What Are the Four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus?

Updated

The Four Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) are the guiding orientations the Society of Jesus has set for its mission. As described on the Jesuits West homepage, they are: showing the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment; walking with the poor and the outcasts of the world in a mission of reconciliation and justice; accompanying young people in the creation of a hope-filled future; and collaborating in the care of our Common Home. They are directions for mission rather than a checklist of programs, and Jesuits West presents them as the framework behind its news, parishes, and spirituality centers.

The Four Preferences, as Stated by Jesuits West

The Jesuits West homepage lists the four preferences in this wording:

  1. To show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment.
  2. To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, in a mission of reconciliation and justice.
  3. To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future.
  4. To collaborate in the care of our Common Home.

Each one names a direction rather than a single activity. The first is about helping people encounter God and make decisions through Ignatian discernment. The second is about closeness to those on the margins and the work of reconciliation and justice. The third is about walking with the young. The fourth is about shared responsibility for creation.

Why They Are Called "Preferences," Not a Program List

The word preference matters. A preference orients attention and resources; it does not by itself prescribe a specific project. Jesuits West describes them as guiding "our mission," which means they function as a lens for choosing and interpreting what the province does — not as a fixed catalog of initiatives that every Jesuit community or institution must run.

A practical way to read them: when you see a story about a new novice, a school partnership, or a spirituality center on the site, the UAPs are the background against which that work is understood.

How the Preferences Connect to the Rest of the Site

The homepage places the UAPs alongside several other entry points, and the connections are visible in the content it highlights:

Site element How it relates to the UAPs
Ignatian spirituality Directly tied to the first preference — the Spiritual Exercises and discernment
Find a Jesuit Parish / Spirituality Center Places where the Exercises and discernment are practiced and accompanied
Top Stories (e.g., new novices, school partnerships, a bishop's ordination) Illustrate the preferences in action across formation, education, and ministry
Online card store A practical service for expressing care in times of joy and sorrow

For example, the homepage's featured story about Jesuits West welcoming five new novices at the Jesuit Novitiate of the Three Companions in Culver City, California, sits within the first preference: formation in the Exercises and discernment begins in the novitiate. A story about two Los Angeles Jesuit schools creating a new pathway to college connects to the third preference — accompanying young people toward a hope-filled future.

How to Use This Framework

If you are trying to understand what Jesuits West is about, the UAPs give you a reading key:

  • If you are exploring Ignatian spirituality, start with the first preference and the site's "Ignatian spirituality" section, then look for a parish or spirituality center near you.
  • If you are looking for social justice or reconciliation work, the second preference is the relevant orientation.
  • If you work with young people or are a young person, the third preference frames much of the province's educational and youth ministry content.
  • If you care about environmental stewardship, the fourth preference is the stated basis for that concern.

The preferences are broad by design, so the specific expression varies by community and institution. The site itself is the place to see how they are being applied at a given moment.