From 16 to 21 November, formation delegates from Jesuit provinces across Europe gathered at the Jesuit school El Recuerdo in Madrid. The meeting began with a reflection by Sergio Gadea SJ on the spiritual landscape in Europe. Despite the decline in religious education, he noted a renewed search for authentic spiritual sources, and at times, a growing attraction to the Christian faith. (The release of the new album ‘Lux’ by the Spanish singer Rosalía just a few days earlier, and all the media frenzy that it stirred up, provided a rich cultural backdrop.) This set the stage for an exchange on developments across the provinces — what is working well in formation, where challenges remain and which new initiatives are proving fruitful. At the end of the day, Paco Pepe led the group in a reflective reading of that day's discussions to help us recognise how the Spirit seemed to be moving.One of the key topics discussed at the meeting was the ongoing work on the Guidelines for Formation in the European Formation Centres. Representatives from the centres in Krakow, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Warsaw participated in person or online, providing insights from the perspectives of faculty members and community life. The discussions focused particularly on ensuring an integral approach to formation that considers the spiritual, intellectual and communal dimensions together.Another significant part of the programme involved reviewing a draft document on Jesuit life in the digital world. Lively small-group conversations generated concrete suggestions for revising and strengthening the text.Outside of the working sessions, the group visited the Piquer formation community in Madrid, where they met scholastics who shared their formation and academic experiences, as well as their reflections on the Guidelines for Formation. Their sensitive remarks were particularly interesting given that the group was very international and represented a more universal perspective than just a European one. A visit to Pontifical Comillas University and its various campuses provided further insight into academic structures, the role of faculties in the formation process and ongoing initiatives, such as offering a ‘boot camp’ for new students and minor degrees from other faculties to motivated theology students.Despite the demanding schedule, the meeting was evaluated very positively, which was probably not unrelated to the wonderful dinner and uplifting conversations the previous night at the Taberna Alabardero with several Spanish companions.

Formation delegates gathered in Krakow, Poland, in November for their annual meeting to discuss the digital world's impact on Jesuit formation. In preparation, over a hundred Jesuits in formation had answered questions about their internet use, its benefits and challenges for their relationship with God, community life and studies, and personal practices. Their testimonies echoed the experiences of the formation delegates in many ways, but the gap between generations was also evident. The meeting took different approaches to exploring how the digital world changes once taken-for-granted perceptions and beliefs. It was clear that Ignatian spirituality needed to be more deeply understood and re-adapted to show the way more clearly. The formation delegates decided that the question deserved to be explored in greater depth. The aim is to draft an inspiring document in the coming months. Participants also had the opportunity to experience the human and cultural richness of the non-digital, physical world. The singing of traditional Polish songs in the formation community on the evening of the National Independence Day, the long walks through the present and past of the beautiful city of Krakow, and a sumptuous dinner in the Old Town were all occasions to celebrate how good life is.

Formation delegates met in Soutelo, near Braga, from 20 to 24 November. The reason for going to Portugal was to see the unique way in which the Portuguese Jesuits combine youth work, vocation promotion and formation. Attending the Tuesday Eucharist at the youth centre in Porto, where Mark Ravizza spoke to the young people, and visiting the juniorate in Braga, brought uplifting and memorable conversations and gave an insight into the vibrant youth work of the Portuguese Jesuits. The theme of the meeting was fragility and vulnerability. Alzira Fernandez, a “spiritual mother” in a seminary and also a good friend of the Society, helped us to reflect on how our contemporary culture has created the phenomenon of “kidults” who avoid commitment, the responsibilities of fatherhood and standing on their own two feet. Tiziano Ferraroni SJ, who has recently written a thesis on the subject, gave a fascinating analysis of how Ignatian spirituality puts us in touch with our fundamental vulnerability, which means openness to others, made possible by the deeper “vulnerability” in our relationship with God. It was easy to relate the theme to the DSS, of which Mark Ravizza gave an insightful reading key. The more we can return to the basics of our Jesuit life, to “normal” Jesuit life, the more we can help the young people who are joining us today.

