I am a Jesuit and a doctoral fellow at Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.

I am a Jesuit priest from the island nation of Sri Lanka. My understanding of universality deepened when I joined the Jesuit Order after completing high school in 2004. Initiated into the Spiritual Exercises and Discernment of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the Novitiate, I spent half of my initial formation in India, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts (BA) in Psychology-Sociology at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and a Master’s of Arts (MA) in Philosophy at the Jesuit Faculty of Philosophy at Madras University, Chennai. As a Jesuit regent, I returned to the Island for a year before pursuing theological studies (B.Th.) in Paris. While learning French presented challenges, life in France was fulfilling, especially due to my deepened affinity for the Society’s charism, as St. Ignatius of Loyola himself had lived, studied, and founded the Order in 1540 in that city on the Seine. Ordained a priest in 2017, I served as a pastor, principal, and director of a few Jesuit apostolates in Sri Lanka before relocating to Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA in 2023. Alongside reading for my doctoral dissertation (Ed.D.) in the Department of Interdisciplinary Leadership in Education, I am an online faculty at Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL) and serve as an associate priest at Mission and Ministry, as well as at St. John's Church at Creighton University.

Writing these reflections:

My myriad life events, years of experiences as a Jesuit, and international exposure to various socio-economic and educational-cultural milieus have confirmed my belief that life is not always black or white; it’s often grey. Writing these reflections, therefore, is my way of grappling with those grey areas and helping others do the same. In this endeavor, a couplet from Helen Steiner Rice’s poem, which I have slightly modified and embraced since childhood, holds particular significance: “Life is a fabric, I weave it with tender care; Upon the loom of my life, my pattern is indeed rare.” I hope you realize it.

e-mail:  Fernando, Rashmi M <RashmiFernando@creighton.edu>

Blogspot - https://lifeasthusseen.blogspot.com