A little over a year ago, the merger between the Province of the Antilles and the Guyana-Jamaica Region was finalized, giving rise to the new “Province of the Caribbean” of the Society of Jesus.
In this new structure, the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking Caribbean are integrated into a single province. Although the Caribbean Sea geographically separates us into various islands and territories, it now unites us in the same entity. The province has a presence in six countries, in addition to the Dominican Republic, including Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, and the city of Miami in the United States.
In the middle is not only the sea, but also different cultures, languages, and traditions. However, we are connected by sugarcane fields, a shared history of slavery and struggles for freedom, the vibrant rhythms of Caribbean music, the sun, and the joy of living. Gabriel García Márquez, a native of a Caribbean town on the coast of Colombia, used to say:
“The Caribbean is a region where a perfect symbiosis occurs—or occurs more clearly than in other parts of the world—between humans, the natural environment, and everyday life. [...] In the Caribbean, the sea has every imaginable shade of blue, cyclones sweep houses through the air, villages subsist under dust, and heat invades all breathable air. For the inhabitant of the Caribbean, natural disasters and human tragedies are an everyday occurrence. [...] This has produced a very peculiar spirit, a vision of life that gives everything a marvelous, supernatural aspect.
We want to open our eyes to see this supernatural side in everything that happens. In moments of joy as well as sadness, we can contemplate the wonders that God works. The Caribbean invites us to this disposition of “seeking and finding God in all things,” as Saint Ignatius expresses it.
