Ignite Conference 2022 – Pupils had a real sense of being part of a family of schools around the world!

It was with great excitement that pupils from Jesuit schools in the British Province arrived at Mount St Mary’s College for the Ignite Conference. The conference was cancelled in 2020 and was virtual in 2021, so to be actually back together in person was a real joy.

The theme of the three days was in celebration of the Ignatian 500 jubilee year. The activities focussed on three time periods in the life of Ignatius: Pamplona, Manresa and Rome. Each part within the context of the four Universal Apostolic Preferences: Showing the way to God, Walking with the Excluded, Journeying with Youth, Caring for our Common Home.

For the section on Rome we talked about how the Society grew and spread around the world. So today we can see Jesuits working all over the world with a network of schools across the globe.

Through Educate Magis Connecting Classrooms we were able to connect with other Jesuit schools. Three schools joined the connection link and the children could talk to one another about shared interests; football, music, food. But also find out differences in climate, landscape and school routines. It was wonderful to have a sense of the global network but also have the familiarity of a school community with a shared identity. Through human interactions the pupils had a real sense that their school is part of a family of schools around the world.