As in many other European countries, interest in matters of faith is declining among young people in Germany. This is especially true for Catholic youth aged 12 to 25, as the 2024 Shell Youth Study notes: “For young people belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, belief in God has steadily declined in importance over the past 20 years.”

Fr Marco Hubrig is the Delegate for Youth and Vocations in the Central European Province (ECE) and thus responsible for the Jesuit initiatives in the Province that offer young people meaningful opportunities and help them to discover and follow their vocation. “Young people need to have experiences”, says Hubrig. “If we want to reach them today, it’s less about information and more about relationships.”

The Zukunftswerkstatt SJ – Listening and Encouraging

One place where this works particularly well is the Zukunftswerkstatt SJ (Jesuit Future Workshop) in Frankfurt. Fr Sebastian Ortner, who has been leading the project for three years, and his team accompany young people during weekend retreats, Ignatian spiritual exercises, and seminars in their search for the future, for faith, and for their calling. “Many young people feel truly listened to for the first time”, says Fr Ortner. “It’s not about ready-made answers, but about creating a space where questions are welcome, and we listen together to what God places in one’s heart.” Fr Clemens Blattert, also active in the order’s vocation ministry, adds: “We want to encourage young adults to trust their inner compass – while becoming more attentive to the needs of others and to the signs of the times.”

Jesuit Schools – Spaces of Spirituality

In addition to the Zukunftswerkstatt SJ, Jesuit schools are central hubs of youth work. At Kolleg St Blasien, located in the Black Forest on Germany’s southwestern border, for example, Fr Hubrig heads the boarding school and observes: “Even as the Church retreats more and more from public life, the longing for places of spirituality remains. That’s why parents enrol their children with us – because we are a Christian school. For many, it’s simply important that something is lived here that is hard to find elsewhere.” Jesuits rely on an educational approach that speaks to both heart and mind – true to the Ignatian tradition.

Jesuit Volunteers

A third example of successful youth engagement in Germany is the Jesuit Volunteers program. This international volunteer initiative by Jesuitenweltweit is aimed at people aged 18 and older who want to spend several months or a year working in social projects at home or abroad – such as with children and young people, in social centres, with refugees, or in sustainable agriculture projects. Fr Trieu Nguyen accompanies returning volunteers and affirms: “The year abroad is also a form of education. It’s not only about intercultural learning, but also about personal growth – about forming the heart.”

A Diversity of Opportunities

Many other opportunities – such as campus ministries, retreats for young people, or MAGIS groups – are part of the Jesuits’ youth ministry in Germany and also the whole ECE Province. Accompanying young people is one of the main tasks of the Jesuit order and must be constantly renewed. Fr Ortner sums up the core attitude for effective youth work as follows: “We are convinced: God has a story with every young person. We are allowed to co-author a part of that story – with respect, openness, and the hope that something new will grow from it.”