What began 20 years ago as an English-language initiative has grown into an international family of teams helping people pray in more than 15 languages. This year, representatives of the different language editions of Pray As You Go gathered in London to celebrate two decades of the initiative, share experiences and explore new ways of collaborating. Among them was May Naguib, representing the Arabic edition, “Fi Tareeqi Osalli” (On My Way, I Pray). Her reflection offers a glimpse into a gathering marked by prayer, cultural diversity, friendship and a shared desire to make Ignatian spirituality accessible to people around the world. We are share here this testimonial.

On 8 September, Pray As You Go teams from different languages and parts of the world gathered in London for a meeting that combined collaboration with the celebration of 20 years since the launch of the English edition. Over the years, the initiative has expanded and is now available in more than 15 languages while new languages continue to join.

For me, the week began with a personal celebration, as it coincided with my birthday. On the first evening, the organisers surprised me with a celebration in which participants from different countries shared food and desserts representing their cultures. It was a very special way to begin our time together.

The programme opened with a workshop on the importance of donations and on sustaining and developing the ministry. The different language teams then shared their experiences, including the reach of their editions, the number of users, and the volunteers and staff involved in preparing the content. We also took part in workshops on social media, marketing, the use of artificial intelligence, and ways of deepening faith and Ignatian spirituality among young people. 

The Arabic experience received a great deal of interest and warmth. I felt a genuine desire among the other teams to collaborate and offer support, which increased my gratitude for this ministry and for being part of such a large family. We also discussed new ideas for developing the service and reaching more people.

One particularly meaningful moment was the participation of Fr Cristóbal Fones SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. He expressed enthusiasm about collaborating on the preparation of monthly Arabic-language content connected with the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions. His love of music was also a wonderful gift: his playing and singing during our prayer together were truly special, and I felt privileged to hear him perform live.

The gathering was not limited to workshops and discussions. On the second day, we discovered London through a kind of treasure hunt, which brought me together in a team with participants from the German edition in Switzerland, as well as the Dutch, French and Cantonese editions from Hong Kong. As we explored the streets and landmarks of the city, including Big Ben, getting to know one another became much more spontaneous. Differences of language and culture became an opportunity for laughter, sharing and friendship. We took many photographs along the way, preserving memories of our time together.

On the day of the anniversary celebration, we met Fr Peter Scally SJ, the person behind the original idea for Pray As You Go. We listened to the story of its beginnings: how, 20 years ago, he started working on the initiative on his own, spending long hours preparing the recordings. Others gradually joined him, and the idea continued to grow until it became what it is today.

Afterwards, we took part in a Mass of thanksgiving to mark the 20th anniversary of the initiative. We were not simply present as guests, but participated actively in the celebration. I had the privilege of proclaiming one of the intercessions in Arabic before the congregation.

For me, the gathering began with a celebration and ended with a celebration.

At the end of our days together, we prayed and each person shared what they were taking away from the experience. When it was my turn, I summed up what I had felt through one image: “A large family speaking the same language… but in different languages.”

We came from different countries, cultures and linguistic backgrounds, but we discovered once again that we belong to one mission: we pray together, learn from one another, and care for one another.