U.S. Jesuits, social analysis, and the urban poor during the economic recession

By Fr. Edward B "Ted" Arroyo, S.J., JSRI Alabama Associate

As part of my ongoing work with JSRI, I serve on the national Jesuit social analysis advisory group studying the ministerial implications of solidarity with inner-city populations in the U.S. The goal of this Consultation on Inner-City Populations is to inform leadership choices as well as to promote interdisciplinary/cross-regional networking and sharing of resources, information, and learning. We want to help leadership and institutions strategize about what it means to be in solidarity with innercity populations. The hope is that leadership will have a better understanding of poor people’s needs and how the Society of Jesus can better serve these needs, incorporating this knowledge into strategic plans and apostolic decisionmaking at national, regional, and local levels. Our advisory group hopes to help U.S. Jesuit ministries increase capacity to serve the urban poor through collaboration—addressing common challenges and sharing knowledge and resources.

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