The consult of the President of the Conference of European Provincials usually meets each time in the country of origin of one of its members. So at least the host does not have to travel to another country. The provincial of Slovenia, Ivan Bresciani, being the moderator of the Assistancy of Southern Europe, invited for the first time the consultation to meet and work in the Curia of Ljubljana. On this occasion the consult received the echoes and evaluations of the recent General Assembly of the JCEP in Rome. Looking to the future, preparations are already underway for the next assembly to be held in Zagreb in October. The agenda of the conference is quite busy and there are many issues that need to be advanced together, such as the steps of discernment of a new Apostolic Plan or the shared responsibility in the formation centres for Jesuits in Europe. The consult on this occasion is made up of the three moderators of the three assistances: Damian Howard, British Provincial, Dalibor Renić, Croatian Provincial, and Ivan Bresciani, Slovenian Provincial; and the President, Franck Janin, and the socius, José de Pablo. The work took up most of the three days of the consultation, although they were also able to get to know the city centre and the Retreat House, both charming. After the consultation, the President stayed a few days in the country to get to know the works of the Society in Maribor.  In this way he could see that Jesuitically speaking Slovenia is a small province, with about 55 Jesuits, but full of art, life and apostolic impetus.

La Civiltà Cattolica, the highly respected and oldest journal published in Italian in Rome is offering now Digital Editions in Italian and also in four other languages, including English. La Civiltà Cattolica, a publishing project given to the Jesuits by Pope Pius IX in 1850, has always excelled in creating a dialogue between Christian faith and contemporary culture and provide deeper assessments of topics and events of broad significance. La Civiltà Cattolica is an absolute must-read for all those who want to go deeply into the current and present issues alive in the Church and understand what happens in the thinking of the Church - in the Vatican, in global Church, and everywhere in between. Eminent Jesuit scholars write all articles or co-author with others and they provide a window into what thoughts, policies and priorities are alive in the Apostolic See.  Now you can take a digital subscription to La Civiltà Cattolica and read top scholars interpreting history, politics, economics, culture, science and art in the light of the Christian faith and the Catholic Tradition. Visit the Subscription home page and choose either a Group Subscription or an Individual Subscription.

Jesuit Hans Putman looks back on fifty very eventful years as a priest. He lived in Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Syria and now in Bethlehem. He saw and experienced violence and terror. "The resurrection faith gives strength not to drown in despair." In the name of the thousands of brothers-priest worldwide, who are faithful and serving the Church and the people, I see it as my moral duty to share something about the long years of my priesthood. At the moment, priests are being looked at negatively - because of all the abuse and clericalism. Pope Francis once said, "Priests are like airplanes. Thousands rise and descend, but as soon as one collapses, the newspapers are full. As a young priest, I worked for nine years in Lebanon, where I spent four days in prison during the war. In the years that followed, I remained ten years in Egypt - where I was the sad witness to the growth of Muslim extremism; people spit on the ground when they saw a cross - and fifteen years in Sudan. There, every Sunday, I read mass in one of the many refugee camps around Khartoum. There were people from Southern Sudan who had fled the civil war. The conditions were mostly inhumane, without running water and electricity. Via Syria to Bethlehem In 2011 I was asked to go to Syria. Because it was war, I couldn't go to Homs, where the two other Dutch Jesuits lived: Frans van der Lugt and Michael Brenninkmeijer. When I was 75, I moved to Bethlehem, to work among the Palestinians and to start youth retreats. I live here with an American Jesuit who is also a priest for 50 years this year. We live behind the wall, among the Palestinians, in constant tension and without much hope for the future. After this story not only the question may arise 'How did you stay alive', but rather 'Do you still believe in the Good Message of the Gospel? What do I have to offer people who live with violence or in war situations? People who live on the edge of human existence, and die of hunger or lack of medical care, as in Sudan? The resurrection faith keeps going The experience I want to and must write about after 50 years of being a priest in countries of violence and poverty is that the Gospel and the resurrection faith are often the only support and joy that keeps people going. This gives them the strength not to drown in despair. In the middle Hans Putman SJ, a feast in honor of his priestly jubilee. In 2006 I was 50 years old as a Jesuit. Three sisters and two brothers-in-law came to Sudan to celebrate with me. Of course I took them to the camps around Khartoum, for Sunday Mass. The small chapel with mud walls and a roof of palm blisters, was filled to the brim. The altar boys (including girls) were in full dress. The group of dancing girls were dressed in traditional costume and there was a choir with a drum and a trumpet. We prayed, sang, danced and listened to the sermon, which was regularly interrupted by applause. There were many children, fully disciplined, under the supervision of a 'matron'. The family was so surprised that afterwards they said, "The people here have nothing, only the joy. We in the Netherlands have everything our hearts desire, but miss the joy." Every human being is sacred ground It was 1962 when I left the Netherlands, the time of 'Rich Roman Life'. Today it seems to me more difficult to work as a priest in the Netherlands than to be a missionary among the poor in Sudan, or to witness the resurrection in the midst of violence and terrorism in the Near East. My joy and gratitude are not the fruit of an easy life, but of a deeply experienced and lived belief in resurrection. Every day, especially during the retreats I give to priests, sisters and young people, I experience that the good is stronger than the evil. We must never lose confidence, and we must not be afraid to raise our hands and open our hearts. With Pope Francis, I would like to say, "To me, every human being is a sacred ground for whom I remove my sandals. Not because of his appearance, the color of his skin, or even his faith or unbelief, but because he was created in the image of God.

