About St. Francis Xavier Church
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We’re A Jesuit Parish
A "Jesuit" parish is a Catholic parish that is staffed and sponsored by the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus. In the United States, there are 66 Jesuit parishes. A Jesuit parish is guided by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, which encourages people to reflect on their experiences and to discern God’s presence in their lives. Such a parish aims to nurture lay leadership as well as personal faith. It is also committed to “the faith that does justice” by way of solidarity with the poor and dedication to the greater good. Jesuit parishes are located in inner cities, suburbs and rural outposts, as well as on college campuses and Native American reservations.
St Francis Xavier Church was originally founded in 1819 as Cincinnati’s first Catholic church. In 1845 when the Archdiocese invited the Jesuits to administer the parish and its adjacent school, our parish has been infused with the Jesuit charism. Because Jesuits are primarily missionaries and academics, there simply aren’t an abundance of Jesuit parishes in the U.S. St. Xavier Church is thus a bit of a rarity. Following the example of the order’s founder, St Ignatius Loyola, our parishioners strive to be men and women living for others, working towards a world where faith, justice, peace, and love can flourish. We seek to foster the spiritual development of all our members with regular opportunities for personal spiritual growth.
In its service of the faith, a Jesuit parish is called upon to promote local and global justice by means of both personal conversion and structural change. We strive to create a genuine culture of solidarity which transcends parish boundaries. In practice , this reflects our wide-ranging community, which spans over 100 zip codes and is part of the larger mission of the United States Midwest Jesuit Province.
Mission Statement
St. Xavier Church, the Jesuit Parish in downtown Cincinnati, welcomes and serves people from the tri-state area.
Our mission is to proclaim and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this:
by our celebration of scripture and sacraments
by fostering adult spiritual development,
by service to the poor, and
by promotion of justice.
Inward Reflection - Outward Action
Our Ignatian Charism
In the tradition of Ignatian Spirituality, our parish life is a holy and outward action that flourishes out of sincere inward reflection. The eloquent, dual motto “Inward Reflection Outward Action” characterizes the gift (charism) of discernment which is typical of a Jesuit parish. All we are and do comes from the life of Jesus Christ interior to each member, inspiring all of us to outward discipleship and service.
