Pedro Arrupe Summer School on Forced Migration at Oxford 2026
By Don Remy Niyitegeka, SJ
This summer, I had the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom to participate in the Pedro Arrupe Summer School on Forced Migration at Campion Hall, University of Oxford. Held from 2 to 15 July, the programme brought together Jesuits in formation and collaborators for an intensive exploration of the realities of global displacement. The course was led by an international team of experts, including Sister Maryanne Loughry RSM (PhD), Fr Rampe Hlobo SJ (JCAM), Professor Lisa Sowle Cahill, Dr Nicholas Austin SJ, Nacho Eguizábal, Fr Gregoire Catta SJ, Dr Elias Opongo SJ (AOR), and Br Michael Schopf, the International Director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS).
The programme is designed to offer formative experience for Jesuits and their partners. The programme focused on the challenges faced by forcibly displaced people and the Church’s mission to accompany them. There were twelve participants: ten Jesuits in formation, a lay collaborator, and a religious sister, who took part in the course. We represented diverse national backgrounds and ministerial contexts, many with prior experience in Jesuit social ministries or the work of JRS. Over two weeks, we engaged with social scientific research, theological reflection, Ignatian spirituality, and Catholic social teaching to deepen our understanding of forced migration. In his presentation, Br Michael Schopf emphasized the need for Jesuits to integrate the plight of refugees and migrants into all apostolic work. He highlighted the Universal Apostolic Preferences: Showing the Way to God, walking with the Excluded, Journeying with Youth, and Caring for Our Common Home, as essential pathways for responding to the suffering of displaced people. He encouraged Jesuits in formation to consider direct involvement in refugee ministry. And one of the presenters reminded us that accompaniment is a concrete expression of the presence of the Risen Christ in solidarity with those who suffer.
With global displacement continuing to rise and humanitarian aid declining, we were reminded of the urgency of this mission. Even small acts of compassion can help alleviate the immense pain carried by refugees and migrants. Echoing Pope Francis, the course underscored that hospitality toward migrants is not merely an act of generosity but a moral duty.
We also reflected on the role of reconciliation in healing the wounds of migration and displacement. The course invited us to become instruments of hope. Where hope means living meaningfully in the present and offering solidarity to those who journey in search of safety and dignity.
The summer school concluded with a certificate presentation by the Master of Campion Hall and the Director of JRS, marking our commitment to walking with refugees on the path of hope and shared humanity. The closing message was clear: all Jesuit missions are called to include the plight of refugees, displaced persons, and migrants within the four apostolic preferences. Each of us can contribute, through accompaniment, advocacy, or raising awareness, so that, no matter how small, a seed can be planted to help respond to this global crisis.
