What Is Social Justice in the Catholic Tradition?
Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Catholic Social Teaching, and the Jesuit tradition, Social Justice Ministry at Loyola University New Orleans fosters faith, community, service, and advocacy in pursuit of right relationship with God, one another, and all of creation.
Inspired by Jesus' care for the poor, excluded, and marginalized, Catholic social justice affirms the dignity of every person and calls us to build a society where all can flourish. It extends beyond acts of charity to address the social, economic, political, and cultural conditions that contribute to injustice. Guided by the principles of human dignity, solidarity, the common good, care for creation, and a preferential option for the poor, we seek to promote justice, peace, and the full participation of all people.
As a Jesuit institution, Loyola approaches this work through prayer, reflection, discernment, and action. Seeking to find God in all things, we walk with those on the margins, accompany young people, and care for our common home. Social justice invites us to stand in solidarity with others and work together for a more just and compassionate world.
Loyola University Community Action Program (LUCAP)
LUCAP is Loyola's service and social justice program, rooted in the Jesuit tradition and inspired by Catholic Social Teaching. Open to all students and guided by the Minister for Social Justice, LUCAP invites the Loyola community to engage in service, reflection, advocacy, and relationship-building to address local needs.
Through direct service opportunities, justice initiatives, educational programs, and community partnerships, students encounter the realities facing our communities while responding with compassion, solidarity, and hope. LUCAP encourages participants to connect faith with action, deepen their understanding of social issues, and contribute to positive change.
At the heart of LUCAP is a commitment to accompaniment, recognizing that meaningful service begins with listening, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to human dignity. Through reflection and action, students grow as leaders dedicated to the common good.
Support LUCAP
Help sustain student leadership, service opportunities, community partnerships, and justice initiatives by making a gift to LUCAP. Your support enables students to put faith into action through meaningful engagement with our local communities.
To learn more or to get involved, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ)
The Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ) is an annual gathering of students, educators, advocates, and members of the broader Jesuit community committed to living out a faith that does justice. Sponsored by the Ignatian Solidarity Network, the conference brings together participants from Jesuit high schools, colleges, universities, parishes, and organizations across the country to learn, reflect, pray, and advocate for social change.
At Loyola University New Orleans, participation in the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice is an opportunity for students to engage the broader Jesuit mission beyond campus while building community with others committed to justice, solidarity, and hope. Students are encouraged to connect reflection with action by learning practical advocacy skills and participating in conversations that inspire meaningful social transformation.
To learn more, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
Ignacio Volunteers (Iggy Vols)
The Ignacio Volunteers Program offers students the opportunity to encounter the world through service, solidarity, reflection, and community. Rooted in the Jesuit tradition and inspired by the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Iggy Vols invites students to step beyond the classroom and form meaningful relationships with communities, both locally and globally.
More than a service trip, an immersion experience is an invitation to transformation. Through shared living, community partnerships, prayer, reflection, and education, students are challenged to examine the realities of injustice, listen deeply to others' experiences, and discern how they are being called to respond in faith and action.
Support Iggy Vols
Every gift helps make immersion experiences accessible to more students. Donations support participant scholarships, formation programming, travel costs, community partnerships, and other resources that allow students to engage fully in experiences of service, solidarity, reflection, and accompaniment.
To learn more, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
Fall 2026 Civil Rights Immersion
December 12-18, 2026
The Fall 2026 Ignacio Volunteers (Iggy Vols) Civil Rights Immersion invites participants to explore how the pursuit of human dignity extends beyond voting rights and legal equality to include access to clean air, clean water, safe communities, and a healthy environment. Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, the program examines the ongoing legacy of the Civil Rights Movement through the interconnected lenses of racial justice, environmental justice, and care for creation.
Through visits to the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, participants will engage the history of slavery, racial terror, segregation, and mass incarceration, while reflecting on how systems of inequality continue to shape communities today. In Atlanta, participants will study the life and teachings of Howard Thurman and explore how his spiritual vision influenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Through readings from Jesus and the Disinherited and engagement with King's vision of the Beloved Community, participants will examine the moral and spiritual foundations of justice, nonviolence, and human dignity.
The immersion will also explore how the struggle for justice continues through the environmental justice movement. Through the study of Louisiana's Cancer Alley, participants will examine how historically marginalized communities often bear a disproportionate share of environmental and health burdens. By engaging community voices and local advocates, participants will consider how environmental racism represents a contemporary civil rights issue and an ongoing challenge to the common good.
Participants must be undergraduate students in good standing with the University, willing and able to travel, and committed to attending weekly formation meetings throughout the semester.
To learn more, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
Imago Encounter
Orange Beach, Alabama | February 11-14, 2027
The Imago Encounter invites LGBTQIA+ students, friends, and companions on the journey to gather in prayer, reflection, dialogue, and community within the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Rooted in the belief that every person is created in the imago Dei, the image of God, this experience creates space to explore the relationship between identity, faith, and belonging with openness, authenticity, and care.
Grounded in Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuit practice of finding God in all things, the Imago Encounter fosters meaningful conversation, attentive listening, and shared reflection. Through storytelling, prayer, and dialogue, participants are invited to encounter one another more deeply, recognize the dignity of every person, and discover God's presence in their own stories and in the stories of others.
To learn more, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
Living Radical Hospitality: Cultivating Justice Through Ora et Labora
Subiaco Abbey, Subiaco, Arkansas | March 25-28, 2027
Living Radical Hospitality: Cultivating Justice Through Ora et Labora invites students to participate in a transformative Triduum experience at Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas, where the Benedictine tradition of prayer, work, and community offers a unique lens for exploring faith and justice. Rooted in the Benedictine principle of ora et labora ("prayer and work"), this experience creates space to reflect on how hospitality, simplicity, stewardship, and communal responsibility can shape the way we live and engage the world.
