About Us
We invite young adults to deepen their faith through the practice of Ignatian spirituality and to live as women and men for and with others.
About Us
The Office of Ignatian Spirituality’s Ignatian Young Adult Ministries initiative is designed around four fundamental Ignatian principles: spirituality, community, leadership, and service. We invite young adults to deepen their faith through the practice of Ignatian spirituality and to live as women and men for and with others.
We partner with parishes, schools, and other Ignatian ministries to cultivate strong, local communities of young adults inspired by the Jesuits and their way of proceeding.
We have three core programs: Contemplative Leaders in Action , Charis, and Jesuit Connections.
Our Programs
Charis
Charis offers retreat experiences in the Jesuit tradition to young adults in their 20s and 30s, helping them to develop deeper spiritual lives and stronger connections to faith communities.
Contemplative Leaders in Action
CLA participants are formed in Ignatian spirituality, practice the art of Ignatian discernment, and study Ignatian leadership. CLA is an 18-month program that begins and ends with retreat experiences. Cohorts generally gather twice per month: an in-person meeting and a virtual workshop in which all CLA cohorts nationwide participate. Three Days of Reflection are integrated throughout the program.
Jesuit Connections
Jesuit Connections welcomes young adults (20s and 30s) who are alumni of Jesuit schools, volunteer programs, and all those inspired by Ignatian traditions, teachings and values. We plan events around speakers, service opportunities, and spirituality programming for all those interested in building vibrant, local communities of young adults committed to the Jesuit values of faith and service.
Our Team
National Staff
Dave de la Fuente
Associate Director for Ignatian Young Adult Ministries
Dave serves as the Associate Director for Ignatian Young Adult Ministries (IYAM) with responsibility for the Contemplative Leaders in Action (CLA) program.
Dave comes to the Office of Ignatian Spirituality (OIS) and IYAM with a wealth of Ignatian experience. He is a CLA-NYC alum and a former coordinator of Charis-NYC. He has also presented at Jesuit Connections, and is active in OIS's Ignatian Spiritual Direction Initiative (ISDI). He completed his spiritual direction training at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City.
Dave's work includes valuable experience in campus and parish ministries, and in a hospital. Dave recently completed his Ph.D. in theology at Fordham. He and his wife Adrienne live in Harlem.
Mary Beth Cassidy
Associate Director for Jesuit Connections
Mary Beth is the program coordinator for CLA events and team logistics. She is also the coordinator of Jesuit Connections Boston, offering monthly programming for young adults.