Vision for the Ignatius Jesuit Centre
A Jesuit Work of Land, Learning, and Care for Our Common Home
Mission Statement
Ignatius Jesuit Centre (IJC) is a work of the Jesuits of Canada inspired by Pope Francis’ (2015) encyclical Laudato Si’ and by the broader social teaching of the Catholic Church. The Jesuit worldview holds that every person is called to be an advocate for justice and an agent of Christ’s mission of reconciliation — with God, among ourselves, and with creation. IJC shares fully in this broader mission. In practice, however, the work carried out on this land is most visibly focused on reconciliation with creation. IJC offers a special place where our relationship with the natural world can deepen through agriculture, conservation, learning, and prayer.
Widely known for its work in ecological stewardship, IJC land is used by:
- Farmers to cultivate healthy soil and train the next generation of ecological growers.
- Conservation partners to restore forests, wetlands, and biodiversity corridors.
- Educators, researchers, and community groups to gather and deepen their understanding of the land.
- Participants in the Centre for Integral Ecology to explore how ecological stewardship, community engagement, and spiritual awareness can heal our fractured relationship with the living world.
Although IJC remains a work of the Jesuits of Canada, it welcomes partners and participants from many backgrounds.
The Land We Steward
The approximately 600 acres of land that make up IJC include working farmland, conservation lands, forests, wetlands, community gathering spaces, and sacred sites — including the cemetery where generations of Jesuits are buried.
We care for this land as a shared ecological and spiritual inheritance; it is a place where relationships can be renewed.
Our stewardship includes:
- Regenerative ecological agriculture
- Farmer training and food production
- Conservation and habitat restoration
- Ecological research and learning
In all of this, care for the ecological integrity of the land — its soil, water, biodiversity, and long-term resilience — remains a guiding priority.
Our Mission in Practice
The work of IJC brings together several complementary initiatives that seek ecological renewal and community learning.
These include:
- The Centre for Integral Ecology — a Jesuit initiative offering experiential learning in integral ecology, ecological reconciliation, and care for creation
- Ecological farming and farmer training — preparing new farmers in regenerative agricultural practice
- Conservation and restoration projects — protecting and renewing forests, wetlands, and biodiversity corridors
- Community partnerships and land-based initiatives — organizations working in education, ecological stewardship, community well-being, and related fields
Together these activities form a living landscape of learning, stewardship, and service.
They provide opportunities for prayer, contemplation, and encounter with the sacred — reminding us that creation itself points toward the Creator.
Working With Partners
IJC is not simply a landlord. Organizations and individuals who operate here become part of a shared landscape and community of stewardship.
Our partners include farmers, educators, conservation organizations, community groups, researchers, and social service initiatives. Some are faith-based and others are not. What they share is a respect for the land and for the broader mission that guides this place.
We welcome partners who:
- Respect the Jesuit and Catholic identity of the Centre
- Share a commitment to ecological responsibility and regenerative land care
- Support work that strengthens community, dignity, and the common good
- Engage the land in ways that contribute to long-term ecological health
- Respect the land as a place of ecological restoration and reconciliation between people and the natural world
- Approach collaboration with openness, curiosity, and mutual respect
Partners are not expected to share the Catholic faith or belong to any religious tradition at all. Rather, we welcome all who support the Jesuit call to be advocates of justice and agents of reconciliation.
An Invitation
Ignatius Jesuit Centre continues to evolve as a place where ecological practice, community engagement, and the freedom to ask big questions find a home. We invite farmers, educators, researchers, community organizations, and individuals who care deeply about the future of land and community to join us. Together we seek to cultivate a living example of what care for our common home can look like — healing fractured relationships and contributing to the common good.