Grounded in the Benedictine commitment to welcoming all as Christ, participants will encounter the rhythms of monastic life through shared prayer, reflection, dialogue, and engagement with the monastic community. Through these experiences, students are invited to consider how radical hospitality can become a practice of justice that affirms human dignity, fosters belonging, and strengthens our responsibility to one another.
The experience extends beyond the monastery through visits to Buffalo National River and Mount Magazine, where participants will engage the beauty and wonder of the natural world. These encounters with creation provide opportunities for contemplation and reflection on our relationship with the earth, inviting participants to consider how care for creation is deeply connected to the pursuit of justice and the common good.
To learn more, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
Iggy’s Cupboard
At Loyola, social justice begins within our own community. Iggy’s Cupboard exists to ensure that every student, staff member, and faculty member has access to the basic resources they need to live, learn, and thrive with dignity.
Rooted in the Jesuit value of cura personalis, or care for the whole person, Iggy’s Cupboard reflects Loyola’s commitment to solidarity and mutual care by responding to the immediate needs of our campus community.
Located in the lower level of the Danna Student Center, Iggy’s Cupboard provides free food, hygiene products, and other essential items to any member of the Loyola University New Orleans community who may need extra support. The cupboard is operated through a partnership between Student Life & Ministry (SLM) and the Student Government Association (SGA) as part of Loyola’s commitment to build a campus culture rooted in compassion, dignity, and belonging.
The cupboard is stocked with both perishable and non-perishable food items, as well as toiletries and everyday essentials. Guests are welcomed with respect and confidentiality and can choose the items that best meet their needs, with support from trained cupboard assistants and volunteers. All services and resources are provided free of charge.
Iggy’s Cupboard is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, and no appointment is necessary. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to simply stop by whenever support is needed.
Donations
The Loyola community also plays an active role in sustaining this ministry of care. Donations of unopened, unused, and non-expired items may be dropped off at the cupboard, the Student Life & Ministry suite, or designated donation bins across campus. Community members can also support the cupboard through one-time or recurring monetary gifts or by purchasing needed items through our Amazon Wishlist.
Volunteer Opportunities
Students interested in volunteering can become involved through training and ongoing support, helping create a welcoming and respectful environment for all who visit the cupboard. Through these shared efforts, Iggy’s Cupboard reflects Loyola’s belief that caring for one another is an essential expression of justice, community, and human dignity.
For questions, volunteering opportunities, or to organize a donation drive, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
Swipe Out Hunger
Through Loyola’s partnership with Sodexo, the Swipe Out Hunger program helps address food insecurity by providing meal support to students in need. A limited number of meal swipes are available each semester through the Meal Swipe Bank, ensuring that students facing financial hardship can continue to access nutritious meals and remain fully engaged in campus life. Swipe Out Hunger reflects the belief that no student should have to choose between meeting basic needs and pursuing their education.
Students experiencing food insecurity may request meal swipes through the Swipe Out Hunger Meal Request Form. Requests are handled with care and confidentiality, with the goal of providing timely support to students navigating temporary or ongoing challenges.
By working together as a campus community, Loyola continues to foster a culture in which students are supported, valued, and empowered to thrive academically and personally.
To learn more, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
The Peter Claver Fund
Named in honor of St. Peter Claver, the 17th-century Jesuit priest who dedicated his life to serving enslaved persons arriving in Cartagena, the Peter Claver Fund reflects Loyola’s commitment to human dignity, solidarity, and compassionate support for students facing hardship.
The Peter Claver Fund provides short-term financial assistance to students facing urgent, unexpected challenges that may threaten their ability to remain enrolled or to fully participate in academic life. Assistance may include support for textbooks and required course materials, transportation needs, emergency travel, or other essential expenses connected to academic success and student stability.
As gap funding, the grant is designed to respond quickly and compassionately, with priority given to students facing significant financial hardship or the risk of withdrawing from the university. Through this fund, the Loyola community seeks to accompany students with compassion and care, ensuring that unexpected barriers do not stand in the way of education, opportunity, and hope.
Support the Peter Claver Fund
Through the generosity of the Loyola community, the Peter Claver Fund offers hope and practical support to students navigating unexpected financial challenges. Contributions help provide emergency assistance for essential needs, allowing students to remain focused on their education and continue their journey toward graduation.
To learn more or apply for assistance, contact Lindy Brasher, University Minister for Social Justice, at lmbrashe@loyno.edu.
Dr. Lindy Brasher serves as University Minister for Social Justice at Loyola University New Orleans, where she cultivates communities rooted in encounter, belonging, justice, and hope. Shaped by a Jesuit education and grounded in religious education and Christian spirituality, she accompanies students as they explore the relationship between faith, service, advocacy, and the pursuit of the common good.
Lindy's ministry is deeply informed by the Ignatian invitation to find God in all things and by the Franciscan vision of St. Bonaventure, who understood creation, Scripture, and the human soul as places of revelation through which God reveals divine love. She believes that social justice begins with relationships, attentive listening, and recognition of the dignity of every person.
Jesuit Volunteer Corps: A Year of Service. A Lifetime of Impact.
The Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) is a national service program that places volunteers in communities across the United States to work alongside organizations addressing some of society's most pressing challenges. Rooted in the Jesuit tradition, JVC invites participants to commit to a year of service focused on social justice, community, spirituality, and simple living.
Through placements in education, healthcare, housing, advocacy, environmental stewardship, and other mission-driven fields, Jesuit Volunteers accompany marginalized communities while developing leadership skills, professional experience, and a deeper understanding of service.
Learn More: Visit the official Jesuit Volunteer Corps website to explore service opportunities, placement locations, and application information.