The Centre of Ignatian Spirituality proposes, through a video, an experience of Ignatian spirituality to those who do not know it, with the aim of emphasizing the “thirst for God” that involves us all, even those who feel distant from the Church. The objective is “following this thirst as the beginning of a journey towards the peace of the heart and a more serene life, which goes beyond the chaos that we experience during our frantic days” explains father Renato Colizzi (director). Every year, over a thousand people – Lay and religious people, diocesan priests – enjoy spiritual exercises in various forms: residential, personally guided, in ordinary life (EVO), in stages and the Ignatian month-long exercises (31 days). “Our hope” underlines Colizzi “is to reach those who are distant, even through the new communication highways”. Made by Kaleidon and the Province EUM Press Office, the 1 minute and 40 seconds long video has been produced in Italian and in English.

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is happy to announce the release of our new logo as we seek to respond to the situation of refugees and other forcibly displaced people in more effective ways. Our mission to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees compels us to adapt and change as circumstances demand.  Nearly 40 years since JRS was first founded, and 30 years since JRS Europe was founded, we remain convinced that the value of accompaniment, journeying with the dispossessed as they seek to rebuild their lives, is at the heart of who we are as an organisation. Our new logo tells the world that we walk with refugees in search of a just future through protection, hospitality, inclusion and reconciliation. JRS has always rendered a service that not only brings healing in the present, but also creates resources and opportunities for human and spiritual formation towards a better tomorrow. A response to the national, European and global reality of refugees and forced migrants is why JRS is in existence. JRS continues to work towards a Europe where human rights, protection, hospitality, integration, and reconciliation all have a place to flourish within a larger vision for inclusive and welcoming societies. Still the value of accompaniment, journeying with refugees as they seek to rebuild their lives, is at the heart of who we are as an organisation.

A new analytics survey of the Jesuit online prayer website Sacred Space has revealed the website to be in excellent shape, as it marks its 20th birthday. The research was undertaken by digital marketing expert John McDermot, Director of Systemivity (a digital marketing and development company). It showed that 700 people are praying every hour on Sacred Space. That translates into an average of 16,000 per day from around the world, and this online community of prayer has reached over 20,000 daily on occasions. “This means that Sacred Space is one of the top most-visited prayer websites in the world,” according to John, who built Sacred Space’s first content management system back in 2006. “These are staggering figures,” he adds. The survey also reveals that Sacred Space comes number one in the world in Google search, for the term ‘daily prayer website’.  It is in the top ten in most Google searches for online prayer, often hitting number one on many searches. Feedback Fiona Owens, Office Manager with Sacred Space, says the regular feedback from people praying all over the world on the site, is most encouraging. “I’m very touched by the hunger in people for meaning and support in their life and in their prayer.” She cites some examples: ‘Finding Sacred Space by accident has been a blessing during my darkest moments when I thought I could not go on.’ And, ‘It has been the only thread that has guided me back to a place of faith and direction’ Also, ‘The gospel inspirations provide insight to allow for inner searching’. Fiona also receives many requests from different Christian denominations for permission to use the website material as part of their faith formation projects in parishes and schools. “We had a request recently from a school in Australia. They told us they use Sacred Space daily for morning prayer with their students.” Online retreat In the season of Advent and Lent, Sacred Space offers an online retreat for their prayer community. They do this in collaboration with the British Province who run the podcast prayer service ‘Pray As You Go’. “This is a really important collaboration that’s been going on for a number of years now,” according to Pat Coyle, Director of Sacred Space. “Each season we take turns in sourcing a new writer for the retreat. The same material is then used on both sites, so those praying the retreat can do so by reading or listening or both.” Again, the feedback on these retreats is always uplifting, according to Pat. Irish Province Sacred Space has returned to the Irish Province after a three-year collaboration with Loyola Press in Chicago. Messenger Publications in Ireland have completely taken over the publication of the Sacred Space Prayer Book. According to Donal Neary SJ and Cecilia West of Messenger Publications, it is one of their best-selling books. Some of the weekly content featured on Sacred Space is taken from books on Ignatian spirituality published by Messenger Publications. “As we reach the 20th birthday of Sacred Space, founded by Alan McGuckian SJ with Peter Scally SJ back in 1999, it’s great to find out that it is still a thriving prayer website, and that the Spirit is alive and active, nourishing thousands of people around the world every day,” says Fiona.