Frank Turner SJ

What do I do?  Having just started as Director of OCIPE, my first task, for the next year or so, is to animate the renewal, even the re-launch of the work.  Last Sunday I was introduced by the American parish priest to the congregation of a church where I expect to assist on Sundays when possible.  He had forgotten to ask what exactly the acronym 'OCIPE' stood for, but found an admirably gracious idealised formulation - to which I hope we can live up.  'OCIPE is a group of Jesuits who share their intelligence with the European Union'. 

The general lines are clear.  OCIPE is the 'political' arm of the shared European works of the Society in Brussels (though we also have offices in Budapest and Warsaw, and I have yet to discover what being 'general director' entails).  There is the Foyer Catholique Europeénne - a directly pastoral and sacramental work for the many thousands of persons, mainly from other countries, who work in the EU structures.  The Jesuits are also entrusted with the Catholic religious education of the children in the European schools.  Thirdly, there is an ecumenical chapel, the Chapelle de la Résurrection, superbly located in the heart of the great Euro-buildings, and beautifully restored.  It hosts seminars, working breakfasts, student and youth groups, as well as liturgies of many kinds.  There is the highly-respected Jesuit Refugee Service, Europe.  And finally, there is OCIPE.