‘I am happy to have this time with you, my very first trip to Thailand!”
This was the opening speech by Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, the Jesuit Superior General, during his meeting with the Jesuits in Thailand on July 22, 2026. Indeed, this was his first visit to Thailand, during which, for over a week, he described himself as ‘a pilgrim’ seeking to learn about the Society’s missions in this Region. Alongside Fr. General, there were Fr. José Magadia, SJ (the Regional Assistant for Asia-Pacific), Fr. Tomasz Kot, SJ (the Regional Assistant for East/Central Europe), and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ (from the Communication Office in Rome).
Before traveling to other Jesuit communities, Fr. General spent his first two days (July 21-22) listening, praying, and discussing with his Jesuit brothers at the Seven Fountains Spirituality Center in Chiang Mai. On the first day, 34 Jesuits (3 were absent because they are in formation abroad) and two female lay partners presented their missions, which included intellectual apostolate, spirituality, formation for young people, and social justice.
In the afternoon, Fr. General met privately with the 23 Jesuits in formation (before final vows), 11 of whom were already priests. While expressing how delighted he was to see many young Jesuits in Thailand, he encouraged them not to forget to be entirely open to God, who guides them in what they can contribute to the Church and Thai society. Fr. General reminded them that ‘you are not the future of the Society, you are the PRESENT’.
The following day, Fr. General delivered his reflection after listening to many Jesuit apostolates in Thailand. He emphasised that ‘though our Jesuit numbers (in Thailand) are still small, there is hope’, especially through Jesuit formation efforts and apostolates in this country. Nevertheless, Fr. General invited all the Jesuits to reflect on two interrelated words: mission and discernment.
First, Fr. General introduced the term ‘life-mission’, implying that the Jesuit’s ministry is not just about ‘doing’ but, most importantly, ‘their way of living’. He gave an example of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the First (Jesuit) Companions in the early 16th century, whose missions were rooted in their prayer and common discernment. As emphasised by Fr. General, the Jesuits’ life-mission involves ‘consistency’ in living a good religious life, whether in private or in public; a sense of ‘community’ that should be considered an apostolate itself; and ‘collaboration’ with others in God’s mission.
Second, Fr. General invited the Jesuits to recognise the importance of discernment in common. To do so, each person must have interior spiritual freedom. This freedom includes detachment from one’s work to enter the discernment process. In this way, the Jesuits in Thailand could be genuinely led by the Holy Spirit and come to know how to live their mission in Thailand.
At the end of the meeting, Fr. General reminded the Jesuits in Thailand not to lose hope. To maintain that hope, the Jesuits must ‘remain close to Jesus’, who is their source of strength.
By Fr. Charles Nopparat Ruankool, SJ
