The last EJIF(European Jesuits in Formation) meeting took place in Marseille (Centre Notre Dame de Roucas) and Lyon (Le Chatelard) from August 1st to August 20th. The encounter consisted firstly in an experience of service and living together in Marseille until August 10th and then in the 8 days retreat that the group made together in Le Chatelard Spiritual Center (Lyon). We share here a witness by Gabrielius Zaveckas SJ, member of the EJIF Coordination Committee.   As faithful Christians, we are accustomed to praying. Yet sometimes, we pray without fully believing that our petitions will be answered. How beautiful it is, then, to witness how God surprises us with His generosity and grace! When planning the EJIF 2025 meeting—even before knowing its location—Luis, Paul, and I (the Coordination Committee, or CoCo) recognized one thing clearly: we wanted the next EJIF gathering to be an opportunity to serve others ad extra and, through this service, to strengthen and preserve our bond as companions. This desire arose from our own experience: the best relationships are forged not only through discussion but also by working side by side toward a concrete, even small, positive change. This intuition was later confirmed in prayer, as we shared our insights and discovered the Holy Spirit had led us to the same conclusion. The theme “Companions Called to Serve Together” was then born—capturing both God’s call for us and our hope for what we would experience with all EJIF 2025 participants. During the first part of the meeting (about ten days), our “workdays” were organized into four groups:  Preparing a spiritual input for volunteers at the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde—the pearl of Marseille—so they could encounter God.  Delivering the input prepared the previous day.  Assisting the Missionaries of Charity (the Sisters of Mother Teresa) in their soup kitchen for the poor and homeless.  Cooking lunch and welcoming the other groups back after their morning of service. Additionally, on two Sunday mornings, we helped at “Caffè St. Ferréol,” a Jesuit sanctuary that provides breakfast for those in need. By rotating these responsibilities, each participant was able to “taste” the different forms of service. This experience echoed the first nine companions in Venice, who came from different countries and who also divided themselves into groups to serve the city, with one group staying behind to prepare food for the rest (Autobiography, 93–95). We were amazed at how God allowed us to relive that same spirit. Delegates repeatedly shared how serving together led to deeper fraternal conversations and stronger bonds. Our lifestyle was simple: we lacked excess but had everything we truly needed. Though tired, no one complained, because our work had meaning, it made us feel useful, and it drew us closer to one another. In short, God was present, teaching us that our mission depends not on nationality but on a shared spirit; that serving both within and beyond the Society of Jesus strengthens community life; and that the harmony among us itself becomes a witness to others Afternoons and evenings gave us time to grow closer as companions from 14 different Provinces, many meeting for the first time. One particularly nourishing moment was the Province and Personal Presentations. Listening to vocation stories, I often caught myself thinking: “Yes, his words could just as well describe my own vocation.” We also deeply appreciated the times of sharing in small groups and as a whole, where we discovered ourselves not only as co-workers but as brothers in Christ—sharing not just physical bread, but also our spiritual lives, gathered around the Table of the Eucharist. After the rich first part of EJIF in Marseille, we moved to the Retreat House in Châtelard, near Lyon. For some, it was their first experience of Spiritual Exercises focused explicitly on a particular theme—this time, the Universal Apostolic Preferences. Many of us longed for silence; others sought a chance to step back and deepen what we had lived during the past week and the whole year. The fruits of the Retreat are best left unspoken, entrusted to God and to the small groups in which we shared them. Let these fruits transform our lives, increasing our capacity to love God, our neighbor, and ourselves. In the end, what guided us during the first part of EJIF must guide us always: “Love consists more in deeds than in words” (Spiritual Exercises, 230). Gabrielius Zaveckas, member of EJIF CoCo 2025

