Accompanied by Fr Claude Philippe, about ten young people involved in the pastoral animation of the Magis House, went to Rome on 27 and 28 October on the occasion of the closing of the Synod of Bishops on the theme of "youth, faith and vocational discernment". "This pilgrimage trip was an opportunity to experience the spirit of the Synod as closely as possible, but also to discover places that were foundational for the Society. They were thus able to deepen their knowledge of our spiritual tradition," says Claude Philippe. On their return, the young people shared their testimony: "On the occasion of the Synod on Youth, we, Charlotte, Nicolas, Anne-Claire, Celeste, Pedro and Florence, Alexandre, Jérôme, Alexandre and Sylvie, accompanied by Father Claude, ambassadors of the Magis House, have visited Rome. We began by following in the footsteps of Saint Ignatius and the first companions (visit of the church of the Gesù guided by Living Stones, mass in Ignatius' room). At the Pontifical Gregorian University, we met Nicolas Steeves who introduced us to the Roman institutions and their functioning. On Saturday evening, once the final document had been adopted, the French delegation (Bishops Percerou, Gobilliard, Lacombe, Macaire, Brother Aloïs from Taizé, Nathalie Becquart) came to join us in the church Saint-Louis-des-Français for a vigil with 150 other young people from several dioceses and communities. Just leaving the Synod, they were animated by an overflowing enthusiasm, burning to share what they had lived: an experience of encounters, exchanges, construction lived in fraternity, diversity and listening, driven by the Spirit. They were truly aware that it was the Spirit who had worked through them. "It is not just any document, it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit," the Pope concluded at the end of the Synod. On Sunday, we participated in the closing Mass of the Synod, presided by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica; it was an opportunity to see the diversity of all the members of the Synod. During his homily, the Pope highlighted three points, reflecting the spirit of the Synod: the apostolate of the ear, being close, being a witness. He was enthusiastic and full of hope about the fruits that the Synod will bring and we intend, on our scale, to implement it in the Magis house. » www.maisonmagis.org On the picture: The Magis House group at the entrance of the Jesuit Curia in Roma around Brother Alois (prior of Taizé) and Fr. Claude Philippe.

1000 people at RivEspérance 2018 in Namur - Belgium. Between the 2nd and 4th November, RivEspérance, the "citizen and Christian" gathering, brought together more than 1000 people in Namur. Dedicated to families, this edition welcomed a large number of children, youth and young adults. It is good news after the recent Synod called for the "cry of the young" to be heard. In addition to the conferences, round tables, workshops, concerts and Eucharist, this edition offered a high-quality programme for children and young people: the film-debate with Anne-Dauphine Julliand brought together 140 young people aged 12 to 18; the RIVx forum welcomed 150 young adults (20-40 years old) with the powerful testimony of 4 speakers. Children were treated to puppet shows, tales, dance and music. Such an event would not have been possible without the participation of more than 150 volunteers, including scouts, students and people present on the stands of partner associations, all aided by the 15 members of the supporting team. Organized in partnership with the University of Namur, the gathering welcomed a large number of speakers, including Jesuits and partners: Xavier Dijon SJ led a workshop on transhumanism and two workshops were devoted to Amoris Laetitia, one by Tommy Scholtes, the other by Denis Joassart, National Chaplain of CLC French-speaking Belgium. José Davin spoke on "Homosexuals and married life", while André Fossion of the Lumen Vitae International Centre proposed ways to help young people who try to give meaning to their life by living their faith. The Centre Avec presented a workshop on voluntary simplicity in the family, led by Claire Brandeleer who is in charge of study and animation.

