Jesuit schools in the Central European Province prepare students to face the challenges of the modern world in the Ignatian tradition and spirit – even with fewer Jesuits.

How can a traditional Catholic school successfully move into the future? The Jesuit College of St. Blasien in the Upper Black Forest offers a compelling answer: By building a new science centre, it is expanding its educational offerings in a way that meets the needs of today’s students. During his visit to Germany, Father General Arturo Sosa inaugurated the new building and gained insight into the Jesuits’ educational work in the school sector.

Twelve schools in Germany, Lithuania, and Austria have joined together to form the Ignatian Schools Network within the Central European Province (ECE). One of them is St. Blasien College, a state-recognized Catholic secondary school with an affiliated boarding school for boys and girls. Nestled in the rural beauty of the Black Forest, the school welcomes over 800 students from Germany and around the world. Its mission is clear, as expressed by College Director Fr Hans-Martin Rieder: “To educate students to become well-rounded and responsible ‘people for others’.”

Preparing students for the challenges of our time

With the new science centre – named after Jesuit scientist Adam Schall von Bell – St. Blasien is putting modern educational principles into practice. Students now have access to state-of-the-art laboratories and workshops where they can explore scientific topics hands-on. “Through innovative science education, we’re laying the foundation for the next generation to face the challenges of our time”, says Fr Rieder. This includes understanding complex scientific relationships and exploring possible solutions. “A solid scientific education – combined with the language and humanities education at the college – is essential for thoughtful engagement with the pressing issues of our age”, Fr Rieder explains. “From how we want to live together as a society, to how we respond to climate change, and even how faith in God can coexist with scientific understanding.”

Keeping the Ignatian spirit alive

Alongside Fr Rieder, other Jesuits serve at St. Blasien – as boarding school directors, teachers, and pastoral caregivers. But St. Blasien is increasingly an exception. The number of Jesuits in the ECE Province is declining, and many schools can no longer rely on their active presence in leadership or teaching roles. This raises an important question: How can a school remain truly Ignatian with less or without Jesuits on site?

Encouraging examples from across the Province show that it is possible. The Ignatian spirit can live on, even after the last Jesuit has left the school. A key resource in this transition is the Zentrum für Ignatianische Pädagogik (Centre for Ignatian Pedagogy) in Ludwigshafen. It supports schools in developing their Ignatian profile, trains educators, and fosters collaboration.

“The Ignatian educational tradition and Jesuit principles are so strong and valuable that they extend far beyond the order itself”, says Gabriele Hüdepohl, Delegate for Schools in the ECE Province. “There are many women and men who know Ignatian spirituality, live it, and shape their schools with it.”

This makes it possible to preserve the identity of these schools in the Jesuit tradition. “That’s exactly what we want to promote and strengthen”, Hüdepohl continues. “That our schools continue to develop their core identity – even with fewer Jesuits actively involved. Perhaps, in slightly old-fashioned terms: In service of a world worth living in – for everyone.”