Ignatian Associates
Ignatian Associates , "Ignatian Associates" ("IA" or "IAsj" for short) is a Roman Catholic Ignatian lay movement .
Emergence
"Ignatian Associates" emerged in the USA in 1991 as a Catholic spiritual movement of lay people , women and men, married and unmarried, from the retreat of Ignatius of Loyola . Patrick and Stephanie Russell (Milwaukee, USA) are the initiators of this path, which is about apostolic availability for the mission of the Jesuit order . This specific form of collaboration between the laity and the Jesuit Order was particularly advocated by the Order through the 1995 General Congregation.
present
There are now Ignatian Associates in Europe and South America, and in a modified form in Australia. Some live according to the evangelical counsels , others with their families. The movement is an international network in the large Ignatian family of various orders and lay communities such as the Congregation of Jesus (CJ) or the Community of Christian Life (GCL). The number of members is growing continuously. Ignatian associates are active in numerous apostolic tasks, in the field of spirituality, they give Ignatian retreats, work in countries of the South in the social and pastoral field, in theology, in teaching and research, as well as in various social initiatives. In the USA they founded a school for Indian children in St. Paul ( Minneapolis ), run an education and retreat house for Latinos in Milwaukee and work in various Jesuit works. In 2008 the Society of Jesus will evaluate the collaboration with the Ignatian Associates from their perspective. The network will subsequently be put on a permanent legal basis either by the Order or by the Vatican Lay Council .