Moving students from a concept like charity, which most people support, to an idea of justice in the world, which often requires admitting that we have an unequal share of the world’s goods is not always easy. It is a journey that will offer moments of reflection and discomfort for everyone involved. Finding opportunities for students to provide charity to address the issues in their community and in the world is, unfortunately, not difficult – connecting it to a future where justice reigns requires more creativity. At St. Bonaventure’s College during this year’s Lent we have tried to undertake an endeavor of such creativity.

            St. Pius X Parish, which is ministered to by a local Jesuit Community, has sponsored a family of Syrian refugees. The family has a mother, father, and two very young children who will be arriving sometime in the next few months. St. Bon’s has formed a partnership with the Parish to help provide material support to this family as they transition into their new home. St. Pius X asked if we would try and have some toys donated for the young children to play with, and if we could do a fundraiser to give the family a modest budget for clothing upon their arrival. Since Ignatian education is about forming men and women for and with others, we gladly accepted the request.

            Another principle of Ignatian education is that we offer experiences that target the affective domain of students, creating opportunities for true reflection, leading to actions from our students – hopefully in the service of Gospel values. Simply having students go buy new toys or give some money to a cause does not have a high probability of producing the dialogue that will result in the transformation that our schools strive for. Yes, it is good for students to learn the value of charity, but Ignatian education demands more; it demands that we demonstrate for our students that charity is only required when we live in unjust social structures.

            Our attempt at St. Bon’s to foster a dialogue regarding justice this Lent is modest. For our Toy Drive we have asked all students, particularly our Kindergarten to Gr. 6 classes, to donate a gently used toy instead of going out and buying a new one. At our Ash Wednesday services, Gr. 3 & Gr. 6 students began a dialogue. They explained that we need to realize that sometimes for others to have their fair share of the goods of the world, that we need to do without. The hope is that when young boys and girls go home and confront the reality of giving away a precious toy, that their parents will use the moment to teach them about the millions of children in the world who not only do without toys, but also without adequate food, clean drinking water, and the security of a home. Young children naturally understand the idea of fairness, and most will easily see that a world where some children do without is unfair, and hopefully sparks the questions, “What more can I do?”

            Our second effort focuses on raising funds for the family to buy new clothing. Instead of simply having students ask their parents for money, we have chosen to do a “Chore Challenge”. Each child at the school has been challenged to complete at least one chore per day at home during Lent. Parents are asked to pay their child 25 cents each day, the hope being that at the end of Lent each student will have earned $10 to donate to the family. Money and how much people earn is often a taboo subject, so the hope of the Chore Challenge is that students of all ages will start asking questions like, “Is 25 cents a lot to be paid a day?” or “Are their children in the world who actually have to work every day?”, with the obvious result being that awareness is raised regarding issues of unjust wages, poor working conditions, and child labour.

            Small steps are what are usually taken on the beginning of a journey – they allow us to get comfortable, and find our way. Educating young people is done in small steps. Convincing 5 year olds and 18 year olds that charity is not enough, that a radical transformation of society is needed, that a move towards solidarity is our calling, is done in small steps. Each step must be intentional and create opportunities for dialogue if students are going to become the most effective and affective agents of change that the world needs and that God calls them to be. It is our hope at St. Bon’s that as our students journey through Lent this year, that a few more small steps will be taken to ensure that everyone will live in a more just world someday.