The Magazine of St Aloysius' College • 'Men for Others' • Issue XLVII ...

Provincial-Elect Fr Steve Curtin SJ on the threshold.
Provincial-Elect Fr Steve Curtin SJ with Cambodian refugees in
Thailand-1997.
SJ will be the next Provincial of the Australian Province.
In making the appointment, Fr General wrote “Please
extend my thanks and encouragement to Father Curtin as
he prepares to assume this very important service to the
universal Society, to his Jesuit brethren, and to all your lay
colleagues in the Australian Province and its apostolates”.
It is envisaged that Fr Curtin will take up this position as
Provincial on the Feast of Saint Ignatius, 31 July next. That
will then free the present Provincial, Fr Mark Raper SJ AM
(SAC 1960) to take up his new post as President of the
Conference of Jesuit superiors in East Asia-Oceania, based
in Manila – a role left vacant by Fr Nicolás’ appointment.
Fr Curtin currently lives in the St Canice’s parish community
in Kings Cross and is the Director of Jesuit Mission, working
out of North Sydney. In that role, he has been responsible
for fund-raising and other support of Australian Jesuits on
overseas mission – presently in Myanmar (Burma), East
Timor, Pakistan, India, the Philippines and Lagos (Africa).
He has previously worked as Regional Director of the
Jesuit Refugee Service (Asia-Pacific), based in Bangkok.
At one time in the early nineties, he was a member of the
St Aloysius’ Jesuit community, working both here and with
inner-city homeless people. The following year he worked
as a counsellor with refugees from Vietnam living in the
Philippines. Fr Curtin went to school at Riverview where
he was the first Day-Boy School Captain (previously the
preserve of boarders). At university he studied psychology
and was a youth worker with juvenile offenders before
joining the Society at the age of 28.
“One of the challenges facing the Society,” Fr Curtin
said, “is bringing Jesus’ Gospel of love and reconciliation
to families and communities. To find love, forgiveness and
inner freedom in this world, he said, we need to begin with
a conversion of heart.”
“I am happy to be facing the challenge of conversion
with my Jesuit brothers, with such good and dedicated lay
companions and so many other friends of deep faith,” he
said. “I will rely on them and on the help of God.”
Let us keep Fr Curtin in our prayers for the six-year term
ahead in leading our Province, its men, lay-partners and
ministries. We also pray in thanks for the leadership of
outgoing Provincial, Fr Mark Raper, and for his new mission
directing and animating the Assistancy (Jesuit geographical
region) of East Asia-Oceania.
Fr Ross Jones SJ
College Rector
Provincial-Elect Fr Steve Curtin SJ with members of the Cambodian
Dance Tour of Australia on their visit to the College in March 2008.
Executive Editor:
THE ALOYSIAD
Fr Ross Jones SJ
Editor: Murray Happ (SAC 1985)
Assistant Editor:
Printing:
Circulation: 10,000
E-Mail:
Magar Etmekdjian
The Precision Printers Pty Ltd
murray.happ@staloysius.nsw.edu.au
St Aloysius’ College
Senior: 47 Upper Pitt Street, Milsons Point NSW 2061
Telephone: 02 9922 1177, Fax: 02 9929 6414
Junior: 29 Burton Street, Milsons Point NSW 2061
Telephone: 02 9955 9200, Fax: 02 9955 0736
Website: www.staloysius.nsw.edu.au
Cover pic: WYD Cross arrives at the Boys’ Chapel.
St Aloysius’ College
A Jesuit School for Boys _ Founded 1879 aloysiad / page 3