Loyola Blakefield Participates in Arrupe Leaders Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2013
www.www.ignatiansolidarity.net
Contact: Christopher Kerr, Executive Director
O – 216-397-2088
[email protected]

“Loyola Blakefield Participates in Arrupe Leaders Summit”

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Arrupe Leaders Summit Participants & Facilitators

Loyola Blakefield students and faculty joined six other Jesuit high schools at the Ignatian Solidarity Network’s Arrupe Leaders Summit from February 15-17, 2013.  The Arrupe Leadership Summit invited emerging student leaders for social justice to spend a weekend strengthening their capacity to effect positive social change while deepening their understanding of the relationship between faith and justice emphasized in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Throughout the three-day program, students explored The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders through the lens of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J.’s life.  Arrupe, a former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, is known for his strong leadership of the Jesuits during a tumultuous period in global history and a time of great transition for the Catholic Church and the Jesuits.  In addition, the program included opportunities for faculty mentors to discuss student leadership for social justice and the Ignatian education pedagogical model.

Additional schools who attended the Summit are: Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Loyola School (NY), Saint Ignatius High School, Saint Joseph’s Preparatory, Walsh Jesuit High School, and Xavier High School.

ISN program director, Kim Miller, reflected on the program’s intentions by saying, “ISN is committed to developing emerging leaders for solidarity and justice.  Fr. Arrupe provides a strong example of leadership for social justice grounded in strong Christian faith.  I am excited for all that the Loyola Blakefield students will do with their new skills and sense of empowerment.”

The Summit was led by a diverse team of facilitators that began planning in the fall.  The leadership team was comprised of: Kaija DeWitt, Director of Campus Ministry at Xavier High School (NYC), Molly Gradowski a recent Rostro de Cristo year long volunteer and graduate of John Carroll University, and Jimmy Menkhaus a religious studies and theology instructor at John Carroll University and doctoral candidate at Duquesne University.

Peter Rogers, former director of campus ministry at Regis University and current doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland, offered the closing keynote address to the group on Sunday morning and the faculty sessions were led by Christopher Kerr, executive director of the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

Click here to view a complete PHOTO GALLERY of the weekend.

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The Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) promotes leadership and advocacy among students, alumni, and other emerging leaders from Jesuit schools, parishes, and ministries by educating its members on social justice issues; by mobilizing a national network to address those issues; and by encouraging a life-long commitment to the “service of faith and the promotion of justice.”  ISN is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization.  Additional information can be found at: www.www.ignatiansolidarity.net