"La Maison Magis, a dream that is finally coming true"... these are the most repeated words on the occasion of the opening of this much awaited place on October 12. It was a joy to see the long awaited realisation of the project. This joy was shared by the young people but also by all those who, within the Society of Jesus and the Ignatian Family, are involved in youth ministry. “This is a house where life circulates on every floor, where people meet, get to know each other, live together, share, invent, create, celebrate, listen and speak", said the Provincial François Boëdec sJ during the inauguration. The vocation of Maison Magis is to help young adults, students and young professionals from 18 to 35 years in their life choices so that their professional and social commitments can be shaped by the Gospel. Located at 12, rue d'Assas (6th arrondissement of Paris), the House brings together various projects and teams supported by the Society of Jesus in a space of more than 1000 m2: Magis Paris, which invites young people to form, serve and pray, always keeping together interiority and commitment (Claude Philippe sJ). The cowork Magis which welcomes young freelancers and project leaders in an open space of 140m². It offers them spiritual and professional support, in partnership with the MCC, the Christian Movement of Leaders (Grégoire Le Bel sJ) The national Réseau Magis, supported by Jesuits, religious and lay people of Ignatian spirituality, which organises activities throughout France to invite young people aged 18 to 35 to take one more step with Christ. (Manuel Grandin sJ). JRS-France, whose mission is to fight against the isolation and social exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees (Antoine Paumard sJ). Inigo, which offers an international volunteer experience in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe (Tuan Nguyen sJ). The joining in one and the same place makes sense: it is a question of making this new house a place of sharing, solidarity and synergies between the activities it hosts. More than 40% of the spaces are common to all teams: large room, cafeteria, kitchen, etc. About twenty meeting rooms can be shared between the different teams. "We want collaboration, flexibility, experimentation and innovation to be at the heart of the House. In the words of Pope Francis, we wish to live the "mysticism" of living together (EG 87), with which the House helps young people to grow in the different dimensions of their lives. May it help them to unify their lives and commit themselves to building a more just and fraternal world", Claude Philippe sJ, Director of the Magis House, stressed at the inauguration. As François Boëdec pointed out, the future of the house has to be invented and lived so that it can be a full sign of a larger house, that of the Kingdom of God: "No one knows in advance all the projects which will emerge in this place. No one knows the words that will be exchanged, the beneficial encounters, the supports, the silences, the prayers, the songs and dances... No one can predict this, because this House must stimulate and make things possible, even if we can trust the Jesuits to offer some encouragement! » To learn more about Maison Magis: www.maisonmagis.org Facebook: Maison MAGIS Instagram : maison_magis

In June 2017, the following information was disseminated: "The Jesuit Faculty of Theology in Brussels, or Institute of Theological Studies (IET), created in 1968, will cease to function after fifty years of service to the Church. But a new project is in the making, which will take over from the old one. It will be in line with the rapprochement between French and Belgian French-speaking Jesuits, which was made official on 31 July 2017, and under the impetus of the Provincial Superior, Father François Boëdec. To new wine, new wineskins! As of September 2019, we are creating something new: the Forum Saint-Michel. Its activities and proposals, marked by Ignatian spirituality, characteristic of the Jesuits, will take place mainly on the "Saint-Michel Site". On the one hand, they will target the audiences who inhabit it (the church, the School Centre, the many associations that revolve around it), and on the other hand, anyone wishing to deepen the interactions between their faith and their commitments in the world and the Church. The Forum Saint-Michel will radiate in three synergistic dimensions: Christian formation, Pastoral and Spirituality, Culture and Society. Christian formation Various courses, seminars, sessions, conferences... will be offered, over variable periods of time and according to schedules adapted to professional life, to people, young or old, wishing to work on a discovery of the Christian faith or its deepening and reflect on the interactions between this faith and their commitments. To this end, we benefit from the agreement and support of the Diocese of Mechelen-Brussels, and from the many skills of committed religious and lay people, men and women; we will build on the IET's tradition of interactive pedagogy and have its premises and library; we will also use distance learning. Without targeting a large audience, we will offer a three-year program for those who wish to attend and who have sufficient attendance. This program will not exceed 8 to 10 hours/week, and will offer the opportunity to register globally for the entire training or in successive modules. We are currently establishing contacts to validate this training with the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve and the Centre Sèvres in Paris. Pastoral care and spirituality This axis will help to deepen in a practical way the link between faith and commitments in the service of the world or the Church, in line with the tradition of Saint Ignatius. It will be based in particular on the already very active Saint-Michel church; it will benefit from the proximity of the Saint-Michel School Centre, a beautiful influence in the city of Brussels, and an existing network of people trained in spiritual accompaniment. We also plan to offer the possibility of spiritual renewal in the environment of the Saint-Michel site, drawing inspiration from the heritage of our founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and from his individual retreats. Culture and Society This dimension, which is already well established on the site, particularly at the cultural level, will include conferences, exhibitions, concerts, book presentations by their authors, film clubs, etc., in the church and the IET's current premises. In this way, we want to keep and intensify the contact of the Christian faith with the contemporary world so diverse, rich, complex and promising at the same time. In close contact with… For these three dimensions, we will also be in particular in contact with the Christian Life Communities (CLC), the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), and the Centre Avec, without forgetting the Chapel of the Resurrection and La Viale Europe, two close Jesuit places oriented more towards the European environments of our capital. We will also maintain regular consultation with the diocese. Many contacts have already been made and will continue to be made to revitalize all the activities of the Forum Saint-Michel. This Saint-Michel Forum will be set up in September 2019, for a three-year trial period. During this period, the IET's current classrooms and library will be dedicated to him.