Bienvenue a Paris! Welcome. These were words echoed throughout our stay in Paris as the delegates for formation gathered from the 9th - 13th November.  A hospitality which was very palpable in every community we stayed in or visited.   The theme which was discussed in detail was that of integral formation in general but most especially within the context of Centre Sèvres (the theology faculty of the French-speaking province in Paris). Overall, the group was motivated and much taken by this theme as we were all very impressed at the way Centre Sèvres truly strive to integrate the four dimensions (spiritual, community, academic, and apostolic) which make up this integral formation. There was surely much gratitude for the formation offered in Paris.  During our days together, we also had time to share our diverse situations and challenges we face which resonated within the themes discussed throughout our Parisian days. These discussions were very fruitful and much needed for all of us present.  In a special way we were very grateful to the inputs given us by Fr Franck Janin sj and Fr Mark Ravizza sj. Insights into the realities the Society is living and facing today and which we as formators are called to reflect upon. Their presence amongst us was very enriching and appreciated.  We also took the opportunity to thank Fr Janin sj for his dedication to the conference over these years of service as he now nears the end of his mandate.  The last afternoon was spent walking around Paris on the Ignatian way which was much appreciated by al of us and this then was concluded with an Eucharist in the crypt of the martyrium of Saint Denis in Montmartre followed by a lovely sumptuous dinner offered by the provincial of the EOF province.   At the end of our meeting, it was decided that next year we will hold our meeting in Portugal. Once again thank you to all the organizing team who really went out of their way to make us feel at home.  Au revoir. A bientôt! Michael Bugeja sj EUM Delegate for Formation

Because of COVID, the JCEP annual Formation Delegates’ meeting, tentatively scheduled to take place in Braga (Portugal), took place online on the mornings of March 10-11 2021.  Eighteen SJs took part in the meeting including Franck Janin and János Lukács (JCEP), and Mark Ravizza, Fr. General’s Assistant for Formation.  Four newly appointed delegates – David Neuhaus PRO, Antonio Valerio POR, Francisco Cuartero ESP, and Waclaw Krolikowski PME (in abstentia) - were welcomed to the group of delegates. Mark Ravizza SJ Geographically, JCEP conference contains in particular two large areas of formational responsibility, PMA (North Poland, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Denmark), and PRO – described as a huge ‘empire’ stretching from Morocco to Iraq.  PRO also has the largest number of pre-Tertianship scholastics whose formational journey, beginning from Egypt to Lebanon to Paris, highlights the requirement of the JCEP scholastic of today to have to make huge cultural shifts and adjustments. A really demanding challenge for the scholastic! Numerically, HIB has seven scholastics pre-Tertianship - the smallest cohort of the JCEP provinces.  We spent Day 1 sharing with each other about the formational issues we meet in our various provinces but, more importantly, we listened attentively to what connected us trans-JCEP.  Among the issues identified for further consideration included the following: (a) the fragility of young priests (b) formation for those joining at age 35+ (c) the balance between formation abroad and at home (d) formation of Brothers (a noticeable increase in Brother vocations) and (d) the issue and difficulties of language acquisition. Mark Ravizza pointed out that COVID is teaching us about new ways of governing, noting that Fr. General is governing in an interactive manner and this is going to require good formation in the use of technology.  Franck Janin noted several issues presenting themselves for addressing (a) Brothers’ formation/meeting (b) the number of Novitiates in the Conference and (c) the formation of Formators. Hopefully, the Delegates will be able to meet face-to-face later in 2021 at a venue very much COVID-dependent (possibly at Rome).  Either way, face-to-face or online, the organising Steering Committee – Angelo Schettini EUM, Christoph Soyer ECE, and Xavier Nucci EOF -  (kindly) agreed to remain in place to organise that meeting.

