President’s Message

“I will lift my eyes to the mountains From where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord! So I’ll walk in the light of the path set before me For I know your love will show me the way.” – Tony Alonso

These beautiful lyrics can be heard on a regular basis at Jesuit High School as our students sing the refrain from “I Will Lift My Eyes” at our weekly Mass. The last two lines were selected as our school’s theme for the 2019-2020 academic year, our 64th year of Ignatian education at Jesuit.

Just as our community selects a school theme each academic year, every decade or so the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) selects a set of “Universal Apostolic Preferences” (the Preferences) to help guide the mission of all Jesuit works over the next decade. The most recent Preferences were announced in the spring of 2019, after almost two years of discernment and dialogue among the Jesuits across the globe.

The four new Universal Apostolic Preferences are as follows –• Promoting Discernment and the Spiritual Exercises: To show all people the way to God through the process of discernment and the Spiritual Exercises • Walking with the Excluded: To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice • Journeying with Youth: To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future • Caring for our Common Home: To collaborate, with Gospel depth, for the protection and renewal of God’s creation, our Common Home

Why are they called Universal Apostolic Preferences? Each word was selected with great intention by the Jesuits. “Universal” refers to the fact that they were designed to guide all Jesuits and their lay partners across the world in one common mission over the next decade.

“Apostolic” describes the fact that the overarching goal of all Jesuit works, including high schools and universities, is to spread the Catholic faith that was initiated by the very first apostles of the Catholic Church. As a Catholic institution, we continue that spirit of evangelization not only at Jesuit High School, but at the more than 800 Jesuit secondary schools around the world.

“Preferences” was chosen because these are not specific directives or a checklist to be addressed by every Jesuit work. As we consider potential choices in planning, resourcing, and fulfilling our mission, Jesuit will learn to evaluate options through these lenses and “prefer” those options that best conform to advancing God’s Kingdom on Earth.

The Preferences are a way to help us prioritize. They will assist us in lighting our path forward and in utilizing our limited resources in a focused way that aligns with the highest priorities articulated by the Society of Jesus.

You will be hearing more about the Universal Apostolic Preferences in the days and years ahead as they will continue to serve as guideposts for our actions in our community into the foreseeable future. We will carefully discern how we can best answer their call and how they can impact our mission. We welcome the voices of our students and alumni, current parents and alumni parents, faculty and staff, friends and benefactors to join us in this dialogue and conversation.

As we transition into an exciting new academic year, we are grateful for your partnership to advance the mission of Jesuit High School through your generosity, your engagement, and your presence on our campus.

Please join us for our weekly liturgy on Friday mornings. No matter what your tradition, come renew your faith and refresh your spirit. May God’s love continue to show us the way.

Peace and Gratitude. AMDG.

Thomas D. Arndorfer President

President Tom Arndorfer, Iesha Comia '19, Quinn Gilroy '19 and Erin Foley '19.