JCEP

Anna was a 13-year-old student in Kharkov when war woke her up in the middle of the night on February 24. "My mother woke me up with the words that the war had begun and my native Kharkov was attacked.

"In March 2022, the Russian military launched missile attacks on my city, forcing us to flee. I will never forget our terrible trip.

My journey in the social apostolate could not have lasted for so many years if I did not feel God’s constant, discreet and silent presence around me. He has always been an active participant in my life.

One of my boyhood dreams was to save lives, a dream which is quite common among young people.

Jabhat alNusra, the same that ruined the church, and, most sadly, killed Father François in June 2013. Then FatherFrans in April 2014. Why? This same question stayed in my head for months after I heard about his assassination.

My work in development cooperation began more than 20 years ago. However, previously, I was involved in volunteer projects where I had the opportunity to experience what I call "encounters" with realities and people plagued by poverty and exclusion. I remember when I spent one summer in India,

Thank you for being here this week. I am very conscious of the great effort behind a meeting like this. That is why I thank every one of you. I also thank Xavier and Rossana for all the coordination they have done to prepare the meeting.

“Try to engage our students in a social project!” says Father Axel Bödefeld SJ, the headmaster of Loyola gymnasium. He has this wish for the students of Loyola gymnasium, which is considered the best school in Kosovo. Ignatian pedagogy however aims at more than best results in comparative tests. He wants the elite students to receive an education for their hearts as well.

This is a short story of a relatively young and happy Jesuit scholar who did not plan to return to the social apostolate. After a period of joy and labor in the field of academia, education and coaching, I did not expect to receive the call to the coordination of social service and research in Europe and the Near East. The first response was a mix of interest and disquiet.

“Paradoxically, it is among those who most intimately know the power of death that we find the most stubborn faith in the power of life and, therefore, in the power of the God who is the source of life.”