“['magis] – Ignatian Experiments” was the title of the Ignatian pre-programme for world youth day 2005 in Cologne. Around 2500 young adults were involved. The same kind of programme under the same title will take place twice in 2006:
A first time, the German Jesuits are planning “Ignatian experiments” at the Katholikentag in Saarbrücken. The “Katholikentag” is a meeting of the whole Catholic Church of Germany, organized by the “Zentralkommitee der deutschen Katholiken” (ZdK), which is the official lay organisation of the German Church. The Katholikentag is held all two years during the Ascension week. This year: from Wednesday evening 24th May to Sunday 28th May 2006. As Saarbrücken is a town at the border to France and not far from Luxembourg, there will be many international programmes. One of them the ['magis] project for young adults. About 100 participants will gather Wednesday 24th in a school in the centre of Saarbrücken where they can stay and follow a three days programme in five international experiment groups. The German staff is cooperating with Jesuits and friends in France and Luxembourg to offer interesting experiments such as meditating the First World War battle fields of Verdun, encounters with marginalized people, a creative experiment and pilgrimages in the region. On Saturday 27th May all experiment groups will attend programmes at the Katholikentag in Saarbrücken and gather in the evening to celebrate together. Sunday morning they will attend with 30 000 other people to the final Mass of the Katholikentag, which will take place in a Stadium next to the school. To get more information contact Fr. Ludger Joos SJ - www.ignatianisch.de.
A second [‘magis] project are the Ignatian experiments planned for July 2006 in the little town Landau. Landau has been one of the eleven places where the Ignatian project for WYD 2005 was launched. Seven experiments took place in that region and many contacts with the former participants from Germany and abroad are still alive. This is why some of the responsible persons of the WYD project offer again Ignatian Experiments from 23rd to 30th of July 2006. There will be four experiments with cultural and social topics and - of course – a pilgrimage experiment. All groups will start together in Landau (Mary Ward School) and will meet for a final celebration on Sunday 30th of July for the feast of St. Ignatius in the Jesuit Church of Mannheim. The participants can attend then the Manresa 2006 project of the Ignatian Family in France, which is also open for young people from abroad and starts in Lourdes Wednesday 2nd August and ends Sunday 13th of August in Loyola. Therefore a direct bus from Mannheim will be organized and sponsored by the German Province. For further information about [‘magis] in Landau 2006 contact Peter Hundertmark - www.magis-landau.org.