Become a Jesuit
A life dedicated to serving God, the Church, and the world.
The Society of Jesus is a community of priests and brothers committed to the service of God and the Church for the betterment of the world around us. Whatever our ministry—be it university work, parish service, or outreach to the poor and refugees—we work for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.
The Mission and Work of a Jesuit
Our message is simple and unified: to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Whether teaching, preaching, administering sacraments, accompanying the poor, giving the Spiritual Exercises, or praying for the Society, Jesuit ministries are as varied as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
The Journey of Becoming a Jesuit
It is only after tertianship that a Jesuit takes his final vows.
Basic Jesuit Formation may take up to 13 years to ordination, and additional years to reach tertianship, the final stage of formal formation.
Today’s Jesuit formation also includes specialised training, fostering intercultural and interfaith understanding in programs such as:
Asia Pacific Theological Encounter Programme (Dialogue with Islam)
East Asia Theological Encounter Programme (Dialogue with Buddhism)
Increasingly, we are finding that to serve the mission effectively today, formation is needed in other areas as well. We encourage Jesuits to come together regularly to share, learn from each other and collaborate in circles such as those for formators, novice masters, scholastics, and brother; and vocation promoters.
The Formation Profile: “Forming A Contemplative in Action”
Introduce the document “Forming a Contemplative in Action: A Profile of a Formed Jesuit for Asia Pacific,” released by the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific in 2011. Summarize its focus on the essential qualities and competencies Jesuits in Asia Pacific are encouraged to develop.
Core Questions Addressed:
What competencies are essential for a Jesuit serving in Asia Pacific?
To a young man who wishes to be a Jesuit, I would say
“Stay at home if this idea makes you unsettled or nervous. Do not come to us if you love the Church like a stepmother rather than a mother. Do not come if you think that in so doing you will be doing the Society of Jesus a favour.”
“Come if serving Christ is at the very centre of your life. Come if you have broad and sufficiently strong shoulders. Come if you have an open spirit, a reasonably open mind and a heart larger than the world. Come if you know how to tell a joke and can laugh with others and … on occasions you can laugh at yourself.”
Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Contact a Vocation Director
If you wish to know more about the Jesuits or are considering applying to the Society of Jesus, please contact a vocation director.