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Focus on education as the key for social inclusion. JRS Europe held its Regional Coordination Meeting and Annual General Meeting in Bucharest focused on “Social Inclusion: An Educational Approach”. Gathered in the Regina Carmelului convent, representatives from the 23 country offices, the regional office, and the international office discussed updates on the ongoing projects as well as brainstormed possible new endeavours. The meetings also provided the opportunity to build up capacities in the team by sharing knowledge and best practices through workshops on supporting education for refugees, building stronger NGOs for times of crisis and navigating the news & digital landscape. Alberto Ares Mateos SJ, regional director of JRS Europe, highlighted: “JRS tries to come together every year to grow in this spirit of being a family and to answer together to the new opportunities and challenges. We also want to say thank you to all of our teams because all together, we are here to keep hope alive”. While the Regional Coordination Meeting brought together directors and country managers to discuss high level strategy, the Annual General Meeting allowed JRS workers of all seniority to exchange ideas and experiences. Beyond capacity building, this annual exercise also helps keep hope alive within the network when dealing in challenging contexts and continue with our mission. Bianca Albu, from the JRS Romania office, explained: “The most important lesson for me is that we are a strong network and that we share a common feeling of brotherhood. We are accomplishing our mission in different ways but always having in mind that we serve refugees and that we accomplish day by day the will of God”. Throughout the meeting, there were discussions on the role of the mission of JRS Europe within the broader family of JRS and the Society of Jesus. Dalibor SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials, present at the meeting underlined: “JRS is for us not any organization but a network and a community. A network because it connects European Jesuit provinces. And a Community because these are people who are motivated by the desire to those who are in need”. Meanwhile, Nacho Eguizabal SJ, deputy director of JRS international, expressed: “I have witnessed how lively and creative the region is becoming being able to respond to a crisis like the war in Ukraine and, at the same time being very active in the preparation of the European Elections.” With the hope replenished and new ideas brewing, each colleague returned to their office with renewed energies to continue working 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.
A hotel and conference centre called Cardoner was opened in Dobogókő, a Hungarian village 50 kilometres from Budapest, at the end of 2023. The four-star hotel has a capacity of 58 rooms for as many as 130 guests. The hotel, owned by the Hungarian Jesuits, is not an apostolic work but a for proft investment, whose funds will support the Manréza Spiritual Retreat House and our Roma Mission in the village of Arló in northern Hungary. The building, which was renovated and refurbished by autumn 2023, has been owned by the Hungarian province since 1993. Since the Manresa House of Spiritual Formation in Budapest, which was confiscated by the communist regime in 1950, would have been difficult to get back after the regime change in 1990, the province acquired the Dobogókő complex as a replacement property. In recent decades, it has been used as a place of accommodation, often offering discounts to support Christian events, which was particularly helpful to those involved during the church organisational renaissance of the 1990s. The hotel is located in the heart of the Pilis Mountains, with numerous hiking and cycling trails, and caters for active tourists and, in high season, mainly for individual guests. On the other hand, being close to Budapest, it bases its pre- and post-season bookings on team-building training and conferences for companies based in the capital. For one thing, JesWebCom, the network of the European Jesuit communicators will have its annual meeting between 6-9 May. And although the hotel is not aimed at a religious target group, the province feels it is important to promote the Jesuit ethos in both its image and its operation. This is not only reflected in the mosaic of the founder of the Society at the entrance to one of the buildings, or in the meditation room with its beautiful panoramic view of the hotel's ancient park, which helps to enhance contemplation. In addition, the hotel's mission is to create a loving environment in which events, programmes and staff can be organised with a sense of quality and sophistication. A place where perhaps St. Ignatius himself would like to spend a few nights.    
The member organizations of the Xavier Network met in Dublin, Ireland from March 13 to 15, 2024. The meeting brought together the directors and international programs coordinators of participating organizations from Europe, North America, and Australia, and were generously hosted by Irish Jesuits International (IJI).  The meeting began with a time of spiritual conversation on our mission and identity as a network, led by Fr. Martin Iriberri SJ, president of the Spanish member organizations Alboan and Entreculturas. We drew inspiration from the Gospel stories of the disciples on the road to Emmaus who failed to recognize Jesus and on Jesus’ exhortation to serve him by serving the least of our brothers and sisters. We reflected on the Xavier Network as a community of solidarity which journeys together to recognize and serve Jesus in the most marginalized women and men in the Global South.   We heard from three of our key strategic partners. Caroline Sanga and Fr. Allan Ggita SJ from the Eastern Africa Jesuit Province joined us via Zoom to talk  about the work in South Sudan which is being supported by members of the Xavier Network. Michael Schöpf SJ, International Director of Jesuit Refugee Service and Nacho Eguizábal , Associate Director, as well as Fr. Dani Villanueva SJ, General Coordinator of the international Federation of Fe y  Alegria also joined the meeting. Together, we explored how all of us as international networks of the Society of Jesus, can together best serve people on the margins of society and live out the Universal Apostolic Preferences. We also reviewed the status of current emergencies to which the Xavier Network is responding, including Syria, Ukraine, Haiti, and Nepal.   As always, the president of the conference of European Provincials, Fr Dalibor Renić SJ and the coordinator of the social apostolate, Fr Filipe  Martins SJ were also present.  The Provincial of the Irish Jesuits Fr Shane Daly SJ welcomed the group and encouraged  the Xavier Network in our journey  of reimagining the mission offices. He expressed the belief that the Xavier Network plays a key role in helping Jesuit Provinces be reminded that there is a bigger world that we are called to serve as part of the universal mission of the Society of Jesus.   The rich conversations among directors, programs coordinator and our guests helped us to acknowledge the significant ways in which the Xavier Network has grown as a community of solidarity over the years since its inception. Much has been accomplished at the level  of coordination in programming emergency and disaster response, and the development of common policies such as safeguarding policies. Much remains to be done but we share a commitment to cooperation and service.     Jenny CafisoCoordinator, Xavier NetworkExecutive Director, Canadian Jesuits International  
