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The Ignatian Social Thinking Week aims to gather participants connected to the Society of Jesus in Europe, who are engaged in social thinking, research and action, in order to deepen the understanding of a chosen crucial contemporary question, share good practices and lessons learned, practice collective reflection, and discern possible pathways of collaboration. While organised by the group of the Jesuit Social Centres in Europe, in view of promoting a common Ignatian vision among their teams, the meeting is open to a wider public. The Week follows the intuitions and practices of earlier meetings such as the regular Eurojess meetings and the 2022 Loyola Justice and Ecology Congress.
The Ignatian Social Thinking Week of 2025 will offer various activities on the chosen theme, “10 years of Laudato Si, advancing integral ecology in Europe.” As it can be seen in the programme below, two morning sessions will be dedicated to guest speakers, workshops prepared by Social Centres will occupy an afternoon session, and an afternoon and a morning session will offer the opportunity to look at case studies based on the experiences of Social Centres or partner organisations.
Since the goal of the Week is also to promote informal interactions and a deeper sense of connection among participants, it will take place in a residential format, at the Spiritual Centre “Le Châtelard”, near Lyon, France. This centre is also renewing itself as an eco-spirituality centre, which makes it uniquely suited to the theme of this edition.
Draft programme
Tuesday 17th June
17.00-19.00: Arrivals at Spiritual Centre of “Le Châtelard”, Lyon, France
19.15-20.00: Dinner
20.30-22.00: Informal welcoming time, presentation of the Week, personal presentations
Wednesday 18th June
07.00-09.00: Breakfast
09.00-10.30: Guest speaker: Eamon Ryan, previous Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communication of Ireland
Input on his reading of the current context on political ecology and possible pathways of action
10.30-11.00: Coffee break
11.00-12.30: Q&A session with guest speaker, initiated by three short echoes from various countries in Europe on the national situation of political ecology
12.30-14.30: Lunch
14.30-16.00: Workshops connecting integral ecology and democracy in Europe today to five different societal areas: migration, secularisation/spirituality, social inequalities, digitalisation/AI, youth
16.00-16.30: Coffee break
16.30-17.30: Return to plenary: presentations of group insights and practical suggestions for actions
17.30-19.15: Rest, possibility of informal meetings between participants
18.30-19.15: Eucharist (optional)
19.15-20.30: Dinner
20.30-22.00: Rest, social time, possibility of a relevant movie
Thursday 19th June
07.00-09.00: Breakfast
09.00-10.30: Guest speaker: Xavier de Bénazé SJ, coordinator of the eco-spirituality offer at Le Châtelard
Input on the evolution of the ecological conscience in the Society in recent years and its impact on Jesuit apostolates
10.30-11.00: Coffee break
11.00-12.30: Presentation of the activities of Le Châtelard as an eco-spirituality centre, including a practical meditation exercise
12.30-14.30: Lunch
14.30-15.45: Study, in two groups, of two actions related to integral development, put forward by Social Centres in Europe or by partner organisations
15.45-16.15: Coffee break
16.15-17.30: Study, in two groups, of two more actions related to integral development, put forward by Jesuit Social Centres in Europe or by partner organisations
17.30-19.15: Rest, possibility of informal meetings between participants
18.30-19.15: Guided Ignatian meditation time (optional)
19.15-20.30: Dinner
20.30-22.00: Rest, social time, possibility of a relevant movie
Friday 20th June
07.00-09.00: Breakfast
09.00-12.30: Morning of engagement with relevant actors in the “green transition” in Lyon (further details to be provided)
12.30-14.30: lunch
14.30-16.00: Discussion in small groups, organised by professional interest (research, publication, communication, advocacy), on how to improve future actions, in view of the lessons learned during the Week
16.00-16.30: Coffee break
16.30-18.00: Final plenary, discussion of possible joint actions and projects to be developed
18.00-19.15: Final evaluation, rest, possibility of informal meetings between participants
18.30-19.15: Eucharist (optional)
19.15-20.30: Dinner
20.30-22.00: Rest, social time
Saturday 21st
07.00-09.00: Breakfast
09.00-10.00: Departures
Practical information
- Location: Le Châtelard Spiritual Centre , 41 route du Bruissin – 69340 Francheville
www.chatelard-sj.org (access information is here) - Registration: https://forms.gle/6r59LkakRrvPhZuC8
The Week will have max. 50 participants, with 25 places attributed to participants from the Social Centres and 25 places to participants from other institutions, on a first-come first-serve basis. - Price: 300€ for the Week, including housing and food
- Payment: To be made by wire transfer, until 30th April, to the following bank account
Name: Jesuit European Social Centre
Iban: BE11 7350 3100 7248
Bic/Swift: KREDBEBB
Bank address: KBC Brussels Arenberg Horta,
Rue d’Arenberg, 11 – 1000 Brussels
Communication: IST Week – participant name(s)
- Contact: for any further information, please contact
Benoit Willemaers SJ
benoit.willemaers@jesc.eu
+32 (0) 486 79 97 23
