Jesuit Heritage Month
Each November, the Loyola University Chicago community comes together in a variety of settings to celebrate and reflect on our Ignatian heritage and its continued influence on our work today. Jesuit Heritage Month is both a tradition and an invitation to deeper contemplation and renewed action.
Examens & Podcast
Our Ignatian tradition is not limited to programs and events! This Jesuit Heritage Month, Examens and weekly podcasts are here for your continued reflection and inspiration at whatever time is convenient to you. Enjoy!
Calendar of Events
Sunday, November 1, 2026
All Saints' Day Mass
Very Rev. Karl Kiser, S.J., Provincial of the Midwest Jesuits, will preside at the 10:30 AM Mass at Madonna della Strada. Fr. Michael Rossmann, S.J., Rector of Madonna della Strada, will profess his final vows at this Mass.
LSC, Madonna della Strada Chapel, 10:30-11:30 AM
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Lunch with the Jesuits
Get a free lunch while getting to know some of Loyola's Jesuits! All students, staff, and faculty are welcome! Each lunch is limited to eight guests. Registration is required.
LSC, Ignatius House, November 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, & 13, 12:00-1:00 PM
Reigniting the Mission Workshop for Anniversary Employees
Mission Integration, in partnership with Human Resources, is excited to introduce a new program designed to honor and support our dedicated staff who have reached significant milestones in their careers at Loyola (5, 10, 15, etc. years of experience). Join us for an inspiring half-day conference designed to help you connect, reconnect, or reignite your passion for Loyola's mission alongside fellow colleagues. This engaging event features a dynamic plenary speaker, interactive workshops, and meaningful networking opportunities
WTC, 8:30-11:30 AM
Cannonball Reflections
Come learn about pivotal moments in the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola and members of the Arrupe community. Participants will have a chance to reflect on their own "cannonball moment." Food will be provided.
WTC, Maguire Hall, Rm 160, 1:00-2:00 PM
Registration Link Coming Soon
Medicine and Bioethics Grand Rounds in Celebration of Jesuit Heritage Month:
Growing Our Moral Imagination: Approaching Healthcare with a New Faith-Based Vision
Ethics Grand Rounds is the flagship speaker series of the Neiswanger Institute featuring nationally recognized speakers discussing current ethical issues relevant to clinical practice and professional identity formation. These sessions are often presented in conjunction with clinical and science departments. This session will feature:
Michael Rozier, SJ, PhD, Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives, Associate Professor of Healthcare Administration
HSC, CTRE Auditorium and Webinar, 12:00-1:00 PM
All Things Ignatian Special Topics: AI and Jesuit Education
Join Loyola faculty members as they lead conversations about how AI and Jesuit education intersect in the wider community. This series will involve hearing from AI experts, connecting with colleagues across the university, and workshop space for critically exploring what an Ignatian-informed relationship to AI could look like in your role at LUC.
The session on November 3rd is called, AI & Impact on the Dignity of the Person. This talk will be led by Diana Acosta Navas, Assistant Professor of Management, Business Ethics from the Quinlan School of Business.
Zoom Events on November 3, 10, 17, 2026 from 3:00-4:30 PM
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Jesuit Heritage Month Kick-off
Come kick-off Jesuit Heritage Month with food and fun activities!
LSC, Damen Den, 1:00-3:00 PM
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Special St. Albert's Day Bioethics Grand Rounds:
A.I. and Human Dignity: Technology Through the Lens of Our Jesuit Catholic Heritage
Ethics Grand Rounds is the flagship speaker series of the Neiswanger Institute featuring nationally recognized speakers discussing current ethical issues relevant to clinical practice and professional identity formation. These sessions are often presented in conjunction with clinical and science departments. This session will feature:
Michael McCarthy, PhD, HEC-C, Associate Professor of Bioethics
HSC, SSOM 150 Tobin Hall, 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
(In person only)
First-Generation Celebration
You're invited to participate in the 2026 celebration of first-generation students. Refreshments will be provided!
LSC, Damen Student Center, Sr. Jean Dolores MPR, 12:00 - 2:00 PM
Community Service & Action Art Contest: People's Choice Voting Begins
CSA's student art contest invites Loyola Students to uplift and reflect upon Jesuit values through art. Submissions of photography, digital art, or photos of visual art will reflect one of the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) set forth by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits): Caring for our Common Home, Journeying with Youth, Walking with the Excluded, and Showing the Way to God. Students will also reflect on how their artwork connects with a UAP. People's Choice voting will take place on Instagram (@lucserve) from November 5-11).
