Questions/Comments
If you have a question about the Jesuits or a comment to make about what you have found here please submit it below.
Question
I heard about Jesuits via the television in passing and wanted to know more. I used a search engine to look for information and came across your website which I have found truly enlightening and answered every single question I thought of. I am female and therefore could never be accepted as a Jesuit but that was not my wish when I heard the term, I just wanted to know more. God bless you in the work you undertake. Thankyou so much for sharing your lifestyle with me.
Response
Many thanks for your encouraging and appreciative posting. Please pray that we will be blessed with the vocations that we need. And if you ever do meet women who are looking for a vowed life in the spirit of St. Ignatius then do reassure then that there are a number of women's congregations that share our spirituality, the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJs) the Congregation of Jesus (CJs), the Loreto Sisters (IBVM) and the Sacred Heart sisters being just a few examples. 15.3.12
Question
Some monastic orders offer lay people the opportunity to be associated with them by becoming oblates or members of a third order. Do the Jesuits offer anything similar for lay people who would wish to become more deeply attached to them?
Response
The lay organisation most closely associated with the Jesuits is CLC, Christian Life Communities. From the time of St. Ignatius the Jesuits sought to involve lay people in active support of Jesuit ministries but also in ministries that became lay-led. These groups known as sodalities had both a devotional dimension and an active service dimension, and both these dimension continue today in CLC. There are CLC groups around the UK and to find out more about them please go to thier website www.clcew.org.uk
Question
Do the Jesuits follow the Roman rite?
Response
Yes, we do follow the Roman rite, but there are also Jesuits who are members of Eastern rite churches and they are able to celebrate liturgies in those rites too. An examples would be the maronite rite. 5.9.11
Question
I am finishing my bachelors this year and have quite a large amount of school debt. I am in fear that it will not be paid off for at least 20 years. What are the financial requirements to enter?
Response
This is a very pressing issue and one that is going to continue to be a problem in the years ahead. Here in the British Province we distinguish between debts due to government student loans, and credit card debts or other debts that a person may have from general living expenses. A person must pay off all credit card debt before entering the novitiate, but can enter with an outstanding government student loan debt. In the UK, the current system only requires someone to begin to pay back their loan when they are earning a certain level of salary. Theoretically, someone joining the Society might never have to pay back that loan because they may never earn the required salary. However, the Province considers it right to begin to pay back the loan on behalf of the former student, but if the person leaves the Society he would then take up the responsibility of paying off the loan. So that's the position here in the UK. You would need to check what the siuation is in the Jesuit Province where you are living. 28.8.11
Question
What is the minimum age for starting jesuit training ?
Response
For the Society world-wide 17 is the stipulated minimum age at which you can begin Jesuit training, but practices will vary from Province to Province. Here in the British Province we are certainly willing to consider an 18 year old school leaver. One of our present novices first contacted us in the sixth form and he joined after completing a gap year. One of the present Irish Novices did the same. Our judgement is that it is quite possible for a man to have sufficient maturity to set out on his Jesuit training at a young age. 31.3.11
Question
What difference,if any, is there in the nature and duration of training to become a brother or a priest?
Response
Perhaps to start with the aspects of the training that are common to all Jesuits. Whether a man is going to be a brother or a priest, he will have a two year novitiate at the beginning of his formation, and a seven or eight month 'tertianship' at the end. So that's what all Jesuits have in common. What they also have in common is that the formation that they go through between the novitiate and the tertianship will be determined by the mission that they will be asked to fulfill as Jesuits. In the case of those becoming priests, they will do the two years of philosophy and four years of theology that is required for priestly ordination, with normally a two year period of work experience (regency)between the two sets of studies. Now some Jesuit priests will do further studies because of the mission that is to be entrusted to them. Jesuit Brothers, of course, do not have to do the studies required for ordination but will certainly be doing some studies in order to equip them for their mission and for some those studies could be extensive and lengthy, if they are going to be teachers for example or involved in academic research. 5.3.11
Question
What does one have to do to become a Jesuit do you have to be from a religious background or can any Christian person turn up and become a Jesuit what are the qualifications basically needed to become a Jesuit
Response
Put very briefly to become a Jesuit you have to be a man who has been a Catholic for at least three years. That's the basic requirement. But of course in addition to that the Jesuits have to judge that the man is both suited and free to become a Jesuit. So he couldn't become a Jesuit if he was married, and sadly he couldn't become a Jesuit if he didn't have good health. There might also be things about the man's past life that would mean he couldn't enter the Jesuits without causing difficulties for others. One well-known Jesuit historian once commented that the Robert De Niro character in the film the Mission would never in real life have been accepted into the Jesuits and I suspect we would have difficult accepting a real James Bond! 5.3.11
Question
My friend just told me this weekend that he is persuing the Jesuit order. What happens to all his stuff? Can he not take some of the essentials like bed sheets and towels etc. with him into the community?
