Emotion, solemnity and universality of the Church were the accents of the ceremony of ordination of deacons held on 4 February in the parish of San Francisco de Borja (Madrid). Twelve Jesuit companions from seven countries - Spain, France, India, Italy, Malaysia, Romania and Thailand - received the first degree of priestly ordination.

Concelebrating were Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, Archbishop of Madrid, Monsignor Hugo Manuel Salaberry SJ, Bishop of Azul (Argentina), Spain Provincial Antonio España SJ, the Provincials of Francophone Western Europe (EOF) and Malaysia, and the Regional Superior of Thailand, Miguel Garaizabal SJ, a Jesuit of Spanish origin.

Spaniards Javier Bailén SJ, José Luis Olea SJ, Luis Ortuño SJ and Rodrigo Sanz SJ were ordained. Along with: Jean-Baptiste Roy SJ from France, Prawin Vikas SJ from India, Giuseppe La Mela SJ and Andrea Bonavita SJ from Italy, Nalerin Erone Nahfirin SJ from Malaysia, Ambrozie Mengheris SJ from Romania and Francis Pantharaks SJ and David Sakda SJ from Thailand.

At the end of the ceremony, the new deacons thanked God for the call they had received and for the journey they had travelled, and all those who had accompanied them up to this point.