For more than a decade, MAGIS Europe - the young adult ministry initiative organized under the JCEP - has offered young adults from across the continent the opportunity to experience Ignatian spirituality through international community, prayer, service, reflection and adventure. Since 2013, the initiative has brought together young people from different countries around a shared desire to seek and find God in the experiences of everyday life. In 2026, this European tradition entered a new phase with the launch of MAGIS Euro Summer. Rather than gathering all participants in one large event, the new format brings together a series of smaller Ignatian experiences hosted by different Jesuit communities and Provinces across Europe. This evolution responds to the changing context of youth ministry while preserving what has always been at the heart of MAGIS: international encounter, community, service, discernment and an Ignatian way of seeing and living the world. The first MAGIS Euro Summer offered seven experiences in four European countries, ranging from a summer trek in Norway and volunteering along the Camino de Santiago in Spain to hiking, art and Ignatian spirituality in Croatia and experiences combining faith, politics and personal discernment in the Italian Dolomites. Each experience had its own character, but all shared the same MAGIS spirit and were conducted in English, creating spaces where young adults from different European backgrounds could meet and journey together. For JCEP, MAGIS Euro Summer represents an important expression of European collaboration in youth ministry. It allows Provinces to offer young people experiences that would often be difficult to organise independently, while making the richness and diversity of Jesuit life and mission across Europe accessible to a wider generation of young adults. The following stories offer a glimpse of this first edition — and of how the MAGIS tradition continues to evolve while remaining rooted in the simple invitation to be MAGIS: to seek God in all things, together with others. Spain Every summer, Santiago de Compostela welcomes pilgrims from around the world. In 2026, a group of young Europeans joined Apertas, a pastoral initiative founded in 2015 by Sergio García Soto SJ, for a two-week experience of service, prayer, formation and community. As part of Magis Euro Summer, the initiative brought together Jesuits and young people from several European countries, discovering together that the Camino can be both an outward journey and an inward one. Participants served at the Cathedral’s Pilgrim Welcome Office, welcoming pilgrims, helping with the Compostela and creating opportunities for reflection and prayer. They also volunteered at the Cocina Económica, serving meals to people experiencing vulnerability. Through these two very different forms of service, they discovered that accompaniment is often about simply being present: listening, welcoming and remaining open to the people encountered. As one participant put it, service is not so much about “doing” as about being present. Prayer and formation gave the experience its Ignatian rhythm, with daily prayer, the examen, personal reflection, spiritual formation, the Magis circle and the Eucharist. Living together, participants from different cultural and spiritual backgrounds gradually formed a close community and reflected on their own journeys of faith and discernment. Their testimonies highlight a central insight of Apertas Europe: the Camino is not only external, but also internal, and through service, community and encounter, young people can discover God at work in the ordinary experiences of life. Read More Here.   Italy From 12 to 22 August, 85 young people from 13 European countries gathered at Villa Capriolo in Selva di Val Gardena, in the Italian Dolomites, for ten days of prayer, formation, community and outdoor activities. The gathering was the first international experience of its kind hosted there by the Jesuits of the EUM Province. Participants chose between two workshops. “Faith & Politics” explored the Christian vocation to political engagement through testimonies, Ignatian spirituality and shared reflection, while “Trails of the Heart” offered modules on Bible and Literature and Restorative Justice, encouraging participants to explore faith, relationships and personal growth. Alongside formation and prayer, the programme included community life, relaxation, good food and three hikes through the Dolomites, including a night hike to watch the sunrise. The combination of the international group, the beautiful surroundings and the warm atmosphere made the gathering a memorable experience, and organisers are already looking forward to a possible next edition — perhaps even in winter. Read More Here.   Norway 16 young adults from across Europe and Lebanon (France, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, and Poland) participated in an experiment organized by the Jesuits in Denmark, held in the Norwegian mountains under the title "Hope Bearers." After a warm welcome by the Dominican sisters in Oslo, the group traveled to Norway’s oldest national park, Rondane, for a five-day mountain trek. The days were filled with prayer, sharing, daily celebration of the Eucharist, and plenty of time to be inspired by the contemplation of the beauty of Norwegian nature and friendly conversations among participants. Day after day, the group meditated on the stories of extraordinary hope bearers from the Scripture, allowing their narratives to resonate across the silent plateaus and rugged peaks. These stories helped us anchor our hope firmly in God's unchanging faithfulness and reflect on how to be hope bearers in our changing and unstable reality.    Croatia  Croatia hosted three MAGIS Euro Summer experiences from 24 to 31 July, bringing the European MAGIS spirit to different parts of the country. Participants could choose between hiking near Zagreb, exploring God through beauty and art in Zadar, and walking in the footsteps of Jesuit missionary Ante Gabrić SJ in the Metković area. Each experience offered a distinctive way of combining adventure, community and reflection, rooted in the Croatian Jesuit tradition. Near Zagreb, participants explored the trails and natural surroundings of Sljeme, while discovering the lives and witness of Jesuits such as Benedetto de Goes SJ and Josip Müller SJ. In Zadar, the experience invited participants to seek God through beauty and art, using the city's cultural and artistic heritage as a starting point for reflection and prayer. In Metković, participants followed the story and missionary legacy of Ante Gabrić SJ, discovering how his life of service and dedication could inspire their own faith journeys.

