It was a novelty: for the first time, all provincial treasurers of the future new Province ECE (Eastern and Central Europe) met in Vienna for an exchange of ideas. P. Alois Riedlsperger as treasurer and host of the Austrian Province, P. Attila András as treasurer of the Hungarian Province and member of the steering committee, P. Ralf Klein from Germany, P. Artūras Sederevičius from Lithuania and P. Hansruedi Kleiber from Switzerland attended the meeting. Martin Tanzer was also present as Director of the Austrian Province.

There was a lot to discuss on these two days: first the economic situation in all the provinces was discussed, afterwards an exchange of views on the current structures and legal forms took place. Each country has its own particularities and legal idiosyncrasies.

Subsequently, fields of action were worked out which will be essential for the future joint ECE Province. Examples include: clarifying the national legal situation regarding the introduction of the ECE Province and the future headquarters of the Province, taking stock of the individual assets (Arcae) and clarifying their future management or ensuring pensions in the context of harmonisation and national differences in pension legislation. Other important points are the clarification of future contribution payments and their calculation, as well as the future monitoring (Revision) of the individual administrative units.

10 Fields of action are passed on by the treasurers to the steering committee, which then derives further measures and tasks.

Another important point was the discussion of future costs per diem (day rates for overnight stays) and the compensation keys for the settlement of the ECE process.

But it was not only the contents that were worked on intensively; the programme was embedded in a visit programme. The dinner took place in the restaurant INIGO, a charity project of the Caritas in a property of the Jesuits. Afterwards we went to a classical concert - as befits Vienna - to round off the evening.

The new Province offers many opportunities: to break existing structures, to creatively break new and simple paths, to create subsidiary and flexible processes, to remain regional and yet to think in a unified way. For example, when discussing the new billing codes, it became clear that at the end of the process, there will only be a single pot left over and, in the end it will pay for a new Province. This common thinking beyond (still) existing borders makes things much easier. And is actually original: because everything is ultimately assets of the Society of Jesus.

The treasurers enter this process with great mutual trust and a positive attitude. The challenges are clearly identified and will probably become even more complex with increasing concreteness. The next steps have been taken and the ECE treasurers are ready.

Picture description from left to right: P. Hansruedi Kleiber SJ, Martin Tanzer, P. Artūras Sederevičius SJ, P. Ralf Klein SJ, P. Attila András SJ, P. Alois Riedlsperger SJ