Assistancy Strategic Discernment

Approved Strategic Discernment Documents

On April 2, 2008, Father General Adolfo Nicolás informed the provincials of the United States of his approval of the “perspectives, priorities, and actions” chosen as a result of the assistancy strategic discernment planning phase that extended from October 2004 through October 2007. Below you will find links to key documents of this planning phase, including the approved text of Responding to the Call of Christ: A Renewed Way of Proceeding for Our Mission Today outlining the decisions and commitments made by the Jesuit Conference board, and a “documentary history” that compiles a number of important documents and reports that led to and informed the final decisions and commitments.

Assistancy Strategic Discernment - Decisions and Commitments of the United States Provincials

To begin the implementation phase, the Jesuit Conference Board accepted and approved in May 2008 the following reports mandated by Responding to the Call of Christ:

Weaving a New Net: Report and Recommendations on Vocation Promotion

Report and Recommendations on Formation for Leadership and Governance

Report and Recommendations on a Process for Ongoing Social & Cultural Analysis

Questions or feedback? Click here.

Archive

In October of 2004, the Society of Jesus in the United States initiated a process of common apostolic discernment grounded in two fundamental questions articulated by former Superior General, Fr. Kolvenbach. What are the apostolic needs of the people of God in our times and how are we called to respond? As St. Ignatius invites us to do in the contemplation on the incarnation, we began by asking for the grace to see, listen to and consider the lives of the men and women who shape the context in which we serve, and then to discern our response with “an interior knowledge of our Lord, who became human for [us] that [we] may love him more intensely and follow him more closely.”

The progress of this discernment will be regularly updated on this website and the sections below offer the following information:

Preparing the Future: An Invitation

Here you will find a copy of the publication mailed to each Jesuit of the U.S. Assistancy that provided an eight-page summary of the ongoing Strategic Discernment and invited individual and communal reflection, conversation and feedback.

A Meditation On Our Response To the Call of Christ - [PDF]

This document reflects our discernment thus far on the questions Fr. Kolvenbach posed. It expresses the conviction that the apostolic priority to which we are called is grounded in a profound and shared response to the needs of those suffering from structurally entrenched poverty. Our desire, hope and invitation is that over the next several months each member of the Assistancy will be challenged by this document to explore more deeply this call and opportunity in his own apostolic life.

Planning Groups

Planning groups or commissions have been established to explore how the renewed apostolic discernment impacts our way of proceeding. Here you will find information on the mission and membership of the four established groups: Ministries, Partnerships, Jesuit Life, and Governance.

Reflections from Across the Assistancy

Reflections, talks, homilies and more regarding the content and direction of the Assistancy Strategic Discernment.

Board Updates

As key milestones and decisions are reached in the strategic discernment process, outcomes will be reported from the meetings of the Jesuit Conference board. Here you will find the agenda for upcoming meetings and the reports once those meetings have concluded.

Questions and Feedback

Your active participation will inform and strengthen our discernment. Through community and/or town hall meetings, each province will invite dialogue and solicit feedback. Questions or comments for the Jesuit Conference staff may be submitted by clicking on questions and feedback above.