Mass for the All Saints and Blesseds of the Society of Jesus
LSC, Madonna della Strada, 12:00 PM
Thursday Night Mass
LSC, Ignatius House, 9:00 PM
Friday, November 6, 2026
Jesuit Heritage Month Volleyball Game
Loyola Women's Volleyball vs George Mason
LSC, Gentile Arena, 6:00 PM
Monday, November 9, 2026
Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)
Please join us for Kristallnacht, co-sponsored by the Department of History and the University Libraries. This year marks the 85th Anniversary of the Babi Yar massacre in the ravine outside of Kyiv, Ukraine in 1941. The largest massacre of the "Holocaust by Bullets." 33,771 Jewish men, women, and children were shot to death there on the two days before Judaism's holiest day, Yom Kippur. The program is an opportunity to learn from Ms. Gdalina Novitsky, Russian Jewish Holocaust Survivor from Kyiv, whose grandmother was murdered at Babi Yar.
LSC, Information Commons 4th Floor, 4:00-5:00 PM
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
All Things Ignatian Special Topics: AI and Jesuit Education
Join Loyola faculty members as they lead conversations about how AI and Jesuit education intersect in the wider community. This series will involve hearing from AI experts, connecting with colleagues across the university, and workshop space for critically exploring what an Ignatian-informed relationship to AI could look like in your role at LUC.
The session on November 10th is called, The Philosophies of Silicon Valley and Magnifica Humanitas. This talk will be led by Josephy Vukov, Associate Director at the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage and Associate Professor of Philosophy.
Zoom Events on November 3, 10, 17, 2026 from 3:00-4:30 PM
AJCU Affinity Group Luncheon
LSC, By invitation only, 12:00-1:00 PM
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Reflective Community Conversations on Callings
This meeting of students, faculty, and staff will allow us to share some of what brought them to social work, and the key influences in their discernment to pursue this work.
WTC, 12:00-1:00 PM
Jesuit Heritage Month Book Club for Employees
This year's selection is Leading Toward Liberation by Annmarie Caño.
In Leading Toward Liberation, Annmarie Caño reimagines academic leadership as practice rooted in liberation and equity. Drawing on her experiences as a Latina, first-generation college student, clinical psychologist, and higher education administrator, she explores how leaders can foster inclusive cultures where everyone can thrive. Lunch and books will be provided.
HSC, 12:00-1:00 PM
Alpha Sigma Nu: Letters of Love Event
Loyola University Chicago’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit Honors Society, will collaborate with Letters of Love, a student organization dedicated to crafting handmade cards destined for pediatric patients in need of emotional support. Students from both clubs will spread kindness at the event by creating encouraging cards to be sent to students at Chicago Jesuit Academy, a tuition-free Catholic elementary school for students and families from resilient communities founded by recent honorary 2026 Alpha Sigma Nu member President Matthew Lynch. Refreshments and snacks will also be served.
LSC, Regis Multipurpose Room, 6:30-8:00 PM
Thursday, November 12, 2026
Jesuit Heritage Month Book Club for Employees
This year's selection is Leading Toward Liberation by Annmarie Caño.
In Leading Toward Liberation, Annmarie Caño reimagines academic leadership as practice rooted in liberation and equity. Drawing on her experiences as a Latina, first-generation college student, clinical psychologist, and higher education administrator, she explores how leaders can foster inclusive cultures where everyone can thrive. Lunch and books will be provided.
LSC & WTC, 12:00-1:00 PM
Thursday Night Mass
LSC, Ignatius House, 9:00 PM
Friday, November 13, 2026
From Major to Mission: An Ignatian Discernment Retreat for Future Health Professionals
LSC, Bach & Lang Houses, 4:00-7:00 PM
Saturday, November 14, 2026
John Sobrino Colloquium on Worship, Theology, and Justice
As part of Jesuit Heritage Month, the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage and Loyola University Campus Ministry invite undergraduate and graduate students to participate in a research colloquium dedicated to the great Salvadoran priest and theologian, Jon Sobrino, SJ. While most remembered for his pioneering work in Liberation Theology, Sobrino was a priest whose pastoral ministry and daily celebration of the liturgy informed his entire life. This colloquium, bringing together undergraduate and graduate scholars seeks to provide an opportunity for theological reflection rooted in worship and the Catholic intellectual tradition, and oriented outward in loving service to our world. This year's colloquium theme is "Beauty and the Commitment to Justice.
