On the 200th anniversary of Jesuit education in the United States, Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, then Superior General of the Society of Jesus, described the purpose of Jesuit Education:
“Our purpose in education, then, is to form men and women for others. The Society of Jesus has always sought to imbue students with values that transcend the goals of money, fame, and success. We want graduates who will be leaders concerned about society and the world in which they live. We want graduates who desire to eliminate hunger and conflict in the world and who are sensitive to the need for more equitable distribution of the world’s goods. We want graduates who seek to end sexual and social discrimination and who are eager to share their faith with others. In short, we want our graduates to be leaders-in-service. That has been the goal of Jesuit education since the sixteenth century. It remains so today.”
Resources for educators
Go Forth and Teach: The Characteristics of Jesuit Education
During a time of renewal for Jesuit secondary schools, the International Commission on Jesuit Education produced a document in 1987 that stated clearly the objectives of Jesuit education. The Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA) in the United has continued to use this document for further renewal and for deeper study and evaluation of Jesuit secondary education.
Download the document.
Discovering A Sacred World
by John J. Callahan SJ
Fr. Callahan writes, "one of the most appropriate and fruitful ways to come to an understanding of what is behind the whole endeavor of Jesuit education is to go back to the source, the vision and insight of St. Ignatius Loyola." He presents the central themes of the Spiritual Exercises and its influence on Jesuit Education. His work is a wonderful introduction to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola and the implications of the Spiritual Exercises for educators in Jesuit Schools. Fr. Callahan was the Provincial Assistant for Pastoral Ministries of the Missouri Province and has held administrative positions at Creighton University, Regis University, Rockhurst University and Saint Louis University.
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Lessons from Ignatius Loyola
by David L. Fleming SJ
In the introduction, Fr. Fleming writes, "The short essays that make up this book are meant to give a taste of Ignatian spiritualty. Each article acts as a short lesson about our experience and our understanding of our relationship with Jesuis in the Ignatian perspective. That relationship shapes our prayers, our choices, our ministries - as Ignatius would say, 'our whole way of proceeding.'" Fleming's book is a readable and understandable description of Ignatian spirituality. The book concludes with three reflections that are particularly pertinent for the educator in a Jesuit school. Fr. Fleming is the editor of the journal Review for Religious and author of Draw Me Into Your Friendship: A Literal Translation and a Contemporary Reading of the Spiritual Exercises. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University and is a renowned lecturer on Ignatian Spirituality.
They Made all the Difference: Life-Changing Stories from Jesuit High Schools
by Eileen Wirth, PhD
At a time when so many public and private school systems are burdened with woes, Jesuit high schools are thriving. Enrollments, budgets, and endowments are growing, alumni support is strong, and the schools enjoy an impressive reputation for academic and athletic excellence. Jesuit educators are even taking bold steps to develop new schools to serve poor and disadvantaged students.
What explains this success? Eileen Wirth, a university professor and parent of a Jesuit high school student, shows how the answer is rooted in a compelling educational vision that dates back nearly 500 years, to the earliest days of St. Ignatius Loyola and the Society of Jesus. This vision, marked by acute sensitivity to the individual, a fierce commitment to excellence, a concern for the poor, and a spirituality that prizes self-knowledge and flexibility, animates each school’s academics, discipline, athletics, student life, and spiritual dimension.
Throughout the book, Wirth shows how this grand vision is embodied in people. Readers are introduced to a Hall of Fame of individuals who make Jesuit high schools so great: teachers, chaplains, disciplinarians, coaches, parents and students. The book ends with short biographies of notable Jesuit alumni and a profile of each Jesuit high school.
Eileen Wirth is a professor of journalism and mass communications at Creighton University. She worked for many years as a newspaper reporter and as a corporate public relations executive. She has written four books and numerous articles for national publications.