Jesuit Mission Australia has launched a new suite of school resources for students from primary school to Year 10, inviting young Australians to explore faith in action and engage with issues of justice, dignity and global solidarity Source: Melbourne Catholic.
The resources are being released as Jesuit Mission marks 75 years of walking alongside communities on the margins.
Inspired by an image in John’s Gospel – “I am the vine, you are the branches” – the program encourages students to see themselves as part of a mission rooted in Christ’s love and justice.
Designed for classrooms across Australia, the resources introduce students to the global work of Jesuit Mission and the teachings of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
Through Scripture, stories, prayer and action, students explore challenges faced by vulnerable communities across Asia, including reduced access to education and healthcare, clean water, food security and refugee support.
“Our mission has always been about forming hearts as well as minds,” Jesuit Mission Australia chief executive Helen Forde said.
“By bringing these resources into classrooms, we are inviting young people into the Jesuit story and helping them see that faith is lived in service and solidarity.”
Each stage invites students to engage with Catholic social teaching. In the early years, children learn that we live most fully when we live for others. As they progress, they explore fairness and human dignity, and by Year 10 they design initiatives that put faith into action.
Shaped by the Ignatian tradition, the program encourages students to become reflective, compassionate and courageous in service – values embodied by the six Australian Jesuits who travelled to Hazaribag, in rural India, in 1951, to serve Indigenous communities and begin what would become Jesuit Mission.
In Hazaribag alone, Jesuit schools built in partnership with Australian supporters now educate more than 25,000 students each year.
Across the region, Jesuit Mission Australia now works in more than 10 Asian countries and, as it marks its 75th anniversary, honours the faithful supporters who have helped grow and sustain this mission of justice, compassion and hope.
FULL STORY
Teaching justice: A 75-year legacy continues into the classroom (Melbourne Catholic)
