Mission & Identity
Since the founding of the Society of Jesus , St . Ignatius Loyola called his companions to live the mission of the Society of Jesus in a global context , to travel to the frontiers , to be with those on the margins . Ignatius wrote to his brother Jesuits about mission : “ It is according to our divine calling to travel to various places and to live in any part of the world where there is hope of God ’ s greater service and the help of souls .” St . Ignatius ’ vision for the Society of Jesus from the start had a global perspective .
Today , Jesuit schools continue to be inspired by this vision and are committed to educating students in a global context . The International Congress of the Jesuit Education Delegates ( JESEDU-Rio2017 ) was held in October of 2017 in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . The participants were education delegates from all six Conferences of the Society of Jesus , members of regional school networks and members of the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education . The goal of the Congress was to create a common global agenda able to orient the work of the Jesuit worldwide school network to answer the call from General Congregation 35 “ to act as a universal body with a universal mission .” At the conclusion of the Congress , the delegates presented an action statement proposing 13 actions for Jesuit education apostolates throughout the world . Several of these actions relate to promoting global networking among schools and the promotion of global competency in our work with students and faculty .
General Congregation 35 reminds us that collaboration naturally leads to cooperation through networks . New technologies of communication open up forms of organization that facilitate collaboration . They make it
Rwanda
possible to mobilize human and material resources in support of mission , and to go beyond national borders and the boundaries of Province and Regions . ( D . 3 # 8 ) To answer this call our schools and local and regional networks are required to commit to be in global companionship so that our school communities can see themselves as a part of a universal body with a universal mission ( GC35 D2 # 20 ). This is indeed a new mindset and way of proceeding that demands our creativity and commitment to find ways to work together and accomplish a new level of agency for our schools . This process will make our schools stronger locally and globally and more relevant to the societies we serve . ( JESEDU-Rio2017 Action Statement )
Fordham Prep ’ s recent expansion of our Global Education program through partnerships with Jesuit schools in Australia , Ireland and Rwanda is evidence of our commitment to global networking and collaboration . New partnerships are planned in the coming years with schools in Italy , Bolivia and Uruguay .
I had the privilege of experiencing the graces of a new partnership in June when I accompanied a group of Fordham Prep and Boston College High School students on a two-week exchange experience with St . Ignatius School in Kigali , Rwanda . St . Ignatius was founded in Rwanda by the Jesuits in 2001 in response to the nationwide reconciliation and healing process that followed the 1994 genocide . Today , the school educates over 1,000 students in grades K through 12 . While at St . Ignatius , our students attended classes , participated in cultural experiences and lived with host families .
During our time there , we experienced the incredible hospitality of the Rwandan people . A phrase we heard numerous times , “ you are most welcome ,” accompanied
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