jesuitswest.org

Becoming a Jesuit novice means entering the first formal stage of Jesuit formation: a period of prayer, community life, study, and service designed to test and deepen a man's calling before he professes vows. In Jesuits West, this stage begins at the Jesuit Novitiate of the Three Companions in Culver City, California, where the province welcomed five new novices in August, according to the province's homepage. The novitiate is not yet a permanent commitment — it is a time of discernment, and the province's own news items show what comes next: first vows, then ordained or other ministry.

What the novitiate is

The novitiate is the entry point into the Society of Jesus. A man who enters is called a novice, and the novitiate is structured to let him live the Jesuit way of life before making any vows.

Jesuits West's site frames this within Ignatian spirituality, which it describes as encountering God in all things, going into the world as "contemplatives in action," and discerning God's desire for one's life "here, now." The novitiate is where that posture is first practiced in a sustained way.

Typical elements of the novitiate, as reflected in the province's descriptions of Jesuit life and formation:

• Prayer and the Spiritual Exercises — the retreat framework attributed to St. Ignatius, used for discernment.
• Community life — living and praying with other novices and Jesuit formators.
• Service and mission — the province's four Universal Apostolic Preferences name walking with the poor, accompanying young people, and care for our Common Home as guiding commitments.
• Spiritual accompaniment — direction and mentoring to help a novice read his own experience.

How the path progresses, as Jesuits West reports it

The province's news items give a concrete sequence:

So the novitiate is a beginning, not an endpoint. First vows mark the end of the novitiate stage and the start of the next phase of formation; ordained ministry and other leadership come much later, after further study and years of service.

Who this is for, and how to explore it

This path is for men considering Jesuit priesthood or brotherhood who want a structured, Church-supported way to discern that call. The province's homepage includes a Become a Jesuit entry point for those exploring vocation, alongside ways to connect with Jesuit parishes and spirituality centers.

If you are asking the question for yourself or someone else, a practical starting sequence is:

1. Visit the Jesuits West site and use the Become a Jesuit link to see how the province describes the process.
2. Read the province's vocation-related stories — the novice welcome and first-vows announcements show what the early years actually look like.
3. If you want to go further, contact the province's vocation office through the site rather than relying on general descriptions alone.

The site does not publish details such as application requirements, timelines, or costs, so those specifics need to come from the province directly. What the homepage does make clear is the shape of the journey: enter as a novice, live the Ignatian way in community, discern, and — for those who continue — profess first vows and move into lifelong ministry.

Jesuits West (jesuitswest.org) describes Ignatian spirituality as a way of encountering God in all things, witnessing to the joy of the Gospel, and going into the world as "contemplatives in action" — discerning God's desire for our lives here and now, and acting on that invitation. If you want a plain-language starting point plus ways to go deeper, the site's Ignatian spirituality section and its "Learn More" link are the front door; from there you can branch into Jesuit parishes, spirituality centers, and the four Universal Apostolic Preferences that shape the province's mission.

The core idea in the site's own words

The homepage's Ignatian spirituality block makes three moves in a single paragraph:

• Encounter God in all things — not only in explicitly religious settings, but in ordinary life.
• Be contemplatives in action — prayer and engagement with the world are not opposites; contemplation feeds action and action returns you to contemplation.
• Discern and act — notice God's desire for your life "here, now," and respond to that invitation.

That third element is what distinguishes Ignatian spirituality from a general sense of "finding God anywhere." It is oriented toward decision and response, not just awareness.

How the site frames it: the four Universal Apostolic Preferences

The page states that the Society of Jesus' four Universal Apostolic Preferences guide the mission, and lists them directly:

These are useful as a self-check: if you are trying to understand what Ignatian spirituality looks like in practice rather than in definition, these four are the province's own answer.

What you can actually do from this page

The homepage is a hub rather than a course, so the practical value is in the links it offers:

• Learn More — the entry point under the Ignatian spirituality heading, for readers who want the fuller explanation.
• Find a Jesuit Parish — for local worship and community.
• Find a Jesuit Spirituality Center — for retreats and guided prayer, which is where the Spiritual Exercises are typically experienced.
• Subscribe to Jesuits West Magazine — published twice a year, covering works around the province, useful if you prefer reading stories over definitions.

If your goal is to practice Ignatian spirituality rather than read about it, the spirituality center link is the most direct next step; parishes are the better fit if you are looking for a regular community.

Where the Spiritual Exercises and discernment fit

The site names the Spiritual Exercises and discernment as the first Apostolic Preference — "to show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment." That placement matters: in this framing, the Exercises are not a devotional extra but the method underneath everything else. Discernment is the skill the Exercises are meant to build, and the "contemplatives in action" language on the homepage is the outcome.

A concrete example of how this reads in practice: someone weighing a career change would, in this framework, treat the decision as a matter for discernment — attending to where they find consolation and desolation, and asking what God is inviting — rather than treating it as a purely strategic calculation.

A note on scope

This page gives the province's summary and routes you to further resources; it does not itself lay out the full Exercises or a step-by-step discernment method. For that, use the "Learn More" link and the spirituality center directory, where the Exercises are offered in guided form.

Jesuits West (jesuitswest.org) provides two direct entry points on its homepage: Find a Jesuit Parish and Find a Jesuit Spirituality Center. Use the first if you are looking for Mass, sacraments, or a local faith community; use the second if you want a retreat, guided prayer, or spiritual direction. Both tools cover the Jesuits West Province, so if you live outside that region you will need the website of your own Jesuit province instead.

What each search tool is for

The two links look similar but serve different needs.

A parish is a local worshipping community; a spirituality center is a place set apart for retreat and discernment. If your goal is simply to attend Mass near you, start with the parish finder. If your goal is a silent weekend, an eight-day retreat, or one-on-one spiritual accompaniment, start with the spirituality center finder.

Step-by-step

1. Go to jesuitswest.org.
2. On the homepage, locate the section with the headings Find a Jesuit Parish and Find a Jesuit Spirituality Center.
3. Click the one that matches your purpose.
4. Review the results for location, and note the name of the parish or center nearest you.
5. Before you travel or register, contact the parish or center directly to confirm Mass times, retreat schedules, and whether registration is required.

The site itself does not display Mass times or retreat calendars on the homepage, so the final confirmation always comes from the individual parish or center.

A note on coverage

Jesuits West is one province within a larger structure. The homepage footer links to the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the U.S. and to other provinces, including the Central and Southern Province, East Province, and Midwest Province. If your search returns nothing close to you, you are likely outside the Jesuits West boundaries and should check the province that covers your area.

Before you go

• Confirm the address and current Mass or program schedule by phone or the location's own page.
• Ask whether a retreat requires advance registration or a deposit.
• For spiritual direction, ask how directors are assigned and whether there is a waiting list.

Where this fits in the wider site

The same homepage also introduces Ignatian spirituality — encountering God in all things and acting as "contemplatives in action" — and lists the Society of Jesus' four Universal Apostolic Preferences. These give context for what a Jesuit parish or spirituality center is trying to do, but they are not required reading before you search. If you only want to find a place to pray or make a retreat, the two finder links are enough.

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:

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.

Jesuits West (jesuitswest.org) is the official website of the Jesuits West Province, a regional province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) covering the western United States. It is a province-level site, not the global Jesuit headquarters in Rome and not the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the U.S. as a whole, though it links out to those bodies. Use it if you want news from this province, Ignatian spirituality resources, or help finding a Jesuit parish or spirituality center in the region.

What the site is

The homepage identifies the organization as "Jesuits West" and describes it as a province of the Society of Jesus. The footer lists it alongside the other North American provinces — Canada (in English and French), Central and Southern, East, Midwest, and West — under the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the U.S. That placement confirms Jesuits West is one province within a larger conference structure, not a standalone or global entity.

What you'll find on the homepage

The site is organized around a few recurring sections:

• Top Stories — province news and profiles. Current items include "Jesuits West Welcomes Five New Novices," about five men entering the Jesuit Novitiate of the Three Companions in Culver City, California, in August; "Two Los Angeles Jesuit Schools Create New Pathway to College," a partnership expanding college access for Verbum Dei students; "Three Jesuits West Novices Profess First Vows" (Connor Murphy, SJ, Nhat Nguyen, SJ, and Vincent Nguyen, SJ, on August 8); and "Michael Castori, SJ, Ordained and Installed as Bishop of Honolulu" on July 28.
• Ignatian spirituality — an introduction to the approach of encountering God in all things and living as "contemplatives in action," with a link to learn more.
• Find a Jesuit Parish and Find a Jesuit Spirituality Center — directories for locating nearby institutions.
• Our Four Universal Apostolic Preferences — the guiding priorities: showing the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment; walking with the poor and outcast in reconciliation and justice; accompanying young people toward a hope-filled future; and collaborating in care of our Common Home.
• Visit Our Online Card Store — cards for occasions of joy and sorrow.
• Subscribe to Jesuits West Magazine — a publication issued twice a year covering works around the province.
• Give Now / Support Us — donation entry points.
• Become a Jesuit — vocation information for those considering joining.

Who it's for

The site serves several audiences at once: people following province news and Jesuit appointments, Catholics and others seeking Ignatian spirituality resources or a local Jesuit parish or retreat center, supporters who donate or buy cards, and prospective candidates exploring Jesuit vocation. If you fall outside those groups, the site offers little beyond general background on the province.

What it is not

It is not the global Society of Jesus site, and it is not the umbrella site for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the U.S. — it is the West Province's own site, and its footer links to the conference and the other provinces. The homepage also carries a "Protecting Children, Young People, and Vulnerable Adults" link, indicating safeguarding information is part of the site's scope.

Practical notes

The homepage shows no pricing for anything except the card store, which is a purchase page; no prices are listed in the material available here, so check the store directly for costs. Magazine subscription and donation pages may involve sign-up or payment steps that aren't detailed on the homepage. For anything specific to a parish, spirituality center, or vocation, follow the dedicated section rather than relying on the homepage summary.