Interreligious Peacebuilding Summit at St. Joe’s Prep

Interreligious Peacebuilding Summit at St. Joe’s Prep

Antell Cole, a recent graduate of Saint Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, kept a reminder pinned in his notes app on his phone: “don’t forget what you learned at IFTJ.” Inspired by the formation and connections from his participation in 3 different Ignatian Family Teach-Ins for Justice and the formative Arrupe Leaders Summit, Antell was the driving force behind the Prep’s first Interreligious Peacebuilding Summit. Replete with speakers and breakouts just like IFTJ, Antell laid the groundwork for yet another tradition at St. Joe’s Prep that allows students to apply their faith to build a more just world. * Read about the breakout session at IFTJ [https://ignatiansolidarity.net/iftj/speakers/journeying-toward-justice-in-the-holy-land/] that inspired the Prep’s Interreligious Peacebuilding Summit. * Watch the webinar [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrE2qyWroHs] that touches on some of the topics discussed in the inspirational IFTJ breakout session. * Read about the Arrupe Leaders Summit [https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2025/04/02/the-weight-of-leadership-how-the-arrupe-summit-shapes-values-driven-advocates/] that Antell attended in 2025. * Register for the 2026 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice [http://igsol.net/iftj], where thousands of inspiring youth like Antell will share their gifts and deepen in perspective to amplify justice.

Finding Community in the Justice World

Aydee Cruz Mejía, an undergraduate student at Fairfield University and an alumnus of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Milwaukee, credits the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice as a major catalyst in her justice-seeking vocation. She has attended five of them so far, presented at three of them, and deepened her leadership skills as a high schooler at the Arrupe Leaders Summit. Aydee is a fantastic example of a student who is not only open to growth but also provokes growth from the people and institutions to which she belongs. * Read about the last Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice [https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2025/11/19/ignatian-family-presses-on-at-28th-annual-teach-in-for-justice-in-washington-d-c/], at which Aydee presented a breakout session called “Building Solidarity and Justice in Predominantly White Institutions.” * Read about the recent Arrupe Leaders Summit [https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2026/03/20/arrupe-leaders-summit-2026/], a formative experience Aydee underwent as a high schooler.

Mobilizing a Community that Puts Faith into Action

Xavier High School in New York City organized a prayer service and two mile march from their school down to Federal Plaza, where federal immigration court is located. Brandon Sumba, and John Mahovlic, both current juniors at Xavier, participated in that public witness on behalf of migrants and, a few days later, attended the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice in Washington, D.C., where they got another experience of advocacy on Capitol Hill. In this episode, Brandon and John talk about what they experienced and learned over these formative experiences, providing rich examples of faith in action. During the Catholic Church’s Season of Faithful Witness, the Xavier witness is a fantastic model to follow for embodying faith-filled advocacy. 1. Read about Xavier’s participation in the One Church One Family campaign through their 2-mile march through New York City [https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2026/03/10/xavier-high-school-models-how-to-take-a-stand-take-for-human-dignity-and-for-immigrants/]. 2. Learn about the opportunity to mobilize your community on March 24, 2026 [https://ignatiansolidarity.net/faith-not-fear-catholic-student-day-of-witness-for-migrants/]—the feast of St. Óscar Romero—to stand in solidarity with immigrants across the country. 3. Fascilitate deeper engagemetn with this episode using this free discussion guide [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GdkdKN_PtCpdO75RMeEoo0xn4q8UIB57/view?usp=sharing] from Education for Justice [https://educationforjustice.org/].

Racial Justice and Health Equity

Ruth Morgan, an undergraduate student at Georgetown University studying healthcare management and policy, features on this podcast episode. Ruth is introduced in the first segment by one of her mentors, Kimberly Mazcyk, the Associate Director for Engagement of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University. Kim moderated a panel at the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, where Ruth offered deeply engaging insights along with a couple racial justice veterans who are well-known in Catholic circles. That breakout session was titled: “Walking by Faith, Fighting for Racial Justice: Voices for Our Time.” The conversation with Ruth gives a glimpse of her work and career trajectory, in which she explores social justice through the lens of racial justice and health equity, grounded in the Jesuit value of being people for others. 1. Read about the IFTJ breakout session [https://ignatiansolidarity.net/walking-by-faith-fighting-for-racial-justice/] Ruth and Kim were a part of at IFTJ. 2. Read a feature piece that Georgetown University [https://www.georgetown.edu/news/why-i-chose-to-study-health-care-as-my-path-to-change/] did on Ruth. 3. Check out some of the fascinating webinar conversations the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life [https://catholicsocialthought.georgetown.edu/events/more-than-just-the-half-time-show] has organized recently. 4. Facilitate deeper engagement with this episode using this free discussion guide [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eFp-LM6mklSTUZGpCMC-LIeQNy8fTFwd/view?usp=sharing] resource from Education for Justice [https://educationforjustice.org/].

Advocacy fatigue and Inter-Religious Dialogue

Season 2 Episode 3: Featured on this episode is Sarah Flores, a New Yorker and a student at Loyola University Maryland. Sarah hyped up those gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol before the Advocacy Day of the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice. In all three segments, Sarah expresses how her campus ministers and what she has been learning about inter-religious dialogue grounded her experience of the Teach-In. 1. Watch the entire recording of Sarah’s address in front of Capitol Hill [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=subrgr9wLGI]. 2. Facilitate deeper engagement with this episode using this free discussion guide [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZAssCIw0D2FOjqF6tVxYK4KCmCiXl7nr/view?usp=sharingGoogle Drive] resource from Education for Justice [https://educationforjustice.org/].