In an address to Philippine educators in 2009, Father Nicolas reminded his listeners of the call to universality that is at the heart of the Jesuit enterprise. |
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He said, “There is nothing of [this] narrowness in Ignatius’ vision of life. He was always a man of large vistas: he loved to look at the stars, at the vastness of the sky that reflected the universal, all-embracing love of God. Ignatius’ concern was always the more “universal good,” he always wanted Jesuits to be ready to serve anywhere where there is hope for God’s glory.
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And he gathered around himself such a diverse group of men of different languages, cultures, nationalities, and personalities, to form a single group of friends in the Lord, who transcended their little differences, in their common dedication to the same universal mission…
The great challenges of the world cannot be responded to by one province, one region alone, or by Jesuits alone.” [63] (Global Identifier #8)
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A Universal Body With A Universal Mission
Serving Christ’s mission today means paying special attention to its global context. This context requires us to act as a universal body with a universal mission. (General Congregation 35, Decree 2: A Fire that Kindles Other Fires, 20).
This past summer, I traveled to Krakow, Poland with Catharine Steffens, JSN’s Director of Global Partnerships and Initiatives, to meet with Agnieszka Baran and Brian Flannery, our counterparts from JECSE, the European network of Jesuit schools. During the course of our four days together, we learned about the deep faith and religious traditions of the Polish people, experienced their rich culture, customs, and cuisine, and engaged their struggles endured through the persecutions, wars, and occupations of the twentieth century.
We also had the opportunity of experiencing Jesuit education within a global context by visiting two Jesuit schools - Kostka Public Jesuit High School in Krakow and Jesuit Educational Center in Nowy Sacz. Kostka is a relatively new school, founded in 2012 and Jesuit is a little older, founded in the 1990s, closer to Poland’s liberation from communist occupation in 1989. Both are vibrant Jesuit schools with many of the same classes, activities, athletics, and retreats that characterize Jesuit schools in North America, yet delivered within a uniquely Polish context. Both sponsor exchange programs with schools in the United States and throughout Europe.
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In addition to visiting Kostka and Jesuit, Catharine, Agnieszka, Brian, and I discussed projects and initiatives we hope to share in common. We began by reviewing safeguarding and ways our networks can work together to ensure Jesuit schools provide safe and sacred environments in which our students can learn and grow. We compared sponsorship review processes and shared effective practices that both regions have developed over the years.
We reaffirmed our commitments to the ongoing development and implementation of Educate Magis, our shared global digital platform. We laid the foundation for inter-network formation efforts in the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP), in which the Europeans have made significant progress, and the Ignatian Global Engagement Mentors (I-GEM), one of JSN’s premier global engagement programs. (Colleagues from FLACSI, the Latin American schools network, are already participating in this now globally collaborative effort.)
This past summer, 25 members of the JSN walked the Camino Ignaciano, St. Ignatius’ journey from Loyola to Manresa. Catharine, Agnieszka, Brian, and I shared the goal of co-sponsoring a North American - European pilgrimage in collaboration with Camino Ignaciano in the near future. Finally, we reviewed upcoming global initiatives, included in which are the global commemoration in November of the 50th Anniversary of Fr. Arrupe’s “persons for others” speech and our second global seminar, scheduled for Jogjakarta, Indonesia, in June.
In the fall of 2022, the Delegates of the six global Regions of the Society of Jesus, along with representatives from Fey y Alegría, the education effort of Jesuit Refugee Service, and Educate Magis, approved the charter of what is now known as the Jesuit Global Network of Schools (JGNS). Acting as “a universal body with a universal mission” is a fundamental characteristic of this global network, and we at JSN, in the words of GC 35, are committed to tending this “fire that kindles other fires.”
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Jesuit Global Activism Leadership Summit
This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the Jesuit Global Activism Leadership Summit. It was facilitated by St. Louis University High School via Zoom over the course of two weekends and included faculty and staff from Jesuit schools across the globe, including schools from the US, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Spain, Italy, and Poland. I attended with two incoming juniors from Christ the King Jesuit College Prep. This was the first step in establishing a Global Education presence at my site, so it was great for these students to have the opportunity to collaborate with students across the globe and learn about pressing global issues from a Jesuit perspective.
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The following two students shared their thoughts about their positive experience:
“Overall I think it was just a very interesting and formative experience. I thought it was interesting to hear different perspectives from a lot of different [places] and just hearing about the problems in those areas. We mostly talked about financial struggles and how a lot of inequities go into that. One of my main takeaways was that we still have a bit to go in terms of equality.”
