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.