Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States is the collaborating body of the five provincial superiors of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, and

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

. The conference includes the Canada Province (which includes Haiti) and the four provinces of the United States: USA East, USA Central and Southern (which includes Belize), USA Midwest, and USA West. The conference is led by a president, who also serves as

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

of the Conference board. The administrative offices are in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, with eight on the full-time staff. The conference hosts the provincial websites.

History

From 2014 to 2017, the Jesuit provinces in the United States were consolidated. Some had divided in the 1950s when they reached maximum size, to become

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, known collectively as the US Assistancy. In the new grouping, New England and New York have formed ''USA Northeast Province'', which was renamed ''USA East Province'' when Maryland later joined the grouping; Missouri and New Orleans became ''USA Central and Southern Province''; Chicago-Detroit and Wisconsin have joined to become ''Midwest Province''; and Oregon and California became ''USA West Province''. There was some adjustment of boundary lines. The Jesuits have more ministries in the United States than they did at the peak of their membership, largely because of lay partnerships and diversification of ministries.

Services

The Conference website is a source of information about the Jesuits, their works, their spirituality, about Jesuits worldwide, and about becoming a Jesuit. Through Press Center on the Conference website, news of interest to Jesuits is presented from sources worldwide. The Conference also has a presence on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

Social justice

Since its 32nd General Congregation in 1972, the Society of Jesus has made the promotion of justice a central part of all of its works. The Conference facilitates cooperation toward this end among the various Jesuit works, and among those in any way connected to the Jesuits. The Jesuits’ Office of Justice and Ecology at the Conference engages with "legislators, public officials, corporations and the Jesuit network on issues including immigration and economic, criminal, juvenile and environmental justice." It also carries worldwide news on ecological initiatives, especially Jesuit initiatives. The

Jesuit Refugee Service The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organisation with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, that they may heal, learn, and determine their own future. Fou ...

, active in over 50 countries, through its local branch overseen by the Conference ministers principally to the spiritual needs of detained refugees and immigrants. An outgrowth of this has been the

Kino Border Initiative Kino Border Initiative (KBI) since 2008 has united six Catholic organizations in an effort to be a humanizing presence and to foster bi-national solidarity on the issue of migration on the U.S.–Mexico border through direct assistance and accomp ...

for which the Jesuit provincials have shown concerted support. The Press Center disseminates news of organizations like the

Ignatian Solidarity Network Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) organizes Jesuit schools and universities in the United States, together with their alumni and all interested parties, in training and advocacy for social justice leadership. This is in pursuit of "the service o ...

and its annual Ignatian Family Teach-in. It also carries on its own news and advocacy efforts on its website.

References

{{Reflist Christian organizations established in 2017 Society of Jesus 2017 establishments in Washington, D.C.

History

Services

Social justice

See also

References