The Society of Jesus (S.J. from Latin: Societas Iesu) is a scholarly religious congregation of the Catholic Church which originated in sixteenth-century Spain. The members are called Jesuits. The society is engaged in evangelization and apostolic ministry in 112 nations on six continents. Jesuits work in education (founding schools, colleges, universities, and seminaries), intellectual research, and cultural pursuits. Jesuits also give retreats, minister in hospitals and parishes, sponsor direct social ministries, and promote ecumenical dialogue.
Ignatius of Loyola, a Basque nobleman from the Pyrenees area of northern Spain, founded the society after discerning his spiritual vocation while recovering from a wound sustained in the Battle of Pamplona. He composed the Spiritual Exercises to help others follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. In 1534, Ignatius and six other young men, including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, gathered and professed vows of poverty, chastity, and later obedience, including a special vow of obedience to the Pope in matters of mission direction and assignment.
In the vision of our founder, we seek to “find God in all things.” We dedicate ourselves to the “greater glory of God” and the good of all humanity. And we do so gratefully in collaboration with others who share our values, including laypersons. They have become part of the “we,” the extended Jesuit family. With 16,000-plus priests, brothers, scholastics and novices worldwide, we are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. We are pastors, teachers, and chaplains. We are also doctors, lawyers, and astronomers, among many other roles in Church and society. In our varied ministries, we care for the whole person: body, mind, and soul. And especially in our education ministries, we seek to nurture “men and women for others.”
Jesuits draw on the rich tradition of Ignatian spirituality and reflection. In our retreat centers, parishes, campus ministries, and other settings, we offer these resources to all who want to discern God’s presence in their lives. At the same time, we also aim to be “contemplatives in action,” people who bring this spirituality into the wide world. That includes our work on behalf of global justice, peace, and dialogue.
St Francis Xavier was the first Jesuit to come to Goa; King John III of Portugal, whose naval forces had acquired certain areas of India in particular Goa (1510), was keen on promoting Christianity in them. St. Francis Xavier on a ship Santiago set sails for Goa on 7th April 1541, Xavier’s 35th birthday, but due to bad weather it was marooned in Mozambique. The Governor-Elect Martim Afonso de Sousa, who was travelling in the same ship, was in a hurry to reach Goa, so he proceeded in a smaller ship, taking Xavier along. So it was Xavier alone, the first Jesuit, who landed in Goa on 6th May 1542.
On his arrival in Goa Xavier found a Church well established. He came to know that the Holy Mass had been celebrated for the first time on the Goan soil on 25 November 1510, He also learnt that Goa had been constituted into a Diocese by Pope Clement VII already in 1533 with its jurisdiction extending from the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) to China and Japan.Soon after his arrival in Goa, he was invited to head St Paul's College, a pioneer seminary for the education of diocesan priests, which became the first Jesuit headquarters in Asia. Gradually, more Jesuits arrived from Europe via Portugal so much so that by 1549 St Ignatius found it fitting to constitute the Jesuit Province of GOA (sometimes called Province of India) with Xavier as the first Provincial. It became the first Jesuit Province outside Europe and the third in the Society after Portugal and Spain. Its territory covered the entire area from the Southern tip of Africa until Japan in the East.
The number of Jesuits coming to India increased rather rapidly. In 1561 there were in this Province 148 members, with 79 at St Paul’s College (22 priests, 29 Scholastics and 28 Brothers) and the rest dispersed in 12 missions including Goa. Most of the Jesuit missionaries ran schools, as means of evangelization, both in Goa itself and in other stations of the Province. In Goa, they had St Paul’s College where in 1556 the first printing press with movable types of Roman script was set up, and a school in Margao (1574) which was later shifted to Rachol (present Seminary). It was only on 5th January 1560 that Fr Pero Mascarenhas and Bro Manuel Gomes crossed the Zuari River and celebrated the first Mass in Cortalim. In 1585 the Jesuits built a residence, unique in the Society and the only one outside Europe, where Professed Fathers lived under strict rules of poverty. It was called the Casa Professa. The building that we see today is but a part of that edifice which was partly destroyed by fire in 1663. In 1594 foundation was laid of the adjoining church of Bom Jesus (Good Jesus), which was completed and consecrated on 15 May 1605. This magnificent church, bearing many architectural similarities to the Church of Gesù in Rome, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘Mother Church’ of the Jesuits, was raised to the rank of Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1948.
