For more than 450 years, Jesuit priests and brothers have lived an amazing story of serving the Church in new and unexpected ways. We are still men on the move, ready to change place, occupation, method — whatever will advance our mission in the Church. We are willing to do anything and go anywhere to teach about Jesus Christ and preach his Good News.
The Society of Jesus – also known as the Jesuits – is a religious order of men within the Roman Catholic Church. Founded in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola and nine companions, the Society numbers close to 17,000 men and is present in more than 125 countries.
Wherever in the Church, even in the most difficult and extreme field, in the crossroads of ideologies, in the front line of social conflict, there has been and there is confrontation between the deepest desires of the human person and the perennial message of the Gospel, there too, there have been, and there are, Jesuits.
Pope Paul VI, Allocution to the 32nd General Congregation
We are joined in our work by laymen and women, both friends and colleagues, who share our vision of service to faith and to the justice that faith demands. The service of faith and justice involves us in everything from spiritual direction and education to the care of homeless young people. We work as teachers, parish priests, psychotherapists, sociologists, historians, theologians, philosophers, writers, painters, technicians and administrators.
We try to dedicate all our work to the Greater Glory of God. We place ourselves in the presence of the God who created all people and ask ourselves the questions that St. Ignatius suggested to his first companions during the period of prayer that led to their permanent companionship:
What have I done for Christ?
What am I doing for Christ?
What will I do for Christ?