By Auxilia Rose Anak Boniface
THE Church of St Francis Xavier, hosted a creative series of art-inspired spiritual experiences from Jun 27-29 under the Ignatian theme Finding God in Arts. Guided by Bro Howard Tu, SJ, pic, a permanent brother of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus (currently living in Taiwan), participants were invited into a series of talks and workshops where Bro Howard opened a space where faith and imagination could meet, reminding all that art is not separate from spirituality, it is a living expression of it.
The weekend began with a reflective talk exploring the relationship between art and Ignatian spirituality. In Finding God in Arts, Bro Howard shared how artistic expression — whether through painting, sculpting, knitting, crocheting or even music — can awaken the senses and draw the soul closer to God. It wasn’t just a talk, but a lived moment of grace where participants felt encouraged to see art as more than creativity, but as prayer, presence, and spiritual insight.
During the mask-making workshop, participants created masks — not to hide, but to reflect. Through shaping the mask, they entered into a sacred process of self-discovery, prayer, and healing. A meaningful part of the workshop included making a mask that symbolically represented another person, which invited deep reflection on the dignity and beauty of others as God’s creation.
What began as an art activity quickly became a space for vulnerability, awe, and grace. Many found themselves humbled by the creative process — recognising in it the tender hand of God, shaping and moulding each of us.
In the evening, Bro Howard shared his vocation story, reflecting on 25 years as a Jesuit brother. His sharing was marked by authenticity and quiet depth, showing how art, service, and Ignatian spirituality had shaped his journey. Rather than dramatic conversion moments, he spoke of how God moved through daily life, small obediences, and acts of love — which, in time, revealed unexpected blessings.
His story became an invitation: to live faithfully in the present, and to trust that God is always working in and through us — often in the simplest of ways.
This final creative workshop invited participants to mould clay with their own hands, reflecting on how we are each formed by God with purpose and love. As they pinched, shaped, and smoothed the clay, participants meditated on their identity as God’s creation and envisioned the person they are being lovingly called to become.
Bro Howard’s guidance was grounded, poetic, and spiritually rich. The clay became a symbol of our lives — soft, imperfect, and being shaped into something beautiful by the Divine Potter.
Each session throughout the weekend was unique in form but united in spirit — an invitation to encounter God in the brush stroke, the pause, the silence, and the shaping of clay.
Bro Howard Tu, SJ did not just lead workshops; he created sacred spaces where art met prayer, and creativity became a doorway to grace.
As participants left Loyola Hall, they carried more than crafts or reflections — they carried an awakened awareness that God is present in all things — in colour, in texture, in vulnerability, in stillness.
And perhaps most importantly, in the quiet unfolding of our own stories. – Herald Malaysia