Last European Jesuits in Formation (EJIF) meeting took place in Denmark. After one week of focusing on the topic of collaboration in Copenhagen and another week of Annual Retreat in Maribo, Luis Busto de Moner (ESP), Paul Rousselot (EOF) and Gabrielius Zaveckas (ECE) were appointed as the members of the next Coordination Committee (CoCo), having Luis as the chairman. Therefore, following the tradition, three scholastics came to Brussels to organize EJIF 2025 with Fathers Dalibor Renić SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials (JCEP), and Herminio Rico, Socius and Treasurer, as well as János Lukács, Formation Delegate of the Conference, who joined the discussions online. Before seeing each other in Brussels, the Coordination Committee had several online meetings to recognize the common vision of what topics would be possible, what place would be suitable, and which accents would be important for EJIF 2025. The discussions in the Belgian capital brought fruit: as the Jesuit formation ought to prepare the members of our Order to serve the others and as working with those closest ones to ourselves are the other fellow Jesuits, the topic was chosen accordingly: Companions called to serve together.  The meeting will take place in Marseille, from August 1st to 20th. This year, every Province will be invited to appoint one scholastic as a delegate. After “crystallizing” the topic, the place and the date, the distribution of further tasks between the three young companions became possible. Finally, the encounter itself, the time of Christmas and the opportunity to visit Brussels, city of many European institutions, were good reasons take a long walk through the mixture of traditional and modern architecture, to visit the cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, the Grand Square and the City Hall… and of course, to discover some Belgian specialties. CoCo of EJIF 2025Luis, Paul and GabrieliusJanuary 2025

At the end of EJIF 2024 in Denmark, we are grateful for everything that happened in these two weeks. It was, for all the delegates, a time of grace, getting to know a new social and ecclesial reality, as well as to know the presence of the Society of Jesus in the danish context. But for all of us, the great gift of this meeting was the opportunity to work, pray and be together between young jesuits of all around europe. The first part of the meeting took place in Copenhagen. While we spent the nights in a hostel in the city center, during the day we met in the Jesuit community, where we were warmly welcomed by Fr. Wojciech Nowak and Fr. Daniel Noorgard. The president of JCEP, Dalibor Renić, accompanied the group during the first days of the meeting. These first days were marked by three meetings. Daniel explained the reality of the Church and the Society of Jesus in the Danish context (including a guided tour of the city). Then it was time to meet the pastor of the Lutheran Church in Denmark, Rikke Jull. The focus of this meeting was, on the one hand, to get to know the Danish Lutheran Church and, on the other, to understand how collaboration between the two Churches takes place - with a special focus on the importance of Ignatian spirituality. Finally, we met the young adults from CAYAC (Catholic Association of Young Adults in Copenhagen), with whom we were able to informally share dinner. Throughout these days, there were also many moments to spend time, pray and share with each other.  For the second part, we went to Maribo, where we made our Spiritual Exercises, guided by Fr. Roman Groszewski (PMA), with the help of Fr. János Lukács (HUN) and Fr. Andrea Bonavita (EUM). The retreat took place at Sankt Birgitta Kloster, a brigidine monastery. In the days following the retreat, there was a day of relaxation - riding a cayac around the lake of Maribo or visiting the local museum - and a day to evaluate the meeting, electing the new CoCo (Coordination Committee).  Not just the preparation but also the EJIF (one of the oldest and maybe most successful networks in the JCEP) as a whole is a beautiful experience of the International Society, allowing the collaboration between jesuits of different Provinces and cultures. Being a rather secularized culture, where it wasn't easy to find the normal conditions for an encounter of this kind, we were a little reticent, while trusting that the Lord would provide everything that was needed. And so we jokingly said that “it's all part of the experience”. The truth is that this phrase took on a spiritual tone when we realized that we were always very well received and that the meeting went very well - and that this positive surprise was also “part of the experience”. As we had Saint Bridget of Sweden as our patron saint, we say one last time: Saint Bridget, pray for us!   EJIF CoCO Joseph Ashraf SJ, Jakub Majchrzak SJ, Vasco Lucas Pires SJ

