From September 8 to 13, the European Meeting of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network took place at the Casa da Torre (Soutelo, Portugal), gathering over 40 national directors and coordinators from 18 countries, including Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, the Vatican, Germany, Malta, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Austria, and Ukraine. The meeting was attended by Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ, International Director, and Fr. Miguel Pedro Melo, SJ, International Vice-Director.

Deepening the Mission in the Present Time

The first day was dedicated to reflecting on and deepening the identity and mission of this pontifical work in the current context of the Church and the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. These moments of discernment helped renew the understanding of the Prayer Network as a service of compassion for the world, in tune with the challenges of humanity and the mission of the Church.

During the following days, key topics were addressed to strengthen the life and service of the national teams. The role of the national director and their teams was discussed, seeking tools to accompany the mission in each country with greater closeness and effectiveness.

Work was also done on the Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM). There was a deeper focus on the mission of accompanying children and young people in their friendship with Jesus and in living a Eucharistic spirituality.

A particularly significant moment was the participation of Fr. Vitaliy Osmolovskyy, SJ, who, despite the difficulties imposed by the war, obtained special authorization to leave Ukraine and share the reality of a mission that unfolds amidst the suffering and hope of his people. His presence led to one of the most moving moments of the meeting when a local group of the Eucharistic Youth Movement from Portugal surprised Fr. Vitaliy with a donation for humanitarian causes in Ukraine, thus expressing their closeness and fraternal prayer.

Finally, the last day was dedicated to the shared mission and collaboration with various ecclesial actors, such as Episcopal Conferences, Apostolic Nuncios, and other works of the Church.

Fruits of the Meeting

At the final Mass, Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ, recalled that the Network is at the service of the Church and Christ’s mission, encouraging all national teams to respond to humanity’s challenges through prayer, service, and spiritual formation, especially in favor of peace, identified as the great challenge of our time.

The European Meeting was a time of prayer, reflection, and fraternity that strengthened the bonds between countries and renewed the commitment to the common mission.