Jesuit Liturgists gather in Cebu for the 2024 International Jungmann Society Congress

In response to Pope Francis’s renewed call for "serious and vital liturgical formation" of the People of God, 50 delegates from Jesuit provinces worldwide convened in Cebu City from July 1 to 6 for the 2024 International Jungmann Society Congress.

According to its website, the Jungmann Society is "an international professional association of Jesuits with academic training and expertise in liturgy and its allied arts."

It was founded to answer the Church's urgent call for a new evangelization through worship, scholarship, and dialogue, aiming to renew the Church’s liturgical life as a central dimension of its mission to preach the gospel in today’s world effectively.

Established in 2004 in memory of Fr. Josef Andreas Jungmann, a prominent Jesuit professor of liturgy and catechesis, the congress is traditionally held in Rome with liturgists, formators, and scholastics in attendance.

This year, however, the congress chose Asia as its venue, "because the continent has the most Jesuits in the world."

Moreover, the Jesuits in the Philippines have a long tradition of formation within the Society. In an online interview with Radio Veritas Asia, this was shared by Fr. Jose Quilongquilong, SJ, associate professor of Spirituality at the Loyola School of Theology.

He quoted Fr. Jérôme Guingand, SJ, President of the International Jungmann Society, who noted that Cebu was selected because it is "the first place where Christianity was established in the history of the Philippines and is served by a good international airport."

Official delegates from the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Italy, Myanmar, Vietnam, France, Colombia, Cuba, Malaysia, Indonesia, Slovakia, India, Congo, Angola, and the Philippines gathered at the Cebu Center for Ignatian Spirituality for days of prayer and cultural exchange. The Philippines had the most delegates.

Fr. Quilongquilong, SJ, mentioned that this year’s congress focused on liturgical life and formation in the Society of Jesus, under the theme: "What is liturgy in the life of Jesuits? What liturgical formation is needed for the Society today?"

The keynote speaker was Professor Josefina Manabat, a doctor of the Sacred Liturgy and the only woman present at the Congress.

One of the highlights was the concelebrated Mass with Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma at the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Sacred Heart, where participants experienced the local liturgy.

On July 4, congress participants enjoyed a taste of local culture, visiting Cebu’s foremost historical landmarks such as Magellan’s Cross and the Basilica del Santo Niño, as well as the 1730 Jesuit House in the old Parian district. They also spent time at a seaside resort on Mactan Island.

Fr. Quilongquilong, a consultant of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, told RVA, "Everyone was deeply impressed with Cebu’s rich religious, cultural, and natural heritage."