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About Us

The Jesuits

We are the Society of Jesus, an order of Catholic priests and brothers founded nearly 500 years ago by St. Ignatius Loyola. With more than 15,000 priests, scholastics and brothers worldwide, we are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church.

The Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern (UCS) Province is one administrative body within the Society of Jesus. The UCS Province is comprised of approximately 400 men serving in 12 states, Puerto Rico and Belize. Our current leader – or provincial – is V. Rev. Thomas P. Greene, SJ.

Jesuits are widely known for their colleges, universities and high schools, but Jesuits also minister in retreat houses, parishes, hospitals and refugee camps. They are also doctors, lawyers and scientists, among many other roles in the Church and society. 

Jesuits draw on the rich tradition of Ignatian spirituality and reflection. Jesuits aim to be “contemplatives in action,” basing their work in the world on their spirituality and relationship with God.

In our varied ministries, we care for the whole person: body, mind, and soul, putting into practice the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis. We are committed to doing justice, and, through working with the most marginalized members of society, seek to nurture “men and women for others.”

As members of a religious order, Jesuits take three vows—poverty, chastity and obedience—and a fourth vow of obedience specifically to the Pope. The fourth vow reflects our dedication to the universal Church, and to the greater good of all people from all faiths and cultures.

In the vision of our founder, St. Ignatius, we seek to “find God in all things.” We dedicate ourselves to the “greater glory of God” and the good of all humanity.

We see ourselves as companions of Jesus, and we invite others to join with us, as friends in the Lord. We work gratefully in collaboration with others who share our values, including laypersons. They have become part of the “we,” the extended Jesuit family. Together we build up the body of Christ.

The province supports inclusion and diversity initiatives in our schools, maintaining regular communication with diversity and inclusion directors in those schools, continuing work on a Diversity and Race School Inventory through the formation of a national committee, working collaboratively with school leaders on the challenges they face on issues of race and inclusion, promoting cohort gatherings dedicated to these issues (both at the regional and national levels), and integrating diversity and inclusion discussions into other gatherings of school leaders.  

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By Rachel Amiri The Instituto de Formación Ignaciana de Puerto Rico (IFI) is a lay Catholic organization that exemplifies the Society of Jesus’ Universal Apostolic