The organizing committee for the highly anticipated II Congress of JESEDU-Montreal 2027 held its inaugural meeting from January 27–29, 2025, in Washington, DC. The meeting brought together key figures from the Jesuit educational community, including Fr. Jose Mesa S.J., International Secretary for Education; Fr. Robert Reiser S.J., Executive Director of the Jesuit Schools Network North America (JSN); Marcelle De Freitas, President of Loyola High School, Montreal; Adam Pittman S.J., Provincial Assistant for Secondary Education in Canada; Catharine Steffens, JSN North America Director of Global Perspectives; Iliana Brown, JSN North America Director of Operations; and John Patrick Mancini, Vice Principal of Mission and Formation at Loyola High School, Montreal.

This meeting marked a critical first step in preparing for the II Congress, which will be held in Montreal in the summer of 2027. Building on the momentum of the Global Colloquium in 2021 and the Seminar in Yogyakarta in 2024, the Montreal Congress will bring together the Global Network of Jesuit Schools to continue its discernment process on how to live out its mission in a changing world.

The event represents a key milestone for both the Canadian Province and the Jesuit Schools Network of North America, as they collaborate to shape the future of Jesuit education. The congress will provide an essential platform for the Jesuit Education Delegates to deepen their shared commitment to the Jesuit mission and explore ways to implement and live out the Universal Apostolic Preferences.

We are excited to take this first step toward the II Congress in Montreal, said Fr. Jose Mesa S.J. It is an opportunity for Jesuit schools worldwide to come together in prayer, dialogue, and action as we continue to discern our shared mission of reconciliation and justice in the Church in the 21st century.

The II Congress in Montreal will conclude the second cycle of the Global Network's discernment process, “Walking as a Global Network at the Service of the Mission,” which began in 2021 with the Global Colloquium and continued with the Seminar in Yogyakarta in 2024. The congress will be a momentous occasion to further strengthen the global Jesuit educational community’s commitment to the Universal Apostolic Preferences that Pope Francis has entrusted to the Society of Jesus.

Photo of the organizing team for Montreal 2027: Back row, from left to right: Jose Mesa, S.J. (Secretary for Education); Adam Pittman, S.J. (PASE); Robert Reiser, S.J. (Executive Director, JSN); JP Mancini (VP, Mission and Formation at Loyola High School); Iliana Brown (Director of Operations, JSN); Marcelle DeFreitas (President, Loyola High School); and Catherine Steffens (Director of Global Perspectives, JSN).

Watch the video below, showcasing both our vibrant city of Montreal and Loyola High School. We look forward to hosting you in Montreal in 2027!