An Interview with Marie Thérèse Michel.

French educator, Marie Thérèse Michel, has been the Director of the European Jesuit educational Network (JECSE) for the past six years. She steps down at the end of this month. She shares her reflections here. 

Marie Thérèse, tell us about the main activities of JECSE.

There are 164 schools in Europe and my activity was, first of all, to have a team to work with so that we could think and reflect together.  Another activity was to build up a body of Delegates with a real trust and knowledge of each other. We worked together on a vision for JECSE and ended up with four priorities, agreed across Europe. The first one is about Faith and Ignatian identity; the second focusses on social justice; thirdly we stress peace and reconciliation and the sense of Europe; the last one is about change: how can schools adapt and help students adapt to this fast changing world especially with all the new technology.

Looking back at the last six years what are you proudest of? 

I am very proud of the fact that people from all over Europe could meet and exchange together during the seminars we organised. When people wanted to come back and expected the next event it made me feel very happy. An example is the seminar we run for formators - the people in charge of formation of teachers. While this, of course, is not a big group - it is around 30 people – they do forward to coming back and to work together. This seminar has been on for years, now, and is really good.

I also enjoyed when people realised during a conference, that they belonged to a larger network of Jesuit schools.

What one place did you most enjoy visiting, that opened your eyes; that excited you; that was new and different.

I really enjoyed visiting Lithuania and working with the teachers there.  I stayed there for three days just at the start of the school year and it was very interesting and very different.  I also enjoyed visiting Albania; they were building the new school and that was a very good memory.  But most of the places I have been to were interesting. …really, it is impossible to choose.

What can Jesuit education bring to Europe and the Middle East today?  

I would say that Jesuit education can offer mainly the sense of interiority which is almost absent in our world,. Developing this sense with the students – even the youngest ones -  is so important. There are some very good experiences in France, now and it is very important to develop this, also for the teachers. It’s a key part of Ignatian pedagogy.

What are your feelings as you finish?  

A bit of everything – difficult to say at the moment, but I am very happy about where this network is right now. 

We wish you well and many blessings for the future.

Thank you very much.

Photos: José de Pablo SJ. Interview: John Dardis SJ

>>> Read also: JECSE Delegates Meeting