Special Opportunity for Education for Justice Members
VIRTUAL IGNATIAN FAMILY TEACH-IN FOR JUSTICE
Starting February 21 | Virtual
Calling All High School Educators and Youth Ministers
Starting February 21, Education for Justice members will have access to 5 days of on-demand faith+justice programming opportunities for high school students! Give your students a taste of the annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice—the largest annual Catholic social justice conference in the U.S.—from your own computer! We’ll provide daily keynotes, breakouts, prayers—and a toolkit to help you weave the virtual IFTJ into your community (and/or team up with local schools/parishes!)
Already a member of Education for Justice?
Starting February 21, you’ll be able to access all the materials on this page (scroll down for the topics)!
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SCHEDULE/TOPICS
Monique Trusclair Maddox
CEO of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation
Combatting a Deficit of Hope and Leaning Into Resiliency
Leaving Palm Sunday Mass in April 2016, a headline appeared on Monique Trusclair Maddox’s phone. The New York Times notification showed an article, written by Rachel L. Swarns, titled “272 Slaves Were Sold to Save Georgetown. What Does It Owe Their Descendants?” The byline read: “In 1838, the Jesuit priests who ran the country’s top Catholic university needed money to keep it alive. Now comes the task of making amends.” The discovery of this betrayal of her Church and the Jesuits shook her to her core. In this session, Maddox shares what the discovery process has looked like for her and how her healing has, at times, taken her to the Blessed Sacrament. She offers a path to healing and learning how to combat a deficit of hope to heal the sins of the past.
About Monique
Jocelyn Sideco
Minister
Who You Are is True, Who You Are Becoming is Hopeful
Jocelyn Sideco shares her reflections on faith, identity, and justice, drawing inspiration from leaders who have embodied courageous and compassionate faith in public life. She highlights Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s outspokenness on social issues, Bayard Rustin’s perseverance as an openly gay civil rights leader, Pauli Murray’s contributions as a trailblazing Black, queer theologian and activist, and Absalom Jones’s journey from slavery to priesthood. Through their stories, she emphasizes how faith calls believers to act with mercy, speak truth to power, and embrace transformation by serving others. She challenges listeners to consider how they, too, can respond to God’s call for justice and love in the world.
About Jocelyn
Jocelyn is a Facilitator, Educator, and Anti-racist Minister. She serves in the Diocese of California as Pastoral Associate at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Burlingame, CA, Program Director at Christ Church Portola Valley & Woodside, and on the Strategic Vision Committee. After serving as a Jesuit Volunteer ‘99 in Atlanta, GA, much of her professional career has been in social justice education in faith-based institutions. She has worked and taught at Jesuit colleges and Universities as well as Jesuit and non-Jesuit high schools. Moved by profound human need, Jocelyn lived and worked in post-Katrina New Orleans from 2005-2010. She founded a temporary non-profit that created a space for relief and a thoughtful response (free retreat space for individuals and non-profit organizations) called Contemplatives in Action. She continues to consult with charitable organizations in the areas of mission & networking, promotion & communications, and community development.
Jocelyn lives in Pacifica, CA where she enjoys hikes along Milagra Ridge with her wife and three daughters.
STEADFAST HOPE IN PRECARIOUS TIMES RESOURCES
DISCUSSION GUIDE
PRAYER
Sr. Eileen Mckenzie, FSPA
Mobilization Specialist, Kino Border Initiative
Kino Border Initiative
In her keynote, Sr. Eileen McKenzie from the Kino Border Initiative invites us to embrace hope as we stand in solidarity with people in migration. She draws on the Judeo-Christian tradition to highlight the Church’s call to recognize the face of Christ in each migrant and to advocate for dignity and justice in the migration system. Through stories of holistic care and advocacy at Kino, she inspires listeners to reflect on their own role in fostering personal relationships, changing the narrative around migration, and supporting local ministries and policies that uphold the dignity of those on the move.
About Sr. Eileen
Sr. Eileen McKenzie is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration who currently ministers with the Kino Border Initiative as a Mobilization Specialist. She accompanies people on the move in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and supports migrant integration in the U.S. by building community capacity for radical hospitality with religious congregations, parishes and educational institutions.
