Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice

Written By: Janine Corgan, Director of Faith Formation/Religion Department Faculty

On Saturday, November 15, at 6:00 AM, eight amazing Notre Dame students embarked on an adventure to Arlington, Virginia, to attend the Ignatian Family Teach-in For Justice 2025, ready and eager to learn about, participate in, and advocate for important social justice issues both close to home and around the world. After a long ride, our enthusiastic students gathered to hear the first set of speakers. The ballroom overflowed with over 2,000 high school and college students from across the country. Fr. Greg Boyle from Homeboys Industries shared stories of young men and women who, after years of neglect, abuse, and surviving the only way they could, finally found welcome, safety, and hope. Their new course was only possible through people who understand and live the motto, “everyone matters,” who believe in the good and God within each individual, and who are willing to support others through second chances. “We shouldn’t judge from the past or let it define us. Those boys transformed into such good people,” a student recalled.

Another speaker reached the audience, explaining how we are all shaped, in part, by what we pay attention to. Their words remind us of Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be.” We are more than all those predictable algorithms we rely upon, which also limit our own creative ideas and viewpoints. We are made for meaningful encounters. We have a duty to stay both aware and intentional.
 
All the speakers had similar impacts. For example, hearing from an incredibly motivating peer speaker, our students were challenged not just to “do service,” but to have depth of heart and stand together. He boldly distinguished service from serving without discrimination, recognizing our inherent sameness. We do not help, save, or pity any other; with Jesus, there is no hierarchy. Serving with humility and honor, we walk alongside. Our students were impressed and deeply moved by how much difference high schoolers can make.

When the students were asked what they thought of this speech, one student explained, “Prejudice and discrimination have become normalized in current culture.”
Another added, “Cliques or abandonment of any person should be unacceptable.”
“Lack of awareness and sense of mission cannot be fixed with an assembly, but rather by living it out every day,” said another. The students concurred, “ND claims to strive for a culture of belonging. Let’s all show up and be part of that striving.”

Students proposed a fresh attitude: everyone can be a foundation of support and safety for others by removing prejudice and seeing others for who they truly are - who God created them to be. “The way to remove derogatory thoughts toward any group is to recognize we are all the same. We are not categories; we are persons.”Participants left with a realization of an alarming number of prejudices and the need to find pathways to empathy that unlearn unconscious biases. “Everyone should be loved,” they said with conviction, recognizing that differences are not flaws; they are intriguing elements that can be shared and used to draw us together.

Fr. Martin’s presentation advocated letting go. Attendees were challenged to consider what negative aspects are held too tightly (resentment, success, power). All these, in the end, hold us back from our true destiny. He encouraged everyone to let go of worldly weights, trusting that, with God’s grace, we can live healthier, more optimistic, more generous, and more accepting lives.  

“At this conference, I feel more solidified in my faith,” a student confessed, as they gained a broader understanding of caring for others. “Loving thy neighbor is so much more inclusive.” 
Another student added, “Jesus said, love thy neighbor and thy enemy, meaning everyone. Just because we disagree does not mean I can’t love you.” Love means respect, kindness, and concern, despite differences in generation, lineage, culture, or opinion.

Students enjoyed getting to know other students during the lively swag-swap. A few shared their voices and spirit, participating in the energetic choir for our conference liturgy.

From the story of the martyrs that began this organization’s efforts to the microaggressions we see in our local communities every day, all students concurred on the powerful effect and the poignant conclusion: spreading Jesus’ message of peace and inclusion must be paramount in our lives at all times, starting now. A student pronounced, “I felt proud to be Catholic here.”

The conference reiterated what we often discover in life’s challenges: every one of us has a story. “Meeting real people affected by injustice stays with you.” Many times these stories are not pretty, and not all situations have happy endings, but as our ND students declared, “We can still make a difference, and that difference is everything.”

The students returned filled with passion and compassion. “I went for fun, but now I feel so connected.” And all echo, “Ditto!” They offer our community a challenge to learn to love, really love, one another in both big and small ways today and every day.