On July 1, 2026, Russia bombarded the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 90 more. More weapons were used in the attack than in any other barrage of the city since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was just another reminder that while this war has faded from the headlines, it continues to ravage families and communities. It is the deadliest war in Europe since World War II.

The Jesuit network in Europe has been responding to the needs of displaced Ukrainians and the receiving countries taking in refugees since the full-scale invasion began. Our guest today is Fr. Alberto Ares, a Spanish Jesuit based in Brussels who has served as the director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in Europe since 2021. JRS Europe coordinates work in more than twenty countries with over 8,000 professionals and volunteers. Each year these teams accompany more than 200,000 refugees and migrants, in work that combines political advocacy with European institutions and direct accompaniment on the ground.

Fr. Ares is a scholar-practitioner who has worked with migrant communities around the world for decades, so host Mike Jordan Laskey asked him about what he has learned leading JRS Europe during the war and how the Jesuit community has been putting their faith into action alongside some of the most vulnerable people in the world. It was a difficult conversation but deeply moving and inspiring. And it was an important reminder to not forget about this humanitarian crisis even when so much of the world seems to have moved on.

Fr. Alberto Ares, SJ: https://jrseurope.org/en/news/alberto-ares-new-regional-director-at-jrs-europe/

JRS Europe: https://jrseurope.org/en/home/

AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

www.jesuits.org/

www.beajesuit.org/

twitter.com/jesuitnews

facebook.com/Jesuits

instagram.com/wearethejesuits

youtube.com/societyofjesus

www.jesuitmedialab.org/