Father General Arturo Sosa is visiting the Province of Slovenia from 19 – 20 September. The Central European country has a modest yet meaningful presence of Jesuits who are engaged in different ministries, including pastoral care, youth outreach and education.

Over the years, collaboration with laymen and women has been a vital element in advancing the mission of the Jesuits in the country. Many lay collaborators have been formed in Ignatian spirituality, enabling them to embody and transmit Jesuit values authentically. This shared spiritual foundation helps create a unified sense of mission and fosters a deeper sense of involvement in the mission.

During this visit, Fr Sosa met the lay collaborators and volunteers who carry forward the work of the Society of Jesus at the Father Pedro Arrupe Hall in the Jesuit College in Ljubljana. Some of these lay collaborators included representatives from the parish in Dravlje, the largest Jesuit parish in Slovenia: members of the parish finance council, the parish pastoral council, and the family catechesis group. One striking instance of this lay collaboration is the example of Mrs Maria Savšek, who for 25 years has devoted herself wholeheartedly to the beautification of the Church of St Joseph and the House of Spiritual Exercises in Ljubljana. On this special occasion, she prepared decorations of handwoven fresh flowers and placed them on the columns of the main entrance of the retreat house.

Father General’s presence provided the lay collaborators an opportunity to reflect on what it means to share responsibility for the mission of the Society today. His exchange with them also brought a sense of recognition and encouragement, highlighting how the local efforts of these collaborators join with the global horizon of the work of the Jesuits globally.

Father Sosa’s visit coincides with the celebration of 100 years of the foundation of the House of Spiritual Exercises in 1925 and 15 years of its reopening after decades of closure, owing to the seizure of the properties of the Jesuits by the post-war communist regime.

Earlier in the day (19 September 2025), Father General had met with the Slovenian Jesuits, sharing a few words on the general state of the Society of Jesus and other important issues that are important to the life-mission of the Jesuits. The meeting was followed by the celebration of Mass, presided over by Father General.