Jesuits Working for Justice

panned the last 50 years.

Jesuits Working for Justice: Father Fred Kammer, SJ

Social justice, the promotion of human rights and the dignity of every person, has long been at the heart of the mission of the Society of Jesus. 

In fact, the term “social justice” was coined by Italian Jesuit Luigi Taparelli D’Azeglio in the 1840s. Today, the Society works for justice in many of its ministries across the country. This week, meet Jesuit Father Fred Kammer, who dedicates himself to working on poverty and race issues.

A Life Devoted to a Faith that Does Justice

Growing up in New Orleans during the 1950s and 60s, Fr. Kammer experienced a segregated world that changed before his eyes. Inspired by the Jesuit scholastics who taught him at Jesuit High School of New Orleans and Jesuit Father Louis J. Twomey, of the Institute for Human Relations at Loyola University, he embarked on a vocation to the Society of Jesus and a commitment to social justice that has spanned the last 50 years.

Fr. Kammer witnessed the desegregation of buses and street cars — along with Jesuit High — while in high school. “It was the Jesuits, my homeroom teachers freshman, sophomore and junior year, who were basically confronting us about the traditional problems of the South that we had grown up with,” he recalls. “They were bringing into the classroom the realities of what was going on in the city and in the South.”

Fr. Kammer saw the struggle for social justice firsthand: “We didn’t have to go out on a mission trip. It was all around us. It was watching what I call a ‘social laboratory’ as people of different races began sitting next to one another.”

Fr. Kammer entered the Society of Jesus after high school at age 18. After completing the Jesuit novitiate and juniorate in Grand Coteau, La., he studied philosophy at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., and then earned his law degree at Yale Law School.

After he finished studies at the Jesuit School of Theology in Chicago, Fr. Kammer served in several roles, including director of the Senior Citizen’s Law Project for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society; executive director of Catholic Community Services of Baton Rouge; and policy advisor for health and welfare issues at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In 1992, Fr. Kammer became president of Catholic Charities USA, the nation's largest voluntary human service network. “My work was to be the voice of Catholic Charities in the public sphere in terms of highlighting the work of Catholic Charities agencies across the country,” Fr. Kammer says. “We also coordinated the domestic disaster relief efforts for the Catholic Church in America.”

His work also involved traveling around the country to talk to local Catholic Charities boards and lead days of reflection for local Catholic Charities staff. These talks would later lead Fr. Kammer to write the book “Faith. Works. Wonders.: An Insider's Guide to Catholic Charities,” as an effort to help staff and boards of Catholic Charities agencies understand their mission and challenges and to give them insights and resources to help them do their jobs.

After nine years at Catholic Charities USA, Fr. Kammer was appointed as provincial of the New Orleans Province Jesuits from 2002 to 2008, during which he lead the province through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath — when the issues of race and poverty in the South were once again on display for the world.

The province offices and Jesuit High School were flooded with about seven feet of water, and parish ministries had sustained flooding and damages as well. Immediately following Katrina, the province offices moved 150 miles away to Grand Coteau, La., for five months as planning for the future began.

Fr. Kammer and the province worked to get their ministries back up and running — many of which served the poor, including Café Reconcile, a program for inner-city youth to become trained and employed in the food industry; the Good Shepherd School, a Nativity school for low-income, urban youth; and the Harry Tompson Center, a daytime drop-in center for the homeless, which moved and is now in a brand-new building post-Katrina.

Today, Fr. Kammer serves as the director of the Jesuit Social Research Institute at Loyola University New Orleans, founded in partnership with the New Orleans Province in 2007. The institute focuses on race, poverty and migration in the Gulf South through research, education and advocacy.

“The institute came out of our province planning and received strong impetus from Hurricane Katrina. When Katrina happened and again revealed to the nation and to the world the realities of poverty and racism in this city and in the South, we moved forward with forming the institute,” Fr. Kammer says.

“I think we still need to stay focused on racism and poverty as they continue to be major problems not just in the South, but across the whole country,” he says. “As we’ve heard from both Pope Francis and President Obama, we have a serious problem in this country in terms of inequality, and we need to continue to address that.”

Educating others about social justice is an important part of Fr. Kammer’s work. “I give talks on social justice and on the thinking of Pope Francis and Catholic social teaching in terms of the least among us, as the Scriptures put it,” he explains. “I love talking to audiences and finding people who are excited about trying to help their neighbor, and I try to help them in terms of giving a moral framework for what they do.”

