Jesuit Mission

Caleb Datto ’22

Thanks to the Prep, I now find deeper satisfaction in serving others because I have learned how I can make a direct impact on another person's life or simply their day."
Everything we do at St. Joseph's Prep is rooted in our Catholic faith and our Jesuit tradition. 
Founded in 1851 as a Jesuit secondary school for young men, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School today strives to embrace a spirit of “cura personalis,” the Ignatian ideal which affirms the value and dignity of every individual and trusts that students and adults alike will prosper in an environment where all are nurtured and encouraged to make choices that manifest their most noble and generous instincts, the sign of the Spirit of God at work within them.

All of our colleagues play a critical and unique role in creating and sustaining our Ignatian tradition, sharing in the goal of rooting our students in a personal relationship with Christ and confirming basic Christian values.

St. Ignatius saw education as an end in itself believing that one can "find God in all things." The lifeblood of any Jesuit institution is its guiding principle, its mission. We in the Mission and Ministry Office, together with our colleagues seek to empower our students to be ambassadors of the St. Joseph's Prep mission. The Prep is proud to be a part of a worldwide network of Jesuit schools that promotes "a faith that does justice" and that forms out students to be "Men For and With Others."

Inspired to Serve

“The graces of the Spiritual exercises are meant to inspire us to serve others.”
- Rev. Steve Surovick, S.J., Senior Director of Mission and Ministry

In October 2022, a dozen Prep colleagues embarked on a faith-enhancing journey to deepen their personal relationship with God. As Prep students are able to experience this through service projects, Kairos and other retreats, with the guidance of Fr. Steve Surovick, SJ, adults at the Prep took advantage of the opportunity to enhance their own spiritual formation through the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. 

Mission Statement

The mission of St. Joseph’s Prep as a Catholic, Jesuit, urban, college preparatory school is to develop the minds, hearts, souls, and characters of young men in their pursuit of becoming men for and with others. Click below to learn more about the mission of St. Joseph's Prep.

Jesuit:

The Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, serves the Catholic Church for the Greater Glory of God. Almost 17,000 Jesuits can be found throughout the world forming Men and Women to love and serve others. There are three Jesuits currently serving at St. Joseph’s Prep with support from the greater Philadelphia Jesuit community and many lay people dedicated to the charism.