Our Ignatian Roots
Because Santa Clara University is rooted in Catholic and Jesuit traditions, we welcome students wherever they come from, wherever they are, and wherever they are heading.
As part of a global network in Jesuit education built on 500 years of tradition, Santa Clara University is a special place with deep-rooted Jesuit, Catholic foundations. These foundations will shape the student experience in profound ways.
SCU’s Jesuit tradition began with the vision and spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. St. Ignatius believed in educating the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. SCU aims to do to just that by upholding these Jesuit values, which together helps us become people for and with others:
Cura Personalis translates from Latin to mean "care for the whole person." Cura personalis means that we strive to educate and form students in their full humanity so that together we can build a more humane, just, and sustainable world. We commit to helping to develop ALL aspects of the student – their faith, spirituality, intellect, goodness, compassion, and their desire to make this world a better place.
SCU’s mission as a Jesuit Catholic university means that together we focus on building a community based on relationships, values, and commitment. Fostering a strong sense of community with each other, our neighbors, and the world is what we call becoming “people with and for others.”
Ignatian spirituality, taught by St. Ignatius, encourages us to find God in all things. This means seeing the sacred in everyday moments and interactions, finding goodness in each other. This is quite concrete here at SCU. It means that we are constantly striving to build a diverse and inclusive community where every individual is valued and respected. We believe that we are all interconnected and that by working together, we can create a more just and compassionate world.
It is this value that motivates us to have everyone at SCU engage in communities locally and globally, to help students to combine their own values with Jesuit values for concrete action in the world.
The heart of Ignatian Spirituality is discernment and reflection. Discernment is the spiritual practice of noticing the movements within your heart and soul, identifying the thoughts, desires, and emotions that motivate them, and using these insights to decide where you are being led. Ignatian reflection is pausing in the midst of our daily lives to look back in and reflect on where we have been, what we have learned, and how that can inform our next actions. When these foundational habits can be built, we can become our best selves and best leave our mark on this world and in our communities.
These values call us to help students learn from different perspectives, understand social justice issues, and contribute to the common good. Whether they’re working on a local community project or engaging in an immersion abroad, students will be challenged to think critically and act compassionately. In the classroom and beyond, their experiences at SCU will not only enrich their minds, but also help them develop the skills and empathy needed to become leaders for positive change.
We’re proud of SCU’s mission - ‘to educate leaders of competence, conscience and compassion.’ This is our highest commitment. We are brimming with excitement and anticipation to see all the ways in which our students bring this mission to life here at SCU and beyond. We invite students, parents, and families to embrace and grow in SCU’s shared Ignatian values, connect them with their own values, spirituality and faith. Join us for the Ignatian adventure of becoming a person for and with others! Because Santa Clara University is rooted in Catholic and Jesuit traditions, we call all members of the Bronco community to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world.