 2006 Society of Jesus Jubilee Background - 2006 Jubilee Prayer - Jubilee Celebrated - California Province Planned Activities - United States Planned Activities - Activities Planned Around the World (Curia-sponsored Events, Liturgical Celebrations, Vatican Media Event, Retreats, Exhibitions, Publications, Audio Visuals, Stage Productions, Pilgrimages, Seminars, Symposia, Conferences, Miscellaneous, Food/Craft Fair, Sports Competitions, Picnics, Jubilee Year Chapels, Motor Treasure Hunt)
Jubilee Messages: Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, Superior General, Fr. John McGarry, California Provincial Superior
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam