Mission Week

Short Program Description:

St. Ignatius of Loyola created the Society of Jesus with his first companions  to take God’s ministry out into the world. By empowering others to “go, set the world on fire,” he ignited a movement that, over 500 years later, has made a global reach and impact.

Every year, the Marquette University community is invited to take action by attending one of the many offerings made available through Mission Week. This includes opportunities to listen to inspirational speakers, participate in service, pray, worship, or reflect and take time for silence each day.

Program Goals/Intended Outcomes:

1. Inspire active faith, excellence, leadership and service — encouraging participants to live out Marquette’s mission by engaging with the world and following St. Ignatius’ call to “go, set the world on fire.”

2. Foster spiritual reflection and growth — providing opportunities for prayer, worship, and silence to deepen one’s relationship with God and a sense of purpose.

3. Build community and shared mission — bringing people together to listen, learn, and act in ways that strengthen their collective commitment to God’s work in the world.

How long does it take to complete the program?: Other

Further Details on Completing Program: Programs are offered all week

Total Program Length: One week

Key University/Other Partners: Five teams up of to eight people per team help plan Mission Week. Team members include staff, faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students from across campus.

Funding Source(s): Mission Week has its own funding line.

Other Stipends: Meals are hosted at many events. Otherwise, the incentive is personal growth and an opportunity to grow one's community.

Lessons Learned:

1. Build diverse, cross-campus teams.
Bringing together people from all areas of the University strengthens collaboration, creativity, and shared ownership of Mission Week.

2. Offer multiple levels of engagement.
Participants connect in different ways — through visuals and mailers, program events, shared meals and community, or quiet moments of reflection. Each layer helps broaden the impact.

3. Collaborate with external creatives.
Engaging a professional writer and artist brings fresh perspective and helps express the mission in ways that resonate beyond the University community.

4. Discern and select a timely theme.
Ensure the theme is both relevant and thoughtfully chosen through prayerful discernment and reflection.

Assessment Data:

– Use Microsoft Forms for registration.
– Gather feedback from the planning team.
– Track and record the number of giveaways.