Father General, Arturo Sosa, will visit the French-speaking Western European Province (EOF) from 15 to 22 September. The visit will be an important opportunity for Father General to explore the various aspects of the Province’s mission, including its apostolates and its commitment to spiritual formation, youth formation, social justice and ecological transition. The EOF Province, which includes all Jesuit communities in France, French-speaking Belgium and Luxembourg, also covers Greece, Mauritius and Reunion Island.

As Fr Thierry Dobbelstein, Provincial of the EOF Province, pointed out, this visit is not just a local event but a reflection of the global presence of the Jesuits. Ahead of Father General’s visit, we spoke to the Provincial, asking him about his impressions of Father Sosa’s visit.

Father General will be visiting the EOF Province in September to explore its realities. What does the visit mean for the Province, its institutions, and apostolates?

It’s an honour to welcome Father General seven years after the creation of our EOF Province. Arturo Sosa had already honoured us with his presence at the creation of the Province in July 2017, in Namur, Belgium. This time, he will have the opportunity to discover different communities and apostolic institutions of the Province, and to meet Jesuits and partners in the mission. By welcoming the Superior General, the inclusion of our EOF Province, our institutions and communities in the universal apostolic body of the Society of Jesus becomes more concrete.

Can you share some of the history and characteristics of the Province? What defines its character and mission?

The Province combines the old and the new, a rich tradition and continual reinvention. On the traditional side, the many apostolic institutions form a very thick fabric. It came into being following the merger of the Province of France with that of southern Belgium and Luxembourg. These Provinces had their own network of educational institutions, spiritual centres, university institutions, social centres, magazines and publishing houses, etc. They had an astonishing number of vocations, which enabled many missionaries to be sent throughout the world. Several Provinces and Regions in Africa, Madagascar and India were founded by Jesuits from France and Belgium.

The EOF Province has taken over, with more modest human resources, but a real dynamism. The expansion of our borders has opened up new opportunities, and when Jesuits are prepared to leave their region or country of origin, their creativity can be multiplied. In recent years, we have inaugurated the Teilhard de Chardin Centre (a place for student ministry and dialogue between science and faith) in the south of Paris; we have created the Magis House (a gathering place for initiatives for young adults) in the heart of the capital; we have founded the new Matteo Ricci College in a working-class district of Brussels and are building a new College in Marseille; and the Châtelard Spiritual Centre, near Lyon, is being transformed into a spiritual ecocentre. All these projects are influenced by the Universal Apostolic Preferences.

Jesuit colleges in the EOF Province have a rich tradition of education, and Father General will be visiting the Facultés Loyola Paris. What impact will this have for the Jesuits in formation?

Our Province has a dual network of educational institutions: one in French-speaking Belgium and the other in France. In total, 37,000 pupils (aged 3 to 20) attend Jesuit schools. This is only possible because we have put our trust in lay people who believe in the effectiveness of Ignatian teaching methods. With them, we understand the importance of networking. It is also essential to develop Ignatian leadership training to share the treasure of our spirituality and our way of doing things.

At Facultés Loyola Paris (the new name of the Centre Sèvres, after 50 years of existence) more than 300 students study philosophy and theology each year, in order to be at the service of the Church. Among them are more than a hundred young Jesuits from every continent in the world. At the Facultés, the challenge is to ensure the quality of intellectual training by encouraging cura personalis and creating a personalized programme. I would also like to mention the ten Jesuit communities in the Paris region that welcome these young Jesuits: they participate in their spiritual, apostolic and community formation. We like to speak of an ‘integral formation’ that takes into account all the dimensions of the person.

During this visit, Fr General will renew the consecration of the Society to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Can you elaborate on this devotion to the Sacred Heart within the Society of Jesus in general, and within the EOF Province? How does this resonate with our spirituality?

Arturo Sosa insisted on passing through the town of Paray-le-Monial, in Bourgogne, during this eight-day visit, which will not, however, allow him to visit all our communities. Our few Jesuit companions who live there take part in the animation of the sanctuary dedicated to the Sacred Heart. In particular, they look after the chapel where Saint Claude La Colombière, the spiritual director of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, is buried.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is first and foremost a reminder of the centrality of our relationship with Jesus Christ. This is true for every Christian and especially true for every companion of Jesus. It is Jesus whom we want to know, love and serve more and more. But above all, there is ‘his’ way of doing things. Before wanting to do more, we need to know and feel that we are loved by God. Jesus reveals how merciful the Father is. Experiencing this allows us to accept ourselves as we are, without pretence, without repressing the failures and mistakes of our lives. It then enables us to offer ourselves in turn. The Heart of Jesus makes us immune to any pharisaical tendencies. Devotion to the Sacred Heart, entrusted to the Society of Jesus, is therefore a message for today and for everyone.

What central message would you like Father General’s visit to emphasize? How does his visit inspire our Jesuit presence and mission in the EOF Province?

I have two hopes for this visit. Firstly, that Father General will help us to deepen our inner freedom to tackle the challenges of today and of the future: this requires creativity, without being prisoners of the habits of the past. Institutions are important, but they must always remain at the service of Christ’s mission.

Secondly, I hope that this visit will give rise to vocations: of course we need young companions of Jesus, who give their whole lives; we also need lay men and women who commit themselves to working for the mission of reconciling all things in Christ. Our apostolic body, made up of religious and lay people, constantly needs to renew and strengthen itself.