Jesuits in the colonial period held people in bondage in what are now Maryland and Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Canada and the Great Lakes region. In the 19th century, the labor of enslaved people supported Jesuit missions, churches and schools in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Kentucky, Louisiana, Alabama, Illinois and Kansas. Georgetown University, Saint Louis University and Spring Hill College relied directly upon enslaved labor, as did colleges in Kentucky and Louisiana that are now closed.

We, the Jesuits, deeply regret our participation in this evil institution. No one today can reconcile these actions with the current teaching of the Catholic Church or with our commitments as Jesuits, but they are an undeniable part of our history. We are called now to an intentional response: one that foregrounds the lived experiences of enslaved people, acknowledges the legacies of Jesuit slaveholding, and is made in collaboration with Descendants and those in our communities who continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery.

In March 2021, Descendants of ancestors enslaved and sold by the Jesuits and the Jesuits of the United States launched a first-of-its-kind partnership: the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation (DTRF). A landmark undertaking, the DTRF’s mission is to support the educational aspirations of Descendants for future generations and to play a prominent role in engaging, promoting and supporting programs and activities that highlight truth, accelerate racial healing and reconciliation, and advance racial justice and equality in America.