Xavier Network Expands and Consolidates its Mission

In their meeting from 3 to 5 October, in the city of Drongen (Belgium) the Western European Jesuit Mission Offices and NGOs, working for development and international cooperation, joined the Xavier Network (Red Xavier) together with the Australian and English Canadian Jesuit Mission Offices.

They divided their common operations into four working areas: Humanitarian Aid, Voluntary Cooperation Projects and Advocacy. Red Xavier, named after St. Francis Xavier, started as a Spanish legal Foundation in 2004, when Entreculturas and Alboan (Spain), Gonçalo da Silveira Foundation y Leigos para o Desenvolvimento (Portugal), Jesuitenmission (Germany) and Magis (Italy) joined forces. After the signing up of the Austrian, Australian, Belgian, English Canada, Irish and the British Jesuit Mission Offices, Xavier Network promises greater impact and greater efficiency becoming the widest jesuit network for mission and development work.

Father John Dardis, S.J. told the signatories to the new Xavier Network: «This coming together in one association is an important moment for the work in your individual offices at this time in European history. The context in which your network is established is a time of renewal and change for us in the Society of Jesus and in the Church… The Ignatian and Jesuit vision cannot be limited to Province geographical boundaries!»