The annual in-person meeting of the JCEP Safeguarding Coordinators took place this year in Ljubljana, Slovenia from the 5th to the 7th of October. Twelve of the sixteen Provinces were represented, along with the accompaniment of the JCEP Socius and the JCEP safeguarding coordinator.

The first day was an important opportunity for us all to share from our respective Provinces some of the most important and interesting safeguarding initiatives that have been ongoing throughout the year, as well as a sharing of local and broader safeguarding challenges. Although the safeguarding coordinators meet 3-4 times per year online, the in-person meeting is a critically important sharing experience, where safeguarding issues are explored on a much deeper level, and we as individuals get to enjoy the mutual support of our network in the physical presence of our safeguarding colleagues. This year’s meeting was a very productive and fruitful one, cultivating a greater sense of collaboration and community.

The main topic for discussion was the risk of Spiritual Abuse and how to establish safe spaces and relationship for personal spiritual growth. It was beneficial for us all to spend quality time together sharing experiences and insights on the subject, culminating in the production of a discussion note on spiritual abuse.  We thank Dr. Lisa Oakley, Professor of Safeguarding and Knowledge Exchange in the Division of Psychology at the University of Chester, for her academic expertise and continued support to the work of our safeguarding coordinators on this emerging, and complex, safeguarding issue.

We also express our sincerest gratitude to Fr. Hans Zollner, SJ., Director of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontificia Università Gregoriana, who joined us in person in Ljubljana. Fr. Hans led us on a very inspiring and motivational journey into safeguarding through the lens of Ignatian Spirituality. We very much appreciate your insights and your support.

And finally, many thanks to the Province of Slovenia for hosting and facilitating this year’s meeting.