Abstract
There was little research about the experiences of lay teachers working in Jesuit secondary schools from the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus. The purpose of this phenomenological investigation was to understand Jesuit lay secondary school teacher discernment of the Ignatian charism and whether lay teachers make the Ignatian charism part of their work. There was no research about the experiences with and recognition of the Ignatian charism by lay secondary teachers. This literature review examined charisms of four Roman Catholic religious orders currently advanced by lay teachers. Explanations of each charism clarified complexity and related them to authentic, transformational, and servant leadership types. There were university studies about lay college professors’ manifestation of the Ignatian charism into their work. The aim of this study created an evidence-based set of data to guide Jesuit secondary school administrators in their planning of lay teacher induction and mentor programs in Jesuit schools. This study included interviews with 26 lay teachers who worked in six Jesuit secondary schools located in the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus. The study showed a robust intentionality by lay teachers to understand the Ignatian charism. Lay teachers conveyed a developed understanding of the Ignatian charism after at least eight to ten years of teaching in a Jesuit school. They communicated an inconsistent experience with Jesuit school induction programs. Creating a two-stage mentor program and a recorded archive of experienced lay Ignatian educators expressing awareness of the Ignatian charism can become a teaching tool for new lay Jesuit school teachers.
Keywords: cura personalis, Graduate at Graduation, Ignatian charism,
Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, Jesuit educator, lay teacher, mission