NETHERLANDS, 16 - 19 November 2016.

From Wednesday 16^th November until Saturday 19^th the 23 European Delegates of the Society of Jesus for Primary and Secondary Education (JECSE)  have gathered for their annual meeting in Stal Op de Kaag in the Netherlands. 

The objectives of the meeting were: 

• To introduce the new education delegates for some of the provinces;
• To share the main challenges facing JECSE and the most significant projects for the upcoming years; 
• To foster the union of minds to go towards the construction of a Europe based on solid human values from the Jesuit education.

The group had the opportunity to share some thoughts with several guests. Amongst them was Fr. José Alberto Mesa SJ, Secretary of the Father General for Education in the Society of Jesus and Ciara Beuster from Educate Magis, they talked about JESEDU, the World Congress of Delegates of Education to be held next October in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and about the new features of Educate Magis. 

Another guest was Fr. John Dardis SJ, President of the Conference of European Provincials (CEP) and newly appointed Discernment and Apostolic Planning assistant for Father General who worked together with the education delegates to plan for JECSE’s future.

Finally, the group had the chance to meet Edy Korthals Altes, a former senior Dutch diplomat who gave a speech to the delegates about the topic ‘Religions for peace’. Especially interesting was the three young Muslims coming from The House of Peace shared their personal experience with the group.

However, the key moment of the meeting, which was particularly emotional, was the farewell of Marie Thérèse Michel, Director of JECSE for the last six years, to whom the participants showed gratitude for her dedication to the cause of the Society and Europe. "I congratulate Marie-Thérèse on all she has accomplished during these years as Director of JECSE” said CEP president John Dardis. “She showed a great ability to inspire and lead. The commitment of the Education delegates around Europe to the work of JECSE are a tribute to her skills and dedication. She developed a great team spirit among them and did some vital planning for the future of JECSE"

JECSE now looks to the future with hope and passion. The dream remains to make Jesuit education a reality in Europe by strengthening the sense of belonging to our continent through shared values ​​and to continue to build a network within this diverse reality with the goal of supporting those educational initiatives in the provinces and most specially in those places where primary and secondary education is most needed.

>>> Read also: Interview with Marie-Thérèse Michel