A look back at the Family Lab' session at the Penboc'h spiritual centre (Brittany).

Among the summer spiritual sessions organised for families in the EOF Province, there was the "Famille Lab'" session at the Jesuit spiritual centre of Penboc'h in Brittany, which brought together Jesuits and families to experience a spiritual holiday combining renewal, conviviality and care for family life. Fr Xavier Dijon sj shares with us the fruits of this week which brought together nearly 70 adults and children around the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus.

A week at the Jesuit spiritual centre of Penboc'h around the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus, applied to the theme of families: How to find the way to God as a family? How can we take care of families on the periphery and of fragile families? How to accompany young families? How can we build a future of hope with the young people in our families? How can we contribute, as a family, to the safeguarding of our Common House?

The 38 adults present, including 7 Jesuits, took up the four Jesuit priorities one after the other for each of the days of the session, preceded by a day of mutual presentation and closed by a review of the whole. The challenge of the session was twofold: firstly, to see how families could, from their specific point of view, understand and appropriate the four preferences, and secondly, to see what initiatives could be taken by the family ministry team to make these precious missions radiate.

Austere work for a holiday season? Not really! Is it not relaxing to be reminded, for example, that good decision-making requires a diversion through the Bible, or that we are linked to Creation by the joy we find in it, or that the family circle remains the main reference centre for young people, or that a wounded family is always more than a wounded family?

In addition, the 29 children present at the session, together with the generosity of the sun and the call of the nearby sea, gave the whole session the right holiday feel. While the adults listened to the presentations and testimonies, the young people added their own special touch (from 1 to 15 years old): led by their six leaders, they conducted their own exchanges, punctuated by drawings and other crafts. The two groups met for daily mass, with the participation of several musicians and choirboys. Let's add to this schedule the meals cooked by a master's hand (one table per family) and the many times of relaxation: football, workshops, swimming... Isn't it in the weaving of such a network that the Kingdom is built?

Xavier Dijon S.J.