At the end of the annual meeting of European Jesuits in Formation (EJIF), the delegates choose three members to be part of the Coordinating Committee (CoCo), that prepares the meeting of the following year. For 2024, the members of the CoCo are: Jakub Majchrzak, PMA, doing his regency in Poland, accompanying university students in Spiritual Exercises; Joseph Ashraf, PRO, who is in his third year of philosophy, in Lebanon; and Vasco Lucas Pires, POR, who also studies philosophy, but in Rome. All three entered the Society of Jesus in 2019. Between January 1st and January 5th, the CoCo met in Brussels, with Fr. Dalibor Renić and Fr. Hermínio Rico, to prepare gathering of 2024, in Denmark. Unfortunately, Joseph was not able to fly to Belgium, being present online. Being this also a time of formation, this year’s EJIF will try to make us discover God that reveals Himself in all realities and that calls us to contemplate His Incarnation and to collaborate with Him in His mission of reconciliation. As suggested by last year’s delegates, we want to go to some frontier. We will explore the idea of collaboration in Christ’s mission in the secularized world, having as starting point the reality of Denmark. Not just the EJIF (one of the oldest and maybe most successful networks in the JCEP), but also the whole preparation is a beautiful experience of the International Society, allowing the collaboration between Jesuits of different Provinces and cultures. EJIF CoCO Jakub, Joseph and Vasco  

From July 19 to August 19, eighteen scholastics from the European Conference's provinces gathered in Portugal for the EJIF meeting. This year's EJIF, as in 2016, included the participation in MAGIS and World Youth Day. After 3 days together in "Casa de Exercícios de Santo Inácio", in Sintra, where the group had the chance to get to know each other, Lisbon was the next stop in the way: MAGIS was taking place! Having in mind the way of living of the first companions, the Jesuits in formation went 2 by 2 to the different experiences. In WYD the same "style" was kept: the JIFs were present, 2 by 2, in the Vocation Fair, where people could get to know better the Society of Jesus and the Ignatian Spirituality. After this time full of activities, the group gathered again in Sintra for two days of sharing the graces God has given during the apostolic time of MAGIS and WYD. After that, Spiritual Exercises took place in Coimbra, guided by Alzira Fernandes, with the presence of Pedro Cameira SJ and Marco Cunha SJ, who were sharing the task of spiritual accompaniment. Alzira is a lay woman with a vast experience in spiritual accompaniment, Ignatian spirituality and Spiritual Exercises, a long-term collaborator in Christ's mission of pointing God through discernment and the Spiritual Exercises: she is a good friend of the Society and of the Community of Taizé. She also works in the formation at Braga's Diocesan Seminary. In the evaluation at the end of the month-long EJIF, two main sources of consolation where identified: the first, this evangelical experience of being gathered, sent forth and then gathered again, which gave the group the experience of being sent as apostles and, also as apostles, being invited to come and rest in the Lord, sharing the full nets after their work. The second, the beauty of the welcoming environment felt in Portugal, that much helped this group to build roots and friendship in the Lord. In the last day, as usual, the new Coordinating Team (CoCo) for EJIF 2024 was elected: Jakub Majchrzak (PMA), Joseph Nassif (PRO) and Vasco Lucas Pires (POR) are the three Jesuits in formation proposed for leading next year’s EJIF. Eduardo Amaral (POR) EJIF 2023 Coordinator

Coinciding with the end of the Ignatian year, the EJiF – European Jesuits in Formation - has taken place in Spain this summer. 14 Jesuits in formation from all over the Conference made a journey guided by the topic “Returning to the roots”. Fr. General met twice with the group, at the beginning, in Barcelona, and at the end, in Loyola. He reminded us that the Ignatian year has been a time of inner transformation “to see all things new in Christ”. Ignatius experienced a conversion, a process that started with a cannon ball and continued to take place every day throughout all his life. This means that, each day, he put Christ in the center. Those are the roots of the experience of Ignatius. Looking for those roots, the EJiF visited some of the first places of the conversion of Ignatius in Manresa and Barcelona. At the same time, as the roots are alive, the group reflected about the Universal Apostolic Preferences of today and experienced in different ways how they are incarnated, through visits to present day Jesuit works in Barcelona. The 8-day Spiritual Exercises took place in Barcelona, directed by Pablo Veiga (ESP). After that, the group moved to Loyola to finish the meeting with the closing mass of the Ignatian year, the evaluation of the meeting and the election of the new CoCo: Francisco Delgado (ESP), Eduardo Amaral (POR) and Pavel Band’ouch (BOH) (Left to right). The EJiF 2023 will take place in Portugal, from mid-July to mid-August, including within it the participation in MAGIS 2023 and World Youth Day in Lisbon. Luis Delgado S.J.