Daniel Weber SJ is a young Jesuit priest from the ECE Province studying for a Master's in Democracy at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Brussels) and living in the international community of St. Benedict in the city. As part of his studies, Daniel had to do an internship in a civil society organization. Through the JRS European Office, he found the opportunity to do it at JRS Greece, in direct contact with the reality of migration in that country. The whole experience shows the enormous possibilities of the Conference’s structures to support the formation and apostolic specialization of young Jesuits. Here we have his testimony of the experience. The Acts of the Apostles recount how Paul proclaimed the “unknown God” to the Athenians in the Agora (Acts 17:16–34). His proclamation did not begin by rejecting their existing beliefs, but by first looking attentively at the people before him. He took their deepest longings seriously and connected them with the message of the Gospel. Longing is an essential part of what it means to be human. It opens us to what gives our lives meaning and direction. We long for love, freedom, security, purpose, and a life lived in dignity. These longings unite people across cultures, languages, and life stories. During my internship with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Athens, I encounter people every day whose lives are shaped by these longings. I meet refugees who hope for peace, for a safe life in Europe, for the opportunity to support their families financially, or to offer their children a better future. I also meet volunteers from all over the world who dedicate their time and talents to serving others, as well as Jesuit companions who are living out their vocation here. As different as their backgrounds may be, they are all united by the desire for a life filled with meaning and hope. In these encounters, I discover anew each day what lies at the heart of JRS. Our mission is not to solve every problem. Rather, we seek to create spaces where people's deepest longings are taken seriously and where hope can grow. Often, transformation begins with something very simple: someone who listens, offers their time, extends a hand, and encounters another person in their inherent dignity. In this way, the longing for community becomes genuine encounter, the longing for security becomes trust, and the longing for a future becomes a new horizon of hope. As I accompany others on their journey, I realize that I, too, am being transformed. Encountering people and listening to their deepest longings changes the way I see my own life. I find myself rediscovering what I am searching for, what gives direction to my life, and who ultimately fulfills the deepest longing of my heart. Gradually, I come to understand more fully what Paul wanted to reveal to the Athenians in the Agora: ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν.“For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Daniel Weber, SJ

On 16–17 June, colleagues from across Europe working in advocacy and communications gathered in Brussels for the annual meeting of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe network. Based in Brussels, JRS Europe – regional office of JRS in Europe under the European Conference of Provincials – coordinates advocacy, policy engagement and collaboration among JRS country offices, supporting the Society of Jesus' mission of accompanying, serving and advocating for refugees and other forcibly displaced people across the continent. The two-day meeting provided an opportunity for participants to reconnect, exchange experiences and strengthen collaboration between the advocacy and communications teams. Through a combination of joint and parallel sessions, participants reflected on current priorities, shared best practices and explored how the two fields can work more closely together to increase the impact of JRS' mission. Key topics included developments in national and European advocacy, collaboration with the JRS International Office, effective fundraising communication, campaign development, and the relationship between advocacy and public narratives. Participants also discussed the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, identifying common priorities for the JRS Europe network as the new Common European Asylum System enters into force, while communications colleagues reflected on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and responsible storytelling. The meeting reaffirmed that effective advocacy and communication go hand in hand. By combining policy expertise with compelling, human-centred narratives, JRS Europe aims to strengthen its common voice and better accompany refugees while promoting a more just, welcoming and humane Europe.

On 31 May, the JRS Europe team took part in the 20km of Brussels. JRS Europe is JRS regional office for Europe, an institution dependent on the Conference of Jesuit Provincials of Europe.  While the race presented a physical challenge, it also offered an opportunity to reflect on the values that inspire our work every day: hospitality, solidarity, and accompaniment. As part of the Paths of Hospitality campaign, our participation carried a meaning that went beyond the finish line. Every kilometre completed through the streets of Brussels was a reminder that, for many refugees and displaced people around the world, journeys are not undertaken for sport or leisure, but out of necessity. Forced to flee conflict, persecution, violence, or poverty, millions of people embark on uncertain paths in search of safety, dignity, and a place to call home. This is meant to inspire empathy and awareness. It invites us to remember that behind every migration journey is a human story, a family, a dream, and a hope for a better future. This reflects the essence of hospitality itself: walking alongside others, offering support when challenges arise, and recognising that no one should have to face their journey alone. Every gesture of welcome, every act of solidarity, and every effort to accompany those who have been forced to flee contributes to creating a more humane world. When we choose to walk, run, and build together, we help create paths of hope, dignity, and hospitality for all.  