Fr. Kammer also educates through his writing. His first book, “Doing Faithjustice: An Introduction to Catholic Social Thought” takes readers from the Old Testament through to contemporary social justice issues. He wrote “Salted with Fire: Spirituality for the Faithjustice Journey” for those working in the trenches. “It deals with issues like burnout and compassion fatigue and also how you sustain yourself spiritually in doing this kind of work,” he says.

For Fr. Kammer, it’s the fellowship of Jesuits and his lay colleagues over the past 50 years who have sustained him in his work for social justice. “There is a tremendous array of ministries of people helping people across the United States and having the opportunity to travel and see that has been very gratifying.”

Do you want to learn more about vocations to the Society of Jesus? 

Jesuits : Our Universal Vocation

The Jesuit Curia in Rome. The dome of St. Peter's Basilica can be seen in the distance.

Our universal vocation: to go anywhere in the world where there is hope for God’s greater glory.

Our Universal Vocation

Although most people encounter Jesuits locally in schools and other ministries, the Society of Jesus is in fact a missionary order—the largest such order in the Catholic Church. Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., Superior General of the Jesuits, has reaffirmed what he calls “the vision of our universal vocation, which is “to go anywhere in the world where there is hope for God’s greater glory.”

International Jesuit ministries are seeking to nurture hope in places that would seem to offer little of it. Case in point: refugee camps, where the Jesuit Refugee Service sponsors schools for children who often spend years in those troubled surroundings, along with many other services. Hope is found in the myriad works of justice, peace, and care for creation—the Jesuit social ministries described at greater length here.

There are also primarily spiritual ministries carried out by the worldwide Society of Jesus.

These include the Apostleship of Prayer, which is essentially a global prayer group with daily online offerings. The apostleship has been called “the pope’s own prayer group,” because it also circulates his personal intentions—on behalf of priestly vocations, for example, or mutual respect among world religions. Another spiritual ministry is the Christian Life Communities, a Jesuit-sponsored lay association that has nurtured small, faith-sharing groups in some 60 countries.

A less typical ministry is the Vatican Observatory, one of the oldest astronomical research institutions in the world. It is run by Jesuit astronomers who peer through their telescopes in Tucson, Arizona, and at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence.

In addition, the Society of Jesus has crucial responsibilities in Rome on behalf of the Universal Church. Particularly significant among these is the education and training of future Church leaders.

The Jesuits carry out this task at a number of institutions including the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and the Pontifical Oriental Institutes. Those three now serve more than 3,500 students from 120 countries on six continents. The students are preparing for service as priests, sisters, religious brothers, and lay leaders. They have a strong impact on the Church: graduates of the three institutions include one fourth of the world’s current bishops and half of the cardinals who voted in the most recent papal conclave.

American Jesuits are actively involved in all of the international ministries. Their provinces or regional jurisdictions take responsibility for ministry in regions not currently served by a Jesuit province abroad. The American provinces also partner with their provincial counterparts, especially in developing nations, on the full range of ministries, in what are often referred to as “twinning relationships.”

Men for others

Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fordham University, Bronx, NY.

"It is therefore essential to give young Jesuits a human, spiritual, intellectual and ecclesial formation as deep, strong and vibrant as possible to allow each of them to achieve our mission in the world with a proper attitude of service in the Church."

Men for Others

It generally takes three years of law school to become a lawyer, four years of medical school to become a doctor (prior to residency), and roughly the same length of time to step forward as a candidate for ordained ministry (in most faith communities and religious orders).
Jesuit training is different. It is less a course of study than a journey through several distinct stages of formation, ranging from a two-year novitiate to theological studies to years of fulltime ministry. Through it all, Jesuits immerse themselves in the spiritual and communal practices of their order. They learn to live in God's presence.
For those seeking to be ordained as Jesuit priests, this path of preparation will normally last about a decade. It will last seven or eight years for most Jesuit brothers. That is what it takes to produce men who are trained in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, with the skills to minister to God’s people in a diverse and changing world.
And the training begins only after a period of vocational discernment. A Jesuit spiritual director is involved in helping the young man discern what God is calling him to do, and how best to explore his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Such reflection could open up a variety of possibilities; a calling to Jesuit ministry is just one of them.
At GC 35 (the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus), Jesuit leaders from around the world explained the purpose of this unfolding process. They declared at the 2008 assembly in Rome: "It is therefore essential to give young Jesuits a human, spiritual, intellectual and ecclesial formation as deep, strong and vibrant as possible to allow each of them to achieve our mission in the world with a proper attitude of service in the Church."
As noted in that statement, Jesuits are trained with a clear view toward the needs of the Church as well as the world. At the same time, this formation is unmistakably personal—centered on the gifts and talents of each Jesuit.
There is a common Jesuit expression—cura personalis, translated from the Latin as “care for the whole person.” It highlights the need to nurture people in all of their dimensions—body, mind, and soul. And it leads the Society of Jesus to focus on the unique potential of each member in formation. In the end, a Jesuit is able to serve the Church and foster an interior relationship with Christ, while pursuing his talent as a math professor. Or in any other walk of professional life.
The journey begins informally, in conversation with a vocation director. That sets in motion a process of reflecting on who God is calling you to be. Click here to contact a vocation director.

