From November 17th to November 20th, 2025, the provincial treasurers of the Jesuit provinces of Europe and the Near East gathered in Mount Saint Joseph Retreat House in Malta for their annual in-person meeting, dedicated this year principally to IT Security. The group was accompanied by Fr. Sebastian Jeerakassery SJ, General Treasurer of the Society of Jesus, with Agustín Moreira SJ and Jean-Baptiste Ganza SJ from his team at the General Economato.

The treasurers were in many cases accompanied by some members of their administration teams, most of them lay collaborators. Even in some cases, because of health issues, the treasurer was represented by one of his lay collaborators. All this shows the high level of collaboration in the mission that is present in this field.

The meeting had been carefully prepared by the treasurers' group steering committee (Theo van Drunen SJ, Rik Vanwijnsbergher, Luciano Larivera SJ, Tom O’Brian, and Gonzalo Villagrán SJ). Stephen Scerri, from the EUM administration in Malta, had done an incredible preparation work locally regarding the accommodation and the different visits. All this made the meeting a wonderful and fraternal moment of encounter, exchange, common prayer, and mutual support. We are particularly thankful for the warm welcome and attention to every detail by the team at Mount Saint Joseph Retreat House.

Strengthening Communication Through Transparency

The meeting began with a time of quiet personal prayer to recall the experiences of the year in the light of the Gospel. It was followed by an exchange in small groups of joys and challenges in our posts. Subsequently, the main economic information was shared about the Conference of Provincials as well as the different provinces. This was a healthy and honest exercise of transparency that shows the high level of communication the group has reached.

The first afternoon, we enjoyed an incredible visit to La Valetta, Malta’s capital, which introduced us to the fascinating history of the island, the role of the Knights of Saint John, as well as the British colonial past of the island. For all of the participants, it was a moment to discover the place of Malta in European history as well as the historical role of Jesuits on the island. The visit was followed by a marvelous dinner enjoying the culinary treasures of Malta.

Understanding Digital Risks

The second day was almost entirely dedicated to the main topic of the meeting: IT Security. First, Prof. Bart Preneel, from KU Leuven, helped the participants to understand the main risks associated with information technologies and the web. In the afternoon, a team (Jorge Rodríguez, Mª Paz Clevería, and Pilar Cortés) in charge of IT Security in ESADE, a Jesuit business school in Barcelona, shared with us the process followed in that institution to put a system of integral IT Security into practice. Both speeches gave us a very clear map of risks, as well as a path of development for the IT Security of the Provinces in the Conference. We are thankful to the speakers, as well as ESADE, for their help in this effort.

Managing Real Estate

The last day, we had a very interesting and professional presentation from the Province of Spain on how they manage their real estate assets, a main challenge for any province. It was very impressive to see the systematic way in which a reality as complex as real estate is managed in this province. The presentation was followed by a time to see together ways to answer Fr. General’s demand for systems of solidarity in the field of healthcare, particularly for aged Jesuits, inside the Society of Jesus.

The team from the General Economato could also talk to the participants in a couple of moments to help us understand better how to do the financial reporting from the provinces, as well as to encourage the provinces to grow in the dynamic of healthcare solidarity.

In summary, the meeting was a great occasion to grow together as a real apostolic body in Europe and the Near East, supporting the mission through a careful and inspired administration. Although such an activity is many times not very visible, it is an invaluable contribution to the mission, as the treasurers know well.