The Society of Jesus is a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church founded in the 16th Century by Ignatius of Loyola. Members of this religious order are commonly known as Jesuits. Of the 17,000 plus members of the Society of Jesus in the world, 287 are Jesuits in the Philippines (224 priests, 53 scholastics, 10 brothers).
The Society of Jesus in the Philippines is proximately administered today by its Provincial Superior, Fr. Primitivo Viray, S.J., in Quezon City, and ultimately by its Superior General, Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J., in Rome. Fr. Viray is assisted by Fr. William Abbott, S.J., and Fr. Cesar Marin, S.J., Treasurer. Below the Provincial are various superiors of communities (e.g. the superior of the Jesuits in Bukidnon) and directors of works (e.g. the president of the Ateneo de Manila University).
Jesuits in the Philippines are Servants of Christ’s Mission, especially at the frontiers. They carry out in the Philippines the general mission of the Society of Jesus worldwide, namely, (1) the proclamation of the Faith, (2) the promotion of the Justice that that Faith implies, (3) sensitivity to culture and inculturation, and (4) inter-religious dialogue – all Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam – unto the greater glory of God.
All of its works today entail close and substantial collaboration with lay-partners, benefactors and friends.
The formation of Jesuits for mission is a key activity and concern of the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. Unto this end, it runs and administers Sacred Heart Novitiate, Loyola House of Studies, Loyola School of Theology, and the Philippine Province Tertianship. For Asian Jesuits, the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, hosts and participates in the Arrupe International Residence. All these Jesuit formation houses are in Quezon City.
As principal contributions to the formation of non-Jesuit priests for the local Catholic Churches of the Philippines, the Society of Jesus administers San Jose Major Seminary (Quezon City) and St. John Vianney Seminary (Cagayan de Oro City). San Jose is a national seminary while John Vianney is a regional seminary.
The founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola, bequeathed to the Jesuits the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. A principal activity of Jesuits in the Philippines is the propagation of Jesuit or Ignatian spirituality through the 30-day Ignatian retreat or its variant 8-day, 5-day and 3-day versions. The Center for Ignatian Spirituality (CIS) and the Emmaus Center Foundation promote Ignatian spirituality for various groups. Retreats, related seminars, and other spiritual encounters are held in the Jesuits’ Jesuit Retreat and Seminary Center (Novaliches, Quezon City), Jesuit Retreat House (Cebu and Malaybalay), Jesuit Villa (Baguio) and Angono Retreat House (Angono, Rizal).
Jesuits in the Philippines are well known for their educational institutions. They run five universities – Ateneo de Manila, Ateneo de Naga, Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, Ateneo de Davao, and Ateneo de Zamboanga – as well as three major basic-education schools – Xavier High School (San Juan, MM), Ateneo de Cebu-Sacred Heart Jesuit School (Cebu), Ateneo de Iloilo-Sta. Maria High School (Iloilo). Especially related to the schools through its research and teaching is the Manila Observatory. Schools in direct service of the poor are the Educational Research and Development Assistance Foundation (ERDA) Technical School (Pandacan, Manila), now administered by Xavier School, and the SAPAK Experimental Farm (Cebu). The schools are a privileged platform for many Jesuit works in the social and pastoral apostolates.
In a society that is marked by widespread poverty, social injustice and corruption, Jesuits in the Philippines strive for a more just and humane society through it various social ministries. These include the Institute of Social Order, the Institute on Church and Social Issues, the Institute of Environmental Science for Social Change, the Ugnayan at Tulong sa Maralitang Pamilya Foundation and the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service, all in Metro Manila. The Society of Jesus Social Apostolate (SJSA) is a network of 21 school-based social organizations and nine socially-oriented organizations animated by Jesuits. The social ministries critique society; they conscienticize and empower people for social change, especially through organization.
Jesuits run parishes – especially where their parishioners are poor or marginalized. In the Bukidnon Mission District, Jesuits run the parishes of Cabanglasan, Pangantucan, Zamboanguita (upper Pulangi) and Miarayon. They also run the Chinese-Filipino parishes in San Juan (Mary the Queen), Cebu (Sacred Heart), and Iloilo (Sta. Maria). The other parishes Jesuits run are in Culion, Palawan (Immaculate Concepcion) and Miraculous Medal (Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro).
Jesuits are chaplains of the Philippine General Hospital (Manila). PGH is the largest of public hospitals in the Philippine.
The Jesuit-run Center for Family Ministry (Quezon City) ministers to families. It provides programs and counseling services designed to strengthen the family.
Philippine Jesuits collaborate with Jesuits of other Provinces in such ministries as: the East Asian Pastoral Institute (updates Christian leaders from Asian countries in various forms of ministry), the Jesuit Service Cambodia (cares for marginalized and impoverished Cambodians) and the Jesuit Refugee Service. There are also Philippine Jesuit missionaries in East Timor.
Finally, Philippine Jesuits are in communications through the Jesuit Communications Foundation (religious and socially-critical programs) and the Jesuit Music Ministry (liturgical and spiritual music).