Mission Week
August 23 – September 5, 2024
Companions in Mission
You are invited to join classmates, colleagues and friends as Creighton University celebrates Mission Week 2024, Aug. 23-Sept. 5.
This annual University-wide celebration is an invitation for each of us – students, faculty, staff and alumni – to reflect on Creighton’s Jesuit mission and to find our unique place in it.
This year’s theme, Companions in Mission, reflects our opportunity to be co-collaborators in animating the worldwide mission of the Society of Jesus. See the purpose of Mission Week and this year's schedule of events below.
Purpose of Mission Week
One of a select group of Jesuit colleges and universities across the United States, Creighton University is enriched by the more than 475-year tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education.
Founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Society of Jesus (or Jesuit order) is engaged in a variety of apostolates worldwide, including higher education, and is dedicated to the “greater glory of God” and the good of all humanity.
The Jesuits gratefully collaborate with lay colleagues here at Creighton and around the world. As companions in mission, the entire Creighton University community is invited, at the start of the fall semester, to participate in Mission Week – as a way to embrace and explore our role in this shared mission.
Schedule of Events
Mission Week 2024 officially begins Friday, Aug. 23, and continues through Thursday, Sept. 5. A prelude to the annual celebration began with Mass of the Holy Spirit on the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus – Phoenix on Wednesday, Aug. 21, followed by a lunch. The Mass of the Holy Spirit in Omaha is Wednesday, Aug. 28, and a keynote address by the Rev. Greg Boyle, SJ, HON’09, will be Monday, Aug. 26. Please continue to visit this site for any updates to the schedule.
All Week (Aug. 23 – Sept. 5)
Mission Week Scavenger Hunt
Join fellow classmates and colleagues in the fun of the inaugural Mission Week Scavenger Hunt. Learn more about Creighton’s connection to its Jesuit mission and earn points by answering questions, participating in events and visiting sites on campus.
Separate scavenger hunts for the Omaha and Phoenix campuses will be hosted on the Goosechase app, and will go live on Friday, Aug. 23.
Here's how to get started:
- Download the Goosechase app
- Use one of the following join codes:
- Omaha – BD4G9M
- Phoenix – W81QBV
The hunts close at 10 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5. Prizes will be awarded to the top three scores in Omaha and Phoenix (3 prizes per campus = 6 prizes total). In case of ties, a drawing will determine the winners.
Called to Be Companions in Mission
As a mission-driven institution, our mission guides our work and every part of the University. Everyone plays a vital role in animating this mission. Called to be Companions in Mission is an opportunity during Mission Week to reflect on and express how you, your department or your area bring Creighton’s mission to life. To begin the self-guided reflection, as a department or individual, click on the Called to be Companions in Mission Guide button for reflection questions and information.
Wednesday, Aug. 21
Mission Week Prelude: Mass of the Holy Spirit & Luncheon (Phoenix campus)
11 a.m. MST
Doris S. Norton Ballroom
Lunch to follow the Mass
The Mass of the Holy Spirit is a centuries-old tradition among Jesuit institutions of higher learning whereby the community offers thanksgiving to God for the gifts of creation and asks for blessings upon the academic year. The Bishop of Phoenix, the Most Rev. John P. Dolan, will preside and serve as the homilist.
Didactics canceled from 11 a.m. to noon. Clinical rotations will not be canceled.
Friday, Aug. 23
Alumni Evening of Honors (Omaha campus)
5 p.m. reception; 6 p.m. awards ceremony CDT
Mike and Josie Harper Center
Outstanding Creighton University alumni will be recognized during the 2024 Evening of Honors for their distinguished service to their communities and their commitment to the Jesuit ideal of being “persons for and with others.”
Sunday, Aug. 25
Common Well Protestant Service (Omaha campus)
9 p.m. CDT
St. Peter Faber Chapel
Harper Center
Catholic Masses (Omaha campus)
7 p.m. and 9 p.m. CDT
St. John's Church
Join with classmates and colleagues to celebrate as a faith community in a peaceful and supportive setting – and reflect with others on this year’s theme of companions in mission. Individuals of all faith traditions are welcome.
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Monday, Aug. 26
Mission Week Keynote Address
By the Rev. Greg Boyle, SJ, HON’09
7 p.m. CDT, 5 p.m. MST
Harper Center, Ahmanson Ballroom
(Overflow at Harper Center, Hixson-Lied Auditorium)
Cookies in the foyer to follow
About Fr. Boyle
The Rev. Greg Boyle, SJ, HON’09, is the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation program in the world. In May, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, during a ceremony at the White House.
Fr. Boyle, who served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, California, then the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles that also had the highest concentration of gang activity in the city, started what would become Homeboy Industries in 1988. Today, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprises and provides critical services to thousands of men and women who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life.
For his efforts, Fr. Boyle has received the California Peace Prize and been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014, President Barack Obama named Fr. Boyle a Champion of Change. Fr. Boyle is the author of the New York Times-bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. Fr. Boyle received an honorary degree from Creighton in 2009.