The Jesuits

The Jesuits

We are the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded half a millennium ago by the soldier-turned-mystic Ignatius Loyola. But you could call us "the Jesuits" as we have been called since early in our history.

In the vision of our founder, we seek to "find God in all things." We dedicate ourselves to the “greater glory of God" and the good of all humanity. And we do so gratefully in collaboration with others who share our values, including laypersons. They have become part of the “we,” the extended Jesuit family.

With close to 17,000-plus priests and brothers worldwide, we are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. We are pastors, teachers, and chaplains. We are also doctors, lawyers, and astronomers, among many other roles in Church and society. In our varied ministries, we care for the whole person: body, mind, and soul. And especially in our education ministries, we seek to nurture "men and women for others."

Jesuits draw on the rich tradition of Ignatian spirituality and reflection. In our retreat centers,parishes, campus ministries, and other settings, we offer these resources to all who want to discern God’s presence in their lives. At the same time, we also aim to be “contemplatives in action,” people who bring this spirituality into the wide world. That includes our work on behalf of global justice, peace, and dialogue.

As members of a religious order, Jesuits take three vows—of poverty, chastity, and obedience—and a fourth vow of obedience with regard to mission.  In other words, Jesuits must be ready to accept whatever mission the Pope requires, a vow that is reflective of our broader dedication to the universal Church, and to the greater good of all people from all faiths and cultures.

Our collaboration with the laity flows from our personal relationships with Christ. We see ourselves as companions of Jesus, and we invite others to join with us, as friends in the Lord. Together we build up the body of Christ.

With our friends and partners, we also reach out to a broadly diverse world because that’s where God is. From experience and reflection, we know that meaning, value, and divine purpose can be discovered "in all things."

Publications

Since St. Ignatius bought a printing press in 1556, the Jesuits have been involved in communications. Today the Society of Jesus publishes a number of award-winning journals and publications. Click below to access our latest issues.

America - 10/21/13

America - 10/28/13

America - 11/4/13

HistoryMission and MinistriesStructureGlobal CommunityProtecting Children

Become a Jesuit

Become a Jesuit

"The Church needs you, relies on you and continues to turn to you with trust, particularly to reach those physical and spiritual places which others do not reach or have difficulty in reaching."

With the words above, His Holiness Benedict XVI reiterated a centuries old charge of the Catholic Church to the Jesuits during the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus in February 2008.

The Society of Jesus is a community of priests and brothers dedicated to the service of God and the Church for the betterment of the world around us. No matter what our work, from university to infirmary to barrio, it is for the glory of God and the help and salvation of souls. Even within the Society of Jesus, there is a great variety of voices, an array of talents, but we are all at the service of the call and the mission. Some are gifted at social analysis, others at immediate and effective working with people at the margins of life or society. Many are scholars, many are missionaries. Whether teaching, preaching, giving the sacraments or praying for the society, our voices are as varied as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, but there must be one message: to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Responding to God’s Call

Is God Calling Me?

Discernment is a word that describes the process of coming to understand how the Lord is calling me and inviting me to serve Him. It is a spiritual and personal journey.

It is a journey of understanding, of seeing, and acting. The necessary ingredients for discerning a vocation from the Lord are trust, patience, faith, and prayer. These four elements will be constantly challenged during your journey, and will need to be renewed daily.

Ask the Lord for these gifts of the Spirit as you move through the process.

Seven Stages of Vocation Discernment

1.      Attraction or Interest… to serving God

2.      Inquiry… taking the initiative

3.      Information Gathering… being proactive

4.      Discernment… understanding the experience

5.      Confirmation… moving toward a decision

6.      Application Process… submitting the application

7.      Entrance… if accepted, becoming a Jesuit Novice

Inquiry

A man takes the initiative to contact someone for more information (he talks with a Jesuit he knows, sends an e-mail, makes a phone call).

