On Tuesday, 22 October, an emotional and warm interfaith prayer for peace was held in the chapel of Can Gardenyes, led by Llorenç Puig, SJ, with participation by members across the entire university community. Organized by the IQS Identity and Mission team, the event aimed to reaffirm our collective commitment to peace, justice, tolerance, and mutual respect in a global context marked by escalating war.
The gathering was a moment for uniting and reflecting inspired by the tradition of Ignatian spirituality, which invites us to seek God in all things and to work for the common good.
The prayers were conducted in several languages, showing the diversity and cultural richness of IQS. The readings, made by international students and staff, were presented in Hebrew, Italian, Russian, Catalan, Arabic (with two passages from the Koran), Bulgarian, Spanish, Canadian French, Portuguese, and English, allowing everyone to express a prayer in their native language, a fact that further enriched the sense of unity through diversity.
This united prayer was an opportunity to symbolically express our rejection of violence and war and to remember that, regardless of our nationality, religion, or beliefs, we can and must work together to build a more peaceful future in line with the Ignatian values of peace and solidarity.
We thank everyone who participated and contributed to creating an atmosphere of reflection, spirituality, and hope. In difficult times, events like this remind us about the importance of solidarity and being committed to a better world, which we are called to do through our mission as a Jesuit community.