Jesuit Education
As an apostolic work of the Society of Jesus, Xavier is part of a global network of nearly 3,500 Jesuit schools spread across 80 countries but rooted in a shared mission.
Education is at the heart of the Society’s work. Jesuit high schools like Xavier are guided by the teachings of St. Ignatius Loyola, who founded the Society in 1540, as well as a shared set of seminal documents that illuminate the goals of a Jesuit education. On 16th Street, members of the faculty, staff, and administration implement Ignatian pedagogy in every aspect of their work, with a critical emphasis on cura personalis—care for the whole person.
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Profile of the Graduate at Graduation
The Profile of the Jesuit High School Graduate at Graduation, more commonly referred to as “the Grad at Grad,” asserts that at the time of graduation, a product of Jesuit education should exemplify the following characteristics.
In Jesuit education, the criterion of excellence is applied to all areas of school life: the aim is the fullest possible development of every dimension of the person, linked to the development of a sense of values and a commitment to the service of others which gives priority to the needs of the poor and is willing to sacrifice self-interest for the promotion of justice.
Go Forth and Teach: the Characteristics of a jesuit education
Reflections on the Grad at Grad
History of Jesuit Education
The Society of Jesus is known, perhaps more than any other order of the Catholic Church, for its deep commitment to education. So it is only natural that the Jesuits have invested so heavily in education, particularly at Xavier.
Our Jesuit roots trace back to 1548, when the Society of Jesus opened its first school in Messina, Sicily. Education soon became a cornerstone of the Society’s work around the world. In 1847, when Fr. John Larkin, S.J., traveled downtown from Fordham University to found Xavier, he carried with him a proud tradition of Jesuit education that continues to thrive on 16th Street to this day.
But what is so special about a Jesuit education, anyway? A Jesuit education, at its core, is an education of the entire person. At Xavier, students—through rigorous academics, deep spiritual guidance, and service—become men for others, men committed to the pursuit of knowledge and justice, to serve both God and their neighbors in the pursuit of justice.
USA East Province Our Way of Proceeding Jesuit Schools network
