Provincials of Canada and the United States Approved the Jesuits Schools Network (JSN’s) New Strategic Plan

This past June, the Provincials of Canada and the United States approved the JSN’s new Strategic Plan, which includes six initiatives that will help our network achieve the goals set forth in the plan. Among those initiatives approved by the Provincials, “the promotion of justice,” is rooted deeply in the Jesuits’ longstanding commitment to the call for social justice, reflected in the well-known statement from the 32nd General Congregation: “The mission of the Society of Jesus today is the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement.”

While this statement from GC 32 is well-known, the sentence that concludes the paragraph in which it is contained offers an even finer focus for developing JSN’s strategic efforts: “For reconciliation with God demands the reconciliation of people with one another.”

For a number of years, the Jesuits of Canada have been engaged in a process of truth and reconciliation with indigenous communities, particularly in their involvement in indigenous boarding schools. Recently, the Jesuits of the United States joined their Canadian brothers and colleagues. In response, many JSN schools across our network have been implementing reflective programs and cultural experiences that support these important efforts. With the new JSN Strategic Plan, we now recommit ourselves to this effort by developing and then offering resources and programs that support and promote broader truth and reconciliation efforts.