JECSE

29/09/2026

It was truly an inspiring week! 🌍✨

A big thank you to Ms. Gabriele Hudepohl for organizing these visits and to all welcoming us so warmly, and giving us the opportunity to see how our shared Ignatian vision of Jesuit education comes to life in local realities.

Grateful for the inspiring encounters, conversations, and experiences! 🙏 👇

The visits showed how each school contributes its own particular gifts while remaining part of a larger mission and community. It is precisely this combination of diversity and shared purpose that gives the Ignatian school network in Europe its unique strength.

22/09/2026

💙 JECSE Board Meeting in Brussels

We have just finished an important JECSE Board meeting in Brussels, where we reflected on some key questions for the future of our network and Central Office.

We discussed the structure we need to build for the coming years, the development of our work and the financial challenges we are facing.

These are not always easy conversations, but they are important for ensuring that JECSE can continue to serve our schools and our shared mission well.

We are deeply grateful to all our Board members for their time, commitment, openness and willingness to work together for the future of Jesuit education in Europe and the Near East.

Thank you for your continued support and for your dedicated service to the European network of schools. 🙏💙

20/09/2026

📍 Where Tradition Meets the Future: Kolleg St. Blasien

The final stop on our journey through Jesuit schools in Germany brought us to Kolleg St. Blasien, a unique day and boarding school where tradition and modern education come together.

As a boarding school for both girls and boys, Kolleg St. Blasien offers much more than a place to learn. Here, education, community life and personal accompaniment are woven together into everyday life, creating an environment in which young people can grow, discover their talents and reflect on their choices and future.

🔬 Science and innovation are strong features of the school, supported by impressive facilities and learning spaces that encourage curiosity, creativity and exploration.

🏫 The remarkable campus provides space not only for classrooms, but also for living, learning and building community.

🙏 Pastoral work is an integral part of daily school life, accompanying students in their personal and spiritual development and creating opportunities for reflection and discernment.

The visit offered a fascinating glimpse into a school where academic excellence, community and formation go hand in hand — and where the Jesuit tradition continues to find new expressions in a contemporary educational setting.

A fitting final stop to a journey full of encounters, questions and inspiration. 🌱

A heartfelt thank you to the entire Kolleg St. Blasien community for the warm welcome, openness and generosity in sharing your school with us. We are grateful for the conversations, the insights and the inspiration we take with us from this visit.

Jesuiten in Zentraleuropa Educate Magis

20/09/2026

🌍 A school where care, faith and a strong sense of belonging come together.

Our school visit to Maria-Ward-Schule in Mainz offered a truly distinctive perspective. As one of only two girls’ schools in the European Jesuit network, the school brings together in a unique way the educational traditions of Mary Ward and Ignatius of Loyola.

What struck us most was the strong sense of care, encouragement and belonging 🫶 The students spoke with pride about the many possibilities their school offers them, the supportive atmosphere and the ways in which they are encouraged to take responsibility and get involved in society.

We were also deeply impressed by the school’s strong pastoral work. The dedicated Catholic and Protestant pastoral officers work closely to accompany students and nurture the spiritual and personal dimension of school life. Their commitment is a beautiful expression of the school’s care for the whole person.

The school also places great value on social involvement and international collaboration, helping students look beyond their own community and engage with the wider world.

A very enriching visit, and a wonderful reminder of how education can create spaces where young people feel cared for, challenged, empowered and connected. 💙🌍

Thank you to the whole Maria-Ward-Schule community for the warm welcome and for sharing your school with us!

Educate Magis Jesuiten in Zentraleuropa

19/09/2026

📍 The Real Strength of a School Lies in Its Community: Aloisiuskolleg (AKO), Bonn-Bad Godesberg

Our third school visit brought us to Aloisiuskolleg in Bonn, a school with a rich history and a beautiful campus — and, above all, a strong and committed school community.

The school is going through an important period of transition. With the Jesuit presence no longer based at the school and leadership now in the hands of the school foundation and lay leadership, the community is exploring what the next chapter should look like.

💬 Conversations with the school board, school leadership, the pastoral team, teachers and student representatives opened up questions about the future of the school, participation and shared responsibility.

We also had the opportunity to experience everyday school life: joining a lesson, meeting the Student Council (SV), attending a service with a Year 10 class, and hearing directly from students and staff about their experience of the school.

One message came through particularly strongly: the real strength of a school lies in its community. Change can be challenging, but it can also create space for new ideas, new forms of participation and a renewed sense of shared mission.

The impressive historic buildings and spacious campus offer many possibilities for development. What will matter most, however, is how the people who make up the school community come together to shape its future — while continuing to draw on its Ignatian roots.

A valuable and inspiring stop on our journey. 🌱

Educate Magis Jesuiten in Zentraleuropa

17/09/2026

🇩🇪 A Catholic school built on Protestant land, with Jewish support – a visit to Dresden

The second day of the JECSE Director’s visit to Germany brought us to **Dresden** and to the remarkable **St. Benno-Gymnasium**.

The school has a unique history: it was built on land that had previously belonged to the Protestant community, while support from the Jewish community also played an important role in its story. Today, this history is reflected in a school environment that places strong emphasis on **unity, democracy, openness and mutual trust**.

And this spirit can truly be felt in the life of the school.

During several hours at St. Benno-Gymnasium, we had the opportunity to discover some of the key pillars of its work:

💙 **Individual care for each student** — supported by developing pastoral care and the work of a social worker. Care for young people here is understood in a broad sense: supporting their personal development, relationships, needs and wellbeing.

💻 **Thoughtful and sustainable school development** — with a clear plan for responding to the challenges of today while preparing students and the whole school community for the future.

🇵🇱 **Teaching Polish** was one of the special highlights of our visit. Meeting the young people and joining their lesson was a wonderful experience. Their perseverance, commitment and achievements in learning Polish were truly impressive. ❤️

🌍 **The international character of the school** goes far beyond exchanges and international projects. Each project is designed to support students’ personal development, broaden their horizons and help them discover the world. It is also an opportunity to realise that people living in very different — and often much more difficult — circumstances share the same **dreams, hopes, talents and inspirations**. This is how solidarity and a sense of community grow.

🎨 We were also deeply impressed by the school’s commitment to the **cultural and artistic development of students** — from the ceramics workshop and recording studio to music and art rooms. These are spaces where young people can experiment, create, discover their talents and express themselves.

And all of this contributes to a **joyful, open and remarkably calm school community** — an atmosphere that, in many ways, reflects the personality and leadership style of the school’s Director. 😊

🙏 A heartfelt thank you to the whole **St. Benno-Gymnasium** team for the warm welcome, the time shared with us, the inspiring conversations and the opportunity to experience the school from within.

I leave Dresden with an even stronger conviction that a school can be so much more than a place where knowledge is acquired. It can be a **place of encounter, dialogue, creativity, growth and learning how to build the future together**.

🇩🇪 **Dresden — thank you for this very special day!**

Jesuiten in Zentraleuropa

14/09/2026

New week, new Province, new school visits!

This week, the JECSE Director is spending time with schools in Germany 🇩🇪 , starting in Berlin — and what a great start it has been!

📍 The Canisius-Kolleg Berlin welcomed us for a rich and inspiring day of meetings and conversations. We had the opportunity to meet with the Rector, Director and other members of the leadership team, exchange ideas with school staff, and take a short tour around the school grounds.

But, as always, the real highlights of a school visit are the young people. ❤️

✨ One of the highlights was a long and open conversation with students from the ISS – Integrierte Sekundarschule (Integrated Secondary School). The ISS is a type of comprehensive secondary school in Berlin, offering different educational pathways and opportunities for students to work towards a range of school-leaving qualifications. At Canisius-Kolleg, the ISS Pedro Arrupe has a particular focus on intercultural and interreligious dialogue and includes Welcome Classes for newly arrived students.

The students generously shared their experiences of living and studying abroad — speaking openly about the opportunities, challenges, discoveries and personal growth that come with stepping into a new environment. 🌍 Their stories made for a truly meaningful conversation.

✨ Another special moment was meeting the passionate young people of ISG - Ignatianische-Schüler-Gemeinschaft. ISG is a self-organised youth work group at Canisius-Kolleg, with more than 700 members, and is part of KSJ – Katholische Studierende Jugend. It provides a space for young people to organise activities, build community and take an active role in shaping youth life beyond the classroom.

Their energy, enthusiasm and commitment were contagious! It was wonderful to see young people not simply participating in school life, but actively **shaping their community and taking responsibility for one another**. 💛

🙏 A big thank you to the whole Canisius-Kolleg community for the warm welcome, honest conversations and generous sharing.

School visits are always about much more than meetings — they are about people, relationships, listening, sharing experiences and learning from one another.

And this week in Germany is already off to a wonderful start! 🇩🇪✨

🔗 Find out more:
🏫 ISS Pedro Arrupe at Canisius-Kolleg: [canisius.de/integrierte-sekundarschule-pedro-arrupe]
👥 ISG Berlin: [isg-berlin.com]
🏫 Canisius-Kolleg Berlin: [canisius.de]

More schools, more conversations and more stories to come! 🇩🇪💙


Educate Magis Jesuiten in Zentraleuropa

11/09/2026

💙 JECSE in Albania – a week of learning, encounters and inspiration

The JECSE Director’s visit to Albania is coming to an end, and what a fruitful and inspiring time it has been! 🇦🇱

It has been a week full of beautiful encounters, learning and new inspirations. Together with the staff of the Shkolla "Atë Pjetër Meshkalla" - faqja zyrtare we reflected on safeguarding and what it means to create a school community where every young person is safe, valued and cared for.

We also spent a great day exploring what it means to be part of the JECSE network – how we can strengthen our presence in the network, learn from one another and make better use of the opportunities that come with being connected. We also discovered some exciting new possibilities that Educate Magis offers to educators around the world. 🌍

The final day was dedicated to staff formation, organised by the school’s Pastoral Team. Fr. Marini led the staff through a beautiful exploration of the Four Cs, creating a day full of reflection, conversation and inspiration. 🙏

The time in Albania has also been an important opportunity to prepare the final module of our Ignatian Leadership Programme. In March, JECSE will return to Albania with a group of school leaders who will deepen their skills in Ignatian leadership – while also having the opportunity to experience this amazing place. 🇦🇱✨

We leave Albania grateful for the hospitality, openness and commitment of the school community, and looking forward to returning soon 🙏

Thank you, Albania, for a wonderful and inspiring week! 💙


Gesuiti Educazione - la rete di scuole ignaziane

09/09/2026

💙 A new school year, a renewed commitment to care

Across Europe and the Near East, teachers are returning to JECSE schools, and slowly, classrooms are filling again with the voices, energy and dreams of young people.

A new school year always brings new beginnings. But it also brings a responsibility: to create places where every young person can feel safe, valued, respected and able to flourish.

📌This week, JECSE has the privilege of accompanying the staff of our Jesuit school in Albania. We began the week with a meaningful safeguarding training — a reminder that safeguarding is not simply a policy, a procedure or another task on a busy school agenda.

It is an expression of who we are. 🫶

If we believe in Cura Personalis — caring for the whole person — then we must also create environments where every person is protected, listened to and treated with dignity.

Safeguarding is a journey that never ends. It asks us to keep learning, to look more carefully, to listen more deeply and, when necessary, to have the courage to act.

We have been deeply moved by the dedication of the Shkolla "Atë Pjetër Meshkalla" - faqja zyrtare staff and by the importance they give to building a strong culture of protection. Their openness, commitment and willingness to reflect together are a beautiful sign of a community that truly cares about the young people entrusted to it.

As we begin this new school year, may we remember that education begins with relationship, and relationship begins with trust 🥰

May our schools be places where young people not only learn, but where they know they belong; where they are seen, heard and cared for; and where they can grow into the fullness of who they are called to become. 🌱

We wish all our JECSE schools a blessed and inspiring new school year! 💙



Jesuits in Europe Gesuiti Educazione - la rete di scuole ignaziane Educate Magis

03/09/2026

🌟 A new team member at JECSE!

This week, we are very happy to welcome Mariasofia to the JECSE team! 🤝

Mariasofia will coordinate the work of our office and support the organisation and communication of all our formations and activities. We are excited to have her on board and look forward to all the things we will accomplish together!

She has already started her work with us in a very special way. Together with the JECSE Director, Mariasofia was invited to accompany Kostka Publiczne Liceum Ogólnokształcące Jezuitów im. św. Stanisława Kostki as they celebrated the beginning of the new school year. 🎓✨

It was a wonderful opportunity to meet the school community, share in this important moment, and begin building new connections.

Welcome to JECSE, Mariasofia! We are delighted to have you with us. 💙

Jezuici w Polsce