A Global Partnership Initiative of the Jesuit Schools Network
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Dear Global Companions:
Happy 2019! This Hemispheres issue is a testament to the magnitude, and variety of our JSN Schools global work. In this issue you will find JSN folks engaged in prayer, technology, GC36 response, art, social studies, essays, videos, peace, justice, immersions, exchanges, teaching, learning, silence, grace, and a canonization. The work of the JSN, your work, is global, innovative and extensive!
Greeting 2019 with joy and hope I look forward to a year of learning and care for each other.
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"To act as a universal body with a universal mission"
GC35, D.2 #20
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Catharine Steffens
Director of Global Partnerships
Jesuit Schools Network
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On December 6
th, the Feast of St. Nicholas, 3 schools from the United States (
Fairfield Prep - Connecticut, Fordham Prep – NY and St. Peter’s Prep – Jersey City) joined 5 other Jesuit schools from
Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela in a live virtual connection through Educate Magis where the students shared their stories and experiences of generosity in their school communities as well as their Christmas wishes for the entire global network of Jesuit Schools. This video shows some of those wishes.
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A powerful relationship of solidarity: Belen Jesuit and Foi et Joie Haïti
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Since October 2018, Foi et Joie Haïti (Fe y Alegría) has begun a
promising new partnership
with Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami, FL.
In dialogue with Foi et Joie, teachers and students from Belen have formed the innovative
“Haiti Tech Team,”
whose mission
is to help Foi et Joie staff with technical issues which are beyond Foi et Joie’s current ability.
Belen’s new Service Learning Coordinator,
Teresita Gonzalez
, shares about their experience: “Our goal is to expand our students' capacity to
overcome barriers to enter into the lives of others
. We also hope to help them grow as members of a vast Jesuit Family and of a distinct local Catholic community; so that they are
rooted in a relationship and continuity of missionary life
, that doesn't end in one activity. Through this initiative, students are introduced to the profound Haitian faith experience, the perseverance of their communities in facing vast national challenges, and the way God manifests in their everyday life. With everyone's optimism and patience, we have begun a very beautiful journey, and look to expand with the French Language club in the next semester.”
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January 30th, the
School Day of Non-Violence and Peace, is just around the corner! Celebrate with us by promoting peace and equality in our communities through the
Peace Action Contest
. Your students are invited to submit creative advocacy and awareness-raising campaign ideas on issues related to the environment, social inequality, and gender equity. Innovative proposals will be shared with the global Jesuit Schools Network and the winner of the contest will be invited to present their plan at the
Fe y Alegría Global Youth Conference to be held in
Madrid, Spain in February 2020. The deadline for ideas is
January 30th and winners will be announced on
March 15th. Questions? Send
Erika Meyer a message.
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Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
is pleased to announce the launch of its second annual
Lessons from Anne Competition
! As a way to honor the lives lost at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA, this competition is seeking thoughtful responses that creatively answer the following questions: When ignorance, fear, and hate lead to actions of violence against those of different religious, racial, social, and political identities, what can young people do today to foster a culture of inclusion? What clear steps can be taken to welcome the refugee in your home community?
This year JRS/USA is accepting both essay and video submissions with a prize for the top essay and video. Please take a look at the competition’s
web page
for the
guidelines
and more information. Submissions are due by March 15, 2019. The winner will be announced on May 1, 2019. Any questions? Please contact
Josh Utter
.
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Tag your photos with
#JSNGlobal
and SHARE your global journeys in & out of the classroom.
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Responding to the call of GC 36
To “be in global companionship”
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Educators at
Loyola Blakefield in Baltimore, Maryland, USA,
have been making a concerted effort
to respond to the call of General Congregation 36 to “be in global companionship” so that our students can “see themselves as part of a
universal body with a universal mission
.”
Here are some initiatives we have taken, and we hope they can be of use to other schools!
In February, we hosted five high school students from
Colegio San Luis in Antofagasta, Chile
. The students lived as Loyola Blakefield students for six weeks, as they stayed with Loyola families, took classes, and participated in extracurricular activities. We look forward to hosting another set of students this coming year, and we hope to send a few students from Baltimore to Chile in June of 2019!
