Featured Programs

CRJH-Baltimore celebrated the school's annual Mission and Identity Day in October with a workshop on the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. Fr. Ralph Metts, S.J., President of the Jesuit Secondary Educational Association, facilitated an interactive discussion of the IPP, Catholic social teaching, and student learning styles. "The diversity of the faculty and staff of CRJ enhanced the professional development experience," stated Anne Price, Assistant Principal and Director of Mission and Identity. With the motto "where learning gets to work", the School opened in 2007 and will graduate its first class in 2011. It is part of the Cristo Rey Network.

President Michael J. Graham, S.J., invited 14 members of Xavier envision how best to "advance our Jesuit, Catholic mission among the faculty, staff and administration so as to maximize the fulfillment of our mission in the place where it matters most: in the hearts, in the minds, in the actions-in the very spirits-of our students." The Group's proposal, which includes a description of five "gifts of our Ignatian heritage", was preceded and educational process which included a cross country trip to visit Jesuit ministries and the Spiritual Exercises.

Through feature films, documentaries, lectures, and original productions dealing broadly with mission-related topics, Channel 46, a closed-circuit cable television channel, attempts to realize the Jesuit identity of the University. As 1 of 51 channels, 46 transmits quality programs based on themes of faith and justice, providing the occasion for reflection and discussion among the members of its target audience - students, staff and faculty living on campus. View the Channel 46 web site or program page for more information.

Since 2001, the Office of Jesuit Mission and Identity has brought faculty and administrators to Nicaragua for a 9-day educational experience. The goals of this program are to: explore global justice issues in the context of a developing nation, encourage the application of the experience in participant's University responsibilities and further understanding of the Jesuit mission for justice. The immersion includes meetings with peers at the Jesuit university in Managua, discussions with experts on various topics of importance for the country, and conversations with community members struggling with current economic conditions. For information, contact Joe Orlando, Assistant Vice President, Division of Mission and Ministry, at jorlando@seattleu.edu or see this article.

Image Right: Ometepe Island in Nicaragua.

Funds for projects and course development that "contribute toward a more authentic expression of MU's mission and identity" are offered to full time faculty, administrators and staff. Over the years, these modest grants ($500 to $2,500) have been the basis for many important and long-lasting efforts. For instance, the History Department's "Historical exhibit commemorating the 2009-2010 centennial of women at MU" and the Theology Department's "Marquette Scripture Project". For more information see here or contact Doug Leonhardt, SJ, Associate Director of Mission & Identity.

Each summer since 2004, the Heartland-Delta Consortium has sponsored MAGIS. This silent retreat provides an opportunity for faculty at Jesuit universities to integrate Ignatian spirituality into their professional and personal lives. Comments from participants include, "The retreat was amazing. I am excited about how what was received is going to inform my work" and "It was one of the most productive weeks I've spent; I liked the mix of people from various universities and various backgrounds." This year, MAGIS will start at Regis University and move to St. Malo Retreat Center in the Rocky Mountains.

iSJU introduces and acclimates first-year students to the Ignatian mission and motto (spirit, intellect, purpose) alive in the campus community of SJU. The "i" comes from the focus on finding one's individual vocation through 5 values: the person as Imago Dei; Imagination in action; Immersion in social justice and community; Intellectual pursuit and Individual talents and vocation. A series of residence "hall programs" including speakers from the student body, the faculty, and the Jesuit community are offered. The Program reaches over 60% of the freshmen class and, since its inception, participation in service and retreat opportunities has risen significantly.

Image Right: St. Joseph's University students.

Fifteen people from Jesuit and Ignatian schools in Australia followed in the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier on a pilgrimage which took them to Maccau, Nagasaki, Shanghai and Bejing. Mark Antulov, Vice Principal at John XXIII College in Mt Claremont, Perth, offers his reflections. Mark has worked at the college for 26 years. The College is a progressive Ignatian school resulting from the wonderful amalgamation of St Louis School (Claremont), a Jesuit Boys School, and Loreto (Claremont), a Loreto Girls school. The college still has very strong connections with both Religious Orders.

Image Right: Sanchean island where Xavier died.

Every year since 1995, SU's bestows the Pedro Arrupe S.J. Award For Distinguished Contributions to Ignatian Mission and Ministries. The award is given in recognition of Ignatian-inspired programs and ministries which further the vision of the Superior General from 1965-1981 for which it is named. The 2009 recipients are Suzanne Geaney, executive director of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, and Kenneth Gavin, S.J., national director of the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA. This year's presentation and luncheon are part of SU's on-going celebrations of its 120th anniversary of its founding.

Image Right: Kenneth Gavin, S.J., national director of the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA.

