ICAJE Annual Meeting 2020

The International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education (ICAJE)* celebrated its annual meeting in the week of 19 – 22 May, 2020. 

The six Regional Delegates to the ICAJE meet in person once a year to assess the current status of the Jesuit Global Network of Schools, address key topics for Jesuit Education and follow-up the progress of the projects and initiatives promoted by the Commission. This year, the situation produced by the global pandemic led it to meet only virtually and with somehow a different agenda.

The International Secretary for Education, the six Conference Delegates to ICAJE and the support team of the Secretariat for Education, participated during four days in spaces for prayer, plenary discussions, presentations and online surveys that allowed to move towards some agreements on the topics in the agenda. Breakout sessions were also useful to allow further reflection and concretion of some of the ideas presented during the week. Including previous work and homework were also helpful to the meeting dynamics.

The situation derived from the global pandemic, the implementation of the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) and making A Living Tradition a living text, were the mainstreaming discussions during the meeting. Different reports were also shared by the participants, such as, Annual Regional Reports, Educate Magis, JESEDU-Rio follow-up, JESEDU-Jogja Virtual Colloquium, WUJA, 2020 Statistics and Protection of Minors Report 2020.

Although the meeting went differently as it was originally planned before the pandemic, it was still an opportunity for discussing some important topics and continue the work of the commission and strengthening the Jesuit Global Network of Schools.

ICAJE serves as an advisory council to the Secretariat for Education, in order to assist Fr. General with a specific quality service in the field of education. ICAJE played an important role in outlining the contemporary documents on Jesuit Education: The Characteristics of Jesuit Education, Ignatian Pedagogy: A Practical Approach; and, Jesuit Schools: A Living Tradition in the 21st Century.

ICAJE members: 

  • Chair: Fr. José Mesa, SJ –Worldwide Secretary for Education, Society of Jesus (Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education)
  • Fr. Johnny Go, SJ -Secretary for Basic Education of the Jesuit Conference of Asia-Pacific (JCAP-Education) and Assistant for Mission and Identity, Secretariat for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education
  • Fr. Joe Arimoso, SJ –Coordinator -Association of Jesuit Basic and Secondary Education in Africa and Madagascar (JASBEAM)
  • Fr. William Muller, SJ –Executive Director of Jesuit Schools Network (JSN) -US and Canada
  • Ms. Ilse Dekker, -Director of the Jesuit European Committee for Primary and Secondary Education (JECSE)
  • Fr. Sunny Jacob, SJ -Secretary of the Jesuit Educational Association of South Asia (JEASA)
  • Fr. Saúl Cuautle, SJ -President of the Latin American Federation of Jesuit Schools (FLACSI)

    Members of the Secretariat:

  • Ms. Catharine Steffens -Assistant for Global Initiatives
  • Mr. Felipe Carrillo -Assistant for Special Projects

    Educate Magis:

  • Mr. Éamonn McGuinness –Community Director, Educate Magis