Accompaniment: Japan and Australia

Japan. The annual retreat of the Japanese community was held from 15 – 23 November 2024 at Maria Convent Retreat House of the Sacred Heart Sisters Congregation (RSCJ) in Susono Shizu-oka Prefecture, within a short distance of Mt. Fuji. Every morning, we waited anxiously for the clouds to clear to glimpse the beauty of the iconic Japanese mountain. Perhaps the anticipation also reflected our desire for Jesus in prayer, to encounter him and be drawn into his embrace. The retreat house provided us with an ideal space for quiet, as did the daily walks amongst the surrounding tea plantations.

I gave two conferences a day, each followed by time for personal prayer, a sharing session, evening Mass, and an evening free sharing. The retreat was based on the four movements of the heart. We started with, “What is going on for you? How is/has Jesus been present? Then, “Jesus show me a deeper intimacy with you”, and looking at Our Lady at Cana, we heard her say, “Do whatever he tells you”. Following this came “Letting Go” and the transformation which comes through kenosis (emptying). We used ritual to help embody the letting go and letting come, placing stones that represented what we held on to at the base of a candle representing the light of Christ that leads us through the “not knowing” that comes with letting go and into mission. The retreat ended with a communal ritual of commissioning to mission and recognition of the presence of God in the journey.

Besides the retreat, I spent time with the members, seeing their mission activities and discussing ministry contracts that exist between their home provinces, the members, and the Generalate. The community also held their two-day annual assembly, which was primarily concerned with new statutes that have been adopted since the change from a Region of the Australian Province to a community under the Superior General. The assembly included a wonderful celebration of the renewal of profession for Br. Bato (Babatera Pacific Islands Province).

Australia. In December 2024, I also gave retreats in Australia. The Australian Province Chapter of 2023 recommended that the Provincial Administration work to ‘affirm and bless the gifts of the members of the province and so enable the gifts of members to be at the service of the mission of the province.’ The provincial, Stephen Hackett, invited me to design and implement a retreat process that could enable this end.

Once again, the retreat is built on the framework of Spirituality of the Heart. It uses scriptural themes, the process from Henri Nouwen’s book, “The Life of the Beloved” (taken, blessed, broken, and given), experiential-based input, silence, prayer, ritual, and group sharing. There are five retreats planned. I was a part of the facilitating teams for the first three: one in Melbourne, one in Kensington Monastery in Sydney, and the third, after New Year, at St. Mary’s Towers MSC Retreat Centre at Douglas Park. Local teams in Douglas Park and Vietnam will hold two other retreats in June. Each retreat was presented by a different team and involved the training and preparation of those presenting. The retreat process was the same for each retreat, with variations the result of the distinct needs of each group.

About fifty confrères participated in the three retreats, expressing appreciation and positive feedback. The ritual moments touched some members deeply, and the group sharing allowed significant moments of joy and challenge.

Chris Chaplin, MSC