On Wednesday, 17 December 2025, I was invited to pronounce my final vows in the Society of Jesus.
This moment brings to completion a journey that began many years ago and that I look back on with deep gratitude. I entered the Jesuit Novitiate in Birmingham in January 2005 and took my first vows two years later. Since then, formation has carried me far beyond anything I could have imagined at the beginning: to England for philosophy; to Zambia, where I taught mathematics at Chikuni Mission; to Kenya and Canada for theological studies; to Holy Trinity Catholic Church and the Jesuit Institute South Africa in Johannesburg, where I learned much about spiritual direction and retreat ministry; and to the Curia in Lusaka, where I served in a range of roles from communications to treasury. I completed my tertianship in Melbourne, Australia, and I am now based in Harare, Zimbabwe, serving as Development Director of the Province, helping to secure the resources that sustain our many works and missions.
While final vows mark a culmination, they are also a beginning: a deepening of belonging to the Society of Jesus and a renewed commitment to its mission. I am grateful beyond words to my family and friends for their constant support; to the Jesuits with whom I have lived and worked across the South African Region, the British Province, the Zambia–Malawi Province, the Zimbabwe–Mozambique Province, the Canadian and Australian Provinces, and now our own Southern African Province. I owe particular thanks to my superiors and spiritual directors, whose trust and encouragement sustained me, and to the many women and men I have served alongside, who have shaped me more than they may know. I remain deeply thankful for their companionship on the way.
The Mass was celebrated by Fr Leonard Chiti SJ, Provincial of the Southern African Province (SAP), who received my vows on behalf of Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ. The homily was preached by Fr António Virgílio de Oliveira e Costa SJ. The official text of the homily follows.
The Fulfillment of a Divine Plan: Final Vows and the Jesuit Path to God
Today’s celebration marks the final incorporation of three brothers—Tinashe, Isaac, and Matthew—into the Society of Jesus. In this celebration ancient blessing meets new, present commitment. The readings, Jacob in his final days blessing his children and grand-children and the long genealogy of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel , echo the very vows in the Society of Jesus.
Situating Ourselves in God’s Great Story
In the Ignatian tradition, we pause to see how we situate ourselves within God’s unfolding plan for our salvation. From the very beginning, after the fall of humanity, God does not abandon us but starts immediately a plan to resque us.
The striking image of the elderly, sight-impaired Jacob blessing his sons and grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, passing God’s blessing from one generation to the next, is a key story. And it has a lot to do with obedience to God’s will.
Likewise, Jesus’s long, monotonous genealogy—a chain of sinners and saints, kings and commoners—serves as a lesson in humility. These men and women, despite their divided hearts and imperfect lives, played an essential role in God’s design. Generation after generation, God calls us back to justice, mercy, covenant, and hope, pointing toward Jesus who would fulfill God’s promise.
The culmination of God’s plan is the coming of Jesus, who came not just to inspire or teach the truth, but to save us. Jesus became the very embodiment of the Father’s plan for justice and mercy, restoring the relationship between God and humanity.
The Jesuit Pathway and its Mission
How do we see ourselves in the unfolding of this divine plan? We are called to follow this particular path to God which is the Society of Jesus, a path that includes leading others to an encounter with God in Jesus.
Today, three brothers—Tinashe, Isaac, and Matthew—are going to be fully incorporated into this path to continue Jesus’ mission.
- Tinashe Mhaka served as a good chaplain in schools, hospitals, and prisons, and is currently the acting superior of the Makonde Mission.
- Isaac Fernandes did great work with the Youth, served as chaplain, and is now the Province’s Treasurer.
- Matthew Charlesworth worked well in pastoral roles, lectured in Theology and Scripture, and is currently the development director of SAP.
All three are well-situated within this unfolding divine plan. The divine blessing came to them from generation to generation within the Society as is passed through their commitment to the next generation.
The Vows as a Radical Surrender
According to the Constitutions, Part V, the full integration into the Society requires a Jesuit to be outstanding in virtues and the virtues most talked about bt St Ignatius are: humility, poverty, obedience, and love (charity). It requires also the Jesuit to be outstanding in good judgement or discernment.
Obedience: Jacob deliberately reversing his hands to bless the younger grandson over the elder, despite Joseph’s efforts to guide him, is a symbol of obedience, humility, and availability for the mission. It signifies choosing God’s will over one’s own preferences. The vow of obedience calls for reversing one’s own natural tendencies, preferences, and comfort to follow God’s will as expressed through our superiors. It is a “holy surrender,” allowing God’s right hand to guide the mission.
Humility and Poverty: The inclusion of sinners and flawed individuals in Jesus’ lineage reminds us of the humility of Jesus, whom Jesuits follow. St. Ignatius desired Jesuits to be known as “poor priests”. This reminds us that we are just one name in a long line, acknowledging our own smallness, and recognizing that the strength of the Society rests in God’s grace moving through a corporate body. The mission is achieved not only through extraordinary acts, but especially through the faithful execution of ordinary duties, an act of true service (and Magis) found in the quiet fulfillment of the call.
Jesuits with Final Vows renounce all forms of property, vow to give all they receive to the community, and are meant to live out of donations and their own work, not revenues.
Good Judgment (Discernment): Final incorporation requires the quality of good judgment or discernment, which is considered a mandatory and fundamental quality. Jesuits must be able to make good choices “according to times, places, and circumstances,” always aligned with God’s will, enabling the Society to adapt its mission and apply its rules coherently for God’s greater glory.
These vows are not primarily about renunciation, but about what we allow God to accomplish within us. Ultimately, the measure is not the renunciation, but what is given : the ability to embrace all in love and joy , to give everything to the mission , and to allow God to direct one’s journey.
Professed of 4 Vows
For the Professed of Four Vows, the vow of obedience to the Pope for the mission is a radical expression of availability and mobility—a willingness to be sent anywhere in the world, to any frontier, without hesitation, trusting the Pope’s guidance on where the greatest need lies. This is the ultimate commitment to mission for the Greater Glory of God.
The promise of teaching children and the unlearned is more than an expression of humility; it underscores the absolute necessity of passing on faith and grace from generation to generation. Every child is a potential link in the chain of salvation history. This promise recognizes that the future of the mission will be carried on by the minds and hearts we shape. It is a commitment to tending to the youngest, the most vulnerable, and those whose understanding of the faith is still nascent—an act of profound hope to ensure the light of Christ is never extinguished.
In conclusion, our brothers have been found as well situated in this chain of blessings through their present commitment. As they are called to their final incorporation in the Society, let us all keep in mind the Scriptural images:
- The Crossed Hands of Jacob: A sign of radical obedience and availability for the mission.
- The Long Line of the genealogy of Jesus: A foundation for profound humility, knowing we are one essential link in a vast, holy lineage.
- The Promise to Teach: A sacred promise to the future, ensuring the next generation knows and loves God.
May this definitive Fiat—this Yes—be the most beautiful chapter in your lives, woven permanently into the vast, redemptive tapestry of the Society of Jesus.