Response
Jesuits go into their novitiate with very little personal stuff. All the basics are normally provided for by the Novitiate community – sheets, towels etc. So normally the man entering brings with him his clothes and maybe a very few books, and not a lot more. In the months before a man enters, the Novice Master will send him a list of what to bring and not to bring. Each province will have its own policy and that will be determined by the kind of society people are living in. But all will, on the whole, be saying, ‘bring very little’. 5.3.11 I know that must sound very stark, but there is a great freedom in leaving stuff behind, and the other side of it is that in most Provinces Jesuits are not going to be short of the essentials, which for a lot of people in life will never be true.
Question
Is there a maximum age for starting Jesuit training? If so, what is it?
Response
Yes, the maximun age is 50,and only in very rare circumstances is there any leeway in regard to that maximun age. And the truth of the matter is, the older the man is the more circumspect the Society is in accepting the man, for the simple fact that most of us become less adaptable and more set in our ways the older we get. So the question we ask ourselves when a man in his late thirties or forties approaches us is, can he fit in with our way of life as he is now, whereas with a man in his early 20s we can ask whether there are indications that he will be able to grow into our way of life having had some years of formation. 5.3.11
Question
Hello, could an already ordained priest (diocesan or of any other religious congregation) become a jesuit and if so, what is the process and course of formation?
Response
Yes, they could, the process being easier for a man who is a diocesan priest or seminarian than for a member of another religious order. In the former case, the man’s bishop must be consulted, in the latter case a dispensation has to be sought from the Holy See. In both cases, matters need to be handled very sensitively. As Jesuits, we would much prefer that a man speak openly with his bishop or superior about his desire to explore a vocation to the Society before he makes a formal approach to the Society. Clearly, what matters is that a man discover where the Lord is calling him, and that exploration needs to be undertaken in a spirit of openness and freedom. The fact that a man might approach us from a diocese or another religious order would not mean we would adopt any different approach to our discernment/application process. He would still be required to undertake a time of candidacy (a time of getting to know the Society, and the Society getting to know him); he would have to go through our interview process etc. However, where such a man’s formation might differ from others joining from work or from studies, would be after the novitiate. If he has already undertaken priestly studies then he is unlikely to have to repeat those. He might instead have a longer period of regency (normally a two year period of apostolic work that falls between philosophy and theology studies) or he might do some specialist studies in philosophy or theology or in some other discipline. All this would be at the discretion of the Provincial. 3.8.10
Question
can you give a story of a student that reflects the life of st. ignatius loyola
Response
This is an intriguing question. I found myself thinking about Ignatius during the football (soccer) world cup. The Spanish player who scored the winning goal in the Final reminded me of Ignatius – short, slightly balding, and bold. I’ve discovered this about the player since the world cup: the Spanish coach before the world cup asked each of his players to write down and seal in an envelope something they would be prepared to do if they won the world cup. The player who scored the winning goal had written that he would walk the Camino to Santiago de Compostella! So there you had a young man, set on glory, highly skilled, but also with some level of faith, not unlike Ignatius at that stage in his life before the Battle of Pamplona. I could imagine many a student in similar mode: ambitious for the limelight – trying to make a name for themselves by outdoing others in some particular field: academic, political, sporting, musical, and at the same time having some faith, but not a faith that is at the centre of their lives. One could imagine how a failed relationship, or sickness, or a death in the family, or an accident of some kind could turn such a person’s life upside down, making them reconsider why they do what they do. Such a moment could be a time of discovering in a new way the centrality of the call of Christ. Of course that would just be the beginning. It took Ignatius a good 19 years before he finally settled to his life’s task – the founding and governing of the Society of Jesus. 3.8.10
Question
Is there any way to experience what it is like to live and work in a Jesuit commuinty?
