Historic Jesuit community

A LACK of people with a religious vocation has led to the closure of numerous convents, congregations and communities of both men and women in recent years. This trend is behind the decision to terminate the presence of the Compañía de Jesús in Gandia, a community housed in the Palau Ducal, the birthplace of Sant Francesc de Borja.

The end of the Jesuit com- munity of Gandia will only affect its members, of whom there are only three, all of them over 80 years of age.

They are Fathers José Luis Miravet, Lucio Revilla and José Luis Ferrer. The Borja Jesuit school will remain part of the Spanish Jesuit school network. This school now has 319 pupils and 28 teachers and covers Infant, Primary and Secondary.

For now, there will be no changes to the management of the Palau Ducal, Gandia’s most frequently-visited monument. Owned by the Compañía de Jesús, it will still be governed by a board of trustees. This building is one of the main tourist and cultural assets and is visited by 60,000 people annually.

According to members of the Compañía de Jesús, the reason for the closure is that no young people are coming forward to become novices and keep the once important family of Jesuits alive.

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THIRTY guests enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at Giovanni’s Restaurant in Almoradi at the end of February.

President, Marion Smith said: