Creative, sensitive, empathic, visionary, artistic, committed, kind-and-big-hearted, an inspirational speaker and writer… That’s Edmond Grace SJ. That’s JESC’s outgoing Secretary for Ecology, who this week has returned to his beloved Ireland.

With Law degrees from Trinity College, Dublin and Columbia University, prior to joining JESC in late 2018, Edmond was an advisor to the Irish National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA), appointed by Minister Denis Naughton. He also had vast experience in citizen juries, he wrote articles and the book Democracy and public happiness and gave lectures on law and political theory, among others.

During his time as JESC’s Secretary for Ecology, Edmond had a number of relevant accomplishments:

• Together with Willem Vriesendorp, founder of #SustainablePublicAffairs, he prepared a European Parliament event through Article 17.
• He published the book Business and the Earth and worked hard to promote its messages. He launched the book in 2021 at COMECE headquarters with Janez Potočnik, members and authorities of COMECE and UCSIA. He also participated in the recent JESC webinar ‘Business and the Earth’, with Josianne Gauthier from CIDSE, Enrique Meroño from Iberdrola, and Cédric Pacheco from Laudes Foundation.
• He gave lectures and talks at several venues and events including at the European Parliament, the Passion for Europe retreat, ELP, Faith & Politics, and Casa Velha in Portugal.
• He acted as a wise and inspiring coach for ELP Fellows.
• He represented JESC in networks like Ecojesuit global and ELSiA.
• He spearheaded JESC’s Ecology work.
• He was editor of Eco-Bites and wrote a number of insightful articles published in JESC’s website.
• He helped build and nurtured the Ecojesuit Europe network, reaching out to and bringing together individuals and organisations committed to the ecological transition throughout Europe.
• He worked closely with the Nunciature to the EU.
• He wrote a collection of poems titled Mad Messiah, that you can read or listen to here.

And last but not least, he developed and nurtured friendships and connections with outstanding professionals like Victoria Martín de la Torre, Michael Kuhn, Charlie Chilufya SJ, Pedro Walpole SJ, Willem Vriesendorp of #SustainablePublicAffairs, all of JESC’s team (those still present and some that have followed new paths) including Soraia Ribeiro, Paul Angelo Deans, Eleonora Vitale, Martin Maier SJ, Gianmarco Palermo, Peter Rožič SJ, Filipe Martins SJ, Luciano Larivera SJ, Botond Feledy, Adriana Opromolla, Enikő Fehéreková, Isabelle Verhulst, Telmo Olascoaga and Victoria Reynal.

We are grateful for all the gifts Edmond has brought to JESC. We wish him all the best in his new endeavours and are looking forward to his continued collaboration with JESC through the Faith & Politics workshop, ELSiA, the Passion for Europe retreat in September as well as the continued promotion of his book.