Superiors and directors of Jesuit communities and institutions in Portugal met to deepen their knowledge of Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAP). The meeting was led by Fr. Herminio Rico, sj.

Hermínio Rico began by emphasizing the enormous investment made by the Society of Jesus in the process that led to the election of the four UAP and in the way they were disseminated. He then warned of the danger of becoming "a wasted grace". The Portuguese Jesuit emphasized the fact that the UAP were the result of a mature election process mandated by the General Congregation 36. As a result of this mandate, a process of discernment was initiated that involved Jesuits and lay people spread throughout the world. The results of the discernment were then sent to Fr. General who, along with his extended council, defined the UAPs that were confirmed by Pope Francis who returned them to the Society of Jesus as a mission given by the Church. "This is a way in which God speaks to us and after such a complete process we could not ask for more clarity", emphasized Herminio Rico.

Throughout his presentation, the Jesuit explained that the fact of having opted for the expression preferences rather than priorities is explained by the fact that the UAP are assumed more as dynamic orientations of vital and apostolic energies that should serve as a focus for the way in which the Society is called to collaborate with the mission of Jesus rather than as indications of what we must do. "These preferences have more to do with being than with acting, they involve the whole life", the Jesuit priest clarified.

After the exposition, each one of those present was invited to a personal time of prayer for the personal appropriation of the UAP. This was followed by a time of work in small groups, based on the methodology of spiritual conversation. This methodology is inspired by the way in which the first Jesuit companions made the decisions that led to the foundation of the Society of Jesus. The group work resulted in a time of sharing in which the fruit of group work was gathered as a way of finding clues to the way in which the experience of the UAP can be deepened over the coming years. The morning ended with the celebration of the Eucharist at which the Jesuit Novitiate community was present.

The afternoon of this meeting was marked by a more informal conversation on the challenges that the UAP bring to the mission entrusted to the Jesuits in Portugal and to their different communities and institutions. At the end of the day, Fr. Provincial made a point of establishing a bridge between the UAP and the present Apostolic Plan of the Portuguese Province. At that time, he recalled the need to accept the time we are living in as a "favourable time" and the urgency of "a rich and fruitful spiritual life" as the foundation of the unity of the apostolic body and the generator of the same way of proceeding.