How Ignatian Spirituality Shapes the Ignatian Solidarity Network's Work

Updated

The Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) is a national social justice education and advocacy organization inspired by the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Its mission is to "network, educate, and form advocates for social justice animated by the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the witness of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador and their companions." So the short answer to how Ignatian spirituality shapes ISN's work is this: the spirituality is not a decorative layer on top of activism—it is the animating force behind who ISN forms, how it educates, and what it advocates for. This matters most if you are connected to a Jesuit university, high school, or parish, or to another Catholic or social justice partner looking for formation and advocacy resources.

The two spiritual anchors behind ISN's mission

ISN's own mission statement names two distinct sources of inspiration, and they work together:

  • The spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola — the discernment tradition that asks people to notice where they are being moved, and to act on that movement in service of others.
  • The witness of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador and their companions — the six Jesuits, their housekeeper, and her daughter killed at the Universidad Centroamericana in 1989, along with the broader community of witnesses. Their deaths turned an abstract commitment to justice into a concrete, costly example.

The pairing is deliberate. Ignatian spirituality supplies the method of reflection and discernment; the martyrs supply the proof that this reflection leads somewhere demanding.

From spirituality to education and advocacy

ISN describes itself as working in three connected modes: network, educate, and form. Ignatian spirituality shapes each one:

Mode What it means in practice How the spirituality shapes it
Network Connecting Jesuit universities, high schools, parishes, and other Catholic and social justice partners Builds a shared language of discernment across institutions rather than isolated campaigns
Educate Teaching social justice issues and their root causes Frames learning as formation of conscience, not just information transfer
Form Developing advocates over time Treats advocacy as a vocation rooted in reflection, not a one-off action

The practical takeaway: if you come to ISN expecting a single-issue campaign, you will find something broader—a formation process aimed at changing how people see and act.

What this looks like in specific programs

ISN's site highlights several initiatives that show the spirituality-to-action translation:

  • Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice — an annual gathering that brings the Ignatian family together for education, reflection, and advocacy. It is the clearest example of the network-educate-form model operating at scale.
  • Rise Up — a formation and advocacy initiative aimed at mobilizing people around justice concerns.
  • Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance — a concrete expression of justice commitments in institutional purchasing decisions, connecting economic choices to ethical ones.

Each of these takes an Ignatian premise—that faith is expressed in action and that discernment should lead to commitment—and gives it a programmatic home.

Who this is for, and how to engage

ISN states that it works primarily with Jesuit universities, high schools, and parishes, as well as other Catholic and social justice partners. If you belong to one of those institutions, the most direct entry points are:

  1. Join the mailing list — the site's primary call to action, useful for staying current on news, stories, and program announcements.
  2. Explore the Teach-In — if you are a student, educator, or campus minister, this is the flagship entry point into ISN's formation work.
  3. Look at the advocacy and purchasing initiatives — if your institution wants to align its operations with its stated justice commitments.
  4. Donate — the site lists donation as a way to support the mission directly.

One practical note: the site's visible calls to action are "Join Mailing List" and "Donate." Pricing details for programs are not specified on the page evidence available, so if cost matters for your participation, check directly with ISN rather than assuming a program is free.

The bottom line

Ignatian spirituality shapes ISN by supplying both its method (discernment, reflection, formation) and its motivation (the witness of the Salvadoran martyrs). The result is an organization that treats social justice advocacy as a form of spiritual formation rather than a separate political activity. If you are part of a Jesuit school, parish, or university—or a partner organization—ISN offers structured ways to turn that tradition into education, networking, and action.