Resources

Understanding Our Context

Practicing Spiritual Discernment

Creating Our Apostolic Plan

Understanding our Context

To inquire. To explore. To discover.
These resources will help in our journey of discovery and lead us to ask provocative and inspiring questions.

“It is not the new world I fear. I am afraid rather that we Jesuits may have little or nothing to offer this world, little to say or do that would justify our existence as Jesuits. I am afraid that we may repeat yesterday's answers to tomorrow's problems, talk in a way men no longer understand, speak a language that does not speak to the heart of living man. If we do this, we shall more and more be talking to ourselves; no one will listen, because no one will understand what we are trying to say.” - Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ

  • The Universal Apostolic Preferences

    Commonly known as “the UAP”, these four orientations to mission are the fruit of a sixteen month communal discernment by our Jesuit leadership in Rome, and they are the heart of our discernment by Jesuits and Lay Colleagues about the shared apostolic future of the USA East Province.

    Introducing the Universal Apostolic Preferences

    A Guide for Implementing the UAP’s

    A Video Introduction of the Universal Apostolic Preferences by Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J.

    The Announcement of the UAP’s

    The UAP’s Through the Eyes of Young Jesuits

    What is a Universal Apostolic Preference?

  • Profile of the USA East Province

    What Distinguishes the Jesuits?

    This section will present demographic data and thoughtful reflections on the USA East Province with a view toward developing a deeper understanding of the context of our ministries.

    “A Profile of the USA East Province”

    Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, Georgetown University , Washington, DC

    Society of Jesus In July 2021, the USA East Province (UEA) of the Society of Jesus engaged the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University to provide a demographic profile of the region in which it serves, the (arch)dioceses of the region, and the USA East Province membership.

    National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America for the Diocesan Phase of the 2021-2023 Synod
    The United State Conference of Catholic Bishops released a document that is the result of nearly a year-long listening and discernment process throughout the Catholic Church in America. It is the first step for an “apostolic plan” for the Catholic Church across the U.S..

  • Past Apostolic Plans

    Over the past 53 years, the Maryland, New England, and New York Provinces each developed two Extraordinary Province-wide Apostolic Plans. Each was a response to a call to Apostolic Planning from the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. The first round of these plans was developed between 1965 and 1970, and the second round of these plans was developed between 1986 and 1989. Archival material related to each apostolic plan has been reviewed. The documents included here seek to give a flavor for the process and the initiatives produced. Each document included extensive citations from the Planning documents themselves.

    Maryland Province

    New England Province

    New York Province

  • How did we implement the 2003 Apostolic Preferences?

    We have included the text of the two sets of Apostolic Priorities: one issued by Pedro Arrupe, SJ in 1970 and the other issues by Peter Hans Kolvenbach, SJ in 2003. In addition, see perspectives on the success of the implementation of the 2003 Apostolic Priorities.

    Commentary on the implementation of the 2003 Apostolic Priorities

    Apostolic Priorities or Preferences of the Society of Jesus: 1970 and 2003

  • Beginning of the Society of Jesus

    In 1540, the Society of Jesus was formally recognized as a religious congregation of the Catholic Church. In the years prior, Ignatius Loyola and his companions had been praying and reflecting together on the distinguishing characteristics of the order that they wanted to form. Like the recently-founded USA East Province, they were involved in the first spiritual deliberations about the nature of what would become the Society of Jesus.

    Fr. Arturo Sosa, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus is calling all Jesuits and lay colleagues to develop Provinces apostolic plans, inspired by the Universal Apostolic Preferences. Like Ignatius and the first companions, we will be engaged in communal apostolic discernment to discover together our shared apostolic future as the USA East Province.

    We have shared with you here the Formula of the Institute and Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, the document from Pope Paul III, formally recognizing the charism of the Society of Jesus.

    Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae

    The Formula of the Institute

  • Relevant documents of the Society of Jesus

    For the purposes of the Apostolic Planning of the USA East Province, it may be opportune for all of us to either acquaint or reacquaint ourselves with these texts. The promulgation of the Decrees of General Congregation 36 was an important step in the process of discernment about our mission as companions of Jesus, a process that began when General Congregation 36 was announced. The Decrees are the inspiration behind the call of Rev, Arturo Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, to all Jesuit Provinces to begin a process of Apostolic Planning.

    Decree One of General Congregation 36

    Decree Two of General Congregation 36

  • Pew Research Reports on Religion in the United States

    Covering more than one hundred different research topics, the Pew Research Center conducts USA Surveys, International Surveys, Demographic Analysis and publishes the results throughout the year.

