Jesuit Collaborative

The project manager will be accountable for implementing the Contemplative Leaders in Action program in New York. He/she will be the "face" of this program to participants and guest speakers, the primary source of continuity as each cohort proceeds through the two-year experience, and the key catalyst who will insure that that participants learn and grow through this experience. To achieve these goals, the ideal candidate must be a highly accountable self-manager who can interact credibly with young adults who are distinguishing themselves in a range of careers. Continue Reading »

Have you ever been surprised by God? When Dan Cronin, chair of the nominating committee, called to ask me if I would serve as the chair of the Jesuit Collaborative, shock was my first reaction. After none of my excuses worked, I finally agreed. I’m glad I did.

I’ve always loved being on the frontier of change. Start-ups are demanding. Results are not readily apparent in the initial stages. But the formula for success is the same for all organizations: namely, having a bold vision that meets a critical need. Continue Reading »

At the Fairfield conference last June, we were reminded that “we can’t dream big enough” for the Collaborative. It didn’t take long for someone to not only dream big but take action to help that dream become a reality. John and Margarete McNeice, long-time and generous friends and benefactors of the Society of Jesus, have made a $1 million commitment to support the ministry of adult faith formation. Reflecting on the Collaborative’s work in this area John stated, “This is probably the most important thing going on in the Church today. Continue Reading »

Buffalo, New York

On March 10th, a group of 45 people gathered at St. Joseph’s Spirituality Center, Clarence, NY, to begin a group of Ignatian spiritual directors in the Buffalo area. The meeting was organized by Fr. Tom Colgan, S.J. and Dr. Pat Van Verth (both from Canisius College) and Jan Sheridan from the Center. After a presentation by Fr. Ronald Mercier, SJ, participants discussed the mission of the Collaborative and expressed particular interest in continuing education, supervision and ensuring the quality of the ministry. Continue Reading »

Fifteen Jesuits responded to the invitation to learn and lead Ignatian 19th Annotation Retreats, and to hone their listening and discerning skills for spiritual direction. Sponsored by the Collaborative, the course is taking place in seven all-day Saturday sessions, which began in October and go through May at Campion Renewal Center in Weston, Massachusetts. Continue Reading »

May 16-18 at Mount Manresa, Staten Island, New York.

More than forty Jesuits and lay colleagues are expected to participate in this first-ever Spanishspeaking gathering of the Jesuit Collaborative which will be patterned after last June’s Fairfield Conference. As always with Spanish speaking gatherings, participants can expect an atmosphere of fiesta! Attendees are coming from a cross-section of Ignatian ministries. Continue Reading »

Unless religious leaders take young adults more seriously, the future of American religion is in doubt. So says Princeton sociologist Dr. Robert Wuthnow in his recent book, After the Baby Boomers. The Jesuit Collaborative is rising to this challenge by pioneering a unique program that will blend Ignatian spirituality with secular leadership best practices. Contemplative Leaders in Action is being designed to nurture emerging Christ-centered leaders so that they can impact society. Continue Reading »

As we follow the path blazed by St. Ignatius, people are stepping forward to lead with thoughtful action and generous hearts. As a member of the Collaborative’s board of directors and chair of the finance committee, Dan Denihan is one of those leaders. Dan has made a commitment of $50,000 to help the Collaborative get off to a strong start and build a foundation for the future. In expressing gratitude, Fr. Ronald A. Mercier, SJ, executive director of the Collaborative, stated, “We are fortunate to have a man of Dan Denihan’s vision, expertise, compassion, and dedication on our board. Continue Reading »

Ignatian Spirituality Project provides women and men experiencing homelessness with the gift of Ignatian Spirituality through retreats and ongoing companioning. Founded in Chicago by Bill Creed, SJ, ISP retreats and ongoing companionship have spread to the Collaborative area. Formerly homeless women and men assist in giving the retreats. For more information, contact Eileen Fortunato at eileen.fortunato@csjboston.org. or Brian Christopher, SJ at Brianc.sj@gmail.com

The executive directors and staff members from five of the East Coast retreat houses gathered October 7th and 8th at the Passionist Retreat Center, Riverdale, NY, at the invitation of the Jesuit Collaborative, along side a parallel meeting of those forming retreat/spiritual directors. The retreat house staffs enjoyed the opportunity to share the challenges and opportunities of their missions. As the Provinces begin evaluating retreat facilities on the Guiding Standards for the Jesuit Ministry of the Spiritual Exercises, the participants recognized the need to begin collecting data. Continue Reading »