Our Mission
To enrich the experience of committed volunteers involved in community service with people who are poor, marginalized, and socially vulnerable through a program of prayer and Ignatian spiritual reflection.
We are:
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Companions with the poor;
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Companions with one another;
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Companions with Christ
The Program
Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality is minimally, a one year program -- with the option of continuing beyond -- focusing on the integration and deepening of prayer and service.
As such, each companion, at every level of formation, commits to:
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consistent weekly service to the poor and marginalized of the community;
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a commitment to daily prayer and devotion, periods of retreat, and monthly meetings with the Companions community.
Year I: Heart and Hands
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Every companion begins with Year I. This 10 month commitment is focused on the integration of service and spirituality. Each companion is committed to a minimum of 10 hours of weekly service during these months. Additionally, each companion is taught the spiritual discipline of St. Ignatius of Loyola through the experience of A Guide for the Journey. The Guide is a highly structured and directed way of praying and reflecting on one's life and one's work.
Year II: Study and Service
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If a companion chooses, he or she may continue into the second year of the program. Like the first year the companion remains committed to service and daily prayer. In this year, the companions deepen their spiritual reflection through study of texts and readings that focus on the reality of social justice and our response to the cry of the poor.
Year III and forward: Contemplation in Action
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After Year II, each companion decides the level of commitment that he or she will make for the year. For some companions this will mean growing their service into work of advocacy; for other companions it will mean availing themselves of opportunities for pilgrimage, immersion experiences, retreat, social gatherings and evenings of theological discussion. There are many possibilities and opportunities for every companion to remain engaged and committed to the Companions in Ignatian Service and Sprituality.
