Lay and Jesuits Together Committee

New Chair of the Committee:
Fr. Noel Barber, S.J. Rector of Milltown Park Community.

Niamh O' Carroll's baby, arrived safe, weighty and late on August 15th 2003. Congratulations from LayJay committee to Mum and Dad and welcome to Barry James.

The last meeting on the 12th of September focused on how we might progress Collaborative Ministry.

Next meeting of the LayJay Committee is on Wednesday 12th November 2003.

A question for for reflection by the readers is:
How, when, where do Lay and Jays, who work in common missions together, share prayer, faith and theology?

"Theme Weekend" for Jesuits in Our Colleges
Fri. 12th - Sat 13th September:

The "theme" was the 'Real Novitiate' - Emo: with 'Beadle' and 'Sub-beadle', and talk of 'Tintinabulum' and 'Challenger' and SPOW.

Friday evening, Saturday morning saw 16 Jesuits working in our Colleges ensconced in the 'Old Novitiate' at Manresa in Dollymount. They were there to celebrate life in the Colleges and to share the ethos that motivates their lives and apostolates. Besides sharing nostalgic stories of life in bye-gone days in scholastic-rich Regencies, such questions as "What gets you up in the morning" to face the work of the day, and 'How does the Real Presence impact on your interaction with the students'! You might say 'heady stuff' but it was much more 'heart stuff' giving good energy to all.

There is a realisation that there is about a five year window left for Jesuits to be formally on teaching staffs in our Colleges. There was good hope expressed about the 'Ethos Groups' in each of the Colleges.

An enjoyable event:Thank You, Liam O'Connell, Sub-beadle, and Kennedy O'Brien, Beadle. The 'change of office' brings Peter Sexton in as Beadle and Michael Sheil as Sub-beadle for the January event.

The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, in conjunction with the Conference of Religious of Ireland [CORI] has recently published Good Practice Guidelines for all "Working with Children and Young People in The Catholic Church Community in Ireland". We have been asked to make copies available to all Irish Jesuits, particularly those who are involved in activities with children and young people. The document is addressed to Church-related agencies and sponsoring bodies(parishes, dioceses and religious congregations) undertaking activities involving children and young people. It aims to provide guidance to such agencies and sponsoring bodies on the development of good practice procedures for the protection of children and young people from abuse of any type. "The development and effective implementation of such good practices is the concern of all who are working in church-related bodies - priests, religious, lay people - whether on a paid or unpaid basis", the document says. Copies are available from the Office here at Loyola, 87, Eglinton Road, Dublin 4, on request.

In June of this year, 2003, a Working Group, chaired by Ms. Maureen Lynott, was established by the Bishops' Conference, CORI and the IMU [Irish Missionary Union] to draw up a comprehensive and integrated child protection policy for the Catholic Church. It is due to report in 2004. The document referred to above is therefore an interim document.

John Humphreys, SJ.
Delegate for Child Protection.