Dear ,

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

Welcome to our February newsletter, this month we highlight 'conversation in the Spirit', a method used by the Jesuits in their 2016 General Congregation, which became widely known during the Plenary Council and Synod on Synodality.

The process of ‘conversation in the Spirit’ is dynamic, going beyond debate or an exchange of ideas to become a transformative spiritual encounter where respectful listening, and a shared search for God’s will is central.

This month, we also feature art and reflections marking the Jubilee Year of Hope, and invite you to experience a Spiritual Exercise, Bandage of Kindness.

Be slow to speak and cultivate kindness

The first is to be slow to speak, secondly to invite people to cultivate kindness, compassion, humility, sincerity, and equality, and thirdly openness to self-knowledge and others.

Michael Hansen SJ outlines the key ingredients Ignatius proposes for ‘conversation in the Spirit’. Learn more about and enquire with JISA for conversation in the Spirit and discernment.

Ignatian Formation for Leadership

Strengthen and embed identity, purpose, vision, and mission in your organisation.

Opening a space for you to create environments of pause for personal and communal processes, and for the discernment of complex choices. Paying attention to your desires and dreaming, present relationships and circumstances, including the tensions, asking, what is the Spirit up to, where are we being led?

Tailored programs for your people and training for you to use these methods and tools to best serve your mission and purpose.

JISA artists celebrate the Jubilee Year

As a major part of the Church’s Jubilee Year in 2025, Pilgrims of Hope, artists have been invited by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference to harness their gifts and insights and create works of art to help us break open the word.

We are delighted to share two artists from our JISA Giving community, Lynne Head-Weir, and Kerry Holland, who share their beautiful creations and reflections.

We hope they provoke conversation, and provide a space for meditation, a place to stop and ponder, to ask a question or just to sit and soak in the peace.

'Letting Go to Grow'

Lynne Head-Weir reflects on the interior life of a seed as a metaphor for our growing spiritual life.

'See others in a hopeful way'

Kerry Holland shares her beautiful artwork and reflection “Jesus… asks me to see that kindness and generosity are not necessarily the responses of those I think are worthy, but all people have the possibility of great goodness and loving action.”

New website for Peter Canisius House, Pymble NSW

Situated amongst gardens and bushland, Peter Canisius House in Pymble is an ideal venue for your residential events. For businesses, schools, organisations, and groups.

With 43 comfortable rooms, five spacious meeting rooms suitable for up to 100 people, and a dining room serving delicious meals, it is conveniently located only 40 minutes from Sydney’s CBD, with public transport options, and plenty of on-site parking.