Jesuit Collaborative

Dear Friends of The Jesuit Collaborative,

With deep gratitude for the many people and gifts that have helped bring us to this point and tremendous excitement about our future, I write to invite you to join us in our mission. 

The mission of The Jesuit Collaborative (TJC) is to promote, support, and enhance the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and ministries that derive from them in a wide variety of settings (e.g., schools, retreat houses, and parishes) through training, formation, and networking.  We are training and forming lay men and women, Jesuits, and other religious who share in common the spiritual tradition of St. Ignatius.  Our mission includes reaching out to groups who have not traditionally been served by the Jesuits such as young adults (ages 25-35) and the Hispanic community, and we are preparing the next generation of directors, so as to ensure that the legacy of St. Ignatius can continue to nourish the spiritual lives of many. 

In particular, this year, we are building on a number of existing programs and launching new initiatives including the following:

• This past June, The Jesuit Collaborative sponsored its second major conference.  The conference took place at Fordham University in New York.  The theme of the conference was The Principle and Foundation:  Who We Are Before God.  To build on the success of the conference, we are planning a regional conference and workshop series to be held in at least a half dozen cities along the East Coast in the next year.  The series will be aimed at forming a community of directors focusing on best practice.  TJC plans to extend the ministry to the Hispanic community, i.e., both training practitioners who speak Spanish, and conducting retreats for Spanish-speaking people.  As with previous programs, we intend to develop and disseminate content in a variety of media formats, e.g., online, video, and print publications.  These regional conferences will enable The Jesuit Collaborative to address in meaningful ways issues of local importance from an Ignatian point of view. 

• We are developing an effective, usable, and sustainable method of prayerful reflection and communal discernment drawn from the Spiritual Exercises.  This model will help enable boards of directors of schools and other institutions (e.g., parishes) to integrate an Ignatian way of proceeding into their meetings.  We are also developing an effective and usable method of prayerful reflection and communal discernment to help Jesuits and their colleagues plan for the future use of the Spiritual Exercises in retreat centers, parishes, and schools (for current students, alumni, etc.).

• We are expanding our Contemplative Leaders in Action (CLIA) Program, a unique approach to spur young adults to grasp their vocation to leadership in modern society, designed to nurture faith-centered leaders so they can impact society and culture. Each year, a selected cohort of approximately twelve to fifteen young adult “emerging leaders” (between the ages of approximately 25 to 35) from business, the professions, civil society, and non-profit organizations are nominated to enter the program, which comprises retreats, lecture, study, and service work.  The candidates have demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to service and excellence.  The two-year formation program draws on sources so varied as leadership theory, business case studies, the Spiritual Exercises, and Catholic social teaching.  Last year, we piloted the program in New York.  This year, we are starting a second cohort in New York and expanding the program to Boston and Philadelphia.
   

I invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by making a gift to support our work in these and other areas.  You may click here to make a donation online.  I extend this invitation knowing that even a seemingly small act of generosity can grow into something far beyond what we could ever ask or imagine.
 
Thank you for helping The Jesuit Collaborative to ensure the legacy of the Society of Jesus through the work of the Spiritual Exercises. 

In the Lord,

Jim Conroy, S.J.
Executive Director