Ignacio Companions (IC) Trips

Ignacio Companions is a year-long invitation to live out Pope Francis’s call to all people of goodwill to create a culture of encounter.

Encounter means not just seeing, but looking; not just hearing, but listening; not just passing people by, but stopping with them; and allowing yourself to be moved with compassion to action.

Participants are challenged to expand their worldview, open themselves to the reality of all they encounter on the journey, and to find God in all things. Through creating a global culture of encounter, IC trips encourage participants to live out a faith that seeks global justice.

An Ignacio Companions Encounter is not a mission trip or a service-immersion trip. The purpose of an encounter is to immerse oneself in another context in order to learn about the realities of others' lives as well as the structures that continue to shape these realties. Every Ignacio Companions Encounter has a theme inspired by our Jesuit & Marymount traditions of living a life that seeks global justice and loving our dear neighbor without distinction.

1. Pre-Trip Formation

Community building, education, on-going spiritual formation, and Ignatian reflection 

• Opening Retreat September 26, 2026
• Participation at weekly small group meetings Tuesdays from 7-9 pm (7-10 Students and 2-3 faculty/staff mentors) focused on building community, spiritual exploration, and learning about your Global Encounter
  • Meetings will run September-December and January-February

2. Global Encounter

Learn about the social, political, and religious realities from our partner communities by centering those who have first-hand experience

• Tentative Travel Dates: 1/1/27 - 1/10/27 (Give or take a few days)

3. Post-Encounter Action

Reflection on our experiences so that we may translate our learning into action

• Post-Encounter Day of Reflection - Saturday, January 16, 2027
• On-Going Small Community Meetings 1/19/27 - 2/16/2027

• Spiritual Exploration 
• Transformation
• Global Community 
• Intersectional Justice
• Sustainability

2027 Trips January 1-10th (Tentatively)

Community Partners & Trip Emphases:

• IC Care for Creation - John & Donna from Xplore Galapagos
  • This trip is focused completely on encountering creation. The hope for this encounter is that participants create a relationship with the living environment around them and from that relationship feel inspired to global seek environmental justice.
• IC Radical Accompaniment - Altruvista
  
  • This trip focuses on walking with Peruvian youth and young adults and seeing Peru through their perspective and experiences of violence, systemic injustice, and inequality. This trip will focus on how the youth have been able to rebuild their lives and become leaders in their own communities due to the support of human rights organizations. Students will also learn about the Gen Z Political Movement in Peru and how their collective generational voice against corruption and crime has created waves in demanding dignity and change.
• IC Reconciliation & Justice - The Proposed Hekima University
  • This trip is focused on the peace, reconciliation, & community-building efforts of the Jesuits in Molo, Kenya. These efforts begun after political uprisings in 2007, and are continuing with the installation of a proposed Jesuit University in the area. The hope for this encounter is that participants learn about the power of reconciliation and are able to draw upon reconciliatory practices in their own lives.
• IC Migration Justice - Encuentro Project
  • This trip is meant to transform the hearts and minds of participants and open new perspectives about forced migration and asylum seeking by vulnerable marginalized people. The hope for this trip is that students will be motivated to engage in peaceful and effective action seeking greater justice and compassion for migrants and refugee persons as represented in Catholic Social Teaching.

• Non-refundable program fee of $1,000 due July 1, 2026
• Small Group Fundraising goal of $12,000
• Financial assistance is available
  • We never want money to be the reason students cannot join us on a trip. If you have financial concerns, we will work with you to facilitate your participation. Please note, we will be in conversation with the Financial Aid office to better understand your financial needs.

Click Here to Read our October 2024 Newsletter

Click Here to Read our November 2024 Newsletter

Click Here to Read our February 2025 Newsletter

Click Here to Read our April 2025 Newsletter

Reflections on the Passing of Pope Francis 

Special Edition From the Desk of the Program Director