Mission and Ministry
The Division of Mission and Ministry is charged with clearly articulating and broadly communicating Santa Clara University’s Jesuit, Catholic mission and character. In the diverse and dynamic region of Silicon Valley, this entails developing new strategies to meet the evolving needs of the campus, church, and local community, while strengthening Santa Clara University’s position as a nationally recognized Jesuit, Catholic university.
The Division of Mission and Ministry is comprised of Campus Ministry, the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education, and the Mission Church. Building on a strong campus commitment to the University’s Jesuit, Catholic mission, the Division oversees the development and implementation of initiatives to engage students, faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, alumni, and benefactors in deeper education and ongoing formation, helping these groups to make the mission their own and apply it concretely to their work and life. The Division will collaborate closely with the new vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion and other Cabinet members to accomplish shared goals that allow Santa Clara University to live more authentically its Jesuit, Catholic mission.
Campus Ministry is engaged in the work of transforming our hearts and communities. Our Jesuit, Catholic identity informs our commitment to create a space where all are welcomed, recognizing that every member of our community is created in the image and likeness of God.
The Ignatian Center exemplifies and activates the Jesuit, Catholic character of Santa Clara University, encouraging our students, faculty, staff, and community to embrace Jesuit wisdom by inspiring awareness, thought, reflection, discernment, and action.
Historic Mission Santa Clara stands at the center of the campus’ religious and spiritual life, and it continues to welcome Roman Catholic liturgy, spiritual observance, and other activities appropriate to the University’s purpose as a Catholic, Jesuit institution of higher learning.
Engaging SCU's Mission
This summer, a group of 10 Muwekma Ohlone youths between the ages of 11 and 20 participated in the inaugural SCU Muwekma Ohlone campout. The Division of Mission and Ministry proudly helped fund the cultural campout which Isabella Gomez '27, SCU’s inaugural recipient of the Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone Scholarship, helped organize.
Anthropology Professor Lee Panich and a team of faculty, students, and Muwekma Ohlone representatives are developing an augmented reality tour to highlight how the campus’ Indigenous past continues to resonate today, allowing the thousands of people who visit SCU every year to explore Indigenous stories around our campus in real-time, directly on their phones.
This fall, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the convening of Vatican II, St. Ignatius Parish will host a six-part series inviting all of us to encounter this Council and its continuing effects for the Catholic community. The series is available both in-person for those in San Francisco, and livestream.
SCU’s Center for Sustainability recognized the Environmental Justice Initiative with its Sustainability Innovation Champion Award for organizing our April 2023 Climate and Environmental Justice Conference.
Last Spring, the Ignatian Center co-hosted a workshop for ministers, staff, and administrators in Catholic parishes and diocese led by Julie Hanlon Rubio (JST) and Paul J. Schutz (SCU), which presented new research on factors contributing to clergy sexual abuse and assess their implications for Catholic institutions.
As an Ignatian Fellow, Afton Burrell '21 spent the winter quarter of her senior year working with A Step Ahead Foundation. The experience was so fulfilling that she stayed on with the non-profit organization and upon graduation was offered her current position as Marketing Communications Manager.