The person will usually contact someone he has met, or he will seek out a Jesuit at a school or parish. Often this involves the first conversation or correspondence with the Vocation Director, who can offer information about the Jesuits, the ministries and life of Jesuits, or the decision-making and application process.

Next Step: Information Gathering

A Community in Christ

While Jesuits live together for the sake of their apostolic work, they also live together for mutual support, challenge and inspiration. These two sets of values must be kept in balance – community for service and community for mutual growth and development. Jesuits must always be willing to move on, to leave one community to help another.

This type of communal living demands a special kind of person. A man who joins the Society of Jesus has to have a social personality and be someone who is capable of living peacefully with a variety of temperaments, personal histories and styles. Jesuit communities incorporate men of all ages, forged into a union of minds and hearts intent on finding where God wants us to be most effective in the work of the Kingdom.

Jesuit community life also requires a healthy, mature independence different from the kind found in a monastic order. Prayer, study and the demands of our apostolic work can lead some to experience periods of solitude in their lives. Yet this solitude is not withdrawal, but mature self-direction, whose ultimate goal is greater service to the Lord.

It is all of these qualities that make Jesuit community life fraternal, personal and ecclesial. In their communal life, Jesuits share a common bond stronger than their differences and learn together how to be men for others within a wider reality of the Church.

Consecrated for Service

Ignatius imagined religious life in nonconventional terms. For Ignatius, his monastery was the world; his prayer, to find God in all things; his work, whatever helped people. In this setting, the vows become instruments to enable Jesuits to do the work of the Kingdom.

By the vow of chastity, a Jesuit consecrates his life entirely to the Lord, promising to live his life in a state of celibate chastity for the Kingdom of God. By this vow, the Jesuit brother or priest becomes available to love and to serve all people, not attached to one person or to one family.

“This life of chastity consecrated to God offers a living witness that Christ can engage human beings in so comprehensive a love and a prophetic reminder that we were created finally for that future life with God in which the children of the resurrection will “neither marry nor give in marriage” (Luke 20:34-36).  In this way living unmarried for the sake of the kingdom of heaven preaches the Gospel in deed rather than words..

The vow of poverty helps a Jesuit to live more simply, renouncing personal ownership of material possessions, seeking greater solidarity with the poor, and sharing things in common in imitation of the early disciples of Jesus.

“Our poverty is apostolic because it witnesses to God as the one Lord of our lives and the only Absolute; it distances us from material goods and frees us from all attachment so that we can be fully available to serve the Gospel and dedicate ourselves to the most needy. In this way, poverty is itself a mission and a proclamation of the Beatitudes of the Kingdom.”

The vow of obedience is the touchstone of Jesuit life.  St. Ignatius wanted his companions to be ready at any time to respond to the greatest needs of the Church.  Jesuits seek to follow the will of God as it is revealed in the mission given to each Jesuit by his religious Superior in the Society of Jesus.  Solemnly professed Jesuits take a special vow of obedience to the Holy Father, the Pope, to be available for special missions.

“Impelled by the love of Christ, we embrace obedience as a distinctive grace conferred by God on the Society through its founder, whereby we may be united the more surely and constantly with God’s salvific will, and at the same time be made one in Christ among ourselves…”

Training for Mission

·      

The novitiate is the first stage of Jesuit formation and novices begin to learn through experience about the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as lived in a community setting.  He learns the traditions, rules and expectations of the Society of Jesus.  During this time he makes the Spiritual Exercises in a 30-day retreat and engages in a variety of “experiments,” such as serving the poor, the elderly, and teaching children. At the end of this two-year period of prayer, work and study, he pronounces perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience either as a brother or as a scholastic who will prepare for priestly ordination.

·       With these vows Jesuit scholastics and brothers normally begin a three-year period of philosophy and theology studies.  If the man has not yet received a bachelor’s degree, he studies for that at this time.  He may also be asked to use this time to begin graduate work in a field of specialization.  In the United States, there are three Jesuit First Studies programs:  Fordham University  (New York City), Loyola University (Chicago), and St. Louis University (St. Louis).Regency is the next stage of formation.  The Jesuit works for two or three years in a Jesuit school or other approved ministry while he lives in a Jesuit community.

·       After regency, Jesuit scholastics begin an intensive three-year study of theology which leads to priestly ordination.  In the United States, the Jesuits study theology at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California and the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Massachusetts. This may be followed either by full-time apostolic work or specialized studies.

·       After completing his theological studies and some years of ministry, the Jesuit completes his formal formation of prayer, guidance and studies with tertianship, a time of spiritual renewal and ministry with the poor. After the tertianship period, the Jesuit is called to final vows in the Society of Jesus.