On the 15th of August Fons Swinnen became the new provincial of the Flemish Jesuits. A couple of days before I left for the World Congress of Jesuit Alumni/ae in Bujumbura (Burundi), I went to visit him in his former community in Antwerp. A spontaneous conversation unrolled itself with accents on Africa and college work in Flanders.

The Flemish Jesuit province counts 165 fathers and brothers. Most of them have already a respectable age, but they don’t feel old yet. A smaller group of young is active is diverse apostolic sectors : secondary and universitary education, spiritual accompaniment via retraites, conferentions; in parishes, almoners in prisons, … Father provincial has the responsibility on these policies. Regular contact with each of the members is thereby very important on that account that everyone feels comfortable and welcome. In the future, a growing cooperation between Jesuits from other European countries is life important. Candidates for the society do their noviciate in Birmingham and continue their studies in Jesuit houses in Paris or München, Madrid, Rome … The formation is adapted to apostolic needs, but as much on personal possibilities and desires. The question is ‘What can I do more in service of God and the people?’

Father Swinnen told me about the first signs of his mission vocation. This vocation brought him to the noviciate of Drongen. Two years later, in 1964, he travelled to Congo with father Michel Istas, alumnus from the Collège Notre-Dame, Antwerp. The country was in full rebellion. Young fathers from Congo and Rwanda, but also from Basque country, Mexico, Columbia did their first philosophic studies in Kimwenza. Father Fons did two more years of course in a secondary school in the Congolese inland, before coming back to Belgium to start theological studies.

In 1974 he became brousse father in the Kwango area and took off for the Ntemo College in Kasongo-Lunda and Kubama College in Kisantu. From 1987 till 1995 he was prefect and afterwards director from the Bonsomi College in Ndjili/Kinshasa. As boarding-school director he was able to hand out many responsibilities. Nice to know is that the boys who were responsible for the nursery often made it to nurse or doctor. The head responsible of Memisa/Congo is an Alumnus. Others became teachers, engineers, journalists. Numerous are the priests in the diocese and Society of Jesus. With many of his students he stayed in touch, thanks to internet correspondence. He regrets that the wealth of ignatian spirituality isn’t know enough among us (Western people) : her contemporary possibilities to authentic god encountering, her openness to science and culture, her flexible design.

‘To go on encounter’ is one of Fons Swinnens motives. After Congo he got the opportunity the prolong his vocation as accompanist religion and pastoral in the 7 Flemish Jesuit Colleges. ‘Being someone for the o(O)ther’ : that is the profile for a man or woman who lived ignatian education.

Our world is a village. Father Swinnen made me clear that it is enriching to meet each other as brothers and sisters. There is a high need of contact between different cultures. I had the opportunity to put these words in deeds in Bujumbura.

Alexandra Boogers