Recently, I have been asking myself “is the Church doing enough, and should I be doing more to help others”? During IFTJ, I experienced God’s love and the Church like never before. It was truly faith in action. With inspirational speakers, prayer, mass, “movement music” and more prayer, I recognized that we are called to be Christ to everyone.
– Hannah Tanner, Class of 2020
Going on IFTJ was a transformative experience for me. Being able to meet with thousands of other high school and college students from across North America gave me the opportunity to hear their faith stories and share mine. The IFTJ experience taught me that it’s not only important to have faith but to also be proactive in using it to help others out. It also challenged me to be more open and willing to share my story and the importance that my faith has had on my life.
-Evan Swinehart, Class of 2020
Walking away from the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ), I feel both afflicted and comforted, two seemingly mutually exclusive emotions. The conference opened my eyes to the abundant hate and xenophobia felt by immigrants and refugees; to the exclusion and rejection felt by many LGBT Catholics; to the issues of mass incarceration and racism that plague this nation. In spite of this, I left DC feeling comforted and inspired. It was comforting to see other students like myself from universities around America who are so committed to this cause of faith through justice. The Church is in good hands when it has people who, inspired by the message of Jesus, fight for justice for those on the margins of society. I look forward to putting what I learned at the conference into action here in Ann Arbor, and I encourage anyone who feels the same call to justice to consider participating next year.
-Michael Petterson, Class of 2021