Tuesday, Aug. 27
Java with the Jesuits (Omaha campus)
7:45 a.m.-9:30 a.m. CDT
Fountain in front of St. John's Church
Students, faculty and staff are invited to enjoy coffee, pastries and conversation with members of Creighton’s Jesuit community.
Wednesday, Aug. 28
Mass of the Holy Spirit (Omaha campus)
3:30 p.m. CDT
St. John’s Church | Livestream
Ice cream social outside St. John’s Church to follow
The Mass of the Holy Spirit is a centuries-old tradition among Jesuit institutions of higher learning whereby the community offers thanksgiving to God for the gifts of creation and asks for blessings upon the academic year.
3:30 p.m. classes are canceled to allow students and faculty to attend. However, clinical rotations for health sciences students will not be canceled.
Thursday, Aug. 29
Mission Week Faculty and Staff Luncheon |
St. Ignatius Award Presentation (Omaha campus)
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Harper Center, Ahmanson Ballroom
Faculty and staff are invited to gather in community to celebrate and reflect upon Creighton’s mission at this inaugural Mission Week Luncheon, which also will feature the presentation of the St. Ignatius Award to this year's honorees:
- Leah Georges, PhD, associate professor and program director in Creighton’s Interdisciplinary Leadership doctoral program
- Monica White, assistant professor and social work program director in the College of Arts and Sciences
The award, established by the Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality in 1991, recognizes outstanding faculty and staff who live out the Jesuit ideals of magis, cura personalis and being a person for and with others.
The luncheon also will provide an opportunity to celebrate all past recipients of the St. Ignatius Award.
Jesuit Invitational Soccer Tournament Kicks Off (Omaha campus)
Morrison Stadium
Watch the Creighton men's soccer team in action against the following Jesuit schools:
- Thursday, Aug. 29, 1:30 p.m., Loyola Chicago (Please note time change)
- Sunday, Sept. 1, 6 p.m., University of San Francisco
Friday, Aug. 30
NOVICE Registration Deadline
The Newcomers Orientations Valuing Ignatian and Creighton Engagement (NOVICE), sponsored by Mission and Ministry, introduces new staff, faculty and administrators at Creighton to the Jesuit, Catholic educational mission and character of the University. The program is traditionally for employees in their first three years at Creighton, but is open to everyone, regardless of length of service. Watch for more information to come.
Mission Week: Labor Day Weekend Read-A-Thon
Want to learn more about Ignatian spirituality, the history of the Jesuits or Jesuit education? Consider diving into one or more of these books during the long Labor Day weekend.
Beginning Friday, Aug. 23, a limited number of the following books will be made available for free to students, faculty and staff on the Omaha and Phoenix campuses on a first-come, first-served basis. In Omaha, books can be picked up in the Mission and Ministry Office on the second floor of Creighton Hall, Suite 240. In Phoenix, books are available through the Chaplain's Office of the Rev. Kevin Dilworth, SJ (KevinDilworth@creighton.edu).
- Audacious Ignatius by Paul Mitchell (Note: This is a children’s book.)
- Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith by Eric A. Clayton
- Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education
- Jesuit Higher Education in a Secular Age: A Response to Charles Taylor and the Crisis of Fullness by Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD
- Tattoos on the Heart by Greg Boyle, SJ, HON’09
- The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by James Martin, SJ
- The Pilgrim’s Story: The Life and Spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola by Brendan Comerford, SJ
- Reimagining the Examen by Mark Thibodeaux, SJ
- What is Ignatian Spirituality? by David Fleming, SJ
Other titles to consider:
- A Jesuit Education Reader by George W. Traub, SJ
- From Ignatius to Francis: The Jesuits in History by Michael Walsh
- Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the United States: A History by Michael T. Rizzi
Tuesday, Sept. 3
Presidential Town Hall (Omaha campus)
3:30 p.m. CDT
Harper Center, Hixson-Lied Auditorium | Livestream
Come hear Creighton President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, deliver his annual Town Hall address during Mission Week.
Java with a Jesuit (Phoenix campus)
Noon MST
Location: 2nd Floor, Patio
Students, faculty and staff are invited to enjoy coffee, pastries and conversation with Creighton Jesuit the Rev. Kevin Dilworth, SJ, chaplain at the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus – Phoenix.
Agape Latte (Omaha campus)
7:30-8:30 p.m. CDT
Skutt Student Center, Fireside Lounge
Students are invited to join the following panelists for an engaging conversation on being companions in the mission.
- Rev. Eric Immel, SJ, vocation promoter for the Jesuits of the Midwest Province
- Katie (Kelsey) Becker, BA’07, EdD’21, senior director, donor relations and annual giving
- Sangeetha Kumar, associate director for student care and outreach
- Ashley Hall, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Theology Department
Agape Latte is a faith storytelling series that invites students each month to hear about the faith lives of staff and faculty.
New Date ...
Presidential Town Hall (Phoenix campus)
Thursday, Sept. 5
Mission Week Scavenger Hunt Closes
The inaugural Mission Week Scavenger Hunt will close on Thursday, Sept. 5, and Mission Week Committee will announce the winners in Creighton Today and the SLIC newseltter on Friday, Sept. 6.
