Welcome to the Senior Students Formation and Ministry home page. For additional information on the Senior Program, please contact our Senior Class Chaplain - Ms. Adrienne McArdle at adrienne.mcardle@ignatius.org. For a complete faculty and staff contact list, please visit our Contact Info page.

Senior Retreat Options

Seniors and invited juniors are encouraged to make one of five Kairos retreats throughout the school year. Held at the Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, Kairos at Saint Ignatius College Prep is a religious retreat program grounded in Christian incarnational theology and Ignatian spirituality. It is an experience of Christian community with a series of talks given by students and adults. Prayer and the sacraments are an essential part of the program as well as the retreatant’s involvement in discussions and other exercises.

Students are invited to register for Kairos during the first week of school. Seniors who choose not to participate in this voluntary retreat are encouraged to see the Senior Chaplain for alternatives to nourish their maturing spirituality. One such alternative is the Oramus, We Pray retreat. Students pray with and among the Monks of the New Melleray Abbey on this journey. Both retreats are explained by the Class Chaplain in collaboration with Religious Studies instructors. Students receive registration materials at that time. To view a copy of the Registration Form for Senior Retreats, please click here.

Retreats for the Class of 2010 are as follows:

Kairos 112 -- September 22 – 25
Oramus II -- October 28 - 30
Kairos 113 -- November 17 – 20
Kairos 114 -- February 11 – 14
Kairos 115 -- March 23 – 26

Students who participate in Kairos either during their junior year or during the first semester offerings are invited to apply for leadership on the remaining Kairos retreats.

Leadership Opportunities

Arrupe Mentor Program

Arrupe Mentors are students who commit to providing year-long mentorship to members of the freshman class. 65 members of the Class of 2010 are currently immersed in this project.

Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J. is most known for serving as Superior General of the Jesuits during the transformative years in the wake of Vatican II, articulating more clearly a faith that does justice. Often referred to as the second founder, he also displayed his great pastoral skills as Novice Master for those men just entering the Jesuits, of which we emulate as we commit to being mentors for our freshmen… This commitment involves time, energy, creativity, and integrity when meeting the needs of our freshman class.

Seniors are assigned 5 – 8 freshmen and lead the freshmen through the year as directed by adult moderators. Application information is offered at the end of the school year. Please contact the Senior Class Chaplain for more information about this program.

Please see the Junior Students Formation & Ministry page for more leadership opportunities.

Summer Immersion Program

Many seniors begin their work with the Senior Class Chaplain during the recruitment, orientation, and experience of Summer Service Trips. This past summer, 130 members of the Class of 2010 traveled near and far in their common endeavor to put their faith into action. Students are asked to embrace the values of simplicity, community, service and prayer during their 1 – 2 week immersions. Looking ahead, here is a sampling of the communities we hope to serve in the summer of 2010:

Bethlehem Farm -- Pence Springs, WV
C.O.A.P. -- Harlan, KY
Glenmary Farm -- Vanceburg, KY
Sacred Heart Southern Mission -- Walls, MS
San Lucas Toliman Mission -- Guatemala!
St. Procopius Parish -- Chicago (Pilsen), IL
Young People Who Care/Caritas -- Frenchville, PA

Also on the horizon are plans to create more local, urban opportunities for the summer program as well as immersions which provide focus on current social justice concerns.

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, IVC members drive the following annual events:

Halloween Party -- Outreach to neighborhood youth, featuring a haunted house

Hunger Awareness Month -- Mid-November through mid-December Activities and education aimed at local and global needs

Peace and Justice -- Devotes all second semester activities to bring greater awareness of people and systems operating both inside and outside of just and peaceful societies (historic/current, local and global)

Collaborative Efforts -- Works in partnership with Students Committed to Social Action Provides support and student leadership for school wide Mission Collections