    “Religious Affiliation”, “Religious Practice” and “General Trends in Religion in the United States” have been a regular features of the Pew Research Center. In this section we have captured the summaries of occasional reports of research findings from Pew on religion from 2014 to 2021. We have edited these papers to include the most relevant sections.

    All of the papers are relatively short in length (from one to fifteen pages). Rather than being a report on research findings like the other papers, this effort reflects an internal research project where the Pew Research Center updated its religious typology for all research going forward. It covers 98 pages, so “Reader Beware”!

    45% of Americans have a connection to Catholicism

    Are religious people happier, healthier?

    Catholics and the Eucharist

    More Americans Say They’re Spiritual but not Religious

    New Religious Typology

    Prayer in America

    Religious Affiliation in the United States

    U.S. Catholics Open to Non-Traditional Families

    Who are cultural Catholics

    Why America’s ‘nones’ left religion behind

    The State of Religion and Young People: Published in 2021, this study from the Springside Research Institute goes beyond survey data to explore the deep reasons behind the disaffiliation of young people from religion, even when they are facing crisis and uncertainty.

  • From Pope Francis

    Francis on discernment in a time of epochal change

    Major pastoral teachings of Pope Francis that have bearing on the Universal Apostolic Preferences and our shared apostolic future.

    Evangelii Gaudiam: Apostolic Exhortation on the Joy of the Gospel (2013)

    It is essential to draw near to new forms of poverty and vulnerability, in which we are called to recognize the suffering Christ, even if this appears to bring us no tangible and immediate benefits. I think of the homeless, the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are increasingly isolated and abandoned, and many others. Migrants present a particular challenge for me, since I am a pastor of a Church without frontiers, a Church which considers herself mother to all. For this reason, I exhort all countries to a generous openness. (#210)

    Laudato Sí: Apostolic Exhortation on Care of our Common Home (2015)

    We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature. (#139)

    Fratelli Tutti: Encyclical On Fraternity And Social Friendship (2020)

    Building social friendship does not only call for rapprochement between groups who took different sides at some troubled period of history, but also for a renewed encounter with the most impoverished and vulnerable sectors of society. For peace “is not merely absence of war but a tireless commitment – especially on the part of those of us charged with greater responsibility – to recognize, protect and concretely restore the dignity, so often overlooked or ignored, of our brothers and sisters, so that they can see themselves as the principal protagonists of the destiny of their nation”. (#233)

  • Reflections on the Ignatian Year

    The Ignatian Year extends from May 21, 2021 until July 31, 2022. May 21 is the date that Ignatius Loyola was severely wounded in battle. The long period recuperation from his wounds is the beginning of a journey of spiritual discovery. In a series of videos, Fr. Sosa reflects on topics that we will be considering during our time of Extraordinary Province-wide Apostolic Planning.

    Episode 1 - Welcome to the Ignatian Year

    Episode 2 - Father Sosa invites us to ask the Lord to help us discover him at work in the people, events, and places of our lives.

    Episode 3 - Father Sosa acknowledges how the COVID-19 pandemic has caused suffering and death, but says it has also forced us to see the need for radical change. Christians can play a role in this transformation.

    Episode 4 - The Church faces challenges to which it seeks to respond with serenity. It is the Church of “People of God on the Move”, serving those in need and announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

    Episode 5 - “In the depths of daily life, for those who are ready to listen, one can perceive the voice of God, the untiring beat of his heart, which summons and sends, which encourages life and impels us to solidarity…”

    Episode 6 - Sharing the Spiritual Exercises

    Episode 7 - Walking with the Marginalized.

    Episode 8 - Walking with Youth

    Episode 9 - Caring for Creation

    Episode 10 - Education is love

Practicing Spiritual Discernment

Ignatius Loyola and his companions discovered the Charism of the Society of Jesus through communal discernment.

Loving God, in this time of Apostolic Planning, we ask that You renew Ignatius’ spirit in us.

 

May we grow closer to his total trust in the Holy Spirit, following Him faithfully, neither running ahead nor falling behind.

 

May we make our own Ignatius’ ability to discern, his courage, his vulnerability, his search for companionship; his openness and availability to people and his desire to share with them his wisdom.

 

Help us to live ever more deeply the Ignatian charism of seeing all things new in Christ, of seeing Your grace at work, even in darkness and suffering.

 

Help us now, Lord, to set aside preconceptions of ourselves and of each other, that we may attend to one another’s stories, coming to understand and appreciate each other more, and seeing and loving in one another what you see and love in us.

 

We ask the intercession of Our Lady of the Way.

 


We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Creating Our Apostolic Plan

Trends and insights from more than thirty Province Apostolic Plans from around the world. Documents will be added as they become available.