The 14th and 15th of January 2025 marked a significant milestone for ‘Our Daily Bread’, with the network’s first-ever summit being held and the initiative officially launched in Brussels. The events started with an internal summit at the Maison Notre-Dame du Chant-d’Oiseau, a conference centre on the grounds of a Franciscan Friary in Brussels, where eleven participants in person (with additional online participants at various stages) represented nine different organisations. Our Daily Bread is an ecumenical network of faith-based organisations (FBOs) that work on the subject of agriculture and food systems. After a JESC’s 2023 report recognised that over 150 FBOs were working on this topic in the European Union, a group of organisations came together informally to discern the creation of an advocacy network. This discernment culminated in a manifesto and the aim to launch this network in January 2025. The summit began with a closed session where members of ODB discussed a plan for 2025, which included a campaign in Lent, a report to be released on diets, and where we can contribute in upcoming EU policy debates. 2025 is a big year for food policy in the EU as the debate for the next multiannual financial framework and Common Agricultural Policy begin. This was followed by a public event in The Chapel for Europe titled ‘Christian Vision for Sustainable Food Systems’, which officially launched this network. The highlight of this event was a panel discussion with former MEP and adviser to Ursula von der Leyen, Philippe Lamberts, and economist and theologian, Gaël Giraud SJ. The debate highlighted the importance of the role European Institutions can play in securing a fair and sustainable food system for Europeans. Both speakers emphasised that the Christian vision of hope must not be forgotten when advocating for a sustainable food system and that our network can act as an agent of this hope. The launch marked only the beginning for Our Daily Bread, and you are invited to keep up to date with this initiative through our website and social media platforms.

On October 8 we celebrated at the Chapel for Europe our Ecumenical Opening Prayer that marks the start of the social year activities after the summer break. Various religious figures from different Christian Churches, including the Catholic Archbishop of Brussels-Mechelen Luc Terlinden, participated at the prayer.  It was a powerful moment when the bishops and leaders of the different churches prayed together in the Chapel for Europe in Brussels, with prophetic words for the European Union: ‘Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God’ (Mi 6:8).

A memorial Mass for Peter Knauer SJ was held on Wednesday, 11 September, at 19:00 at the Chapel for Europe. On July 22nd, 2024, Fr. Peter Knauer SJ passed away peacefully in Berlin at the age of 89. After retiring as a professor of fundamental theology, he moved to Brussels in 2003 and remained there until 2018. Many remembered him for his pastoral services at the Foyer Catholique and the Chapel, as well as in other communities, where he spoke in Spanish, Italian, German, and even Esperanto. He was cherished for his kindness and commitment, his sharp intellectual mind, and his deep expertise in St. Ignatius of Loyola and his spirituality. May he rest in peace!

To mark International Women's Day, the Chapel for Europe organised, on March 19th, a round table/debate in collaboration with CathoBel (the portal of the Catholic Church in French Speaking Belgium), on the theme: MATRIARCHY IN BELGIUM: WOMEN IN MIGRATION. Four strong, socially committed women from different migrant communities in Belgium took part in this rich discussion. The guests around the table:- Godelieve Boekaert, Latin American community,- Andreea Nita, Romanian community,- Cécile Manguiers, African community and- Sema Aydogan, Turkish community.The event was moderated by Angélique Tasiaux, journalist at CathoBel.The guests shared their analyses based on their own experiences, highlighting the impact and important role of women in their respective migrant communities. Thanks to their testimonies, we were able to gain a better understanding of a reality that is both complex and shared by many, despite differences in origin, culture and language barriers.

As part of the annual Prayer Week for Christian Unity held by the World Council of Churches, a round table on the “Challenges of Ecumenism today” hosted by the ‘Chapel for Europe - Chapel of the Resurrection' took place in the heart of the European Quarter of Brussels. The gathering was set to discuss the new approaches to Ecumenism and the joint role of churches in modern society, in the face of the movement’s apparent stagnation in recent years. Speakers included Dr. Katerina Pekridou, Executive Secretary for Theological Dialogue at Conference of European Churches, Revd Canon Jack McDonald of the Central Committee of the Anglican Church in the UK, Fr. Manuel Enrique Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE, and Pastor Johannes Reitze-Landau, of the All-Lutheran Church in Brussels. The panel was moderated by Fr. Bernd Günther SJ, director of the Chapel for Europe. The conference ended with a joint prayer and an informal get-together. A webstream of the evening is available here.

 It was 11 years ago that Krystian Sowa became the director of the Chapel for Europe in Brussels. It is a unique Chapel, located in the middle of the EU quarter and it has a clear ecumenical, European and inter-religious mission.  Thanks to Krystian this very special place of worship has become the Soul for Europe where people meet, pray, exchange views, learn, enjoy, deepen their faith, discover….  It all happened thanks to Krystian’s natural ability to bring people together. When I started working with him 9 years ago it was one of the first things he told me about as his vision for the Chapel. To connect people in faith and create understanding through knowledge. It was clear that is was his calling and this is what he has been doing for the last 11 years. It is not an easy task but he managed to create a common space, friendly atmosphere and an exceptional welcoming spirit within the Chapel so that anyone who comes by, regardless of background, opinions or beliefs can feel like at home.  It has been a wonderful experience for me to work with Krystian through all these years. He is an exceptional person, dedicated to his work and his friends and I am honored to say I am one of them.  I am of Spanish origin and with Krystian I rediscovered my own country. He is a enthusiastic lover of the Camino de Santiago, which he has walked at least five times! And he still plans to walk it in new, other ways. He speaks Spanish like a native and listens to Spanish audio-books while riding his bike.  His next adventure will take him to Rome, working at Radio Vaticana in the Polish section. He already has experience in making of a radio show thanks to collaborating in our monthly radio program “A Soul for Europe” in RCF station in Brussels.  He will be much missed by all our team, Esmeralda, Laura and myself, and also by all the friends of the Chapel. For his new chapter in life we all wish him a MUY BUEN CAMINO and he will be in our prayers!  Thank you Krystian for being you and sharing it with all of us!   Sabina Gonzalez Vilas Communications and Fundraising Manager at the Chapel for Europe - Brussels