Who is Saint Ignatius? He is the founder of the Society of Jesus, "The Jesuits." He was born in 1491 in the Basque region of Northern Spain. After living a rather "colorful" life as a soldier and courtier, Ignatius suffered a life-threatening blow to his knee, when he was struck with a cannon ball while defending the fortress of the city of Pamplona. During his convalescence Ignatius has many months to consider how he would live the rest of his life. It was during this time that he was converted to a life of service to the Church.  

Prep was founded in 1789 by John Carroll, early American patriot and Jesuit priest. His brother, Charles Carroll, was one of three Roman Catholic signers of the Declaration of Independence. John Carroll wished for there to be a Catholic school for boys in our nation's capital, and for this "Academy on the Patowmack" to bring young men together, both Catholic and non-Catholic, from every state in the union. The roots of Georgetown Prep are intertwined with the roots of our Republic.

From the beginning, the spiritual formation of our young men has been central to the school's mission. This is achieved through a combination of religious studies, retreats, personal and communal prayer, and the celebration of the Eucharist, as well as opportunities for service. Over the course of his four years, a Prep student will have the opportunity to go on overnight retreats each year, with the highlight being the Kairos retreat in the junior year.  

In addition to school-wide Masses throughout the year, Prep also celebrates Sunday Mass on most Sunday evenings at 5:30. There is also a morning liturgy Monday through Friday at 7:45 a.m. To view the liturgy schedule, return to the home page and click on "calendars", just below the image of St. Ignatius.

It was Ignatius's fundamental conviction that God could be found in all things, and it is for this reason that we take the experiences of young men so seriously. We believe that God dwells within each one of us, and in all things we do we can give glory to God -- whether on the football field, on the stage, writing an essay, puzzling through math homework, or in the South Room at lunch.

For more information about St. Ignatius and the Jesuits, you will find lots on the web, but the best place to start is here:  

 The Web site of the Maryland Province of the Jesuits provides information about the Maryland Province to which the Jesuits of Georgetown Prep belong. Especially useful is the "transaction center" where you can request Mass cards.