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| Europe-Social week 2007 |
- SOCIAL WEEK 2007
Towards a Common Spirituality in the Social Apostolate
Pieštany (Slovakia), 24-28 August 2007
This year, in the second half of August, men and women involved in the Jesuit Social Apostolate in Europe will be meeting in Pieštany (Slovak Republic) for a "Social Week". At the meeting this year we will share how our spiritual experiences are linked with our work for others. This is expressed in the theme for the programme: "Towards a Common Spirituality in the Social Apostolate." We will share about our spiritual roots, reflect on key experiences that have made us live the social apostolate, and discover where our individual missions come together. We hope that this process will provide us with common grounds and orientation for future activities.
Pope Benedict XVI wrote in "Deus Caritas Est" that "caritas" is an important part of the Church's mission. Not only liturgy and prayer, but also "action" and engagement are at the centre of Christian community life.
To account for our mission and to promote justice in society and in the places where we live, we need as a first step to read and meditate on the Word of God. Jesus gives us the answer to the question of how to work and proclaim our mission as a part of the mission of the Church and Society of Jesus. We meet to collect our experiences, to share, to pray together, to discover hope as a theological concept, and further, to link our analysis of European societies with our mission.
We aim to link the spirituality of the social apostolate with the European social context. The European context is rich and colourful but highly varied. Western and Southern Europe have problems different from those of Eastern Europe and former Communist countries. Furthermore, problems like unemployment, refugees, drugs, corruption, homeless people, and social injustice, all look very different in the Western and Eastern parts of our continent. In looking for answers to contemporary questions in our apostolate, spirituality can be a guiding light showing the way.
How can we find a common spirituality for the social apostolate in Europe? And is it possible to find it? During the Social Week we will listen to a few testimonies and share in small groups. The theme for group sharing is "My personal foundational experience". Each participant will be invited to condense his/her foundational experience in a word or brief phrase which he/she will have to write on a piece of paper, also noting down the year of the experience. The papers will be of different colors according to the age of the participants. An examen will play an important role. Each participant will be invited to recollect his or her experience and discoveries.
The Social Week is open for our lay and religious collaborators and for Jesuits. The 70 places have all been filled. As of 4 April, among the registered participants, there were Jesuits from the following provinces: ARA, ASR, BET, BME, BRI, BSE, CAS, CEP, CRO, GAL, GER, HEL, HIB, ITA, LOY, MAL, PME, POR, PRO, RUS, SVK, SVN, TAR, and the following networks and offices were represented: Eurojess, Jesuit Refugee Service, Jésuites en monde populaire/Jesuitas en el Mundo Popular, migrations, Mission Ouvrière/Misión Obrera, Social Justice Secretariat. You will find an up-to-date programme and list of participants on this website.
Norbert Frejek SJ, PME
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Draft programme -
Brouillon programme
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List of participants
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Travel information
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