Villa san Giuseppe, Centro Poggeschi and the church of Santi Vita and Agricola are three important reference points for the various initiatives offered by the Jesuits to young people who are drawn to the Bologna area. 

"As Jesuits in Bologna we work in two realities: the Retreat House of Villa San Giuseppe and the Poggeschi Centre, in the historic centre, a place for university students and young adults,” Fr. Loris Piorar, director of Poggeschi Centre explains.  This is a central place where young people coming from different areas meet to take part in the various initiatives among them the Sunday evening mass at 7 pm in the church of Santi Vita and Agricola: "It is particularly adapted for young people.  An average of hundred young people gather at this time,as they are attracted by the music, the time of silence after the homily, as well as the sharing of  spontaneous prayers as a community of young people. Often the celebration of mass is the first opportunity to reconnect with an experience of faith, particularly for college students who are away from home."

Experiences offered 

The ongoing experience of faith takes place at the Poggeschi Centre, in particular through the EVO (Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life): this is an annual initiative which gathers 50 young people each year, consisting of a daily time of prayer, personal accompaniment, weekly meetings and a few encounters during the year, with a final pilgrimage. It is an opportunity to meet the Lord and others in a profound way. 

For those who do not yet feel ready for the Spiritual Exercises, other initiatives are organised.  These consist of 5 meetings on the emotions, 5 meetings on some life questions, and 5 meetings on choices.

After the experience of the Spiritual Exercises there is the possibility to continue to deepen this prayer experience.  (2 groups of about thirty young people)

A new ad hoc initiative has commenced: Àncora (the first group of this year consists of about 30 youth). In Poggeschi a formation course is offered to those university students who do not live on campus (consisting of 20 to 30 scouts).  This group is linked to the scout group of the parish of San Giovanni in Monte.

Experiences of Service Giving 

This experience of faith gives rise to service giving that bring together many young people, such as groups that discuss study and work in relation to faith, Pietre Vive (art and spirituality in the Basilica of Santo Stefano), service in hospitals, after-school activities, meetings with young people awaiting trial in juvenile prisons (some of these meetings have been reduced due to the covid emergency), and the proposal of days of walking and meeting with witnesses from those places (walk and meet)

Those who are formed in Poggeschi will at a certain point desire to serve in different ways.

P. Loris Piorar SJ, Director of the Poggeschi Center