The “Two Shores’ Group” gathers a few Jesuit Companions living and working with Muslims in the Mediterranean region. In their yearly meeting, happening at the place of one of the members, they share about their experience and meet with Muslim friends of their host. This year, from January 1st to 4th, they gathered in Toulouse, the fourth city of France, famous for hosting Airbus Industry and... the relics of Thomas Aquinas! More than 50.000 Muslims are living there, mainly in a working-class suburb area, Bagatelle, where the Jesuits have established a community in an apartment at the 17th floor of a tower (there is also another one in the city centre).

The three Companions living there share the life of the neighbours, develop friendship with them and are fully committed in the social life of their neighbourhood. Among their friends we find imams, a member of the Regional Muslim Council, the spiritual leader of a Moroccan Sufi movement, and a convert involved in the Muslim Scouts. We met with them, visited mosques established in old stores, heard their dreams and discussed about organizational and spiritual aspects of their life... and of ours!

Having met for the first time in 2000, it was the 20th meeting of this group. In the end of our encounter, what struck us is the fact that in our own personal sharing we did not speak so much about our own activities but mainly gave thanks for what the Lord has been doing in our own life and in the life of the people with whom we have been living and working during all these years... We can only repeat “Praise God!”, as our Muslim friends do so often when they exclaim “Al-hamdu li-llah!” (an expression found at the beginning of the Fatiha, the first surat of the Qur'an).