In June, thirteen Loyola students attended a program a
The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, a Jesuit-run study abroad program in China
. Students studied Chinese history and religion, toured historical sites, and learned about Chinese language and culture through first-hand immersion.
See our blog from 2017
or visit
The Beijing Center’s website
for more information!
Finally, we have had
three video conferences
arranged through Educate Magis. On July 20, Loyola Blakefield and Cristo Rey Jesuit in Baltimore teamed up for
a video conference
with five other schools around the world for a wonderful celebration of
the Feast of St. Ignatius
. On August 25, some of our educators and students had a chance
to speak with the Secretary for Jesuit Education, Jose Mesa SJ
, and other community members. In October and November, one of our Italian teachers, Dr. Rossana Barbera, collaborated on a video project with
Istituto Massimiliano Massimo
, the Jesuit school in Rome
.
We here at Loyola Blakefield are happy to foster more connections with our global community! Feel free to reach out to
Brian Maraña
, Assistant Principal for Academics.
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St. Bonaventure's College in Haiti: Making Real the inequalities of the Global Market
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Standing on a bridge
halfway between the Dominican Republic and Haiti
, looking down on a garbage-strewn trickle of a river where naked children frolicked and women bent over laundry and a man watered goats under a midday Caribbean sun I felt the distance from Canada. Across the bridge I could see the chaotic bustle of a Haitian market, people milling about. Behind me was a Free Trade Zone complex of factories, manufacturing underwear and sportswear for the global market. The complex was manicured, roads straight, all purpose built for the efficient purpose of making money. I had
thought
I understood the inequities of the global economy before. At least the principal. But standing in the thrall of it, the smell of woodsmoke and garbage, the sound of laughing children and the bustle of the marketplace contrasted so starkly to the noisy hum of the factory floor that my head swam.
As a social studies teacher at a Jesuit school, making real the inequalities of the Global Market is a mandate I take seriously.
The opportunity to visit both the Dominican Republic and Haiti with Canadian Jesuits International in July 2018 seemed a good way to help fulfill this objective. But any trip that immerses you, for even a short time in the despairs and hopes of migrant Haitians toiling in obscene conditions on a Dominican banana plantation clarifies the economic, ecological and political consequences of our buying cheap bananas. Suddenly, you feel responsible that a Canadian mining corporation set up one of the largest gold mines in the world that destroyed the traditional way of life of Dominican farmers and ruined the local waters. And your heart cannot help but soar at the sweat and toil of the Church and volunteers to construct
Fe Y Alegria
(
Foi et Joie
in Haitian Creole) schools to make better the lives for children today, and tomorrow.
Finally, there is a responsibility to bear witness and to stand for justice- ecologically, economically and politically- in our own corner of the world. For in this way do we show solidarity.
Chris Peters ~
Social Studies Teacher ~ St. Bonaventure’s College
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Loyola School ~
Saint Óscar Romero
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Because
Loyola School’s longstanding partnership with the Romero Center in Camden, N.J.
has fostered in the school community a deep appreciation for St. Oscar Romero, six students and two adults journeyed to Rome for his canonization.
Those days in Rome were days of grace
. A common theme in both conversation and evening reflection sessions was “
connection
.” On the day of the canonization, as the tightly packed sea of people converged on the metal detectors that would funnel us into the piazza there was considerable pushing and jockeying for position. As the frustration level within the crowd grew, a woman near us started asking people around her (in various languages) “Who are you here for? Where are you from?”.
As individuals responding to her inquiries, the people in the crowd were humanized — no longer obstacles in the path, but fellow travelers.
While the pushing didn’t end, the aggressiveness in our area diminished a bit. During the Mass there were several times when the congregation was invited to “
some moments of prayerful silence
.” Each time, a stunningly beautiful silence ensued; it was possible to hear the gurgling of the water in the piazza’s fountains and the birds overhead, but nary a human sound beyond breathing. Afterwards, students commented that the diversity of the congregation mattered less than the unity of the congregation.
