On 15 August 2026, four new scholastics of the Society of Jesus in Timor-Leste pronounced their First Vows at the Centro de Espiritualidade Inaciana para a Paz e Reconciliação (CEIPAR) in Hera. Sch. Alvaro Augusto Alexandre de Araújo, SJ; Sch. Jose da Costa Pereira Soares, SJ; Sch. Moises Mendonca da Conceição, SJ; and Sch. Ronaldo de Jesus Seran SJ, made their first permanent commitment to the Society of Jesus during the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The choice of the date carried a particular significance in the history of the Society of Jesus. On the same feast in 1534, St. Ignatius of Loyola and his first companions gathered at Montmartre in Paris and made their First Vows. More than five centuries later, four young Jesuits in Timor-Leste took their own first vows on that same feast, becoming part of a story that began with a small group of companions and continues to unfold across generations and cultures.
The connection between these two moments offers a quiet reminder that a Jesuit vocation is always part of something larger than oneself. The companions at Montmartre could not have known how their first commitment would eventually unfold into the worldwide mission of the Society of Jesus.
After the Mass, the community gathered around a shared meal, bringing together the four newly professed scholastics, their families, Jesuit companions and the wider community. Around the table, the solemnity of the morning gave way to the simple joy of being together. It was a reminder that while a vocation may be personally embraced, it is never lived alone, for there are many others who accompany, encourage, celebrate and pray with us along the way.
Indeed, their families, Jesuits, companions, formators and friends have accompanied these new scholastics in different ways, and their continuing journey will likewise depend on the prayer and support of the wider community.
Thus, the Jesuits in Timor-Leste invite everyone to continue praying for our new scholastics, particularly for perseverance in their vocation in the Society of Jesus. As they continue their formation, may they remain attentive to God’s guidance, faithful to their commitment and generous in responding to the needs of the people they are called to serve.
Like Ignatius and his companions at Montmartre, in saying ‘yes’ to following their religious vocation in the Society of Jesus, these new young Jesuits have taken a first step in a journey whose full meaning will only become clearer with time.
May that first yes continue to grow through prayer, companionship, discernment and service, and may their lives become an ever-deeper response to the call they have received.
Written by Gracieta L. Ximenes (ETR Volunteer)