Congratulations to Philip Endean SJ, who has taken over as Director of the second cycle (Masters’ level) programme of studies at Centre Sèvres in Paris. From the beginning of September, he has become responsible for overseeing the studies of about forty students, including Jesuits from France and further afield. The traditional “journée de rentrée” for the programme took place last Wednesday, 5th September, including a picnic lunch in the newly-planted garden of the Centre. "The role is a really interesting one, helping students - Jesuits and others - from well over twenty countries to work for a master’s degree and canonical license here in Paris” said Fr Philip. “I'm particularly pleased to be the first foreigner in this sort of role. Often, when we study with languages, I reflect that the Jesuits only started because Ignatius had trouble with Latin, and Pierre Favre had to help him." Based in the heart of Paris, the Centre Sèvres is an academic institution specialised in philosophy and theology open to the ethical, cultural and spiritual challenges of the contemporary world. The traditional Jesuit education allows the implementation of methods to accompany everyone in their career, helping in the acquisition of responsible judgement. Various British Jesuits have studied at the French institute. Two scholastics, Christopher Brolly SJ and Jacques St Laurent SJ, are currently at their second year of Philosophy at the Centre Sèvres. Philip Endean SJ studied philosophy and theology at Heythrop College, University of London, punctuated by a year of pastoral work in Mexico. Before ordination in 1985, he also did a master’s degree, specialising in Jesuit history, at what was then Weston School of Theology, under Fr John O'Malley. Fr Philip began doctoral studies at Campion Hall in Oxford, under Archibishop Rowan Williams, in 1987, after working at Manchester’s Catholic chaplaincy. In 1992, he was appointed to the faculty of Heythrop as a lecturer in both systematic and pastoral theology, and served there for nine years until the summer of 2001, when Fr Philip returned to Campion Hall to serve as Tutor in Theology. He was appointed twice Editor of The Way, the British Jesuits' journal of spirituality. In 2012-13, he held the Gasson Chair at Boston College, before moving to Centre Sèvres Paris as Professor of Spirituality in September 2013.

Lyon. Willkommen! – Bienvenue! – Welcome! The habit of heartiness and hospitality is like a generally understandable language. That is what 28 novices from three noviciates (Birmingham, Lyon, Nuremberg) and nine countries could experience during the Northern European Internoviciate Meeting which took place in Lyon on August 1st-8th. Thereby a tradition of a couple of years has been continued. Certainly the point is to get to know the neighbouring provinces, their focuses, specifics, developments and challenges. And indeed the opportunity to meet the Jesuits working in Lyon was given. Therefore they visited a former Jesuit church, which is now dedicated to high-class music, the Saint Marc secondary school with its more than 5‘000 students and the research institute called Sources Chrétienne. Founded by Henri de Lubac SJ and his colleagues it is still working to discover the texts of the earliest eras of Christianity and to give an access to modern audience by translation and commentary. But the main interest of their meeting was the community, both among them and with Jesus Christ. This could grow by liturgy and spiritual sharing. In doing so the intimacy of spiritual brotherliness develops on the common foundation of Ignatian retreat and the vocation and mission of the Society of Jesus. Of course this process includes also, to speak more concretely, for example doing sports together, visiting the city of Lyon and several activities for entertainment.  As one can easily foresee, digital media will have a growing influence and impact on social life in the whole world. Directed by Fr. Grégoire Le Bel SJ the novices discussed at their meeting’s workshop also about the advantages and risks of digital media for spiritual life and apostolic work. As an huge contrast to this they also visited Le Grand Chartreuse, the main monastery of Carthusians. Not only for Ignatius himself but also for the novices nowadays this radical retreat into contemplation is obviously attracting – even when they had to be satisfied by entering the Charthouse museum nearby and having a look from a non-disturbing distance onto the monastery’s buildings. At the end all participants of this annual international meeting could take back home the consolation of a lively get-together of young religious men and the thankfulness about God’s creativity at calling that manifold characters to the one universal Society of Jesus.