LSC, Day-long Colloquium
Call for Papers:
CFP - Sobrino Colloquium 2026 2.0.pdf
Monday, November 16, 2026
Martyr's Mass
LSC, Madonna della Strada, 12:00 PM
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Living the Legacy: What the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador Teach Us about Healthcare
Join us for lunch and conversation with three faculty and staff members from medicine, public health, and nursing who recently traveled to El Salvador through the Ignatian Service Immersion (ISI) program. Our panelists will share their experiences learning about the Jesuit Martyrs, engaging with the people of El Salvador, and reflecting on how the martyrs' lives and values continue to shape their work in healthcare and their commitment to service and justice.
Panelists include:
Lucia Garcia, EdD, Med, MPH; Crystal Cash, MD; Mary Byrn, PhD, RN.
Moderator: John Hardt, PhD
All Things Ignatian Special Topics: AI and Jesuit Education
Join Loyola faculty members as they lead conversations about how AI and Jesuit education intersect in the wider community. This series will involve hearing from AI experts, connecting with colleagues across the university, and workshop space for critically exploring what an Ignatian-informed relationship to AI could look like in your role at LUC.
The session on November 17th is called, AI Saves Lives! This talk will be led by Samie Tootoonie, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Informatics and Data Science and Associate Director at the Center for Health Outcomes and Informatics Research (CHOIR)
Zoom Events on November 3, 10, 17, 2026 from 3:00-4:30 PM
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Lunch 'n' Learn More about Engaged Scholarship
Faculty and staff colleagues are invited to come together, to continue the conversation around engaged scholarship, sharing information and best practices to elevate and encourage this pathway to more inclusive research and scholarship. At this event, we also will showcase LUC’s recent acceptance into the Engaged Scholarship Consortium and introduce the extensive range of resources our affiliation makes available to the entire university community. Staff and faculty who have published and disseminated engaged scholarship may offer informal updates on their work. Library resources to support research efforts will be featured, and lunch will be provided. Please join us!
LSC, Information Commons 4th Floor, 12:00 PM-1:30 PM
Thursday, November 19, 2026
Ignatian Gratitude Lunch for Law Students
WTC, Corboy, 12:00-1:00 PM
Jesuit Values in Nursing Lunch
St. Ignatius of Loyola, our namesake and the founder of the Jesuits, gave us a set of values that continue to guide the Loyola community today. These values are deeply connected to the call to nursing. Join fellow nursing students, faculty, and staff at the Health Sciences Campus for lunch and a meaningful discussion about how Jesuit values have shaped the practice of nursing and continue to inspire the way we care for others.
HSC, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM
To register, please email Sarah Simmons, ssimmons5@luc.edu
Thursday Night Mass
LSC, Ignatius House, 9:00 PM
Ongoing
Jesuit Literature Display
LSC, Cudahy Library 1st Floor
Lunch with the Jesuits
Get a free lunch while getting to know some of Loyola's Jesuits! All students, staff, and faculty are welcome! Each lunch is limited to eight guests. Registration is required.
LSC, Ignatius House, November 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, & 13, 12:00-1:00 PM
Volunteer Opportunity: Soup Kitchen at St. Thomas of Canterbury
Every Tuesday and Friday, a group of Loyola students volunteer at the St. Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen to prepare and serve a meal. We meet Tuesdays and Fridays in Damen 232 at 3:30pm, we then travel to the St. Thomas of Canterbury soup kitchen in Uptown and we get back to campus around 7:30pm. We do not send volunteers on days that classes are not in session.
Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays throughout the month of November! No sign-ups required, just show up!
Student Reflections on Jesuit Heritage
What happens when Jesuit Heritage, student creativity, and a healthy competition align? Let’s find out! The University Libraries invites students to share a written reflection on why Loyola's Jesuit heritage is personally meaningful. Within the context of Loyola University Chicago's mission, to serve as Chicago's Jesuit Catholic university, uniting a diverse community through learning, justice, and faith, consider what drew you here, how you experience nurture and belonging, and why the Jesuit tradition matters. As part of the process, you may wish to explore the Jesuit literature Display on the 1st floor of Cudahy Library for additional inspiration! It will remain in place through the end of November.
Reflections may take any form of written expression, such as short essay, prayer, story, or poem, but should not exceed one page (double-spaced). Rambler Bucks will be awarded for the first-place and runner-up selections. Submissions will be accepted between November 1 and November 30.
“Let us make this immense richness a patrimony to improve contribution to the common good of humanity, struggling to make this world a home reconciled in justice.” Arturo Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Address to the International Association of Jesuit Universities, August 2022