– Alex Valdez (Class of '25)
“My favorite part of the summit was the first part when we first came together. We were being silly at first and making jokes and then when we got to the serious parts the next day, everybody did their part and we were all able to contribute. We worked on a project about building a community and bringing people together through an app. It was nice to see fellow students and fellow teenagers trying to make a change in their community. I learned that in many different areas not everybody has the same experiences. It’s good to get out and know more about your peers' social, political, and religious beliefs.”
– Damari Johson (Class of '25)
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Jesuit Global Activism Leadership Summit resources:
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Regis High School Grows Ignatian Global Scholars (IGS) Program
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Regis High School’s Ignatian Global Scholars (IGS) Program emerged when faculty were asked to reimagine how we might better address our strategic plan: how could we make good on the aspirations to “educate global citizens who understand their obligation to serve and unite a diverse, multi-cultural world” and “establish a more interdisciplinary curriculum that reflects our interconnected society and prepares students to address contemporary problems”?
After much reflection, dialogue, and planning with JSN, our program officially launched last spring. Interested rising sophomores were asked to read The World by Richard Haass and Let Us Dream by Pope Francis as primers. This year’s programming will feature a “colloquia menu” where students can choose to attend discussions on the UN SDG Summit, faculty panels on how our disciplines can help address contemporary problems, alumni talks on climate systems and foreign journalism, and outside lectures on global AI governance, to name a few. Mid-year, sophomores will formally apply to be part of a selective cohort model where in later years they’ll participate in special formation opportunities, international trips, and culminating senior projects that will explore global issues.
We’re looking forward to journeying with other Jesuit schools as they pilot and scale their programs!
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Connections to the Global Network
Since taking on the role of Global Education Coordinator at Marquette High in Milwaukee four months ago, my circle of professional colleagues has quickly exploded far beyond our fourth floor department office on 35th and Wisconsin Avenue. At a May “Virtual Coffee Shop” Zoom meeting, I met Ciara Beuster, the Global Community Associate Director of Educate Magis in Galway, Ireland, who introduced me to Washington, DC-based JSN Executive Director, Bob Reiser, SJ, who in turn introduced me to Gonzaga High School Global Education Coordinator Ariel Arguilles so that I could find out more about organizing a student pilgrimage along the Ignatian Way. Ariel gave me the contact information for Agustín Oulton, a Georgetown graduate from Argentina who now lives in Spain where he runs Varsity Tours, an educational travel company that specializes in pilgrimages for students at US Jesuit high schools. Thanks to Zoom, WhatsApp, and my new global network of Jesuit connections, a group of Marquette students and teachers will spend their 2024 Easter Break walking in the steps of St. Ignatius from Azpeita to Barcelona.
Closer to home, these connections have opened the way for our Spanish students to interact weekly with kids on the other side of the globe. John Sealy, Midwest Jesuits Provincial Assistant for International Ministries in Milwaukee, introduced me via email to Patty Luehrmann, a Peruvian Spanish teacher at St. Xavier in Cincinnati, who organizes virtual exchanges with Jesuit schools in Peru. Now our Marquette Honors Spanish 3 class uses Google Meets to connect weekly with 5th graders studying English with Karina Marona at Cristo Rey in Tacna, Peru. Our AP Spanish students connect with grade schoolers from Fe y Alegría 40 in Tacna to tutor them in math. The globally connected Jesuit Schools Network truly provides a vehicle for our students to live the Grad at Grad ideals, reaching far beyond the confines of the classroom.
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Marquette High School is beginning their second year as part of JSN's pilot Ignatian Global Engagement Mentors (I-GEM) Program. I-GEM has offered structure and scaffolding for Marquette as they initiate this amazing journey of walking as a global network at the service of the mission.
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Jesuit Educators Reflect on Ignatian Educators Eco-Summit Experiences
From June 13-15, 2023, the Ignatian Solidarity Network convened high school educators from across the Ignatian family to network, pray, and share best practices for spearheading ecological change on their campuses.
“This gathering came at the right time. For many of our schools, COVID seemed to stall or even reverse our momentum for ecological initiatives. At the summit, I felt renewed and rejuvenated as we shared our joys and struggles towards leadership for ecological conversion in our schools.”
- Guy Savastano (Science Teacher)
“It can feel overwhelming to think of all the work to be done, but through our conversations, we were encouraged to begin from a place of gratitude, focusing on our gifts and accomplishments as a lens and springboard to move forward. We left as a community with a common mission, spiritually renewed and with a new set of practical tools to prioritize our ecological efforts.”
- Augie Pacetti (Director of Mission)
Click here or on the video below to learn more about ISN's 2023 Ignatian Educators Eco Summit.
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How Global Is Your School?
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Global Cohort Courses Inspire Companionship Across Our Global Network
I recently had the pleasure of being part of JSN's Summer Master Class on Ignatian Intercultural Communication. In one of the sessions, Master Class facilitator Jim DeAngelo mentioned a quote by Theologian Rober McAfee Brown which really stuck with me: “Where you stand will determine what you will see; whom you stand with will determine what you hear; and what you see and hear will determine what you say and how you act.”
