Lyon. Willkommen! – Bienvenue! – Welcome! The habit of heartiness and hospitality is like a generally understandable language. That is what 28 novices from three noviciates (Birmingham, Lyon, Nuremberg) and nine countries could experience during the Northern European Internoviciate Meeting which took place in Lyon on August 1st-8th. Thereby a tradition of a couple of years has been continued.

Certainly the point is to get to know the neighbouring provinces, their focuses, specifics, developments and challenges. And indeed the opportunity to meet the Jesuits working in Lyon was given. Therefore they visited a former Jesuit church, which is now dedicated to high-class music, the Saint Marc secondary school with its more than 5‘000 students and the research institute called Sources Chrétienne. Founded by Henri de Lubac SJ and his colleagues it is still working to discover the texts of the earliest eras of Christianity and to give an access to modern audience by translation and commentary.

But the main interest of their meeting was the community, both among them and with Jesus Christ. This could grow by liturgy and spiritual sharing. In doing so the intimacy of spiritual brotherliness develops on the common foundation of Ignatian retreat and the vocation and mission of the Society of Jesus. Of course this process includes also, to speak more concretely, for example doing sports together, visiting the city of Lyon and several activities for entertainment. 

As one can easily foresee, digital media will have a growing influence and impact on social life in the whole world. Directed by Fr. Grégoire Le Bel SJ the novices discussed at their meeting’s workshop also about the advantages and risks of digital media for spiritual life and apostolic work. As an huge contrast to this they also visited Le Grand Chartreuse, the main monastery of Carthusians. Not only for Ignatius himself but also for the novices nowadays this radical retreat into contemplation is obviously attracting – even when they had to be satisfied by entering the Charthouse museum nearby and having a look from a non-disturbing distance onto the monastery’s buildings.

At the end all participants of this annual international meeting could take back home the consolation of a lively get-together of young religious men and the thankfulness about God’s creativity at calling that manifold characters to the one universal Society of Jesus.