Across Europe, Jesuit and Ignatian schools live out a shared educational tradition in remarkably diverse contexts. A recent visit to five schools in Germany by JECSE Director and JCEP Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education, Agnieszka Baran, offered an opportunity to discover how this common mission takes shape in different communities, while also highlighting the experiences, challenges and creative responses that schools can share with one another. From Berlin to Dresden, Bonn, Mainz and St. Blasien, the visits revealed the richness of Ignatian education today—and the strength that comes from being part of a wider European network united by a common vision of education, accompaniment and the formation of young people. 

JECSE Director Agnieszka Baran Visits Schools of the Ignatian Network in Germany

How is Jesuit education lived out today in practice? How do schools respond to the challenges of their particular contexts, and what can they learn from one another? These were the guiding questions as Agnieszka Baran, Director of the Jesuit European Committee for Primary and Secondary Education (JECSE), together with Gabriele Hüdepohl, Delegate for Schools of the Central European Province of the Jesuits, visited five schools of the Ignatian network in Germany.

The journey took them to Canisius-Kolleg Berlin, Benno-Gymnasium Dresden, Aloisiuskolleg in Bonn, Maria-Ward-Schule in Mainz, and finally Kolleg St. Blasien. At each school, meetings with school leaders, teachers, students, and pastoral teams provided valuable insights into the life and mission of the school communities. While each school has developed its own distinctive profile, all are united by a shared commitment to the Jesuit educational tradition and its Ignatian roots.

At Benno-Gymnasium in Dresden, the visitors were particularly impressed by the school’s culture of openness. Its modern architecture, with open learning spaces, encourages encounter, collaboration, and a variety of learning approaches. As a Catholic school of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen, Benno-Gymnasium carries out its mission in a largely secular environment. At the same time, the school is deeply committed to international partnerships and solidarity projects. The collaboration with Jesuit Volunteers as well as the support of educational and social initiatives especially in Africa, helps students experience firsthand that global solidarity and service are integral dimensions of Ignatian education.

At Canisius-Kolleg Berlin, conversations with students from the Pedro Arrupe Integrated Secondary School and members of the Ignatian Student Community (ISG) provided insights into two aspects of the college that are unique in the context of our schools. The encounters highlighted how important the sense of being seen and of belonging are for personal development and academic success, and how strongly participation and community shape the profile of both the school and the college. Particularly striking  was the way the young people actively assume responsibility in youth work and help shape the life of the college themselves.

Aloisiuskolleg in Bonn presented itself as a school in a period of transformation. Meetings with the school administration, the board of the of the Ignatian School Foundation and the student representatives focused on  questions of  future development as a companion school, the implementation of cura personalis  and shared responsibility. It became clear how earnestly the school community is striving to shape change while at the same time preserving its Ignatian character as a guide for the future.

Maria-Ward-Schule in Mainz offered a distinctive perspective. As one of only two girls’ schools within the European Jesuit network of schools, it combines in a unique way the educational traditions of Mary Ward and Ignatius of Loyola. The shared commitment to the holistic formation of young people, personal freedom, responsibility, and faith shapes every aspect of school life. The visitors were also impressed by the large and dedicated pastoral team, which plays an essential role in accompanying students and nurturing the school’s spiritual character.

The final stage of the journey brought the visitors to Kolleg St. Blasien. As a boarding school, it occupies a special place within the network. Here, education, community life, and personal accompaniment are closely integrated. The visitors gained insight into a learning and living environment that offers young people opportunities for growth, community, and discernment far beyond the classroom.

Across all five schools, one common concern emerged clearly: how to keep the question of God alive for young people today. Ignatian pedagogy is grounded in the conviction that God can be found in all things and therefore also in the experiences of everyday life. The pastoral teams spoke about their many efforts to provide students with opportunities to encounter this perspective through personal accompaniment, liturgies, retreat experiences, social outreach projects, and spaces for reflection on questions of meaning and purpose. These conversations highlighted that the spiritual dimension remains an indispensable element of Ignatian education. The aim is to help young people discover that God can be found in their own lives and that faith can offer a meaningful framework for understanding and shaping their future.

The visit also demonstrated the strength of the European and Global Jesuit Network of Schools . Schools learn from one another, share experiences, and develop common responses to the challenges of our time. Despite their different contexts and priorities, they are united by the conviction that education is about more than academic achievement. It seeks to form young people who are capable of taking responsibility for themselves, for others, and for the world.

For Agnieszka Baran, the journey became a vivid experience of Ignatian education in all its richness and diversity. The visits showed how each school contributes its own particular gifts while remaining part of a larger mission and community. It is precisely this combination of diversity and shared purpose that gives the Ignatian school network in Europe its unique strength.