For me, this captures the essence of the richness we experience when sharing and listening to colleagues from other schools, contexts, countries, and cultures. It is something I have had the pleasure of witnessing on many occasions through my work with Educate Magis. My experience as a Jesuit educator in Mozambique may be very different from your experience as a Jesuit educator in Maryland. Yet we are united by the same Jesuit mission and undoubtedly have much to learn by sharing our perspectives and listening to each other with openness, curiosity, and empathy.
At Educate Magis, we offer courses in different formats. One of these is what we call a Global Cohort, which is a combination of asynchronous learning and synchronous live sessions where we have the opportunity to reflect and share with our colleagues from other parts of the country and world. It is not only a very humbling experience but also a rich learning experience. Giving ourselves the opportunity to consider another person’s lived experience with compassion can help us to view the world through a new lens as well as forge connections and companionships with peers across our global network. As well as contributing to our individual learning experience, it also contributes towards our call to work together as a global network.
“Our schools in isolation from their sister Jesuit institutions worldwide will not meet the increasingly complex dimensions of a globalized world. Each of our schools should be seen, and should see themselves, as extensions of our international mission.” (Global Identifier #8 - A Living Tradition, 2019)
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This fall, we are offering the following Global Cohorts:
We are also offering these courses in Spanish, for those who are interested in practicing the language. Contact Gellért Merza for more information.
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Global Partnerships Throughout the Years: Educate Magis Leads the Way Toward Global Citizenship
In Educate Magis, the global community of educators from the Jesuit Global Network of Schools, we are continuously working on building bridges between the more than 14,000 members. Our wider educational community has made a major contribution to this goal in the eight years since its inception.
Therefore, as an illustration of how global collaboration and work can be achieved within the Ignatian paradigm and ethos, this is a list of international partnerships between Jesuit schools that have been initiated or facilitated with the strategic support, technical assistance, and expertise of many in our global community.
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A Global School in a Global Network
In this article, Therese Bower, an English teacher from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, shares the magnificent experience of nine young men who graduated from St. Xavier’s first Ignatian Global Scholars (IGS) cohort. They earned this distinction by participating in a rigorous but flexible program of academic and co-curricular requirements. Students completed coursework with a global dimension, engaged in intercultural experiences, served their community, and reflected on their growth as global citizens.
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Jesuit Refugee Service Announces ON THE MOVE!
JRS/USA and JRS Canada are announcing a collaboration called ON THE MOVE which provides communities with a hands-on opportunity to raise greater awareness about the realities of forced exile, understand the challenges faced by refugees, and build bridges of empathy across different cultures and experiences.
ON THE MOVE will allow you and your students to:
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Gain a deeper perspective. Our interactive activities will enable you to see the world through the eyes of refugees, understand the tough choices they face, and feel the emotions of their journey.
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Learn the importance of inclusion. By delving into refugees' stories and challenges, you will be better equipped to advocate for an inclusive society where everyone is welcomed and respected.
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Engage actively. Participating in our workshops will provide you with the opportunity to ask questions, engage in constructive discussions, and share your own insights, fostering an atmosphere of mutual learning.
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Attend an ISN Education for Justice Demonstration
Interested in learning more about classroom-related resources to help students learn more about social justice and Catholic Social Teaching? Please join Education for Justice in its free quarterly site demonstration of resources, prayers, and activities for secondary educators. Attendees will receive a discount on their first year of membership for attending the demo.
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We are hosting these demonstrations on the following days. Registration is required.
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Magis Americas and Fe y Alegría Sign Multi-Year Collaboration Agreement
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Present in 22 countries, the Federación Internacional de Fe y Alegría (FIFyA) is an international movement of popular education and social promotion led by the Jesuits. The mission of this International Federation is to promote inclusive and quality education processes from, with, and for marginalized communities that not only build public education systems that are more effective, equitable, and resilient, but also transform individuals and communities capable of building just and fair democratic systems.
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In August, Magis Americas (MA), the international solidarity office of the Jesuits in the U.S., reaffirmed its commitment to FIFyA by signing a multi-year collaboration agreement. The new agreement between MA and FIFyA lays the groundwork to establish a broad space of collaboration in the United States through the development of joint fundraising opportunities, awareness-raising and communication campaigns, and global citizenship education initiatives.
“We are thrilled to continue and strengthen our partnership with FIFyA,” said Nate Radomski, Executive Director of Magis Americas. “This collaboration is a wonderful opportunity to not only support quality and inclusive education and community development programs in the Global South, but to also strengthen our ties to the largest Jesuit education network in the world.”
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