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Our Work

The mission of the Office of Justice and Ecology (OJE) is to help the president and provincials of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States reflect the Jesuits’ work for reconciliation on issues such as immigration and economic, criminal, juvenile and environmental justice.

The OJE is the voice of the provincials to the Church, governments, nongovernmental agencies and others, advocating on behalf of the poor and other marginalized communities and encouraging others to do the same. The OJE serves as the principal liaison with the international Society of Jesus, particularly with the Secretariat for Social Justice and Ecology at the Jesuit Curia in Rome.

Equally as important, the OJE helps the Jesuit Conference fulfill the mandate of General Congregation 36 for developing Jesuit, Ignatian and other networks by collaborating and cooperating with various groups and encouraging them to live a faith that does justice.

Contact us at justice@jesuits.org.

Staff

Ted Penton, S.J.

Secretary of the Office of Justice and Ecology
Ted Penton, S.J.

Secretary of the Office of Justice and Ecology

Ted Penton, S.J., is the Secretary of the Office of Justice and Ecology at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Penton earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Ottawa and a master’s degree at Penn State in philosophy. Eager to step out of the classroom and work more directly with people on the margins of society, he first met the Jesuits via the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC).

Through JVC, Penton volunteered for the Farmworker Unit of Legal Aid of North Carolina in 2000-01, leading outreach to migrant workers across the state to educate them about their rights. Inspired by this work to study law, he went on to complete a J.D. at Harvard Law School.

Following a brief career with the Human Rights Law Section of the Department of Justice in Ottawa, Penton entered the Society of Jesus in Canada in 2009. After completing his first two years of theology studies, he worked for three years for the Ignatian Spirituality Project, a network of volunteers who offer retreats across the United States and Canada for men and women experiencing homelessness and in recovery from addiction. Penton recently finished his theology studies (M.Div., S.T.B., S.T.M.) at Regis College in Toronto and was ordained a deacon in May 2018.

Cecilia Calvo

Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice
Cecilia Calvo

Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice

Cecilia Calvo is the Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice of the Office of Justice and Ecology of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Calvo develops and leads the environmental justice efforts of the Jesuit Conference, collaborating with province offices, Jesuit institutions and Jesuit-affiliated works abroad.

Calvo is an expert on environmental issues, including climate change, children’s health and natural resource policy, and has worked domestically and internationally to help respond to these challenges. Her passion for the social justice dimensions surrounding environmental concerns stems from the impact of environmental degradation on the lives, health, and rights of poor and vulnerable people.

Previously, Calvo worked at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), where she coordinated the education, outreach and advocacy efforts of the USCCB Environmental Justice Program. In this capacity, she played a key role in the promotion of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ to further dialogue, understanding and reflection on ways to live out this landmark papal teaching.

Her prior experience also includes research and analysis of environmental and natural resource issues in Latin America; work in the field of mediation and conflict resolution; and management of environmental programs at Target Corporation.

Calvo holds a master’s degree in law and diplomacy with a concentration in international environment and resource policy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and Spanish from Wellesley College.

Matthew Cuff

Senior Policy Advisor
Matthew Cuff

Senior Policy Advisor

Matt Cuff is the senior policy advisor of the of the Office of Justice and Ecology of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. In his role, Cuff engages in advocacy on domestic social justice issues including poverty, racism, criminal justice, juvenile justice and immigration. In addition, he works with U.S. and Canadian Jesuit institutions as they seek to advance the social justice mission of the Society of Jesus.

Cuff serves on the board of the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. He earned his B.A. in theology from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, and is a graduate of Scranton Preparatory School in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Caitlin-Marie Ward

Senior Advisor on Migration
Caitlin-Marie Ward

Senior Advisor on Migration

As the Senior Advisor on Migration with the Office of Justice and Ecology, Caitlin-Marie develops and coordinates advocacy efforts to protect immigrants’ rights, promote comprehensive humane immigration reform, and address human rights concerns, particularly in Latin America.

Born at Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C., Caitlin-Marie has been immersed in the Jesuit tradition since birth. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgetown University in English and Latin American Studies, respectively. After completing her undergraduate studies, Caitlin-Marie worked at Georgia Legal Services through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. It was there she was first introduced to migration issues, serving as a paralegal on cases involving agricultural workers in the United States on temporary work visas. While pursuing her master’s degree, Caitlin-Marie also interned for the Office of Justice and Ecology, where she supported advocacy efforts on key issues related to human rights in Central America and U.S. immigration policy. Caitlin-Marie is pleased to be back with the Jesuit Conference and looks forward to continuing to work toward a more just world for all.

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