Social Delegates and Formation Delegates meet in Falenica. “Faith and Justice in the formation of the Jesuits”. This was the title that accompanied the European delegates from the Social and Formation sectors during their annual meeting in Falenica, Warsaw between March 31 and April 3. This was the first time that both groups met at the European level to collaborate and to reflect on how to keep alive and how to deepen the social dimension in the formation of young Jesuits. We had time to pray, to share our thoughts and inspirations, to work in groups, to discern and propose actions in order to walk together and share this purpose.   Three calls. From these days I personally take these three calls: Accompaniment is a key element to promote a more integrated religious life in which the formation of a Jesuit requires someone who will help us to discern our vocation of work for justice. Just as you have a tutor in the academic field and a spiritual companion, you also need someone who helps you to discern the vocation to work for justice. Community calls for a caring lifestyle in addition to hospitality and proximity to the poor, with an emphasis on hospitality and the ecological dimension. Integral and integrated formation emphasises the importance of training with intellectual depth and a sapiential reading of reality. Special attention was given to the decrease of colleagues who reflect seriously on the social reality, and can therefore call others to take this approach seriously.   Nourish and accompany the vocation for justice among young Jesuits. The first day we shared about the different realities and initiatives in several corners of Europe. Chaired by Zibi Leczkowski and Luis Arancibia, we first contextualised the reality of the Social Apostolate in Europe with a video that showed our common work in favour of justice. Next, the delegates of both sectors from each Province presented the work done before the meeting in Falenica. The shared work has produced a document with a lot of information. Peter Rožič SJ made a brief summary, but some comments reflected the problem of a fragile and small social sector in various Provinces. In general, summer social activities have an important weight in the Jesuits information, but the social sector and training are largely absent from in the intellectual field; When there is no clear strategy in the Province, the Jesuits assigned to the social sector are chosen almost at random. Our lifestyle does not always help much to cultivate the social dimension. The vocation to the social sector is not cultivated or nurtured, but it is integral to our vocation as Jesuits. A Jesuit’s formation has a tutor in the academic field, a spiritual director, but who helps him to discern his vocation for the work for justice? From this perspective, Alessandro Manaresi, the European formation delegate, presented some points for prayer and personal reflection. Where does the Lord lead us? (Is. 65, 17). What does it produce in my consolation, desolation and where do I feel the call of God in this common mission?   Refugees and asylum seekers center in Poland. A visit to the W AKCJI Social Center was a great gift. It is a  work JRS Europe in Poland, dedicated to the care of refugees and asylum seekers. Sister Anna Rscj and our partner Andrzej Sj welcomed us at the center. The refugees in Poland are relatively small in number, compared to the reality of its neighbour Germany. The nationalities of the refugees are primarily Russian, Ukrainian and Tajikistani. The Polish immigration policy is very restrictive. Another diverse reality is the migratory reality where more than one million Ukrainians live in Poland. The center is attended by a group of African migrants, mainly from Ethiopia, who organize and meet regularly at the center.   Scholastics. In the theologate, three young Jesuits presented us the different types of work that young Jesuits in Poland have been doing during the different stages of formation, mainly with migrants and refugees, people with disabilities, homeless people, elderly people and Roma families. They prepared a very good presentation with the contributions and experiences of several of their classmates. Then we shared together the Eucharist, the dinner and a meeting place with the whole community.   The integral formation, community lifestyles and accompaniment. The objective of the second day together was to advance in proposals for greater coordination between the social apostolate and formation. The idea was to identify some areas that had come out repeatedly to develop proposals within each of the thematic groups. Xavier Nucci and Michael Schöpf analyzed the work and proposed the following: 1) Styles of community life and closeness to the poor. 2) The need for comprehensive training. 3) Helping young Jesuits to develop a social identity. 4) Elements which need to be incorporated into the formation process from the novitiate to the third probation, with an emphasis on the accompaniment key. 5) the kind of training activities to be proposed. 6) The ecological issue as an overriding dimension.   Concluding echos. After working in groups, Mark Ravizza and Xavier Jeyaraj gave us some echoes and observations from a global perspective. Xavier Jeyaraj raised three questions: Participation decreases from the Novitiate to the Juniorate: How do we keep alive the social dimension among the youngest? We need to deepen the conversion with ourselves and pay attention to what moves us, to the commitment to which we are invited. How are we responding to the calls that young people ask of us? Mark Ravizza raised the question of how we need to see the image of the first companions at the beginning of the Society of Jesus because this is what we must take into account: they lived with the poor, they prayed together, they talked, they discerned together. The new universal apostolic preferences give us the formula to carry out the mission, they are a guide for the conversion of life and mission. For his part, Franck Janin expressed his joy at the meeting and the spirit of collaboration. He also shared two concerns: a) The need to establish a link between the networks and the Provincials and, since the Provincials are not always aware of the work that the networks do, the document that comes out of this meeting in Falenica will be of great help for that. He encourages all the participants to share with the Provincials what happened here. b) Some Provinces do not have a Delegate for the social apostolate and it is important to assign one. Peter Rožič and Alessandro Manaressi concluded this meeting by thanking everyone for such a fruitful time together and congratulated us on the work done jointly by the delegates prior to our meeting.