Kircher Network and its partner high school institutions are offering a diverse range of Training Opportunities: Study Week in Granada: Christian and Muslim relations  The Kircher Network's HEST cluster on Christian Muslim Relations is hosting a Study Week in Granada focusing on "Christian and Muslim Relations: Bridging Intercultural Societies for Peace in Turbulent Times." This program emphasizes fostering dialogue and understanding between Christian and Muslim communities, drawing from Al-Andalus’ history amidst global tensions. It is vital for students in theology, humanities, and political sciences to address challenges and promote conflictnational T resolution and harmony in today's world. It will take place from June 30th to July 6th and applications are open for Kircher Network’s students of the mentioned faculties. The expenses will be covered for the first 12 applications. Read More Course on identity and mission of Higher Education Institutions We invite you to check the website of the new course on the identity and mission of Jesuit Higher Education Institutions organized by the Kircher Network. This course aims to offer an introductory immersion experience and hybrid formation for our faculty, leader administrators, and staff who want to gain a foundation in Ignatian identity and the Jesuit higher education mission. Following the Ignatian Pedagogy traditions, the course seeks to be an integral experience comprising intellectual, interiority, and relational approaches. We envision the course as an educational endeavor and an exceptional opportunity for regional networking, fostering mutual understanding among the participants The course, conducted in English, comprises three-day sessions in Vienna and three online meetings. It will start in September 2024, with an introductory webinar followed by three-day in-person sessions at the Society of Jesus’ Kardinal König Haus in Vienna (October 28, 29, and 30), and two follow-up webinars on Ignatian Leadership in November 2024. Read More II International Symposium on Secularity The II International Symposium on Secularity “Do we need religion? Contributions of spirituality and religion to the post-secular and communitarian societies" will take place at Sankt Georgen University (Frankfurt), from the 30th to the 31st of May 2024. Read More    
Between 28th February and 2nd March, 12 representatives of the network of Jesuit Social Centres in Europe gathered in Dublin for a three-day in-person meeting. The gathering aimed to develop a deeper common understanding of the issues at stake in the upcoming European elections, to share initiatives and identify possible collaborations. The question of preserving democracy in view of growing polarization and extreme views was at the centre of attention. Inputs from two experts, on the topic of interaction between migration and politics in Ireland and on impact-oriented communication, helped to deepen the debate. The meeting was also the occasion for the participants to discover the realities, challenges and accomplishments of Jesuit social works in Ireland, through meetings with the teams of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice (JCFJ) and of JRS Ireland. The participants also met with the Irish Provincial, Fr. Shane Daly, for a common Mass. Contributing to the success of the session was the outstanding Irish hospitality, orchestrated by the director of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Kevin Hargarden, and the entire JCFJ team. To all, “go raibh maith agaibh” (“thank you” in Irish, literally “may good be at you”!) 
“Safeguarding children and adults is about transforming human relationships, from violence to dialogue, from abuse to equity, so that social interactions become the best shield to prevent abuses.” (Jeyaraj, Guiney & Racionero-Plaza 2023). The Jesuit European Committee for Primary and Secondary Education (JECSE), together with the Zentrum für Ignatianische Pädagogik (Centre for Ignatian Pedagogy - ZIP), has been working in recent years to support schools in our region in this transformation. Through online trainings, conferences and consultancy, we support the development of a culture of protection in our institutions. In March 2022, we were pleased to invite representatives from our schools to come together to reflect on important safeguarding issues at a conference entitled “Protecting Minors in Our Schools: Preventing and Responding to (Sexualised) Violence”. Over 130 representatives from Jesuits schools in 23 countries gathered in Ludwigshafen, both in person and online, to discuss this crucial topic. Following the post-conference video, we are pleased to offer now the book: “Protecting Minors in our Schools. Preventing and Responding to Sexualised Violence”.  It is a collection of  contributions prepared by the keynote speakers of our Safeguarding Conference in Ludwigshafen (2022). The articles presented here start with  outlining the context of the problem and move on describing in detail specific safeguarding issues.  Proposed responses to the current challenges in this area cover model solutions and practical suggestions for their implementation. We hope that this book will be an impulse for further reflection on safeguarding, an inspiration for improving existing policies and protocols and designing new prevention schemes.  It is our objective to sustainably strengthen a culture of protection in our Jesuit and companion schools.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

1-2
Mon - Tue
Apr 2024
ROME
Italy
Diaconal Ordinations S. Donatas Kuzmickas (ECE), Marin Rondelet (EOF), Ivan Agresta (EUM) and Matej Sandtner (SVK) will be ordained deacons on 2 April at 4 pm in the church Il Gesù in Rome by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça. READ MORE
10
Wed
Apr 2024
BRUSSELS
Belgium
European Works in Brussels Meeting of the Jesuits and Collaborators working in JCEP, JESC, JRS-Europe, Chapel for Europe and the Teachers of Religion in the European Schools. READ MORE
11-14
Thu - Sun
Apr 2024
LYON
France
Ecology Delegates Meeting of the European Ecology Delegates at the Eco-Centre Le Chatelard in Lyon, France READ MORE
13
Sat
Apr 2024
ROME
Italy
Priestly Ordinations Andrea Bonavita (EUM) and Giuseppe La Mela (EUM) will be ordained priests on Saturday 13th April 2024 at 4 p.m. at the Church of St Ignatius of Loyola, Rome READ MORE