More than 200 people from the different movements and communities of the Ignatian family in Lyon gathered on 6 June at the Saint-Marc Centre for the first cousinade—a gathering of the “Ignatian cousins”—centred on encounter, joy and sharing. The day offered an opportunity to celebrate their shared spiritual heritage while discovering the richness of their diverse charisms and ways of serving the Church and those on the margins. The following testimony, shared by a participant and volunteer with JRS Lyon, reflects on the experience and highlights both the richness of the Ignatian family’s diversity and the importance of collaboration in strengthening its shared mission.

The first “Cousinade of the Ignatian Family of Lyon” took place on 6 June at the Saint-Marc Centre. It was a wonderful gathering, with more than 200 participants. The day began with a game designed to encourage interaction among participants, allowing everyone to connect and experience a sense of community from the very beginning, in a joyful atmosphere.

This was followed by a Messe qui prend son Temps, a celebration inviting people to take time for prayer and reflection, centred on the Gospel story of the widow who gave what she needed to live. A collective prayer then brought together the concerns and hopes of many participants. The celebration began and ended with a joyful procession of banners representing all the movements present.

Afterwards, we shared a meal, with participants seated randomly so that they could meet and build relationships with people they did not already know. The afternoon offered a wide variety of workshops for reflection, games and sharing, each drawing on the particular “treasures” of one of the participating movements. These included a collective painting workshop with a Haitian refugee and artist supported by JRS, bibliodrama, spiritual discernment, a football activity, and a calligraphy workshop led by Dominique Gonnet, SJ, representing the Rue Sala Jesuit community and the Sources Chrétiennes. Eccleria (formerly MCC) also offered a workshop on the “treasures of work”. The day concluded with a beautiful concert of praise and poetry offered by the MEJ in the early evening.

United through Christ and through service to the poor

It was a festive and very convivial gathering, offering an opportunity to discover what this Ignatian family can become when the particular charism of each movement is brought into relationship with the others.

As a volunteer with the JRS Lyon team, I left the gathering with the image of the Ignatian family as an immense viaduct for refugees and for all the “poor widows” of the Gospel. The Jesuit Refugee Service seemed to me like a modest railing along this bridge—something that helps people move safely and continuously from one pillar to another.

The pillars of this bridge stand alongside one another, yet they are connected by Christ and by the poor, to whom Christ continually draws us. The bridge was originally built through the contribution of Ignatian religious men and women and has continued to grow through communities and movements such as the Christian Life Community (CVX), the Eucharistic Youth Movement (MEJ), Eccleria, MAGIS, the Centre for Ignatian Spirituality (CPU), and many others.

The day in Lyon was therefore much more than a gathering. It was an opportunity to discover the treasures carried by each part of the Ignatian family and, above all, to recognise that these different charisms are not isolated from one another. They are connected by a common desire to follow Christ and to serve those who are most vulnerable.