Education is a cornerstone of the Society of Jesus, and has been since 1548 when the first Jesuit school opened in Messina, Sicily. Today, 3,730 schools carry on this tradition all around the world, expanding the minds of 2.5 million students.
In Canada and the United States, there are 81 pre-secondary and secondary schools with a shared goal of developing competent, compassionate and committed leaders in the service of the Church and society.
One distinctive aspect of Jesuit education at all levels is the emphasis on cura personalis — caring for the whole person in mind, body and spirit. Our schools foster not only intellectual development, but also moral and spiritual growth. The aim is to produce students who are “open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice” by the time they leave. These five characteristics, better known as the “Grad at Grad,” exemplify what graduates of Jesuit high schools should embody upon graduation.
The Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province sponsors 13 high schools and a middle school. The office of the Provincial Assistant for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education (PASE) assists the provincial in his care for these schools. The provincial assistant and the associate provincial assistant are the provincial’s primary liaisons to each of the schools. They work closely with the schools’ presidents, the province High School Leadership Group (HSLG), and the Jesuit Schools Network.
The PASE office seeks to strengthen the Catholic, Jesuit mission of our 13 schools and help them foster relationships among one another as well as with their counterparts throughout North America and the world. Much of this work is done through annual visits to our schools as well as various programs for faculty and staff that help them share best practices with one another and grow together spiritually.
Overseeing the secondary and pre-secondary schools in this province are:
Provincial Assistant for Secondary & Pre-secondary Education
Associate Provincial Assistant for Secondary & Pre-secondary Education
Province Cohort Gatherings support the continued work of JSN-sponsored Cohort Gatherings, enabling same-job personnel to build relationships and share concrete ideas, strategies and best practices.
Leaders in the Middle brings together department chairs, directors and other middle leaders to explore their unique roles in our schools.
The High School Leadership Group (HSLG) brings together leaders from all province schools: Jesuit superiors, board chairs, principals, and directors of the work (i.e. presidents).
The province office staff helps facilitate conversations within the school and between the school and the province on the effectiveness of the school as an apostolate of the Society of Jesus and on how well it manifests the global Jesuit mission.
The Alum Service Corps (ASC) gives Jesuit school alumni an opportunity to give a year of post-college service in gratitude for their Jesuit education, while gaining valuable experience.
The New Ignatian Educators Retreat provides a time for reflection and renewal for first-year faculty, inviting them to be attentive to the work of the Holy Spirit and to consider how God is calling them both in their personal lives and in our Jesuit schools.
Documents related to the Jesuits’ educational mission can be found on the Jesuit Curia’s website.
Annual school visits by the province are meant to ensure a vibrant relationship between the school and the provincial as well as provide encouragement and constructive feedback to school leadership.
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