At the start of 2026, coordinators for the Young Adult Ministry of the Society of Jesus gathered in Rome for five days of prayer, reflection, discernment, and planning. Participants came from across the global Ignatian network, covering Europe, Africa and Madagascar, Asia Pacific, South Asia, North America, and Latin America. The gathering was further enriched by the presence of the MAGIS Digital Home team from India, whose experience in digital accompaniment has become a significant reference point for the universal MAGIS movement, and the General Coordinator for MAGIS Korea 2027.
In his address, Fr General Arturo Sosa noted our shared responsibility in the mission of accompanying young adults in today’s complex world. “These months as we prepare for Magis 2027 can be a period of grace and opportunity. Now, all of us together, we are ready to answer that call.”
Reading the Signs of the Times
Our common discernment began with a careful reading of the global realities shaping the lives of young adults today. The world is experiencing profound shifts in the global order. Major geopolitical powers are increasingly asserting dominance, often in tension with a rules-based international system. This raises critical questions about inequality, concentration of power, and the emergence of new forms of colonisation.
Wars and prolonged conflicts in various regions continue to threaten stability and safety, while widening economic gaps deepen social fragmentation. At the same time, the rapid development of artificial intelligence and digital technologies is reshaping human relationships, access to information, and future employment—offering immense potential while also posing serious ethical and existential challenges.
As the Superior General observed, these realities contribute to a broader crisis of meaning, particularly visible in highly secularised contexts, where once-stable foundations of life—work, family, health, peace, and social trust—have become increasingly fragile.
Within this global context, young adults are navigating a demanding and often disorienting stage of life. Many are engaged in an intense search for meaning in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. High levels of geographical and social mobility, while opening new possibilities, frequently lead to isolation and a loss of rootedness. Confidence in institutions—political, social, and sometimes ecclesial—has weakened.
At the same time, there is a powerful desire for change. In many regions, young adults are actively engaged in social and political movements, seeking justice, dignity, and a more humane future. These commitments, however, call for discernment, guidance, and accompaniment so that energy for change may be sustained by hope rather than consumed by frustration.
Mental health challenges, which have significantly intensified since the Covid-19 pandemic, underline the urgency of accompaniment. Young adults are not simply seeking programmes or activities; they are in search of community, meaningful relationships, and mentors who can walk with them as they integrate faith, life, and mission.
MAGIS: A universal movement, not a uniform one
Throughout the meeting, we reaffirmed that MAGIS does not seek uniformity. It takes shape differently across cultures and contexts. Yet, beneath this diversity, there is a shared Ignatian DNA.
MAGIS consistently reflects a grounding in Ignatian spirituality, a conviction that young adults are protagonists of their own lives and futures, and a commitment to a faith that seeks justice and reconciliation. Every Ignatian Young Adult Ministry carries an intrinsic vocational dimension, helping young people discern who they are called to become and how they are invited to serve.
In the words of Fr General Sosa, it is more fitting to speak of MAGIS as “universal” rather than “global”. Universality does not erase differences; it begins from them, respects them, and recognises them as expressions of the richness of the whole. Like a living body, the Church and the Society of Jesus depend on diversity to remain alive. “A homogeneous body has no life,” stressed Fr Sosa.
This vision resonates deeply with Ignatian spirituality, which recognises that the Holy Spirit inspires diverse charisms that are different yet complementary, united in the greater service of God and humanity.
A kairos moment for the Ignatian Young Adult Ministry
The global Ignatian Young Adult Ministry finds itself in a moment of kairos—a time of grace and opportunity. Three key opportunities emerged clearly.
1. Towards an Integrated Ignatian Offer
The call to universality challenges us to move beyond fragmented efforts towards deeper collaboration across conferences. The Society of Jesus accompanies millions of young people through schools, universities, alumni networks, Christian Life Communities (CLC), and social ministries, including refugees, the marginalised, and the excluded. We sensed a strong call to articulate a clearer and more integrated “Ignatian offer” for young adults—both for those leaving Jesuit institutions and for those who remain outside organised structures.
This offer includes sharing Ignatian spirituality in accessible ways, inviting young adults into a journey of reconciliation rooted in justice, and forming young leaders through programmes with shared core elements that can be adapted locally and culturally. As St Ignatius reminds us, “Love ought to manifest itself more by deeds than by words.” Accompaniment, therefore, must remain concrete, relational, and mission-oriented.
2. The digital frontier: A shared apostolic responsibility
The digital world emerged as both a major challenge and a significant apostolic opportunity. Existing initiatives—such as AMDG (Spain), Pray As You Go (UK), the Jesuit Pilgrimage App, and MAGIS Digital Home (India)—demonstrate what is already possible across cultures.
The experience of MAGIS Digital Home in South Asia, led by a dedicated team in Chennai with collaboration from Karnataka, offers a compelling model of digital accompaniment, with diverse online programmes addressing mental health, ecology, careers, and the arts, reaching thousands of young adults. Building on these learnings, a new, more integrated digital platform is now being developed in collaboration with partners from the British and Spanish Provinces, to be launched at MAGIS Korea.
3. MAGIS as a movement
More than an event, MAGIS 2027 in Korea is a point of convergence and a major milestone that can help focus our shared vision, energy, and hope. In preparation for this, coordinators will collaborate in the selection and formation of pilgrims, as well as in the development of a shared leadership formation manual. Particular attention will also be given to engaging Jesuits in formation through academic and pastoral initiatives in youth ministry.
Furthermore, conference coordinators for the Young Adult Ministry will meet regularly to strengthen communication and shared discernment across regions. The inclusion of a representative from Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) will help ensure that the voices of the marginalised and excluded remain central to the movement.
The question that accompanied our days in Rome was, “Where do I find hope in all of this?” As we discerned together, we returned to the Principle and Foundation: to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son who reveals the Father and gives us the Spirit, and to love one another. From this foundation flows the discernment of spirits—recognising what leads us towards Christ and the Gospel, and therefore comes from God.
Listening to the Spirit and to young adults, we move forward in Ignatian discernment, committed to accompaniment, and open to the surprising paths of God. In the words of St Ignatius, we say to young adults, “Go forth and set the world on fire.”