This Retreat "aims to bring together as broad a mix of staff and faculty, from as many budget areas as possible, to meet and talk about the University's mission as perceived from their perspective," describes John Staudenmaier, S.J., Assistant to the President for Mission. It is an opportunity to consider what, in addition to economic survival, is motivational in the UDM workplace and highlights the University's role as a Catholic, Jesuit, Mercy, and student centered institution. Discussion questions include, "How do the University's commitments to research and to teaching influence the place where I work?" and "Which of the University's distinctive adjectives are important where I work and which appear irrelevant?" Started three years ago, over 380 people have participated and have praised the chance to talk seriously about what UDM stands for while meeting new people.

The Bertram M. Beck Institute for Religion and Poverty at Fordham University sponsors public seminars on various faith communities’ response to the problems of poverty. Recently, the dialogues addressed responses specifically in New York City and for older women. Associated workshops are well attended and create momentum for ongoing work in the community and for new collaborations. The Institute partners with New York City interfaith leaders who are moved to alleviate poverty in our affluent society. Based in the University's Graduate School of Social Service, the Institute promotes interdisciplinary collaboration across University departments and with the broader community.

Image Right: Sanaa Nadim, a Muslim chaplain for the State University of New York Stony Brook, addressing The Religious Communities Response to Older Women in Poverty.

"The Arrupe Scholars Program is one way that JCU accomplishes its mission to 'inspire individuals to excel in learning, leadership, and service in the region and in the world"," states Dr. Thea Ford, Professor of Education. The Program provides a 4-year structure for students to integrate their experiences from three areas - academic classes including service learning and issues of social justice, community activities and campus activities. As a committee member assessing applicants, Thea helps select student scholars who will develop and practice, intellectual skills, reflection, advocacy and a commitment to solidarity. For more information, click here (www.jcu.edu/arrupe/)

In February, students at RHS  surpassed their previous record for donations by over 45%. During the drive, the Student Government Association put a "face" to the goal by posting letters and images of past drives' recipients in Belize and Honduras as well as testimonials by RHS students of their service experiences. Not content with their extraordinary efforts in the February drive, in late Spring 2008, eight RHS students and two chaperones will travel to the Toledo District of Belize to build a school in the village of Sunday Wood and continue their work in the small village of Punta Gorda. Click Mission Week, Making a Difference and Trip to view school newspaper articles.

The LUNO Office of Alumni and Parent Relations and the Student Government Association hosted their 7th annual Wolves on the Prowl Community Service Day this past November. Students, alumni, parents, and friends in 14 alumni chapter cities worked together for the benefit of others spending time with the elderly, feeding the homeless, cleaning schools and parks, and educating underprivileged youth.

For the Bannan Institutes' luncheon speaker series, one individual is invited to give an informal 20 minute lecture that answers the single question: What matters to me and why? Not only do attendees learn about the life of a colleague but each reflects upon their own life too. Paul Woolley, Associate Director, describes the introspective experience when he states, "I sit there and think about my own story and take a self examination of what is important to me, what values drive me, what people have formed my values. What would I be saying if I were speaking?" The series has been an overwhelming success; audiences have ranged from 50 to 125 people.

Image Right: Dean of Admissions, Sandra Hayes, was a recent featured speaker

The staff of the EVOKE office at Loyola University Chicago know a good thing when they see it. It was in 2006 that Bill Creed, S.J. adapted the original materials authored by Marybeth Kearns-Barrett & Chris Barrett for the Lilly Endowment-supported vocation project "Making the Parts Whole" at the College of the Holy Cross. Since then, the EVOKE office has made the material for this five week self-guided retreat available to the faculty, staff and graduate students at LUC. "Considering Our Lives as Vocation" provides "a daily respite in which you can pause, listen, and tap into the voice of vocation in your life, savoring the varied ways that God calls you to live a life of service that contributes to the good of God's world." "This was exactly what I needed this Lent," writes a staff member, "a chance to slow down and reflect on my relationship with God." A faculty member commented, "The self-guided format of the retreat worked really well for me. I could take the time I needed with this daily according to my own schedule. My Lent was richer for the experience."

For more information on the retreat, contact Joseph Earley, Associate Director of EVOKE, at jearley@luc.edu.

This Thursday morning, as it does every Thursday morning, at 8:57 am, business as usual comes to a halt in the offices, halls and classrooms of St. Xavier High School, Cincinnati, Ohio. The public address system will fill the rooms and halls with the voice of a member of the school community leading the EXAMEN.

Inaugurated in November, 2007, the EXAMEN was created as the spiritual component of St. Xavier's accreditation process by the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association. "We looked at similar programs at Saint Louis University High, Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, Rockhurst High, Creighton Preparatory, and Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory," says Mike Dehring, Assistant Director of Admissions and a faculty member, "and came upon a form that worked for us." While all, including visitors, are encouraged to participate in the weekly 10-minute led-reflection period, those who do not wish to do so observe a respectful quiet period of self-reflection. The comprehensive cessation of business has occasionally startled, especially visitors. Most adapt instantaneously and readily join the school community in the reflective moment. For students and adults alike, the responses have been enthusiastically positive.