People were from different parts of the world, speaking different languages, and in attendance to honor different people but with a common purpose of celebrating holiness in our world.
Our second mission in Rome was to visit significant Ignatian sites: the Gesu, the church of St. Ignatius, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Ignatius’s rooms, and the Jesuit Curia.
The connections in those places were connections with the history and the global nature of the Society of Jesus
. In the Gesu, one of the students approached me to declare that “we found Pedro Arrupe”; another observed that seeing St. Francis Xavier’s arm at the Gesu newly
contextualized Loyola School’s daily prayer
of “St. Francis Xavier, patron of the missions, pray for us.” The visit to the Curia highlighted the work of the Society today, particularly the process of making decisions for a body that is global and diverse. In an article about the trip in our school newspaper, one of the students observed that for those days in Rome, “
we were a pilgrim people”
. We returned to New York with hearts that were changed by our encounters with holiness and with
a new understanding of the Society of Jesus and the universality of the church
.
~Sue Baber
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The Manresa Cup a Spiritual Trip with your Sports Team
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Are you ready for
a Spiritual Trip with your Sports Team
?
Well, here you are! The Ignatian Way is offering the chance to
live a spiritual experience of companionship, with your team, with Ignatius of Loyola and with God, coming to the Manresa Cup 2019 (and onwards!). Indeed, The Ignatian Way Pilgrimage started by the Society of Jesus in Spain is helping to develop the opportunity to come to Manresa and live a true Ignatian experience of team building around your favorite sport. After Fr. Iriberri's visit to the USA East Coast, the
Pilgrim's Office supports the
Manresa Cup in order to achieve this double goal, spiritual and supportive.
~
P. Josep Lluis Iriberri SJ
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On March 2, 2019, join the Ignatian Network in examining the current realities of migration during ISN’s first annual Virtual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice.
Virtually join the Ignatian family across the U.S. for dynamic speakers, prayer, virtual networking, and shared reflection opportunities as we explore the realities of migration—both on the border and in communities across the country. The virtual Teach-In on migration kicks off the 2019 Ignatian Family Advocacy Month—focusing on coordinated advocacy efforts, standing together as a network for more humane immigration policies.
The
virtual Teach-In will take place live on Saturday, March 2
. While live participants will have additional virtual networking opportunities, all registered participants will be able to access recordings and prayer/reflection resources to engage in the program at a later date. Learn more and register:
igsol.net/virtual
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November 16, 2019, will mark thirty years since Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J., Ignacio Martín-Baró, S.J., Segundo Montes, S.J., Juan Ramón Moreno, S.J., Joaquín López y López, S.J., Amando López, S.J., their housekeeper, Elba Ramos, and her 15-year-old daughter, Celina Ramos, were murdered at the University of Central America in San Salvador, El Salvador.
From June 23-July 19, 2019, the Ignatian Solidarity Network invites religious and lay individuals from North American Jesuit/Ignatian institutions including parish members, faculty, administrators, institutional leaders, college/university students, and alumni to
join a delegation to El Salvador marking this 30th anniversary
.
The experience will provide participants with a framework for exploring the historical elements of the martyrs’ lives from a contemporary lens while engaging very personally in the modern issues of social justice that our brothers and sisters in El Salvador encounter.
The experience will include the opportunity to visit important sites related to the lives of the Jesuits and their companions, stay with Salvadoran families in countryside communities, and explore issues of injustice through presentations and activities. Issues include migration, labor rights, environmental sustainability, access to water, etc. Delegates will meet with a wide array of individuals while in El Salvador including community members, NGO leaders, Jesuits, etc. Reflection and prayer opportunities will be daily components of the experience.ISN will partner with Christians for Peace in El Salvador (CRISPAZ) to facilitate the delegation. Learn more:
igsol.net/elsalvador
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The Jesuit Schools Network promotes the educational ministry of the Society of Jesus in service to the Catholic Church by strengthening Jesuit schools for the mission of Jesus Christ.
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