Alumni •  Students •  Faculty & Staff •  Parents •  Donors
Department Header Image


Welcome to the Junior Students Formation and Ministry home page. For additional information on the Junior Program, please contact our Junior Chaplain – Tim Welsey at timothy.wesley@ignatius.org. For a complete faculty and staff contact list, please visit our Contact Info page.

During the Junior Year, students are offered many opportunities to reflect on their journey of faith as disciples of Jesus Christ – a journey of faith, service, learning and growth. As upper-class students, many juniors begin to take on leadership roles in clubs, sports, and retreats. In their Religious Studies course “Images of Humanity” they explore the big questions of human nature, ethical theories, and the practical implications for their daily lives. On Junior Retreat, “A Disciple’s Journey” students have the opportunity to share in conversation, activities, and prayer with classmates and retreat leaders as they reflect on their journey through high school. As they grow in their understanding of discipleship, they have the opportunity to imitate Christ through their service to the poor and the marginalized. In the spring, juniors and their families gather for the Junior Family Liturgy to celebrate their journey at Saint Ignatius and bless their class rings.

Junior Class Liturgy

The Junior Family Liturgy on Sunday, March 11, 2012 in Holy Family Church will be an opportunity for juniors and their families to join together in celebration of their relationships with classmates, the support of their families, and their journey of faith in Christ.

Juniors plan all aspects of the liturgy and serve as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers and gift bearers. During the liturgy, the class rings are blessed as a symbol of their time and growth at Saint Ignatius College Prep. Class rings will be distributed at the reception in the Tully Hall hosted by the Parents Organization which follows the liturgy.

Junior Retreat

Junior retreats are overnight retreats led by adult teams at the Techny Towers Retreat Center in Techny, IL and the Loyola Retreat and Ecology Center in Woodstock, IL. Junior retreat complements the junior religion classes with two full days of personal prayer, group reflection, community building, celebration of the Eucharist and Reconciliation. The juniors have time for private reflection and prayer, as well as discussion and sharing of concerns and hopes. Just as private prayer is a special way of encountering God, so is time for sharing. In this special way, the “Word of God” is being formulated and spoken through some of God’s greatest creations – your sons and daughters.

Dates for Junior Retreat

Locations:
Techny Towers Retreat Center 2001 Waukegan Road, Techny, IL (847) 272-2700
Loyola Retreat and Ecology Center, 2710 S. Country Club Road, Woodstock, IL 60098 (815) 338-1032 969-4141 Students leave morning of 1st day and return at about 3:30 p.m. the following afternoon (2 full class days missed)

Thursday-Friday, September 29-30, Location: Techny Towers Retreat Center
Thursday-Friday, October 20-21, Location: Techny Towers Retreat Center
Thursday-Friday, November 3-4, Location: Techny Towers Retreat Center
Thursday-Friday, January 26-27, Location: Techny Towers Retreat Center
Thursday-Friday, February 9-10, Location: Loyola Retreat and Ecology Center
Thursday-Friday, March 1-2, Location: Loyola Retreat and Ecology Center
Thursday-Friday, March 29-30, Location: Loyola Retreat and Ecology Center

Leadership Training

Juniors serve as leaders in many different settings within the SICP community: sports, retreat teams, extra-curricular clubs and activities. The Student Ignatian Leadership Seminar (SILS) is a three day workshop designed to prepare students who have been called to serve as Ignatian leaders by increasing their understanding of Christian principles, deepening their Ignatian Spirituality, and enhancing their leadership skills. There are three SILS programs during the year.

Junior Kairos

A general overview of the Kairos Program can be found on the Senior Formation & Ministry page. Because space is limited in our Kairos program, juniors are strongly encouraged to inquire about this early spiritual opportunity.

Kairos 126 is open only to members of the Class of 2013 and is scheduled for June 5 - 8, 2012.

Summer Immersion Projects

During the past summer, Saint Ignatius College Prep provided opportunities for more than 150 rising seniors on Summer Service Projects. The site locations extend from Chicago to Guatemala. The Junior and Senior Class Chaplains will collaborate early in the second semester to inform and recruit students for the Summer 2012 Immersion Program and to distribute application materials. For more information, please feel welcome to contact the Senior Class Chaplain at adrienne.mcardle@ignatius.org.

Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC)

Grounded in a faith that does justice, this co-curricular service organization limits its general membership to students in the junior and senior classes. Facilitated by a junior/senior executive board (and moderated by the Senior Class Chaplain), IVC members drive the following annual events:

Halloween Party
Outreach to neighborhood youth, featuring a haunted house and games. More than 200 Ignatius students (freshmen through seniors) come together to facilitate this event.
Hunger Awareness Month
Mid-November through mid-December Activities and education aimed at local and global needs
Peace and Justice Promotion
Offers activities to bring opportunity for greater awareness of people and systems operating both inside and outside of just and peaceful societies (historic/current, local and global)
Mission Collection/Collaborative Efforts
Provides support and student leadership for school-wide Mission Collections in partnership with other service-focused clubs.