From May 17 to 21, 2026, JCEP President Fr. Dalibor Renić participated in the Assembly of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States (JCCU) held in Washington, D.C. During his visit, Fr. Renić was present at the sessions of the Assembly and toured the JCCU headquarters, gaining firsthand insight into the operations of their central office and various Conference secretariats.

While there is no formal global governing body composed of Jesuit Conference Presidents, it has become a valuable tradition for Presidents to attend one another’s annual assemblies at least once during their mandate. This visit follows a reciprocal gesture in the spring of 2025, when JCCU President Fr. Brian Paulson attended the JCEP Assembly in Bologna.

These visits provide a unique opportunity to observe and adopt best practices, foster new networking opportunities between staff and conference members, and strengthen the global bonds of the Society.

The JCCU operates with significantly fewer members than the JCEP, consisting of only five Provincials. Because the conference covers only two countries, joint projects are extensive and cooperation is highly streamlined across many sectors. A particularly notable feature is their almost entirely integrated Jesuit formation system; starting from the common novitiates, all houses of formation are managed directly at the Conference level.

Furthermore, the conference benefits from powerful institutional networks such as the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) and the Jesuit Schools Network (JSN), both of which play a crucial role in ensuring the Jesuit mission and identity of their many schools and universities.

During his stay in the US capital, Fr. Renić visited the Jesuit communities at Georgetown University and Gonzaga College High School. In a fortunate coincidence, he was able to attend the graduation ceremony of Fr. Raymond Parcon at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, alongside the Director of JRS Europe, Fr. Alberto Ares. This spring, Fr. Parcon joined the international Jesuit community in Brussels to begin his work with JRS Europe—a living testament to the truly global nature of the Society of Jesus' mission.