Response
People are curious about how we live and what we do, and clearly the best way to find out about us is to visit some of our communities. As vocations director I am always happy to arrange such visits, something which I would normally do after having met someone showing interest in the Society a couple of times. Twice a year, along with the Irish Jesuits, we hold a weekend at the novitiate for men who are getting to know us and who we think are possible candidates for the novitiate. And for those who may be just wanting to dip their toe in the water we are holding a weekend in November (5th-7th) at Loyola Hall. It will be a general introduction to Jesuit life. If any of this is of interest to you, do let me know.
Question
what is the best way of preparing for the novitiate and what can you say of the changing attitudes you get first you are so sure and then you are very doubtful
Response
How best to prepare for the novitiate, I think I would stress the following: to be establishing a regular pattern of prayer, and if possible a daily attendance at Mass; a certain amount of reading and a series of visits to Jesuit communities so as to get to know the history of the Society but also what it gets up to today; a sorting out of personal stuff that will mean the novice-to-be can enter the novitiate as free as possible; a good holiday before the novitiate begins! These are just a few somewhat ramdon thoughts. Of course a person who is getting ready for the novitiate will have been through our official programme for candidates and much of the above will be built-in to that programme. One thing I forgot to mention: regular spiritual direction. You also ask about changing attitudes. For an answer to that please look below to the question that relates to changing moods. 1.5.10
Question
I am increasingly drawn to the Society of Jesus and Igantian spirituality, and wish to discern a vocation as a Jesuit. However, due to some rather floundering formative years I am in debt, do I have to be free of this to be considered?
Response
Yes, you do have to be free of credit card and other debts to enter the novitiate. However,an outstanding student loan is not considered to be an obstacle. We do ask about these matters in the course of getting to know someone interested in the Society, and offer help and advice when we can. We certainly wouldn't want someone not to contact us because they had money problems.
Question
why do periods of certainty lapse and are replaced by doubt and fear when one questions himself about vocation
Response
This is a very important question, one that St. Ignatius Loyola had to grapple with himself. A simple answer is to say, because we are human. And then a whole book or more could be written to develop this. What St. Ignatius noticed from his own experience was that there were times when he was aware of being under the sway of God's love, open and generous towards his 'neighbour', hopeful about the future, trusting in God's care. St Ignatius called this ‘consolation’. But there were other times when the opposite seemed to be true: when he would be closed in on himself, without hope, without trust. This he termed ‘desolation’. And to begin with he was very disconcerted by this alternation of interior mood. But as he grew in his spiritual life, he began to recognise that God was teaching him through this experience. One lesson he began to learn was to trust the thoughts/desires that he had in regard to his vocation when he was in that time of closeness to God and openness to his neighbour. The second corresponding lesson was that he learnt to be on his guard in respect to thoughts and desires that clamoured for attention when he was turned in on himself, feeling distant from God. A third lesson: that sometimes he would find himself in a desolate state through his own fault (sometimes this happens because we entertain doubts that we could put from our minds) but that sometimes the mood would come upon him without it evidently being due to anything he had done or not done. He then concluded that God might just allow this to happen so that in the midst of the pain and confusion he come to trust more radically on God. How does this all relate then to the experience that you mention, that sometimes we feel confident and encouraged towards a particular vocation in life, and all of a sudden we can feel quite the opposite? Well, I think Ignatius would want to encourage you not to be disconcerted by the experience, but rather to see the experience as offering you the opportunity of discovering more clearly what your God given vocation truly is. You might ask yourself: ‘When I am most peacefully present to God, and seemingly open to my neighbour in an unforced, natural kind of way, what then do I desire for my life? How then do I feel about the vocation I might be entertaining?’ And then when you find yourself in the opposite situation of feeling more distant from God, self-absorbed, ungenerous, what then seems to be the direction of your desire? To have had both these experiences is to be in possession of raw material about which you can make a judgement. Perhaps this is about as much as I can helpfully write at the moment. One final thought: the fact that you are aware of this sway in feeling is an indication that the time may be right to find someone to go to for spiritual direction. It is a huge help to be able to speak about these things with an experienced spiritual guide.
