The International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education (ICAJE) met in Rome from 20-23 May.

The six ICAJE members representing the Conference Networks that form the Jesuit Global Network of Schools (JGNS), along with the General Coordinator of Fe y Alegría, the Secretary for Secondary and Pre-secondary Education, two members of Educate Magis, and the Assistant to the Secretariat, gathered in Rome to discuss the current state of Jesuit education worldwide, review Secretariat projects, and propose new initiatives to energize the work of the JGNS.

This year’s meeting included a special pilgrimage to mark the Jubilee. As “Pilgrims of Hope”, the participants had a chance to physically experience the meaning of “Walking together as a Global Network”. They celebrated the Eucharist in the Cappella della Madonna delle Partorienti inside St Peter’s Basilica, followed by a brief tour of the basilica led by Fr Andrea Bonavita, SJ, an Italian Jesuit architect. He helped the participants explore the connection between tradition and innovation embodied in the basilica.

Fr Jimmy Bartolo, SJ, the incoming Secretary for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education, also joined the meeting as part of the Secretariat’s handover process.

Fostering a spirit of collaboration, each Regional Secretary reported on the state of Jesuit education in their region during the meeting. They highlighted key projects underway and the contextual challenges they faced, providing a general picture of the global Jesuit mission in education. The Secretary also shared highlights from his annual report to Father General and outlined the Secretariat’s projects and their progress.

Mr David Smith, director of Educate Magis and Ms Ciara Beuster, associate director, presented a comprehensive report on the online global community. Their insights included updates on current developments, future plans, and findings from the apostolic planning discernment process conducted by Educate Magis. The group also engaged with Francisco Guarner, President of the World Union of Jesuit Alumni, and Fr William Muller, the organization’s spiritual counsellor, to consider ways of encouraging alumni to partner in Jesuit missions, responding to a request from Father General.

The meeting also featured deep spiritual conversations on the Vision Statement of JESEDU-Jogja2024. This time provided a space to reflect on the challenges of educating for faith in the 21^st century, and also to share experiences of consolation and desolation in this mission. Another important initiative discussed during the meeting was the pilot project called Educating for Global Collaboration – A Student Model, presented by Catharine Steffens and Josephine Vassallo. The initiative aims to help students address ‘glocal’ (global and local) issues through active listening and inclusive dialogue.

Ecological commitment and social justice were also on the agenda. ICAJE reviewed results from a global survey conducted by the Secretariat for Ecology and Social Justice on ecological engagement in Jesuit schools. The data shed light on both challenges and opportunities for growth on that front. Also, in a promising development for global safeguarding efforts, Dr Sandra Racionero shared early findings from a pilot course launched by the Promotion of a Consistent Culture of Protection (PCCP) involving about 1,000 teachers worldwide.

Fr Cristóbal Fones, SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, seized the opportunity presented by the meeting to introduce the network to participants and explored potential areas for collaboration with the JGNS.

As momentum is building for the upcoming second JESEDU Congress set to take place in Montreal, the organising committee (COJESEDU) briefed the participants on the congress which promises to be a milestone event for promoting forward-thinking among Jesuit educators worldwide.

The meeting concluded on a sacred note with the celebration of the Eucharist in the Camerette, the historic rooms where St Ignatius of Loyola spent his final years and died on July 31, 1556.