By Fr. James Caime Sara Noreña was born and raised in Kansas City but was baptized at San Francisco de Assisi parish near her mother’s family home, a town near Mexico City. Her mother, Lupe, and her Aunt Amalia made sure Sara knew her family in Mexico – including her grandmother, her cousin and her …
Jim and Nancy Bell joined St. Francis Xavier Parish (SFX) in Kansas City, Mo., in 2008 after being invited by friends to visit. They were drawn to the welcoming and diverse community with its emphasis on social justice. Together, they volunteer in the food pantry and are members of the SFXcellent Walkers and Runners who raise money …
By Jerry Duggan As service coordinator, a math teacher and an assistant soccer coach at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston, Reynold D’Souza is invested in forming the mind, body and soul of his students. He is willing to juggle so many responsibilities within the school community because of the great joy Jesuit schools …
Reynold D’Souza: Forming the Mind, Body and Soul of Strake Jesuit Students Read More »
By Jerry Duggan When Julia Vargas interviewed for the position of director of service learning at Rockhurst University in 2008, she wasn’t too familiar with Jesuit education. Still, she had done some research; she saw a commitment to doing justice, emphasis on faith and desire to work with the marginalized. All those things, she told …
Julia Vargas Helps Rockhurst University Community Live Out “The Faith That Does Justice” Read More »
By Jerry Duggan Jesuit Refugee Service has been helping people across the globe for four decades, providing the forcibly displaced with humanitarian aid and moral support. Founded by then-Superior General Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, JRS seeks to “accompany, serve and advocate the cause of forcibly displaced people, that they may heal, learn and determine their …
On 40th Anniversary of JRS, Fr. Kevin Cullen, SJ, Reflects on His Experience Read More »
By Therese Fink Meyerhoff The two and a half years Fr. Jeffrey Harrison, SJ, spent working with Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) taught him a different way of looking at suffering. “You’re dealing with people who every day are on the edge,” he says. “In America, you hear ‘they don’t feel things the way we do.’ …
By William Bole It is challenging to provide an education to refugees, both children and adults who are escaping violence and unrest in their homelands, but it is also the single best way to aid them in starting over with hope for a better future. The coronavirus pandemic has made the task all the more …
July 27, 2020 By Jerry Duggan When prospective members of this year’s Alum Service Corps applied for the program last fall, they could not have predicted they would be starting the school year amid a deadly pandemic. Yet, that is the situation they find themselves in. The six participating province schools that receive ASC volunteer …
30th ASC Class Committed to Service During Pandemic Read More »
By Jerry Duggan June 22, 2020 – When the Thensted Center cancelled all in-person activities due to COVID-19, there was a moment of disappointment, even despair. Tutoring services for students, programs for senior citizens and the building itself were shut down. That sadness was quickly replaced by a “can do” attitude, as the Center repurposed …
“We’re All in This Together”: How Community Members Lift Each Other Up During a Pandemic Read More »
Being together has never been more difficult than in these times of Covid-19. Across the world, however, Jesuits and non-Jesuits are showing their creativity and connecting digitally with their colleagues and the people they serve.