Question
Can a woman become a Jesuit?
Response
No a woman cannot become a Jesuit, but there are a number of groups (congregations) of women religious (sisters) who share the same spirituality, as the Jesuits, that of St. Ignatius Loyola and in some instances have the same constitutions (foundational documents) as the Jesuits. Amongst these are the CJs (Congregation of Jesus), the FCJs (the Faithful Companions of Jesus), and the Loreto Sisters. Women have been very closely associated with the work of the Jesuits down the centuries. In 16th Century England a number of women were key to keeping alive the Jesuit mission to the persecuted Catholic population. In 21st Century England a number of women are the directors of Jesuit works.
Question
what would differentiate a jesuit from a dominican?
Response
A very partial answer because given by a Jesuit who doesn't have an inside knowledge of Dominican life! And a qualified answer because Jesuits and Dominicans share a lot in common. But beginning with some of the most immediately noticeable differences: the Dominicans will gather daily in community for the celebration of some of the Offices of the Church and this is part of their rule. By contrast St. Ignatius wanted the Jesuits to be free of that obligation because he wanted us to be as available as possible for a whole variety of apostolic work. But this does not mean that Jesuits don't pray or don't pray together! They do, but how and when they pray is determined by the circumstances of their mission. The other noticeable difference between Dominicans and Jesuits is that Dominicans have a habit and Jesuits don't. It was Ignatius' intention that Jesuits dress as the ordinary priests of the locality where the Jesuits were working, and the reason why he desired this, it is said, is that often the ordinary clergy of the time were not held in high regard. If you want to explore further the differences between the two orders, you couldn't do better than read a life of St. Dominic and St. Ignatius because in each case they embody the charism of the order they founded.
Question
what are the charisms of jesuits?
Response
There are no doubt different ways of answering this question, but here's one that means most to me: that the charism of the Jesuit is to seek God at work in the world and to make himself available to labour with God. As one of our recent congregations (international meetings of the Society) put it: 'The God of St Ignatius is the God who is at work in all things... For a Jesuit, therefore, not just any response to the needs of men and women of today will do. The initiative must come from the Lord labouring in events and people here and now'. (General Congregation 34 Decree 26)
Question
What sort of domestic living arrangements do Jesuits have? And are they paid a formal stipend of any sort?
Response
Most Jesuits live in communities. The communities range in size from quite small, four or five, (this would be typical of our British Province) to very large, a 100 or more. You would find such large communities in the United States where those training as Jesuits and Jesuit priests live together in the setting of a University. As regards living expenses, we depend a lot on benefactors, people who have given money to the Society of Jesus over the years. These benefactions help support Jesuits during their training. In houses made up of Jesuits who have completed their training, the idea is that they live off whatever funds they receive in recognition of the work that they do. In most communities, there is a system of monthly allowances, to cover small expenses. For larger expenses, Jesuits would normally approach their Superior to ask permission for money for whatever it is they need to buy. A good example of that would be if someone needed a computer for the work or studies. Hope the answer sheds some light on the issue.
Question
Sorry brothers but why don't you wear your habit, the jesuit cassock?
Response
As far as I am aware the Jesuit cassock has not been used in the British Province. The traditional attire here was 'the wings', a kind of academic gown. St. Ignatius' own desire was that Jesuits would dress in ways that suited the environment in which they lived and fitted in with the customs of the local clergy.
Question
Congratulations! Your new website looks great.
Response
Many thanks!
Question
When did the Jesuits first start working in England and why?
Response
Jesuits first arrived in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I when Catholics were being persecuted.