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Green is the color we associate with Ireland, the Province where, this time, the Major Superiors of the JCEP met. And quite green were the lawns and countryside surrounding the Ballyvaloo Retreat Centre that hosted us.

Ecological lifestyle

Green, in another sense, was also the main topic of the Assembly: the beginning of a process of looking at our lifestyle in view of Laudato Si’s calling to ecological conversion. The Conference Apostolic Plan 2021-2026 established that as one of the objectives for these six years: “to exercise our leadership as Major Superiors together to encourage the Jesuits of Europe to rethink the way we live in the light of the UAPs”, with the specific objective: “Centre one of the JCEP Assemblies of the next 3 years on the reviewing of our community lifestyle”. This focus had actually started one week before, with the Spiritual Exercises made together at St Beuno’s, Wales, a no less green setting (see The JCEP Provincials on their way to ecological conversion)

The teams of JESC and EOF that have developed and applied the Carbon Footprint Tool presented it and shared their experience with the different communities of the province. François Boëdec, provincial of EOF, gave, then, his personal testimony about the decisions taken and the implementation of the process of raising ecological awareness and some specific projects underway, like the transformation of the Spiritual Centre Le Châtelard into an eco-spirituality centre. After time for personal prayer and sharing in small groups, a number of issues/questions was identified as starting points and directions for the process to be continued in the next Assemblies.

Formation and Safeguarding

A second major theme was Jesuit Formation in the Conference. The Delegate for Formation, János Lukács, HUN, was present and gave a survey of the Formation Centres, pointed to some issues that may be requiring attention and offered his own reflections on the ever evolving challenges of forming young Jesuits.

Time was also given to the usual Address of the president, reporting on what has taken place at the level of the Conference in the last six months, especially the meetings of the different networks and the developments in the common works. Safeguarding, with the presence of Julie Ashby-Ellis, the JCEP Delegate received some quality attention as well. The accounts for 2022 were presented and approved. Eammon McGuinness from Educate Magis came from Galway to Ballyvaloo to inform the Major Superiors about this worldwide program of support to Jesuit Schools and Ignatian Pedagogy.

Online, we had the opportunity to meet Oleksii Bredeliev, Regional Superior of Ukraine, who, from Lviv shared with us his experiences and views on the war now already one year long.

Farewells

Finally, this was the last Assembly for four provincials (Damian Howard, BRI; François Boëdec, EOF; Antonio España, ESP; and Dalibor Renić, CRO) and for the Conference President, Franck Janin. There was time to look back and reflect on the experience, and to show gratitude for their contributions in the last six years, with a joyous, and at times quite funny, and equally moving, celebration of friends in the Lord.

A word of gratitude to the HIB province for the wonderful hospitality, to Raffaella Braga Sorensen of the Provincial office, for all the preparations, and to Terry Howard, Socius, who accompanied the Assembly, providing generously for our socials.

Herminio Rico
JCEP Socius

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