Members of JVC: East

We are always happy to hear from men and women interested in discerning a vocation in the larger Ignatian family. Contact the Vocation Office to learn more about any of the organizations listed below. Visit our Resources Page to find a more complete list of Ignatian publications, religious and lay ministries.

Men Over age 40
Typically, the formation program to become a priest in the Society takes 11 years from the date of entrance to the date of ordination. For this reason we normally do not accept anyone for admission to priestly ordination who is past the age of 40. The formation of a Jesuit brother, though considerably more flexible, requires that a man be no older than 50. You can find further information about the Jesuit priests and brothers in the Maryland and New York Provinces on our Meet the Jesuits pages.
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Women and Men over age 50
The Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps (ILVC) provides men and women age 50 and over the opportunity to serve the needs of people who are poor, and to grow deeper in Christian faith by reflecting and praying in the Ignatian tradition. Contact them at:

IGNATIAN LAY VOLUNTEER CORPS
801 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21202-2345
(410-752-4686, toll free: 888-831-4686)
Fill out the ILVC online form for more information.
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Women's Religious Life in the Ignatian Tradition
Society of Saint Ursula was founded by Anne de Xainctonge in 1606 in Dole, France, to "make Jesus Christ known and loved." God's love inspired Anne to begin a company of religious women who, as educators in the faith, would serve women and girls, especially the poorest.
Fill out the SU online form for more information.
Email Sr. Ellen Marie Donnelly, SU, vocation director

Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Institute is based upon Ignatian spirituality which gives it its own characteristic way of living out its charism. In their Constitutions there are expressions taken almost word for word from the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius or from the Constitutions of the Company of Jesus.
Fill out the HSHJ online form for more information.

Faithful Companions of Jesus have Ignatian spirituality at the heart of their way of life. Their Foundress, Marie Madeleine, was led by God to use the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) as the basis for the way of life she wished her sisters to follow.
Email Sr. Gemma Tucciarone, FCJ, Providence, RI
Email Sr. Ellen McCarthy, FCJ, Durham, NC

Sisters of St. Joseph have sought to be a healing presence in the midst of divisions and conflicts and to witness to a unity that binds all together with one another and with God.
Email Sr. Charlene Diorka, SSJ, Vocation Director SSJ, Philadelphia, PA.
Sr. Ellen McCarthy, SSJ, Vocation Director SSJ, Buffalo, NY.
Sr. Judith Minear, SSJ, Vocation Director SSJ, Wheeling WV.
Also visit the SSJ in Albany, NY; Brentwood, NY; Rochester, NY; Watertown, NY; Baden, PA; Erie, PA

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, women with hearts as wide as the world make known God's goodness and love of the poor through a Gospel way of life, community and prayer. Continuing a strong educational tradition, they take their stand with poor people especially women and children, in the most abandoned places. Each has committed her one and only life to work with others to create justice and peace for all.
Email Sr. Carol Symons, SNDdeN
Province Vocation Director/Coordinator of Associates
112 N. Funk Street, Strasburg, VA 22657
Phone: (540) 465-9368
Offices also in Stevenson, MD; Windsor, CT; Ipswich, MA

School Sisters of Notre Dame ministry is directed toward education. For them that means enabling persons to reach the fullness of their potential as individuals created in God's image and assisting them to direct their gifts toward building the earth.
Contact them by phone: 800-344-SSND (7763)
Email Sr. Cathy Jager, SSND in Baltimore, MD

Religious of the Sacred Heart is an international community of women in the Catholic Church, founded in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. Sharing her vision and mission, we are convinced of the centrality of prayer and contemplation in our lives.
Fill out the RSH online form for more information.
Email RSH New York coordinator --or-- RSH Washington DC coordinator

The Vocation Office in the Diocese of Brooklyn offers a program called “Women Exploring”.
Contact: Sr. Regina Wilson, IHM, Associate Director
75 Greene Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Phone: 718-399-5900 x5525 Email Brooklyn Vocations.
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High School and Grade School Students
Formal discernment for the Jesuits typically begins toward the end or right after college, but it can, in some cases, begin as early as high school. If you have the Jesuits in mind, but do not feel ready to begin formal discernment, there are many opportunities for service for young men under 21 years of age. If you would like us to help, please contact the Vocation Office.
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Adults age 21-50
The Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) is a group of young men and women committed to working for the poor here and abroad. Contact them at:

JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS: EAST
801 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21202-2345
(410-244-1744) or Email JVC East

JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS: INTERNATIONAL
PO Box 3756, Washington, DC 20007
Ph: 202-687-1132 or Email JVC International
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Lay Ignatian Colleagues

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Information for these and other groups, plus publications, internet links and more can be found on our
Resources Page.