Tertianship
After three to five years in active ministry, a Jesuit spends a period of time in a tertianship program ranging from nine weeks over two summers to nine months to prepare for his Final Vows (see term above). The tertian, as he is called, spends time, often with a spiritual director, in seeking a deeper […]
The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice
In 1975, Jesuits from around the world met in solemn assembly to assess their present state and to sketch plans for the future. Following the lead of a recent international assembly (“synod”) of Catholic bishops, they came to see that the hallmark of any ministry deserving of the name Jesuit would be its “service of […]
The Society of Jesus
Catholic religious order* of men founded in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola* and a small group of his multinational “friends in the Lord,” fellow students from the University of Paris. They saw their mission as one of being available to go anywhere and do anything to “help souls,”especially where the need was greatest (e.g., where […]
The Spiritual Exercises
(capital S and E) An organized series of spiritual exercises put together by St. Ignatius out of his own personal spiritual experience and that of others to whom he listened. Ignatius set all of this down in the book of the Spiritual Exercises as a handbook to help the guide who coached a person engaged […]
