The
new chair of the MAGiS Board, Prue Gilbert, has experienced Ignatian
Spirituality in a number of different contexts.
‘I
was educated at Loreto [Mandeville Hall], and then I attended Newman College
at Melbourne University', she says. ‘So you could say
I've had the double experience of the male and female side of Ignatian
spirituality.'
These
experiences, along with her work as a lawyer and in corporate governance, have
given her the ideal grounding to help provide direction to the Ignatian young
adult ministry as it continues its development after World Youth Day.
Gilbert's
appointment was announced last month, as one of a number of new additions to
the board aimed at providing a youthful direction to the MAGiS ministry. She
joins another family member in the Ignatian family - her father Damien Nolan is
the Chair of the Jesuit Communications Board.
She
says she's excited about working in a ministry that combines the insights and
resources of five different Ignatian religious orders: Institute of the Blessed
Virgin Mary (the Loreto Sisters), Religious Sisters of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ),
Sisters of Charity (RSC), Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ) and Society of
Jesus (Jesuits).
‘I
see it as a unique opportunity to pick up the rich inheritance of the five
religious orders that follow Ignatian spirituality, and to explore the works
that follow from each of those orders' unique views of that spirituality', she
says.
Gilbert
graduated from Loreto Mandeville Hall in Melbourne
in 1994. She then studied law at the University
of Melbourne, graduating
in 2000. She is currently working at Corporate Express, where she helped
establish the Women in Leadership Council.
She
is also a keen athlete, and has a strong interest in social justice issues. She
is currently on maternity leave, after giving birth to her first child,
Fitzwilliam, in September.
After
taking part in a MAGiS meeting in Melbourne
recently, Gilbert says she was inspired by the commitment of the young people,
and the level of sharing in the MAGiS
Circle.
‘It's
an opportunity for anyone who attends to reflect on their own values, and life
generally. I found it deeply moving', she says.
MAGiS
is currently searching for a National Coordinator to oversee its operations.
Gilbert says one of the main challenges will be building on the success of
World Youth Day and the Experiments by providing regular opportunities for
young people to deepen their faith.
‘I
hope MAGiS will continue to inspire young people to seek authentic truth in the
world, and as members of the youth ministry to develop their own sense of
discernment. I hope it will help a new generation experience the wealth that
flows from understanding God's unique love for each one of us.'
Applications for the MAGiS National
Coordinator position close 16 November. Click
here for more information.