One thing that John Carroll University, a small liberal arts college in Cleveland, OH, prizes is its Jesuit heritage. From being men and women for others to building a more just world, it is easy to say that JCU takes its identity as a Jesuit institution seriously. The school is named after the archbishop who founded Georgetown University, another Jesuit school. But, is John Carroll University “Jesuit enough” in 2023?
It is important to know some background information on the religious order itself. The Jesuit Order, or the Society of Jesus, was founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the institution from which John Carroll’s heritage hails.
Together with St. Francis Xavier and five other companions, St. Ignatius of Loyola obtained approval from Pope Paul III in 1540. St. Ignatius of Loyola’s original idea of what the Jesuits would be was simple: they would be missionaries who spread the message of God’s love and salvation through Christ to all the corners of the earth. During the lifetime of St. Ignatius, missionaries were sent to Africa, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan. Later on in their history, North and South America would be the mission fields for the Jesuits.
But here is where the Jesuits strayed from their original mission. In 1548, they opened their first school for the laity in Messina, Sicily. Before long, education became the primary focus of the Society of Jesus, and the missionaries were not being sent to the mission fields anymore, but rather to the classroom. The missionaries would later find themselves not just teaching theology and philosophy, but also history, English, mathematics and other secular subjects. It was at this time that the Jesuits, the reason that St. Ignatius founded the order, completely changed and was skewed from their original purpose.
So, the question still remains- is John Carroll University Jesuit enough?
No, but also, yes.
If we were to look at the historical context from which the Jesuits were founded, then it would be very easy to say that John Carroll University is not Jesuit enough. Because the original purpose of the Jesuits was to be missionaries and go out to every corner of the world to spread the message of the Gospel, it is hard to ignore the fact that JCU does not fit into that old and traditional narrative.
John Carroll University is not a mission field; it is an institution of higher learning. It is very easy to say that, because of the lack of Jesuit missionaries actually acting as missionaries, JCU is not Jesuit enough because the primary focus of the Society of Jesus is completely different now than what it used to be.
But maybe the mission fields of the Jesuits are no longer in the mission fields, but rather in the classroom. This is where it can be said that in the modern focus of the Jesuits, John Carroll University is Jesuit enough.
In today’s age, the focus of social justice, a part of Ignatian spirituality, is integrated very deeply in the curriculum at JCU. From going on an immersion trip to spending a Friday night with The Labre Project, it is evident that the social justice aspect of the Society of Jesus remains a strong part of the university.
In addition, a very prominent part of the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola is doing everything that one can do, with their gifts and talents, “for the greater glory of God” (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, more commonly known by the acronym AMDG). At John Carroll University, the students have that spirit, with more than 70 majors to choose from and the ability to easily double major, minor, double minor and even triple minor. There are many opportunities for students to get involved in whatever sets their hearts on fire; internships, clubs, student organizations, service, Campus Ministry and more.
It is unfair to judge whether John Carroll University either is or is not Jesuit enough. It’s arbitrary to think in those terms because, like many things in life, this question cannot be answered as an either/or. Alternatively, it is a both/and kind of question.
John Carroll University is definitively both not Jesuit enough based on the historical context of the Society of Jesus and Jesuit enough based on the contemporary charism of the religious order today.
Jeffrey Your • Oct 16, 2023 at 10:32 am
The scarcity of Jesuits on campus saddens me. That is a function of fewer men making that sacrificial choice to enter the Order. But those of us who have been educated in the Jesuit charism continue serving the Ignatian ideal.