On Nov. 15, 1,800 students and employees of Jesuit universities and high schools across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 28th annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ).
The Ignatian Family Teach-In is the largest annual Catholic social justice gathering in the United States. Hosted by the Ignatian Solidarity Network, the three-day event offers immersion into activism through breakout sessions, panels, prayer, community-building, and advocacy grounded in Catholic Social Teaching.
Fairfield’s Center for Social Impact and Office of Campus Ministry partnered to bring six students to the Teach-In, drawing from both Bellarmine and Main Campuses. The trip was co-led by Julie Mughal, senior associate director of Humanitarian Action, and Julia Murphy, campus minister for justice and immersions.
Fairfield’s delegation included student leader Aydee Cruz Mejia ’28, who returned to the IFTJ for her fifth year to present research during a breakout session. Cruz Mejia is a sophomore in the John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in politics, international studies, and Spanish, with minors in American studies, Latinx, Latin American & Caribbean studies, and peace and justice studies. On campus, she is a FUSA director and an active member of the St. Bellarmine Pre-Law Society, the Black Student Union, and the Latin Student Union.
Her presentation, “Building Solidarity and Justice in Predominantly White Institutions,” contributed to the wide-ranging conversations among IFTJ attendees about solidarity, belonging, and how Jesuit institutions can strengthen communities of belonging for all students across Jesuit campuses. “I was both surprised and honored when attendees asked me, ‘What do you think we should do?’” she said. “It was empowering to see the trust they placed in me and my perspective as an undergraduate, and it reminded me that student voices are an important part of shaping meaningful action.”
A highlight of the trip was Advocacy Day, during which students visited the offices of U.S. Representative Jim Himes and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal on Capitol Hill. During conversations on the Hill, the delegation received updates on legislative efforts related to the advocacy areas highlighted at IFTJ. Students asked questions, shared their perspectives, and discussed the types of policy progress they hope to see at the federal level. “We had a wonderful experience,” said Julia Murphy, “we are always honored to participate in IFTJ along with our partner institutions in the Jesuit network.”
Fairfield students returned to campus motivated by the theme of this year’s IFTJ gathering, “Pressing On.” Inspired by Luke 21:5-19, the call resonates deeply with Fairfield’s Jesuit Catholic mission of fostering belonging, shared purpose, and a commitment to truth, justice, and concern for others.