MIGRATION RESOURCES
DISCUSSION GUIDE
PRAYER
Br. Mark Mackey, S.J.
Environmental Science Lecturer, Loyola University Chicago School of Environmental Sustainability
Transforming Eco-Anxiety to Eco-Action
In his keynote, Br. Mark Mackey, SJ, invites us to transform eco-anxiety into eco-action by grounding ourselves in faith, community, and a renewed ecological outlook. He explores the tension between despair and hope in the face of climate change, drawing on Ignatian spirituality and the wisdom of theologians and activists to reimagine our relationship with the natural world. Br. Mark challenges us to move beyond despair, embrace both individual and systemic action, and find strength in community. He reminds us that even the smallest actions, when rooted in love and faith, can be transformative.
About Br. Mark Mackey
Marianne Comfort
Justice Coordinator, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Climate Solution or Environmental and Human Rights Catastrophe?
Pope Francis has made clear that the world must transition away from fossil fuels ‘”without delay.” But we need to make sure that the shift to renewable energy doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the fossil fuel era that harmed the environment and human communities. We will explore the harms associated with mining for the minerals and metals required for electric vehicle batteries, and come away with ideas for advocacy to minimize those impacts.
About Marianne Comfort
Marianne Comfort is the justice coordinator for Earth, antiracism, and women for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. She is a steering committee member of both the Global Catholic Climate Movement and the U.S.-based Catholic Climate Covenant. She is also the facilitator of the Inter-religious Working Group on Extractive Industries, which aims to be in solidarity with people in the US and around world impacted by mining, deforestation, and megadams.
ECOLOGY RESOURCES
DISCUSSION GUIDE
PRAYER
Br. Ken Homan, S.J.
Labor Activist
Brice Hansen
Student at Mercyhurst University
Economic Justice
In her talk, Brice Hanson shares the journey of starting an ethical purchasing club at Mercyhurst University, highlighting both the wins and the roadblocks along the way. Through personal stories and reflection, Brice challenges us to ask: How do we resist? What barriers do we face in our own work for justice? What sparks of hope do we find in our work? Brice offers practical advice and a hopeful perspective for change-makers hoping to start their own movements on their campuses and communities.
About Br. Ken Homan, S.J.
About Brice Hansen
Windi Mitchell
Outreach Coordinator, Cardinal Gibbons High School
Economic Justice and Steadfast Hope in Precarious Times
About Windi Mitchell
Windi Mitchell is the Outreach Coordinator at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, NC. She has over fifteen years of experience working in Jesuit secondary education and is a proud graduate of Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry. Her love for Ignatian spirituality began with her powerful experience as a Jesuit Volunteer in the Federated States of Micronesia (2001-03).
ECONOMIC JUSTICE RESOURCES
DISCUSSION GUIDE
PRAYER
Annie Fox
Provincial Assistant for Social Ministry Organizing, Jesuits West
Hope in the Precarious Times of Exodus, Middle School, and Today
In her keynote, Annie Fox invites us to recognize and embrace our own power as people of faith working for justice. She grounds her talk in two very different stories of claiming power: the Hebrew people in the book of Exodus and her own story of unexpected leadership in middle school. Through these stories, she encourages leaders to notice and name their power in their work for justice. To accompany her talk, Fox offers a toolkit of resources for change-makers to organize and build power in their schools, clubs, parishes, and community groups.
About Annie Fox
Kayla Jacobs
Youth Mobilization, Catholic Climate Covenant
Youth Led Climate Advocacy in Precarious Times
Now more than ever climate action and advocacy is crucial. High school students across the country are leading efforts to advocate for climate justice and calling on the Church to do the same. In this presentation two high school students will share how they are mobilizing youth and advocating for our common home to their elected officials.
About Kayla Jacobs
Kayla Jacobs is the program manager of Youth Mobilization for the Catholic Climate Covenant. She comes to this work with 9 years of experience in the diocesan social ministry field, including 3 years as the Director of Programs for the first diocesan Laudato Si’ Ministry in the United States. Her favorite line from Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical on caring for creation, is: “Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God.” She has a passion for being in and seeing God’s love in nature, gardening, and enjoying outdoor sports, especially rock climbing and snowboarding.
MOVING TO ACTION RESOURCES
DISCUSSION GUIDE
PRAYER
