Magis Americas Staff connect with supporters in California

Over the past several years, California has become a more and more prominent destination on my travel bucket list. Although I was born in Washington State, and have made a few treks to the Pacific Northwest, I’ve never had the opportunity to stand in awe of the redwoods, experience the pulse of Los Angeles, pray at the Spanish mission churches, or marvel at Yosemite. That finally changed last month when our Executive Director, Nate Radomski, and I were able to travel to the Bay Area in California. During our trip we were able to meet with some of our generous donors, share a memorable dinner with a member of our board of directors, and, of course, spend time with the remarkable Fr. Pete Henriot, S.J.

A real highlight of this trip was the opportunity to meet with several passionate and generous donors.  These men and women are truly dedicated to making a positive difference in the world and they believe in the mission of our organization. Their commitment to the work of our partners, especially Fe y Alegría and Centro Ignacio Ellacuría (CIE), was communicated most poignantly through their continued connections to the people at the heart of the work. Many conversations centered around the communities of Fe y Alegría and CIE and the impact these people had on the lives of our donors. These conversations reminded me to keep the faces and hearts of our partners in my mind during my work day.

One of the most memorable evenings of my trip was spent in the company of a remarkable member of our board of directors, Pam Hennard. As we gathered around a table, Pam, Nate, and I took time to share what has brought each of us to Magis Americas and the reasons that we are passionate about the causes we support. One theme that stood out to me was the influence of our parents in bringing us to this work.  While we are all successful adults now, their encouragement, support, and examples continue to motivate each of us. 

Finally, the pinnacle of my trip was undoubtedly the opportunity to meet Fr. Pete Henriot, S.J., a legendary figure in the Society of Jesus and a true “man for others.” Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Fr. Pete is an internationally respected Jesuit researcher, speaker, and writer on social justice, globalization, and Africa. Most recently, Fr. Pete has served as Development Director for Loyola Jesuit Secondary School (LJSS) in Malawi.  His work for the school and in other similar roles he has had as a Jesuit is about much more than simply raising funds;Fr. Pete is committed to creating sustainable change, empowering communities, and fostering a sense of hope and faith.

As I returned home from my trip, I carried with me the lessons learned from these incredible individuals. Their examples of compassion, leadership, and commitment continue to inspire me daily in my role here at Magis Americas. California will always hold a special place in my heart as the backdrop to this transformative journey, where I witnessed the power of generosity and the incredible impact it can have on the lives of those in need.

 

How the UAPs Open Conversations Across Ministry Areas

For Fr. Ted Penton S.J. The Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) of the Global Society of Jesus are an invitation to collaboration and shared mission. ”With the UAPs, these are the four ways that all Jesuits and all Jesuit Ministries are called to live out their mission. So to me it opens a lot of conversations across ministry areas that have historically been siloed to a significant degree,” Fr. Penton explained. Published in February of 2019, the UAPs are a set of four areas that focus the work of the Jesuits during this decade. Showing the Way to God, Walking with the Excluded, Journeying with Youth, Caring for our Common Home. These Preferences are not strategic goals or objectives but rather a horizon that shapes and guides the work of all Jesuits and lay collaborators. Penton continued “The question is how are we doing this in our high schools and in our parishes and in our social ministries. Our social ministries, for example, are walking with the excluded; they are promoting care for our common home; but they are also showing the way to God.”

This June, Fr. Penton will finish his mission as the Secretary of the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology (OJE) and will begin his tertianship, the next phase of his formation as a Jesuit, in Lebanon. Based in Washington, DC, OJE brings the voice of U.S. Jesuit leadership to the federal government, advocating for policies that promote social and ecological justice. Fr. Penton joined OJE in the summer of 2018 and has seen the office through the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a crucial period of internal growth. He has played an important role in the office’s response to the Universal Apostolic Preferences and has been a leading voice in the Society of Jesus’ effort to examine the history of Jesuit-led boarding schools for Native students and begin a process of healing.

Among his many responsibilities in his role as Secretary, Fr. Penton has served on the Board of Directors for many Ignatian social justice organizations including the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN), the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) and Magis Americas (MA). This diverse portfolio of responsibilities reflects the complex and inspiring breadth of the work being carried out by Jesuits and lay partners throughout the Conference. 

Speaking about the diversity of these organizations, Fr. Penton shared, “Each organization has its own strengths, its own areas where it can bring the most to bear, where it can have the most impact.” At the same time the impact of each organization is amplified by working in coordination with the greater Jesuit network. 

“Sharing with one another, knowing what each other are doing contributes to the overall impact of the whole network,” he explains. “We each have our own distinctive kind of strategic vision of where our particular organization is going. But for each of these organizations, an important part of that is precisely to be working in conjunction with and in partnership with the others.” 

