A recent study conducted at Hekima University College brings into sharp focus a reality that has long remained under-acknowledged within Jesuit formation: the experience of burnout during regency. Drawing on both empirical data and personal testimonies from Jesuit scholastics across the Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), the research offers not only a diagnosis, but also a call to institutional discernment. At stake is not simply the well-being of individuals, but the integrity of formation itself.
JCAM continues to be one of the most vibrant and rapidly growing regions of the Society of Jesus. Yet this growth presents a quiet paradox. As apostolic works expand, so too does the demand for personnel, often placing regents at the forefront of institutional needs. What is intended as a formative period of apostolic exposure and discernment is increasingly experienced as full apostolic deployment. Regents are entrusted with significant responsibilities, frequently without proportional structures of support. Within the broader cultural context, shaped by deeply rooted communal values and the spirit of Ubuntu, generosity, endurance, and availability are held in high esteem. While these values reflect genuine moral depth, they can also make it difficult to name personal limits. Fatigue is endured rather than expressed; struggle is internalised rather than shared. In this way, burnout becomes not only a personal experience but a hidden one, sustained by what may be described as a double silence, both individual and institutional.
The findings of the study give this reality concrete expression. A significant majority of respondents report moderate to high levels of emotional exhaustion, many describing a persistent sense of depletion at the end of each day. This is not occasional tiredness but a pattern of sustained fatigue embedded within the very structure of regency. The experience varies across apostolates, with those engaged in spirituality ministry and pastoral work reporting particularly high levels of exhaustion. The paradox here is striking: regents are often called to accompany others spiritually at a time when their own formation and integration are still in progress. Even as this strain intensifies, many continue to give generously of themselves, which may explain the relatively low levels of depersonalisation observed. Yet this apparent resilience should not be misread as stability; rather, it may signal a deeper strain that has not yet fully surfaced.
Beneath these experiences lie clear structural challenges. Many regents navigate their apostolates with limited clarity about their roles and expectations. Workloads are often shaped more by institutional necessity than by formative purpose, leading to imbalance and fatigue. Accompaniment, so central to Jesuit life, is frequently insufficient, leaving regents without the support needed to process their experiences. Perhaps most concerning is the difficulty many express in speaking openly about their struggles, particularly with superiors. In a tradition that values cura personalis and spiritual transparency, this hesitation points to a significant gap between vision and lived reality. Personal testimonies reinforce this picture: some speak of overwhelming responsibilities and material limitations, while others recall the life-giving impact of good spiritual direction. Where accompaniment is present, regency becomes a space of growth; where it is lacking, it risks becoming a source of depletion.
And yet, even within these constraints, the study reveals a notable depth of spiritual resilience. Many respondents affirm that their experience of regency continues to strengthen their sense of vocation and that prayer remains a sustaining force in their apostolic life. This speaks to the enduring strength of Ignatian spirituality and the generosity of those in formation. At the same time, it raises an important caution: resilience should not be mistaken for sustainability. The capacity to endure difficult conditions does not necessarily indicate that those conditions are healthy or adequate for long-term formation.
In engaging earlier Jesuit reflections on burnout, the study also invites a broader conversation about context. It highlights the need to interpret and respond to burnout within the specific cultural and ecclesial realities of Africa. While earlier analyses offered valuable insights, they were shaped in contexts where psychological language and frameworks were readily available. In many African settings, such language may be less accessible or even perceived as foreign. This does not mean that burnout is absent; rather, it suggests that the tools for naming and addressing it must be developed in ways that are both faithful to Ignatian spirituality and attentive to African cultural wisdom. Such an approach allows for a more integrated form of discernment, one that honours communal values while also making space for honest self-expression.
The study therefore moves from diagnosis to a clear call for reform. It proposes a number of practical steps aimed at restoring regency to its proper formative purpose. These include establishing clear and consistent regency protocols across JCAM, ensuring that roles, expectations, and workloads are well defined and regularly reviewed. It underscores the importance of adequate preparation before regency, so that scholastics are equipped for the specific demands of their apostolates. It calls for the formation of superiors and directors who are attentive to the developmental needs of regents and capable of fostering environments of trust where difficulties can be expressed without fear. It also highlights the value of structured moments of review during regency, opportunities for reflection that are formative rather than merely evaluative. Alongside these structural measures, the study emphasises the need for cultural formation that helps distinguish between authentic generosity and forms of self-neglect that may be culturally reinforced. The encouragement of peer support networks and greater collaboration across JCAM further point toward a more relational and sustainable model of formation.
Ultimately, the question raised by this study is not only about burnout but about the nature of formation itself. If regency is indeed the crucible in which apostolic identity is shaped, then the conditions under which it unfolds must reflect the values the Society seeks to embody. Burnout, in this sense, is not simply a personal difficulty to be managed but a signal that something within the structures of formation requires attention. To care for the well-being of regents is not secondary to mission; it is intrinsic to it.
The voices emerging from this study are not abstract data points but the lived experiences of men in formation, men whose lives will shape the future of the Society of Jesus in Africa. To listen to these voices attentively, and to respond with courage and discernment, is to participate in the ongoing renewal of mission. In the language of the General Congregations, such attention is not merely good practice; it is an act of justice.
This article is based on the research study by Bonosa Kwadwo Fosu, SJ. (Hekima University College, April 2026).
