Father General’s Tenth Video on Walking with Ignatius

In this tenth video (ad may play before video) on his “Walking with Ignatius” series, Fr. Sosa speaks about how one way of communicating love is through education. “To educate is to love,” he says. Every time we offer education, we show that we are confident in each person’s capacity to learn and to put what they learn to good use for themselves, for their families, and for society in general. Please turn on your closed-captioning option to view the English subtitles.

Apostolic Planning Advisory Board

The Advisory Board for Apostolic Planning will play a central role in Phase 2 of our Apostolic Discernment, which will run from January 2023 to July 2023. Composed of Jesuits and Lay Colleagues from Jesuit-affiliated institutions and organizations, they bring to us a breadth of professional and ministerial experience. Each of them will have the opportunity to attend one of the fourteen Regional Gatherings of Lay Colleagues and Jesuits to take place from Maine to Georgia. They will grow in familiarity with the spiritual conversations model of communal discernment.

Pictured above are: Front Row: Marianne Gallagher, Fr. Jack Hanwell, SJ, Fr. Joseph O’Keefe, SJ, Mary McGinnity, Fr. Michael Davidson, SJ Back Row: Fr. John Swope, SJ, Fr. James Croghan, SJ, Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ, Fr. Brian Konzman, SJ, Fr. Patrick Nolan, SJ, Fr. Sam Sawyer, SJ, Frank Knott, Brendan Gottschall, SJ, Joseph Raia, Fr. Claudio Burgaleta, SJ, Fr. James Ferus, SJ, Donna Rapaccioli.

Population Growth of USA East

Apostolic Planning depends on having informed participants around a shared profile of the USA East Province, as well as informed analysis of the social and cultural context of our ministries. We will highlight over the next few weeks some interesting demographic trends in the Church that we serve.

During the past 20 years from 2000 to 2020 the Catholic population in ten of the forty-three Diocese of the USA East Province. These dioceses reported a decline of 100,000 or more Catholics: Brooklyn 321,208; Hartford 272,929; Philadelphia 202,419; Buffalo 160,008; Syracuse 155,234; Pittsburgh 126,121; Manchester 122,615; Springfield 110,849; Scranton108,138; and Albany 100,049. Conversely, six dioceses reported an increase of 100,000 or more Catholics: Atlanta 859,670; New York 399,905; Charlotte 392,898; Washington 157,434;Arlington 118,030; and Rockville Center 113,250.

You will find some of the changes in the Catholic population on a percentage basis are dramatic. You can click here for the full profile report produced by Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). Check out the first section of the report on pp.1-12.

Apostolic Planning Timeline

As springtime advances, the activities around Apostolic Planning are beginning to gather pace. The work is focused on the preparation of the communal apostolic discernment that will take place in the fall, in Jesuit communities and in regional gatherings of Lay Colleagues and Jesuits.

Click here to view the full schedule for Apostolic Planning.

Apostolic Planning Through Common Discernment

More than half a century ago, Father General Pedro Arrupe voiced a concern that today mirrors the reasons why we seek communal discernment in creating an apostolic plan for Jesuits USA East. He stated, “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.”

This is why, 55 years later, our current Superior General, Fr. Arturo Sosa, calls us to what he refers to as Discernment in Common to create an apostolic plan. He states in part, “Discernment in common takes place both in our communities and in our apostolic works, with the active participation of our partners in mission… In the life of the Society, many decisions require that more than one group contribute to the discernment in common so that a final decision may be reached that is in consonance with the will of God that is earnestly sought… Thus, apostolic planning born of discernment in common becomes an instrument of our apostolic effectiveness, and we avoid the dangers of a trendy type of planning that makes use of only the techniques of corporate development.”

Later this year, conveners will gather groups from every region of our province—every Jesuit community, apostolate, institution, and province staff—to embark together through Discernment in Common on a shared apostolic planning process.

Living out the four Universal Apostolic Preferences

One of the key reasons Jesuits USA East is embarking on a 2-year apostolic planning process is to ensure that our province is well positioned to effectively live out the four Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs): showing the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment; walking with those on the margins in a mission of reconciliation and justice; accompanying young people in the creation of a hope-filled future; and collaborating in the care of our Common Home. The resources page of ApostolicPlanning.com offers several links to better familiarize ourselves with the UAPs and their importance for the Global Society of Jesus. These include the video above from Father General Sosa on the UAPs and a 1-page document titled, What is a Universal Apostolic Preference?

The Apostolic Planning Video

We have all heard that Jesuits USA East is embarking on a two-year Apostolic Planning Process to help gain the necessary insights needed to position our province (the second largest in the world) to best serve the People of God through all our ministries and institutions. What does this mean exactly? Why do this now? Who will be involved? This video features a personal perspective from both a UEA Jesuit and a lay colleague to help emphasize the need for an Apostolic Plan and the importance of having Jesuits and our colleagues in mission actively involved in its creation. It also offers some remarks from our Provincial, Fr. Joseph O’Keefe, SJ, and our Provincial Assistant for Apostolic Planning, Fr. John Swope, SJ, that will hopefully answer some questions.