Volunteer corps of retirees helps the poor, works for better world

Published: 2005-06-01

NEWARK, N.J. (CNS) -- The Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps has come to the Newark Archdiocese, tapping into the wisdom and experience of retirees. According to its mission statement, the volunteer corps provides retired men and women, age 50 and over, "the opportunity to serve the needs of people who are poor, to work for a more just society, and to grow deeper in Christian faith by reflecting and praying in the Ignatian tradition." "We follow the Jesuit philosophy and send you where you're needed, and you adapt your skills," said Edmund J. Stankiewicz, coordinator for the corps' northern/central New Jersey chapter, which was started last November. Volunteers work two days a week at a nonprofit organization in their area. The Baltimore-based corps was founded by Jesuit Fathers Jim Conroy and Charlie Costello in 1995 and has spread to several major U.S. cities and metropolitan areas. It is named for the founder of the Jesuit order, St. Ignatius of Loyola.

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