From 12 to 22 August, 85 young people from 13 European countries gathered in Selva di Val Gardena, in the spectacular Italian Dolomites. Participants stayed at Villa Capriolo, a retreat house run by the Jesuits of the EUM Province, for ten days of prayer, formation, community and outdoor activities. Two different workshops were offered during the experience. The “Faith & Politics” workshop brought together 30 participants to reflect on the Christian vocation to political life. Through testimonies from people involved in European civic engagement, insights from Ignatian spirituality and opportunities for discussion, participants explored how faith can inform and inspire engagement in public life. The other participants took part in “Trails of the Heart”, which combined two complementary modules. The first, “Bible and Literature,” invited participants to pray and share through literary texts and insights drawn from film. The second, “Restorative Justice,” explored the art of caring for relational wounds and finding ways to look towards the future. This was the first international gathering of its kind to take place in Selva di Val Gardena, and both the number of participants and, above all, the atmosphere of the gathering made it a memorable experience. The ten days were filled with challenging and inspiring input, prayer and reflection, deep sharing in community, play and relaxation — as well as good food prepared by a team of ten wonderfully generous volunteers. The group also went on three day hikes through the Dolomites, including one that began at night and culminated in watching the sunrise together. After this first international experience in Selva di Val Gardena, participants and organisers are already looking forward to the next edition — perhaps even in winter, when the Dolomites are covered in snow and offer an entirely different, equally enchanting landscape. Fr. Guido Ruta SJ, Director of the Jesuit work in Selva di Val Gardena

Every summer, Santiago de Compostela welcomes thousands of pilgrims from across the world. Among them, this year was a small group of young Europeans who spent two weeks welcoming pilgrims with a smile, a kind word and, above all, a willingness to listen. This is the spirit of Apertas, a pastoral initiative born in 2015 from the vision of Sergio García Soto SJ. Its purpose is simple yet deeply Ignatian: to place service at the heart of an experience that brings together prayer, formation and community. In 2026, Apertas took a new step by becoming part of Magis Euro Summer, the European initiative promoted by the Conference of European Provincials alongside other experiences in Norway, Italy and Croatia. The first European edition brought together four Jesuits, two of them novices, and six young people from Spain, Belgium, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and Finland. Together, they discovered that welcoming others can also become a way of being welcomed, and that the Camino can be both an outward journey and an inward one. The heart of the experience was the Pilgrim Welcome Office of the Cathedral of Santiago. There, participants helped welcome pilgrims, assisted with the distribution of the Compostela, took part in conversations with people arriving from around the world and helped lead a short midday prayer, inviting pilgrims to reflect spiritually on what they had experienced along the Camino. Their service also took them beyond the world of pilgrims. Each day, they volunteered at the Cocina Económica, run by the Daughters of Charity, helping prepare and serve meals to people experiencing vulnerability. The contrast between these two settings broadened their understanding of what it means to welcome and accompany others. For Jelena Vanhollebeke, the experience confirmed something she had long sensed: “Connecting with others through stories, emotions and laughter fills me with energy.” For Estefanía Cazorla, the experience gradually offered an even deeper insight. Asked what Apertas was about, she came to realise that it was not so much about “doing”, but about being present. Sometimes that presence meant helping a pilgrim who struggled to communicate in a foreign language. At other times, it meant quietly serving a meal or simply listening without rushing to someone who needed to tell their story. In these encounters, participants discovered that service transforms not only those who are welcomed, but also those who do the welcoming. The rhythm of each day helped them connect service with prayer and reflection. Mornings began with prayer and concluded with the Ignatian examen, while afternoons were devoted to formation in Ignatian spirituality and theology, personal prayer and discernment. In the Magis circle, participants shared what they were discovering through their service, prayer and life together. The Eucharist remained at the centre of the day, followed by the evening prayer vigil at the Cathedral. Living and praying together also became an important part of the experience. Participants who had barely known one another before arriving in Santiago gradually formed a community in which cultural differences became a source of enrichment rather than division. For Terézia Štefancová, who came to Santiago at a moment of transition after completing her university studies, Apertas offered precisely the space she was looking for. She hoped to reflect more deeply on her life and its direction, and discovered the value of being part of a community that welcomed both one another and the pilgrims. “I learned the importance of living in the present, with an open heart to whatever comes,” she reflected, “while walking the path of life with trust and surrender to God.” For Alex Burt-Tejedor, who grew up in a non-Catholic family and had limited contact with the Church, Apertas Europe became an opportunity to continue an emerging spiritual journey. “The experience helped me deepen my faith, living it in community and through service and welcoming pilgrims,” he shared. Listening to the stories of people from around the world gave him “more confidence and courage to continue exploring my spirituality.” David Caicedo, who had been involved with the Jesuits and Magis communities since adolescence, arrived in Santiago with high expectations — and found that the experience surpassed them. “The Camino is not only external, but also internal,” he concluded. “Serving in community is very powerful.” These testimonies capture something at the heart of Magis Euro Summer: the invitation to discover God not only in prayer or explicitly religious experiences, but in the ordinary encounters, relationships and acts of service that make up our lives. By bringing Apertas into the European Magis network, the Camino de Santiago becomes a space for encounter across cultures, discernment and shared faith. It offers young people from different European countries an opportunity to serve together, learn from one another and discover that the journey towards God often begins by simply opening the door to another person. Apertas Europe was made possible through the collaboration of the Conference of European Provincials, Magis Spain, Colegio Mayor San Agustín, the Pilgrim Welcome Office, the Cocina Económica of Santiago de Compostela and the Cathedral of Santiago. In the end, the most meaningful “Compostela” may not be the document received at the end of the Camino, but what remains in the hearts of those who discover that service rooted in faith and lived in community transforms both the one who welcomes and the one who is welcomed. Antonio Fco. Bohórquez SJ