Since their publication in early 2019, the UAPs have not only set a horizon for all Jesuits and lay collaborators to work toward. They also unite us in a common mission and give us a common language to discuss and understand our work. Fr. General Sosa, S.J. underlined this point in a letter to the global Society on the occasion of their publication. “The implementation of the Universal Apostolic Preferences,” the letter explains, “has as a condition the deepening of collaboration among Jesuits and our companions in mission and among the ministries and apostolic units.”  

Fr. Penton elaborated on this point, explaining that the Preferences provide a common language and framework to discuss our shared work, further facilitating this “deepening of collaboration” within the extended Jesuit ecosystem and when this work includes individuals who are less familiar with the Society. “Jesuit jargon can make it more difficult to collaborate with those who are less familiar with us whereas my experience with the UAPs has been that the people very quickly and immediately understand (or at least it makes much easier quicker to understand) our mission when it’s laid out in that way.” 

Working to unite diverse organizations around the Society of Jesus’s core apostolic mission, as reflected in the UAPs,  also means working across sectors, such as parishes, high schools, and ministries. During Fr. Penton’s time as secretary, he made a point of pursuing concrete actions that would foster community amongst Ignatian organizations. For example, he organized Ignatian Advocacy Leader trainings to equip people across the network to conduct meetings with their federal representatives. Fr. Penton made a point to include leaders from various backgrounds–high school principals, university campus ministers, directors of social ministries– so that these organizations could learn to advocate on important justice issues. This effort to unify people from diverse professional and personal backgrounds toward the common goal of policy change has been a central focus of Fr. Penton’s work at OJE and has been aided by the common language provided in the UAPs.

Still, moving from these common ideals to concrete actions is not always a simple task, so it is important to recognize the leadership of OJE and Fr. Penton in particular in this work. “Ted has a keen understanding of the value of relationships in the work toward justice. More than focusing on policies or political moments, he has strengthened the partnership between national level Ignatian organizations,” explained Fr. Sean Michaelson, S.J., Socius and Treasurer of JCCU. “These relationships not only make our advocacy more effective, they nourish our spirits for the long journey toward social transformation. In this way, Ted embodies the message of the Universal Apostolic Preferences, recognizing they’re not objective ideals but actions that call us into a profound relationship with God and one another.”

The Jesuits and the many organizations that support their broad justice initiatives, including JVC, ISN, Magis Americas, and so many more, will continue to be guided and shaped by the UAPs over the next six years or so. We are, in some ways, just beginning to understand how these Preferences are calling us to refocus, re-evaluate or collaborate more effectively and efficiently. However, in the context of OJE, under the guidance of Fr. Penton, the common language provided in these Preferences has already contributed to a clearer understanding and expression of our shared mission.

Venezuelan refugees and migrants require the commitment of the international community

Global Networks and Organizations of the Society of Jesus, along with the Clamor Network, call on the international community to address the the needs of over 7 million Venezuelan refugees and those forced to migrate.  

On March 16th and 17th, 2023, the International Conference of Donors in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants will be held in Brussels, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the European Union (EU), and the Government of Canada.

Several organizations of the Society of Jesus and the Clamor Network have written to representatives of the States and delegates to this Conference to share the reality of the 7 million Venezuelan people who have been forced to abandon their country due to a crisis which has become invisible to global community over the past seven years.

As Catholic organizations we urge the international community to respond to this humanitarian crisis and we insist on a peaceful and democratic end to the suffering of the Venezuelan people. Meanwhile we recognize that, while this crisis remains unresolved, migration will continue to be the only option that many people will have to protect their lives and rights.

Furthermore, we recognize the devastating effects that the pandemic and the ever more restrictive political policies have had on this vulnerable population. We call on the States represented at this Conference to remain committed to defending the human rights of refugees and people who are forced to migrate. Likewise, we ask these states to focus their response on concrete actions that allow for regularization, integration, and access to human rights in the receiving countries so that these refugees and migrants can contribute to the communities that welcome them and begin to reestablish their life projects.

We collectively insist on solidarity, welcoming, hospitality, and reconciliation as principles that allow us to recognize and enhance the positive aspects of migration and to reject discrimination and xenophobia. This Conference is an opportunity to commit the necessary resources to achieve international goals and commitments, as well as to provide a coordinated response between States and international organizations.

In these documents (Esp / Eng / Fra / Por), you can find the recommendations presented by the signatory organizations.

Alboan
Canadian Jesuits International
Entreculturas
Federación Internacional de Fe y Alegría (FIFyA)
Global Ignatian Advocacy Network (GIAN) of Migration
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)
Magis Americas
Red CLAMOR
Red Jesuita con Migrantes – Latinoamérica y el Caribe (RJM-LAC)