Les Tertiaires et les trente jours

Le 14 décembre, les tertiaires sont arrivés au terme de leur grande retraite. Ceux qui ont pu les rencontrer lors des deux soirées portes ouvertes en octobre et en novembre, reconnaîtront Benoît de Belgique, Jean Paul du Rwanda, Fernando du Portugal, Wilbert du Myanmar, Wojtek et Michał de la Pologne, et enfin Philip de l’Inde. Charlie Davy, de l’Irlande, est instructeur-adjoint. Il a accompagné quatre de nos compagnons lors de leur retraite.

Deux sœurs, Siham (FMM) et Najiba (Petite Sœur) ont rejoint la retraite, au cours de laquelle plusieurs retraitants sont passés pour quelques jours. Nawras aussi en a profité pour faire sa propre retraite.

Voici les tertiaires dans leurs propres mots :

I am Fr. Michał Karnawalski, S.J. I was born in the socialist Poland in 1980 in the city of Lublin which is in the central-Eastern part of the country about a hundred kilometers from the Ukrainian border. My early life is shaped by the proclamation of martial law and the shoot of the communism which followed it. I was a scoutmaster for many years. I’m a passionate Old Testament scholar and a lecturer at the Catholic Academy in Warsaw. My priestly formation took place in a few countries and I’m eager to share that experience with my fellow tertians.

I am Wojciech Kowalski, age 49. I come from the southern part of Poland. I joined the Society of Jesus in 1998. After my ordination in 2009, I was active in the following works, in chronological order: Polish pastoral ministry in Dublin, academic pastor, parish vicar, retreat leader, catechist, moderator of Magis youth community. I like music, cycling and mountains hiking.

I am Philip Kumar, from the newly erected Chennai Province , Tamilnadu, India. I was ordained in 2014. Before coming here, I worked for five years among a tribal community and worked with fisher folks for three years.

I am Wilbert Mireh, from Myanmar, a Southeast Asian country where the Catholics are less than 2% of the 55-million total population. After my novitiate in the country and Juniorate, Philosophy and Theology in the Philippines, with a Regency in Micronesia between the two periods of study, I became the first Myanmar Jesuit to be ordained a Catholic priest. Except for the two years of educational studies in Australia, I have since done ministries in education, vocation promotion and social justice.

I am Jean Paul Mukunzi, from Rwanda. I was born on the 1st of March 1978,  in the Southern part of Rwanda, in the parish called Gisagara of Butare diocese.  I joined the society of Jesus in 2001. Before coming to Lebanon, I was the director of St Ignatius High School Kibagabaga in Kigali. So far I am very happy to be in Birkfaya in the school of heart and prayer.  The place and companions here are God’s gift.

I am Fernando Antonio Oliveira Ribeiro, a Portuguese Jesuit, born in 1971. I entered the Society of Jesus in 2004 and was ordained a priest in 2015. I studied philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy of Braga and theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, first cycle, and at the Pontifical University of Comillas, for a second cycle in Moral Theology. During the last six years, I developed my pastoral activity as a university chaplain in Évora – Portugal. In addition, I was also a professor at the Higher Institute of Theology of Évora and a spiritual assistant of the Non-Governmental Organization “Leigos para o Desenvolvimento”.

I am Benoit Willemaers, from Belgium. Born in 1981, I joined the Society of Jesus in 2006. After my formation, which mostly took place in Paris, I was ordained priest in 2016. During my years as a Jesuit, I have first worked for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Belgium. I was then mostly active in the youth apostolate for the last six years. In the last years, I was a chaplain at the University of Namur (Belgium).

P. Dany Younès, S.J.