As part of its ongoing commitment to accompanying young people at a European level, the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials continues to support the MAGIS tradition in Europe. The MAGIS Pastoral program at the European level allows Jesuit provinces of the JCEP to enrich their pastoral offering with a European and transnational dimension, so natural to today’s youth, that would be out of their reach if they were to organize it just on their own. In response to new contexts and opportunities, MAGIS Europe is now presented in a renewed format under the name MAGIS Euro Summer, bringing together a series of Ignatian experiences taking place across the continent. In the letter below, Walter Ceyssens introduces this new format and presents the vision, spirit and concrete activities of MAGIS Euro Summer 2026. Dear fellow Jesuits and partners in mission, In Europe we have a nice tradition of organizing wonderful summer MAGIS-events. With a number of Provinces we decided to continue this tradition.  On behalf of the team, therefore, we happily invite you and all young people to MAGIS Euro Summer 2026,  This year we want to try a new formula, with a series of activities happening all across the Continent. A total of 8 experiments will be organized: ‘Summer trek in Norway’ - 19-27 July; ‘Apertas’, volunteering to help pilgrims along the ancient pilgrimage road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain - July 2-14  Four experiences in beautiful Croatia, all in the period of 24-31 July:  ‘Hiking near Zagreb’;  ‘Cycling with John Sullivan SJ’;  ‘Iconography in Zadar’;  ‘Walking with missionary Ante Gabric SJ’ 2 Experiences on the Dolomites Mountains, Northern Italy 'Faith and Politics' 'Trails of the Heart' Of course, our events are on a smaller scale, but with the same MAGIS vibe, that is: young, Ignatian, with a spirit of international encounter.  You’ll find more information on what we have in store for the young people of Europe: https://www.magis.jesuits.eu/    All these activities have English as spoken language.  Help us to make MAGIS Euro summer known.  #beMAGIS ! The MAGIS Euro Summer team

MAGIS Europe is an international meeting organized by the Society of Jesus for young adults (18-35 years old) living Ignatian spirituality. This year it will last eight days from July 20 to 27, 2024. The program will begin with experiments in about twenty places in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Experiments are another word for the trials to which Jesuits are subjected to mature in their vocation. In a similar way, program participants will be able to test themselves in searching for and finding God by engaging in specific activities. Activities will be proposed in five categories: pilgrimage from place to place, deepening one's spirituality, helping people in need, discovering the spiritual dimension of culture and art, and caring for creation. After the experiments, all program participants will gather in Krakow. On the evening of July 25, a three-day festival will begin, during which they will share the fruits of their experiments and celebrate community. It will be a time to deepen friendship, share your faith and pray together. Meetings with interesting guests, getting to know Krakow and other attractions are planned. The program will end with the dismissal mass at noon on July 27 Registration period began on April 1st. Find out more here

After being shown in theaters in various Croatian cities (Zagreb, Osijek, Split, Rijeka, Dubrovnik, Metković, and Zadar), the movie Sentir y gustar is now available online on Youtube. The movie was produced by the Magis Association and directed by Matej Sunara. It was filmed last summer during Magis Europe 2022, which hosted more than 350 young people from 20 countries. The movie presents more than 50 testimonies in 15 world languages and shows the experiences of young people who participated in 29 experiments. The purpose of these experiments was to help young people choose what leads them more toward the goal for which they were created, to help them search for and relish in God, and to discover and enjoy Croatian natural beauties and cultural heritage. “Until now, more than 1000 people saw the movie,” said Petra Borošak, coordinator of the Magis association. “The impressions they shared after watching the movie have prompted us to think about how we could make it more available for a broader audience. For joy, love, gratitude, and beauty should be shared and spread. The testimonies of the young people from the movie encourage us all to try to recognize God’s presence in our daily lives, especially in those unpleasant experiences,” concluded Petra.   Luka Ilić SJ