As part of the shared mission of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials (JCEP), the annual gathering of the Jesuit Refugee Service Europe (JRS Europe) offers a key moment to deepen collaboration, discern common priorities, and strengthen our response to the realities faced by displaced people across the continent. The JRS regional coordination office for Europe, existing as such since 1994, is a coordination structure inside JRS International supported and accompanied by the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials. As such JRS Europe allows the national office to have a coordinated action and a sharing of resources. The fact that it is under the JCEP ensures a stronger connection with the local provincials and the structures of the Society of Jesus as well as a particular economic and human support from the JCEP. The president of JCEP, Dalibor Renić SJ, represented the Conference in the event. . Held in Madrid, this year’s JRS Europe Annual General Meeting gathered our teams from across the country offices to reflect on current challenges, exchange experiences, and strengthen collective action.  The meeting opened with inputs from Dalibor Renić, SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials (JCEP), on Jesuits in Europe and a session on the social apostolate in Spain, offering a broader perspective on the context in which JRS operates and the ongoing transformation of this work.  The morning continued with a workshop led by Centro SIRA, focusing on the Do No Harm approach, collaborative networking, and community-based interventions.  This space provided practical tools and methodologies, encouraging participants to reflect on how to strengthen coordination and ensure that interventions remain sensitive to context and grounded in the needs of the communities served.  In the afternoon, participants moved to the La Ventilla neighbourhood, where the focus shifted to the hospitality programme in Spain, presented by our SJM teams in Pueblos Unidos and Fundación Ellacuría.  Through this exchange, participants were introduced to concrete projects of the social apostolate and how the Jesuit mission is lived in a multicultural context. This was followed by visits to different initiatives in the neighbourhood, offering a direct experience of accompaniment and community based work.  The following day began at Centro Padre Rubio, where the FOESSA Foundation driven by Caritas Española presented key findings on trends and social challenges in the current context.  This input provided a broader analytical perspective, helping participants better understand the evolving social landscape and the structural challenges affecting the communities JRS serves. The morning then continued with a series of parallel workshops, where participants were divided into smaller groups to engage more deeply with specific thematic areas: detention, advocacy, hospitality narratives, agency and young migrants, and social economy.  Led by teams of the social apostolate in Spain, these workshops presented concrete experiences from the field, offering practical insights into how these areas are addressed in different contexts. Organized in two rounds, the format allowed each participant to attend two workshops, encouraging exchange, learning, and a more focused discussion.  The meeting concluded with a moment to harvest the experience, bringing together key learnings and reflections from the days in Madrid. This final exchange allowed participants to reconnect the different inputs, encounters, and discussions into a shared understanding of the path ahead.   Throughout the AGM, the combination of reflection, practical exchange, and direct engagement with the local context reinforced the strength of the JRS Europe network. Grounded in shared values and enriched by diverse experiences, the meeting offered a renewed sense of collaboration and commitment to continue responding together to the realities faced by the people we serve. 

