Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to become a Jesuit?
A: Once a man finishes the two-year novitiate, he takes vows of poverty, chastity and obedience either as a Jesuit brother or as a scholastic who will prepare for priestly ordination. On the average it takes about nine more years of study and work before scholastics are ordained priests and brothers complete their formation.

Q: Who are the Jesuits and where do they work?
A: Jesuits are members of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius Loyola and his companions. We were founded “to serve the Lord alone and the Church, his spouse, under the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on earth.” [Formula of the Institute]. From the beginning Jesuits have been missionaries, teachers, spiritual directors, scholars, carpenters, doctors, lawyers, astronomers, painters, poets and administrators. In short Jesuits go where the needs of the Church are the greatest. Members of the order can be found on every continent, in almost every country, caring for the people of God and spreading the message of Christ’s salvation to those who do not know him.

Q: What are the entrance requirements?
A: In order to enter the Society of Jesus a man must be a Roman Catholic for at least three years and be between the ages of 18 and 50. He must be on fire with love of God and a desire to serve God’s people. He should have the ability to complete advanced academic studies and must be able to meet and work with people from various backgrounds, ages, dispositions and parts of the world. He is to be a man of prayer in love with Jesus and his Church. A man should be active in his local church community through regular attendance at Eucharist and have the desire to reach out in service to the poor.

Q: What are the steps in the application process?
A: Usually a man has been in regular contact with a vocation director and spiritual director for six months to one year before beginning the application process. This process allows the Society of Jesus and the man to know one another.

The application process includes writing an autobiography, having interviews with several Jesuits, undergoing medical, psychological, dental and eye evaluations, and gathering documentation such as baptismal certificate, letters of recommendation, and transcripts from all the schools where the applicant has studied.

Q: What is spiritual direction?
A: Spiritual direction is an ongoing conversation between a director and a person seeking a deeper relationship with God. In conversations with the director, the person speaks about matters such as recent prayer experiences. The director encourages the individual to be open to receive all that God is giving.

Q: Do Jesuits live in community?
A: Jesuits generally live in community with a superior, appointed by the provincial to lead the house. On occasion, because of apostolic necessity, a Jesuit may receive permission to live in a diocesan rectory. Jesuits rarely live alone.

Q: Do Jesuits pray the Divine Office in common?
A: St. Ignatius believed that Jesuits would be too busy serving the people of God to have time to perfect the chanting of the Divine Office in common. So from our inception we have not had this practice. All Jesuits are urged to pray regularly, celebrate the Eucharist daily and participate in the common prayer of the community. Jesuit priests say the Divine Office privately.

Q: Do Jesuits wear a habit?
A: We do not have a distinctive religious habit. Rather from our foundation Jesuits have always worn the garb of “a priest in good standing.”

Q: Can you keep the gifts you are given?
A: Our vow of poverty means that all we earn or receive goes to the community and a Jesuits materials needs are supplied by the community. When a man receives a gift he usually turns it into the superior. If he wishes to keep it, he asks for permission from the superior and it is usually granted.

Q: Do you decide where you will study and where you will work?
A: Each Jesuit takes a vow of obedience and therefore the provincial has the final decision about where a man will study and work. Each year the Jesuit and his provincial meet and the man reveals to his provincial all that is going on in his life. This is called the account of conscience. Through their conversation, the provincial comes to know the man in a deep way and so will assign him to studies and work for which he is suited. Before a final decision is made, the provincial and the Jesuit have fully discussed all possibilities.