It is hoped," states Dehring, "That the EXAMEN, this manifestation of the Spiritual Exercises in microcosm, will encourage the individuals at St. Xavier, whether student, faculty or staff, to individually make time in one's day and life to be reflective with God's calling and one's vocation, awareness of gratitude and thankfulness for life and setting goals to be a better person." So, while on its surface, the EXAMEN comprises just a small portion of the school week, it has the potential to have lasting impact on the spiritual development of the individuals at St. Xavier High School.

view EXAMEN term

Six times each summer, 2 minivans carry Loyola Academy students from Wilmette, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) to Harlan, Kentucky, to immerse themselves in the culture and lifestyle of a rural and often impoverished Appalachian community. Each morning, these "women and men for others" are taken from the Christian Outreach for the Appalachian People camp to a worksite where they dive into physical work of building houses while talking with the carpenters and local residents who take interest in what they are doing for their community.

Mike Hugo, Director of Campus Ministry, states that while participation over the past 10 years has steadily increased, the student reaction has reminded consistent - "I learned more about myself, and got more from this experience than I could ever possibly give to them." Max Spread, an alumnus of L.A. and Summer Service, adds, "I am reminded of what I learned interacting with the locals about their lives and their days - that every act of selflessness was service."
  

As part of the Jubilee Year celebrations, which honored 3 founders of the Society - Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier and Pierre Favre - beginning on Dec 3, 2005, Canisius College chose to display new symbols of the Jesuit mission. During the Year, a statue of Ignatius Loyola "traveled around the campus." It is now permanently housed in the Student Advisement Center of the Bagen Administration Building. According to Patricia Coward, Director for the Center of Teaching and Learning and a Mission & Identity Committee Co-Chair, plans are now underway to enhance mission representation through banners, computer wallpaper and other web pages, and a peace/meditation garden.

Offered annually during Advent, this evening of reflection is an opportunity for faculty and staff to prepare for the holiday season and reflect upon its meaning. This year, the retreat was led by Rector Ralph Huse, SJ. The evening opened with a simple meal and was followed by a presentation, personal reflection time, and a closing prayer. Senior Administrative Assistant Lisa Terneus attended A Season of Hope because, "it was a time for reflection, a time to get quiet, and it was led by a person of integrity and faith." She added, "doing a retreat at this time of day [5:00 pm], for this amount of time [3.5 hours] and at this time of year [Dec. 6] - was very attractive." For more information about the retreat, contact Mary Flick, Faculty and Staff Minister, at: flickmj@slu.edu.

Chinese is the most widely spoken 1st language in the world, but less than one-half of 1% of students taking a foreign language in grades K-12 study Chinese. Recognizing this critical need, St. John's in Toledo has taken action in a variety of ways. They have added Chinese to the language curriculum, introduced an East Asian social studies course, hosted Chinese educators from Qinhuangdao, and sent school officials to China to begin developing a relationship with Chinese secondary schools. "Students realize that learning Chinese is very hard. But, at the end of 4 years, they should be able to write and speak the language, giving them a jump on the next emerging global economy - China", reports Hong Zhu, instructor for the 45 students learning the language.

On four Saturdays during the academic year, 30-40 students and 5 faculty, assist in the continued post- Hurricane Katrina clean-up of Bayou La Batre, Alabama (hometown of movie character Forrest Gump), under the coordination of Campus Minister Sr. Patricia Huffman. The small fishing town - home to Vietnamese, African American and Anglo communities - experienced particularly significant devastation. Residents appreciate the special care and attention offered to their neighborhoods and homes.

In keeping with SHC's focus on Experience, Reflection, and Action in the Jesuit Pedagogical Tradition, these weekends are surrounded by student preparation and reflection. "Volunteers did this for my family and I wasn't around to help or thank them. Today I have said thanks to people I have never met by doing what I did. That is why I came," reflects a SHC student from New Orleans. "Most of the students lived the Katrina experience and they understand there is work that remains. It is a reality that has not gone away quickly," states Maureen Bergan, Director of Campus Ministry. She adds, "The dirty-dirty work is done. Now we are reflecting and acting on what was unearthed - racism and poverty."

The Collaborative Ministry Office at Creighton University has translated Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises in a 34 week on-line retreat. Thousands of people from around the world will do their retreat each year which "invites people to let the material of each week become part of the conscious background of one's daily life and to interact with the material of one's daily experience". People can begin the retreat at any time, but if begun during the middle of September and proceeding until the end of April, the retreat lays out well with the Liturgical year. Retreatants can do it alone or with a spiritual director. They form groups themselves or with a guide. It is easier than an 19th Annotation Retreat or a "Retreat in Everyday Life," requiring an hour and a half of prayer each day. See their website home page by clicking here.

The retreat is also available in Spanish, Japanese and Russian as well as audio versions for downloading onto CDs or MP3 players.

Questions can be directed to Andy Alexander, S.J., Vice President for Ministry, (alexa@creighton.edu) and Maureen McCann Waldron, Director, (mwaldron@creighton.edu).