Recently, a situation arose that required urgent collaboration between two Jesuit networks under the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials (JCEP)—JECSE and JRS Europe—to provide a swift response to a dramatic human crisis. The case involved Joseph, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, who entered Ireland as a migrant and was studying at a Jesuit school in Dublin. We wish to share this experience with our readers, as we believe it demonstrates the vital role and capacity of Jesuit networks as apostolic instruments for the protection and promotion of human dignity, as well as the value of the JCEP level of apostolic agency as a way to coordinate effectively those international efforts. Although we know that we belong to a larger network of Jesuit works, the word “network” can often feel vague and abstract. What does it really mean to be part of a network? We know the numbers: more than 200 Jesuit schools in Europe and nearly 1,000 worldwide. We are also aware that the Society of Jesus carries out many different missions—parishes, retreat houses, social centres, universities and work with refugees through the global network of Jesuit Refugee Service. Yet most of the time, this vast reality remains something we know about, rather than something we tangibly experience. Educate Magis map of Jesuit Schools and Universities When the Network Becomes Real From time to time, however, moments arise when the network becomes real—visible, concrete, and deeply human. These are moments of encounter, of accompaniment, of what in the Ignatian tradition we would call Cura Personalis—care for the whole person. The story of Joseph, which we share here, is one such example.  Joseph was a student at Gonzaga College SJ in Dublin. As an immigrant, he received a scholarship and quickly distinguished himself as an excellent student—curious, committed, and full of promise. Yet despite his integration and achievements, his family’s application for residency was rejected, and they were deported back to Africa (the whole story of Joseph, written by his teachers). Just like the Holy Family, who were forced to cross borders, Joseph’s family arrived in South Africa but were refused entry; they were held in a detention centre until they were eventually deported back to Lagos, in Nigeria. This decision meant that the family had to leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs, enduring an ordeal that lasted almost a week and covering a distance of over 13,500 km.  At that moment, Joseph did not remain alone. Thanks to the regional office of Jesuit Refugee Service Europe in Brussels and the support of Fr Alberto Ares SJ, contact was immediately established with Jesuit partners in Africa. Even though it was a Saturday evening, the director of JRS South Africa answered the call without hesitation. She reached out to Joseph’s family and began exploring how support could be offered upon their arrival. As she said simply: “For us, there are no weekends when it comes to helping—this is our mission.” This is Ignatian networking in action. It is not planned, not programmed, and not limited by structures. It is a readiness to respond—sentir con la Iglesia, to feel with the Church and with those who suffer, and to act promptly where the need is greatest. It is a form of apostolic availability rooted in discernment: seeing where God is already at work and choosing to collaborate. A Deeper Understanding of Mission Today, Joseph and his family are in Nigeria. Yet the story does not end there. The global Jesuit network continues to accompany him, seeking ways for him to continue his education in his home country. As one reflection beautifully expresses it: “though Joseph is now in Lagos, he remains a child of our global Ignatian family. We may have lost him to a border, but we must not lose him to the cracks of a broken system. He still dreams of becoming a scientist. He still hopes to change the world. And perhaps, together, we can ensure that he still has that chance”. This invites us into a deeper understanding of mission. In the Ignatian tradition, we are called to serve also through accompaniment— to walk with others, especially at moments of uncertainty and transition. Networking, in this sense, becomes a form of shared discernment and shared responsibility. It is about recognizing that the mission entrusted to us is always communal and universal. No One Left Alone The strength of Jesuit networking lies precisely here—in these quiet, often unseen acts of solidarity. Joseph’s story is only one among many, most of which unfold silently and without recognition. We see this in communities affected by conflict, war, and instability, where our colleagues and students continue to teach, learn, and hope even in the most fragile circumstances. We encounter it in the daily generosity of educators who go beyond what is required, in moments of accompaniment that will never be recorded, and in the shared commitment to forming young people as global citizens—aware of their responsibility for others and for the world. At the same time, through our brothers and sisters at JRS, we are part of a family that accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of migrants and refugees, placing human dignity at the heart of our work, in over 50 countries and serving 1 million displaced people in dire need every year.  These stories rarely make headlines, yet together they reveal something profound: a network that does not disappear when borders close, when systems fail, or when circumstances become difficult. A network that remains present, attentive, and faithful. They remind us that we are not isolated institutions, but part of a living, global body. And in that body, each person matters. Each story matters. And no one should ever be left alone.

We are pleased to share an initiative from JRS Europe aimed at raising funds, increasing awareness, and fostering a strong spirit of camaraderie through the simple yet powerful act of running together. Partners in mission, friends, and donors are warmly invited to take part in this shared effort of solidarity and support. JRS Europe is a coordination structure integrated into JRS International but dependent also on the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials. As a coordination office, JRS Europe ensures support and guidance to the local JRS delegations; it is a key structure for the implementation of JRS in Europe and for the social apostolate of the European provinces. We officially launch our campaign: Let’s Run the Path of Hospitality. On 31 May, we will take part in the 20km in Brussels as part of the wider journey of the Path of Hospitality — a shared initiative that invites us to move from words to action.The Path of Hospitality reminds us that hospitality is not abstract. It is something we build step by step, through presence, commitment, and concrete choices. By running together, we make that path visible.Each step becomes a sign of welcome.Each kilometre becomes a shared act of solidarity. This is not about performance.It is about turning movement into meaning. Run with us. Link to registration form: https://forms.gle/dAc7Siz1eNYEqRmS9