Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States is the collaborating body of the seven provincial superiors of the Society of Jesus in the United States and Canada. The Conference includes the Jesuit provinces in both countries: in Canada, English Canada and French Canada; in the United States, Central and Southern, Maryland, Midwest, USA NortheastProvince, and West. The Conference hosts the province websites. From 2014 to 2017 the Jesuit provinces in the United States were consolidated. Some had divided in the 1950s when they reached maximum size, to become California, Chicago-Detroit, Maryland, Missouri, New England, New Orleans, New York, Oregon, and Wisconsin, known collectively as the US Assistancy. In the new grouping, New England and New York have formed USA Northeast Province, Chicago-Detroit and Wisconsin have joined to become Midwest, Missouri and New Orleans became Central and Southern, and Oregon and California became West. There was some adjustment of boundary lines. The Jesuits have more ministries in the United States than they did at their peak of membership, largely because of lay partnerships and diversification of ministries. The conference is led by a president, who also serves as chair of the Conference board. The administrative offices are in Washington, D.C., with eight on the full-time staff.
Services
The Conference website is a source of information about the Jesuits, their works, their spirituality, about Jesuits worldwide, and about becoming a Jesuit. Through Press Center on the Conference website, news of interest to Jesuits is presented from sources worldwide. The Conference also has a presence on Facebook.
Social justice
Since its 32nd General Congregation in 1972, the Society of Jesus has made the promotion of justice a central part of all of its works. The Conference facilitates cooperation toward this end among the various Jesuit works, and among those in any way connected to the Jesuits. The Jesuits’ Office of Justice and Ecology at the Conference engages with "legislators, public officials, corporations and the Jesuit network on issues including immigration and economic, criminal, juvenile and environmental justice." It also carries worldwide news on ecological initiatives, especially Jesuit initiatives. The Jesuit Refugee Service, active in over 50 countries, through its local branch overseen by the Conference ministers principally to the spiritual needs of detained refugees and immigrants. An outgrowth of this has been the Kino Border Initiative for which the Jesuit provincials have shown concerted support. The Press Center disseminates news of organizations like the Ignatian Solidarity Network and its annual Ignatian Family Teach-in. It also carries on its own news and advocacy efforts on its website.
