Jesuit Mission Australia has launched a new suite of School Resources for students from Foundation to Year 10, inviting young Australians to explore faith in action and engage with issues of justice, dignity and global solidarity.
The resources are being released as Jesuit Mission marks 75 years of walking alongside communities on the margins. Inspired by the Gospel image, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5), 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 access to education and healthcare, clean water, food security and refugee support.
Within the resources, students explore how Jesuit Mission has partnered with Jesuit Social Service (JSS) Timor-Leste since 2018 to build shared water facilities for over 6,500 people, highlighting that access to clean water is a fundamental human right and essential to human dignity. Image: supplied
“Our mission has always been about forming hearts as well as minds,” said Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission Australia.
“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, India, in 1951 to serve Indigenous communities and begin what would become Jesuit Mission. Since 1951, fifty-five Australian Jesuits have been missioned to Hazaribag, rural India, responding to the call to accompany communities with humility and compassion.
Students also learn to “walk alongside” the women of Hazaribag, India. The Swastheya Health Project, featured in the Guide, supported more than 677 participants last year, empowering women with health education and a stronger voice in their communities. Image: Supplied
In Hazaribag alone, Jesuit schools built in partnership with Australian supporters now educate more than 25,000 students each year in. Across the region Jesuit Mission Australia now works in more than 10 countries across Asia and, as it marks its 75th anniversary, honours the faithful supporters who have helped grow and sustain this mission of justice, compassion and hope.
Through these classroom resources, students are invited to see themselves as branches of the vine, continuing that mission by bearing fruit through justice, compassion and service.
With thanks to Jesuit Mission.
