JRS Greece: Celebrating 15 Years of the Pedro Arrupe Center’s Impact

On May 14, the entire JRS Greece community had the opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our Pedro Arrupe Center program. The Pedro Arrupe Center provides after-school support to children from migrant and refugee backgrounds every afternoon, helping them improve their Greek language skills, guiding them in their learning and personal development, and supporting them through the challenges of being a migrant child growing up in Greece.

It is JRS Greece’s longest-running program, as well as the one that has the greatest impact on the community. Generation after generation of children and young people have passed through the center’s classrooms and have been able to complete their education and become active members of society thanks to this support.

At a large celebration attended by students, families, staff, volunteers, and members of the Jesuit community in Athens, we enjoyed plays, songs, speeches, testimonials from alumni, and heartfelt remarks from the project’s longest-serving teachers. We ended the afternoon by recognizing the top-performing students in each class, handing out gifts to the students, and sharing food and drinks.

It was a truly magical evening, and we hope the Pedro Arrupe Center continues to fulfill its educational and humanitarian mission for many years to come!