What is the Faber Community?
The Faber Community is something of a conglomeration. Some of us are working, some studying, and none of us are defined by what we do. A few of us write, or dance, or wonder about things, and a lot of us like to sing. We all want to live enriched, full lives and are serious about figuring out how, together.
In naming the Faber Community we were inspired by St. Peter Faber, one of the co-founders of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). He set two key examples: a ministry based firmly on friendship, always emphasising love and attentive presence; and a consistent focus on communion and reconciliation. This earned him the respect of both sides during the awful divisions in Reformation Europe.
“People are changed more by those who love them in God’s grace than by those who seek to argue, outwit or overcome them.”*
Like Faber, we feel especially called to relationship and connection, so our focus will always be on people. Faber Community members, student volunteers, curious guests, learned teachers and new friends made through outreach - all deserve equal attention, honour and respect. We are trying to build an open, Christ-inspired culture that lets everyone feel welcomed and seen, so you will be valued here, whoever you are and wherever you are on your walk with God.
“One way of summing up the whole revelation of Jesus is to say that, as God is the parent of us all, every human being has the same dignity of being a child of God, no matter who we are or what we may have done.”
Peter McVerry SJ
This is a great experiment, so we welcome your participation and creativity as we work toward the next step on the journey - have a look at our Projects and try something out this week!
The famous French Jesuit, Teilhard de Chardin, is another source of inspiration for the Faber Community. He lived an incredible, adventurous life and his spiritual writings are deeply moving. This quote feels so particularly relevant that it made the homepage.
Someday, after mastering the winds,
the waves, the tides and gravity,
we shall harness for God the energies of love,
and then, for a second time in the history of the world,
we will have discovered fire.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ
*Edel McClean (2013) ‘Pierre Favre: Everywhere there is good to be done’ in Thinking Faith, p62. www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20130802_1.htm