On
27 September the General Curia in Rome welcomed staff and their families into
its garden for an Open Garden event. This annual event, though it might seem at
first like a simple social gathering, carried both a deep sense of community
and history. The date itself is significant: on 27 September 1540, Pope Paul
III formally established the Society of Jesus with the bull Regimini
militantis Ecclesiae.This year’s Open Garden event was coloured,
therefore, by this important moment in the history of the Church.
The
General Curia is usually a workplace, functioning as the administrative centre
of the Society of Jesus in the world, but for a few hours during the Open Garden
event, it transforms into something different. Members of staff, collaborators,
their families, and relatives were received not only in the garden at the heart
of the Curia grounds but also entered other parts of the building. They were
led on guided tours through some parts that many do not get to see when they
visit. These tours connected them more directly with the life of the Society,
helping them to broaden their understanding of the functioning of the General
Curia.
The garden itself was
the setting for an entertaining evening. Children were invited to join in
games, creating an atmosphere of play and lightness that contrasts with the
formality normally associated with the Curia. Music also added to the evening
event. There were sing-alongs of popular songs led by some Jesuits from the
Curia community and the families of the staff. Everyone singing together gave
each person an easy way to participate, instinctually joining in a chorus or a
verse of the chosen songs – no need for rehearsals or explanations.
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