Dear Friends,
As I considered what to share with you this Lent, one thing became clear: you, our most dedicated supporters, deserve to know the true impact of your generosity. Your giving to American Jesuits International is about sustaining life-changing efforts every day, in communities across the globe. And to truly understand the depth of this mission, I wanted to share more than one perspective with you.
Recently, our team had the privilege of speaking with three individuals whose lives have been shaped by the work of Jesuits beyond the United States—a Jesuit priest, a religious sister, and a young woman educated in a Jesuit school. Each of them answered a simple yet profound question: Why give to Jesuits working around the world, and what does international solidarity mean to you?
Fr. Pete Henriot, S.J., who led development and fundraising for Loyola Jesuit Secondary School in Malawi, reflected on what it means to be a Jesuit: “The Jesuits are working in different locations … but we make up one family. We Jesuits are showing the rest of the world what it means to be a family of love and care.” To contribute to American Jesuits International, you are contributing to the universal Church, the entire Body of Christ – you are giving as part of one family.
Fr. Pete shared how, because of supporters like you, young people in Malawi—who otherwise might never have the opportunity—are able to receive a Jesuit education. “Without the support of our friends in the United States, these students wouldn’t be able to go to school.” His words reminded me of the true impact of your generosity—you don’t just provide a child the chance to enter a classroom; you provide something even more profound: a Jesuit education. Your gift of solidarity provides an education rooted in service and a deep commitment to others.
Jezabel Aponte, a young woman from Nicaragua, experienced that transformative power firsthand. She was educated by the Jesuits through Fe y Alegría schools and later at Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Managua. “One of the greatest lessons I learned from my Jesuit education was the call to be a person, a woman, for and with others, taking responsibility for the world around me,” she shared. “This principle greatly influenced my life. It inspired me to get curious and get involved in my community and beyond.”
This commitment to solidarity extends far beyond schools. Jezebel told us about another experience of serving with the Jesuits through Fe y Alegría Panama. Her time there reminds me of Fe y Alegría’s mission to begin where the asphalt ends, where drinking water does not drip, where the city loses its name. Jezebel affirmed that, “This is absolutely true in Panama. There, Fe y Alegría Panama is serving people who are very often unseen, and crucially, they are building bridges of solidarity between locals and forcibly displaced communities.” Jesuits and their partners accompany communities, walking alongside those who are marginalized through education and beyond.
For Sr. Nancy Raquel Fretes, ODN, the National Director of Fe y Alegría Paraguay and member of the Fe y Alegría International’s ’s Board of Directors, this mission is deeply personal. She was formed in Ignatian spirituality from a young age, growing up in the heart of a Jesuit parish. That formation shaped her view of the world and her calling to serve. “The Jesuits gave me a way of understanding reality—a way of seeing my life as a call to serve,” she said. That same call is being passed on today to thousands of students, families, and communities through her leadership in Fe y Alegría.
For anyone looking to support the children, youth and families in Paraguay through Fe y Alegría, she encourages you to know that with your gift, “you are allowing children, young people, and adults to dream, to give themselves the opportunity to believe that another world is possible, that another reality is possible and that he or she find his or her place in society as well.”
This is the work that you make possible. Through your generosity, you are ensuring that children in Malawi receive an education, that displaced families in Panama find hope, and that children in Paraguay have the opportunity to build a future. You are part of a global Jesuit family—one that reaches across borders to serve, to accompany, and to transform lives.
As we journey through Lent, I invite you to reflect on the role you can play in this mission. Think back to your own education—perhaps to the laughter and friendships of childhood, to the teacher who encouraged you, to the pride of a graduation day. Every child deserves these moments. Every young person deserves the chance to learn, to dream, and to build a future full of possibility. By supporting American Jesuits International, you are helping make that a reality.
Will you join us this Lent, in standing with our brothers and sisters around the world? Will you help ensure that the mission of the Society of Jesus continues—not just in the United States, but in the places where the needs are greatest?
With gratitude,
Nate Radomski
Executive Director, American Jesuits International
Join us, this Lent, as we celebrate our global Jesuit family of solidarity. Whether you advocate for essential funding for education programs or the restoration of U.S. foreign aid, donate to any of our priority areas, or join us in praying during this period of reflection, repentance, and restoration, THANK YOU. Your contribution is making a difference.
