July 16-19, 2024: Loyola University Chicago
We invite you to attend the first AJCU Faith, Justice & Reconciliation Assembly: Creation of a Hope-filled Future, an historic gathering to be held at Loyola University Chicago from July 16-19, 2024. This new Assembly is an outgrowth of the 20+ year historic Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education Conference, which first took place at Santa Clara University in 2000 and has since reconvened every 3-4 years. This Assembly is now a formal program of AJCU.
The theme for the Assembly, Creation of a Hope-Filled Future, draws from the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus:
- Showing the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and Discernment.
- Walking with the Excluded: Walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice.
- Journeying with Youth: Accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future.
- Caring for our Common Home: Collaborate, with Gospel depth, for the protection and renewal of God’s Creation.
What’s New?
In its new form, the Assembly will highlight not only the work on justice taking place at our Jesuit institutions, but also engage the work of justice with faith and reconciliation. Another new aspect of the Assembly is the creation of six Commissions: teams of faculty and staff across the AJCU network who have been working together since Spring 2023 on major issues of faith, justice, and reconciliation affecting AJCU institutions. Each Commission will present their work at the Assembly, with time for participant engagement and dialogue. Commission themes are:
- Citizenship and Democracy: Exercising Individual Freedom for the Common Good
- Student Spiritual Growth and Mental Health: Toward a Hope-filled Future
- Prison Education: A Call to Conversion in Our Shared Humanity
- Laudato Sí’: Advancing a Shared Agenda for our Common Home
- Justice and Reconciliation: Addressing the Legacy of Slavery and Oppression by Jesuit Institutions
- The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm: Responding to Students and their Hungers
For more details, please click here: Commission Charters.
Call for Proposals
Our Review Committee is now accepting submissions that engage a wide variety of faith, justice, and reconciliation work locally, regionally, and nationally across the AJCU network. Options for submissions include Posters, Roundtables, Workshops, and Lightning Round gatherings For more detailed information, please see our Proposal Description and Proposal Application links.
In the weeks ahead, we will post more information about the Assembly plenary speakers, registration and housing information.
Important Dates:
November 1, 2023: Call for Proposals (CFP) submission deadline
January 15, 2024: CFP Decision date and notification by email
July 16-19, 2024: AJCU Faith, Justice and Reconciliation Assembly
The National Steering Committee on Justice in Jesuit Higher Education was formed in 2002 with a charge to coordinate, convene, communicate and connect persons and institutions devoted to justice in Jesuit higher education. Since then, the committee has convened national conferences every 3-4 years including John Carroll University (2005), Fairfield University (2009), Creighton University (2013), Seattle University (2017), and Georgetown University (2021).
This page will be updated in the months to come with information for task force members and attendees. Questions? Please contact Joseph DeFeo, Executive Director of the Ignatian Colleagues Program: jdefeo@ajcunet.edu. (For questions related to proposals, please write to assembly24@ajcunet.edu.)