Madrid Summit

Twelve new Provincials were among those who gathered with John Dardis just outside Madrid for the annual meeting of the European Provincials. Ireland makes a big contribution through Dermot O’Connor as Assistant to the President of the Conference, through Brendan McPartlin who is European Social delegate and through Joe Dargan and Jan van de Poll who run the Tertianship based in Dublin. Jan isn’t of course a member of the Irish Province – we have adopted him! John Dardis reports below.

There is a lot happening across Europe. The main item on the Agenda was the Jesuit Formation Centres. Joe Dargan and Jan briefed the conference on the English-speaking tertianship in Manresa. Eleven Centres in Europe are officially recognised as places for pre-ordination study of Theology. We looked at the kind of Theology we want in those Centres and the structures that are needed to promote it.

We also had a very exciting presentation on the new Jesuit school is Kosovo as well as on JRS in Europe and on the Jesuit office OCIPE. It wasn’t all work however! We did take half a day to get to Toledo to visit the lovely Cathedral there and to have a very pleasant meal in a local restaurant – the photographer caught me red-handed!