The Jesuit Alumni and Friends of Detroit will host Tom Smolich, S.J., international director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, at a noon luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 4 at the Detroit Athletic Club.
Former Jesuit Superior General Pedro Arrupe, S.J., founded the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in 1980 as a response to the Vietnamese boat people crisis. Almost 40 years later, JRS continues to accompany, serve and advocate for forcibly displaced people in 53 countries around the world, serving upwards of 950,000 refugees per year.
In addition to health and social services, JRS offers formal and informal education to approximately 280,000 children, young people and adults each year. Fr. Smolich’s talk and conversation will focus on JRS’s work in reconciliation and education, its foundation in Ignatian spirituality, and what JRS means for people in the USA.
The Jesuit Alumni and Friends of Detroit gathers three times a year for networking, food, fellowship and inspiration. Our goal is to improve the Detroit community through networking within the Jesuit community and welcoming anyone interested in the Ignatian perspective on contemporary issues.
Register online by Sunday, Sept. 30. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and the program runs from noon to 1:15 p.m.