What unites us

Last Friday, 9 January, Comillas Pontifical University held the first meeting "What unites us", an initiative promoted by the Vice-Rector's Office for Identity and Mission, Alumni and Students, which brought together members of the university community at the Colegio San Ignacio in Alcalá de Henares.

The day began with a welcome by Jaime Tatay SJ, Vice-Rector for Identity and Mission, Alumni and Students, together with Manuel Fariñas SJ, Director of the Colegio San Ignacio, Pedro García SJ, Superior of the Jesuit community of Alcalá de Henares and Lluís Salinas, Director of Comillas Spirituality, who underlined the importance of creating meeting spaces that help to strengthen personal and professional ties within a Jesuit university.

After a dynamic to break the ice, led by Fernando Tobías, one of the central moments of the meeting was the space for testimonies, in which José Manuel Herrero, director of the Information Service at Comillas, Sergio Gadea SJ, lecturer at Comillas and Blanca Egea, assistant director of the "San Juan de Dios" University School of Nursing and Physical Therapy at Comillas Pontifical University, shared, from their own backgrounds, what their time at this university has meant to them. Through personal anecdotes and life reflections, they offered an insight into how the university has marked their way of working, of relating to others and of understanding their vocation.

The day alternated these moments of reflection with times of relaxation and conviviality, such as breakfast and lunch at the school. Throughout the day there were also spaces for dialogue and a final sharing in which the participants were able to identify and share the values, attitudes and convictions that underpin their daily work at Comillas.

This first meeting was thus intended to be a significant step towards continuing to build a way of being at Comillas that reflects in a lively and concrete way the identity and mission of a university of the Society of Jesus, centred on people and on service to society.