Eight participants in the Six Weeks a Jesuit program gather with (front row from left) Fr. Warren Sazama, SJ, Wisconsin Province vocations director, Eric Ramirez, SJ, and Fr. Dave Godleski, Chicago Province vocations director.

Eight candidates for the Jesuits recently took part in the Six Weeks a Jesuit program held in Milwaukee and Chicago. The program is designed to give the men a taste of Jesuit life by living in a Jesuit Community and working in a Jesuit-related ministry during the summer. The experience helps them determine if becoming a Jesuit might be right for them.

The candidates came from the Chicago, Maryland, and Wisconsin Jesuit Provinces. Four candidates stayed at the Marquette University Jesuit Community in Milwaukee. They worked at Marquette High's inner-city college prep program in the morning and a Jesuit Hispanic youth program in the afternoon. Four candidates stayed at Loyola University Jesuit Community in Chicago. The four candidates in Chicago worked summer school programs similar to Marquette High's.

Fr. Dave Godleski, SJ, Chicago Province vocation director, and Fr. Warren Sazama, SJ, vocation director for the Wisconsin Province, conducted the program, which included three weekend retreats at the beginning, middle, and end and weekly Saturday morning gatherings on the weekends when there was no retreat. Four of the Saturday morning involved all eight candidates having Mass, a presentation on some aspect of Jesuit life, and lunch at either the Marquette Jesuit Community in Milwaukee or the Loyola Jesuit Community in Chicago.

All eight candidates said the program, which ran June 18 - August 1 this past summer, was a very positive experience that was helpful in clarifying their vocational discernment process.

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