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Voice training session at Jesuit House, Panjim, Goa Posted on Thursday, September 8, 2022 - Jesuit House, Panjim in collaboration with CLC, organized an On-Campus session... Read More |
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Encouraging goan youth to aspire for a career in the IAS-Indian Administrative Service Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 - Goans were known to engage in public life, such as the Gaonkari Sabhas. During... Read More |
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PRE-ORDINATION PROGRAM Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 - The Darjeeling Province hosted the Pre-Ordination Program, also known as Arrupe... Read More |
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The Blessings of Goencho Saib Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - The Rector of the Basilica de Bom Jesus, Rev. Fr. Patricio Fernandes S.J... Read More |
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Keeping the Doors of Learning Open Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - The friends of the Jesuits have launched an initiative the ‘Collaborative... Read More |
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The Making of a Jesuit Priest Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - The covid 19 pandemic led to severe travel restrictions as a result of which... Read More |
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Supporting People through Counselling Posted on Monday, August 2, 2021 - The Covid pandemic spread at an alarming rate. Due to the steep rise in covid... Read More |
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House of Prayer Undergoes Renovation Posted on Monday, August 2, 2021 - The Xavier Retreat House is perched picturesquely atop a quaint hillock in... Read More |
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Helping the Marginalized to Survive the Pandemic Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - During the covid pandemic, SWADES (Social Wing of the Goa Jesuits) under the... Read More |
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Covid Care and Compassionate Centre Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - As the pandemic was raging the state of Goa, the Jesuit Community at PAI opened... Read More |
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A Path through Love: An Ignatian Holy Week Retreat Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - To deepen the faith in the experience of Paschal Mysteries, a 3 day Ignatian... Read More |
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Shramik Abhivrudhi Sangh /Jana Jagaran (SAS/JJ) and Xavier Farm Posted on Monday, September 12, 2022 - Shramik Abhivrudhi Sangh /Jana Jagaran (SAS/JJ) continues its toil among the... Read More |
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Help to Covid Patients through Covid Care Unit Posted on Monday, August 2, 2021 - Shramik Abhivrudhi Sangh (SAS), commonly known as Jana Jagaran, is a social... Read More |
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Empowering Women through Tailoring Classes Posted on Monday, August 2, 2021 - Fr. Prakash Figerdo sought the help of ‘SWADES’ (Social Wing) and organized... Read More |
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Coming Together to Overcome COVID-19 Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - The Jesuit Fathers of St. Paul’s School, Belgaum, together with the support... Read More |
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Accompanying Youth and Young Adults on their Journey Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - Fr. Kustas Lima, the coordinator of the youth of the Khanapur Deanery, arranged... Read More |
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First Vows Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - On 21st June 2021, Xavier Training College, Desur, was bubbling with joy as... Read More |
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Fr. Menino Gonsalves Awarded Updated on Monday, August 2, 2021 - Fr. Menino's works of uplifting the society by being an interreligious person,... Read More |
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Throwing Life Out of Gear: COVID 19 and Floods Updated on Friday, August 6, 2021 - The Ratnagiri Mission covers the areas of Chiplun, Harnai, Khed and Ratnagiri,... Read More |
The Society of Jesus was founded in 1540 by Saint Ignatius Loyola and his companions. The mission of the Jesuits is a mission of justice and reconciliation, working so that women and men can be reconciled with God, with themselves, with each other and with God’s creation.