Over the summer, I attended the Ignatian Justice Summit, a conference bringing together students from Jesuit universities, all working together to make positive change. Having attended a Jesuit university for the past three years, I was fairly familiar with the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, but it was at this conference where I was able to see the power of these ideals put into practice. The conference focused on having more humane immigration reform, and suggested both political and religious avenues in order to bring about this change.
It was most powerful for me to learn that belonging to a Jesuit university meant its students could point to obstructions of justice in a concrete way, based on an agreement that had been made on a structural level. It was incredibly encouraging to see that our personal passions for justice on our campuses had already been translated into commonly understood language. Through valuing “a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable,” different campuses had devised various ways of loving their neighbors. Some of my peers belonged to sanctuary campuses, while others had separate offices for immigrant students.
At the center of this reform work was a belief in inherent human dignity. No matter where someone came from or what they believed, they had a right to follow their vocations and live lives of meaning. Cura personalis was another Ignatian value discussed at the conference and leant a sense of depth and empathy often absent in political discourse. We focused on telling the stories of individuals affected by migration without exploiting or “owning” their unique experiences. Many of the participants had close family members who were affected by immigration laws, or were immigrants themselves. My fellow students were committed to hearing these individual realities as the conference went on, and this made each story much more impactful. Towards the end of the conference, a Mass was celebrated in remembrance of the child victims of detention centers, which even more strongly reinforced the notion that each soul has inherent value. These individuals weren’t defined by their nationality, but as children of God.
Throughout the conference, I reflected on the strength of these shared values, and how they were carried out on an international level. Within this framework of dignity and compassion, we are all encouraged to love others however we are best called. I was inspired to see how the other participants combined their student vocation with a desire to form a stronger global community. Even on campus, there is much we can do to love our neighbors: encouraging diversity, speaking with compassion, and calling for change where it is needed. However, the conference also taught me that these values are empty unless they are backed up by action, as Jesus calls His followers to be his hands and feet. God’s Kingdom has a place for everyone to act, if we are ready to follow his call.
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