Over 150 immersion participants came together on the evening of Sunday, February 17, for annual community commissioning celebrated at 10 p.m. mass in Saint Francis Chapel. During his homily Rev. Robert Niehoff, S.J. spoke to the students take part in immersion experiences during the 07-08 academic school year, encouraging them to fully embrace the opportunity to encounter the poor.

The Mass began with a procession of flags from the various countries and U.S. states where immersion experience groups are going during the academic year along with symbols representing the five values of the immersion experience program: spirituality, education, service, social justice, and community. During the commissioning Fr. Niehoff asked the participants to commit themselves to these five values.

In total, 14 groups traveling to five countries (Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua) and seven different states (Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia) were commissioned or recognized for already participating in an immersion experience.

Each participant received a re-usable water bottle with the following quote from former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Very Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.:

“Learn[ing] to
 perceive, think, judge, choose
 and act for the rights of others,
 especially the disadvantaged
  and the oppressed.”

The water bottles were given as a common symbol for the immersion participants but also promoted sustainability of resources by minimizing the use of plastic water bottles on-campus.

On Saturday, February 23, and Sunday, February 24, six of the 14 groups departed for the Spring Break destinations to explore issues related to urban poverty/homelessness, environmental sustainability, and the plight of the migrant farmworker in southwest Florida. On April 23 all of the January and Spring Break immersion participants will provide reports on their experiences in the atrium from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.  More details will be available at: www.jcu.edu/immersion.

Immersion Experiences at John Carroll are coordinated by Campus Ministry and the Center for Service for Social Action in cooperation with various academic departments.