CLC Euroteam writes to European Jesuits
26 August 2001
The Euroteam, representing the European Christian Life Communities, writes to you as Jesuits who are involved in various apostolates in Europe, especially to those whose apostolate brings them in contact with youth.
The last European Assembly of CLC, in its desire to find a Common European Mission, chose Youth as one of its priorities and mandated the Euroteam to find ways of implementing this priority in concrete projects. So far the Euroteam has been listening to the National Communities and trying to find concrete ways of responding to this common concern. An important meeting for us was the last Eurolinks Meeting, held in Poland in October, in which we heard the Eurolinks share on behalf of each national community.
The Situation at Present…
It is evident that all the Communities are concerned with this area of priority and it is a National priority in most (if not all) of the National Communities in CLC Europe. This concern is not limited to the Community itself but it is also a concern within the Church and society. We have learnt that in this area of priority it will be very difficult to find one project that will address all the different needs of youth in our countries and societies. We have also learnt that there are many ways in which we can be present in the life of youth.
Our Response…
To be relevant to youth today we need to look for new ways of responding to their needs in the society and culture in which they live. We need to look for ways of being with them where they are and not where we would like them to be. We need to be able to listen to them and understand them using their language and life symbols before we can dream of being of influence to them and showing them that life presents many alternatives rather than just the one they listen to most often.
From our reflection in the Euroteam and in an effort to become more concrete with this priority area the Euroteam is trying to set up a group (network) of CLCers and Jesuits who work full-time or professionally part-time - except teaching activities - with youth (youth who are over 18 years old). This network of people could become a sort of European SJ-CLC-Youth Workers-Network. We will ask this network to reflect on the situation of young people in Europe and work out a vision for CLC and the Jesuits focusing also on methods we can use to respond to their reflected situation.
The Next Step…
The next step to forming this network is to gather information from the various national communities and Jesuit Communities. The information we are looking for is names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of CLCers and Jesuits who are working full-time or professionally part-time with youth in your country and are interested in forming part of an Ignatian inspired European network of professional youth workers. The people we are looking for need to be interested in reflecting and working at a European level rather than just a national level.
Please send this information to Chris Micallef (c_micallef@yahoo.com) or to Igor Bahovec (igor.bahovec@guest.arnes.si). If possible please send this information to us before 30 September 2001. Once we receive the names of people who are interested in this priority area we will link you up by email for a first exchange of informations, questions, ideas also and on this basis then call a network meeting for them, probably some time early next year.
Should you have any queries about this "project" please do not hesitate to contact anyone of the Euroteam.
Yours in Christ
The Euroteam
Chris Micallef, Malta, Co-ordinator: c_micallef@yahoo.com
Agnes Rausch, Luxemburg, Secretary: agnes.rausch@caritas.lu
Monika Sander, France, Treasurer: sanderm@club-internet.fr
Igor Bahovec, Slovenia, Member: igor.bahovec@guest.arnes.si
Rory Halpin SJ, Ireland, Guide: clc@s-j.ie
Christine Sammut, Malta, Executive secretary: tina@global.net.mt
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