JESCOL (Level 1) - ‘Towards Proactive Partnerships’ was held from May 26th to 28th, 2022 in the auditorium of St. Aloysius Gonzaga School, Mangaluru. The programme was intended to empower the collaborators to bring about a change in the society through education. On 26th May the programme commenced with a prayer service by the Gonzaga team followed by the lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries. The Principal, Fr. Melwyn Anil Lobo delivered a welcome speech. After a brief address by Fr Denzil Lobo, Prof Clement DSouza gave an Introduction to the Programme and its Dynamics. <br>
Fr Felix Victor spoke about Group Dynamics Team Building and conducted an icebreaker session for the participants. Fr. Denzil Lobo took up a session on ‘Jesuit History: Origin and Growth’. He outlined the story of Ignatius from his early childhood until the formation of the Society of Jesus. He explained the characteristics of Jesuit Education and spoke about the 4Cs (Competence, Conscience, Compassion and Commitment) of Jesuit Education. Fr Felix Victor took up a session on Jesuit Legacy: Purpose, Vision, Mission and highlighted the key elements of Jesuit Vision: <br>
The last session of the day was a Panel Discussion on Sharing of Experiences on collaboration with Jesuit Institutions. The panelists were:
The panellists shared their experiences and inspirations, and stressed on the need to grab all the opportunities that come our way.<br>
The second day began with a session on Characteristics of Jesuit Education by Fr. Swebert D’Silva SJ. He said that Jesuit Education starts with God and assists in the total formation of each individual, preparing him/her for a meaningful life. Fr Dionysius Vas SJ took up a session on Jesuit Leadership and Governance in which he explained about the administrative structure of the community and the five key elements of the Jesuit Governance:
Fr Joseph Lobo SJ took a session on Jesuits and Spiritual Exercises in which he spoke about the foundational principles of Spiritual Exercises. Fr Arun Luis SJ brought out the works done for the poor through the topic Jesuits and Option for the Poor. He shared his experiences with the people of Mundgod, Bijapur and Manvi through which he enlightened the participants about the need to serve others. The participants were then divided into nine groups and assigned with two questions each on Collaboration. Prof Clement Dsouza led a discussion in which the groups had to present their views to the larger group and answer the questions asked. <br>
On the third day Fr. Joseph Lobo SJ in his session on Collaboration explained that no person has the resources, experiences and knowledge to do an important task all by himself. Collaboration is at the heart of the Jesuit Education. Fr Melwyn Joseph Pinto SJ Rector of St Aloysius Institutions engaged the audience on the topic Contemporary Indian Situation: Need for Interreligious Dialogue, Peace Initiatives. He said that we must teach children to celebrate differences rather than just tolerating them. <br>
Fr Joseph Lobo SJ took up the next session on Examination of Consciousness and also conducted a Practical Session on it. He focused on the five steps of Examination of Consciousness:
The three-day session ended with the experience sharing session by four teachers, evaluation and certificate distribution. Ms Aparna Suresh was the Local Coordinator of the programme. The JESCOL seminars was organised by the Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society under the leadership of Fr. Swebert D’Silva SJ, coordinator of JESCOL programme in Karnataka Province. Prof. Clement D'souza, St Joseph’s college was the mentor behind the implementation of this three-day program.
