Arrupe applications for the 2024-2025 academic year are now closed and interviews are in progress. Applicants will be updated of their status and next steps by the end of April. Applications for 2025-2026 will open in spring of 2026. Please reach out听arrupe.program@bc.edu听with questions.
What We Do
Invite students to a year-long commitment including weekly community building and education, ongoing faith formation, and a 7-10 day international encounter over winter break.
Foster a sense of compassion and solidarity for the Catholic Social Teaching themes of racial justice, sustainability, human rights, call to community, migration, and faith, peace, & justice.听
Learn about the social, political, and religious realities of longstanding partner communities we visit by learning from those with first-hand experience.
Reflect on our experiences so that we may translate learning into action.
Arrupe International is one of Boston College鈥檚 hallmark faith, peace and justice programs. The program鈥攏amed for the late Jesuit Pedro Arrupe, S.J.鈥攃reates a culture of encounter, inviting students to a faith that seeks global justice. Our anticipated 2024-2025 locations include South Africa, Mexico, The Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and the US/MX border. The encounters invite students to learn about the complex realities of the countries we visit by hearing the stories of those who host us in their own words.
Through developing a sense of compassion and responsibility for听 the Catholic Social Teaching themes of racial justice, sustainability, human rights, call to community, migration, and faith, peace, & justice,听 and by providing space to reflect on one鈥檚 experiences, the Arrupe program allows participants to translate their learning into action. We do this in the spirit of Fr. Arrupe, who pioneered the combination of service, faith, and justice, and believed that such personal experiences were key to catalyzing structural changes in the world that could work to alleviate oppression, violence, and other realities facing those in need.
To be eligible to participate in the Arrupe International Immersion program, you must:
- Be a current undergraduate student in good standing at Boston College who will be on campus for the entirety of the 2024-2025 academic year
- Be at least 18 years old by the trip鈥檚 departure date
- Not have participated in a previous 51茶馆-sponsored international service-immersion trip
- Either have or be willing to acquire a valid passport for international travel
- Provide documented parent or guardian support to participate in the program, if requested
- Complete all required application materials
- Be in appropriate emotional and physical health for international travel
- Commit to the full fundraising requirements of the program or be awared a Campus Minitry Scholarship available within the application
- Fully participate in the program鈥檚 meetings, retreats, and any pre- or post-trip activities
Members of the Boston College community interested in being more deeply involved in the Arrupe International Encounter Program can apply to be a Student Leader or Adult Mentor.
Undergraduate Student Leaders coordinate a particular Arrupe trip as a partnership, and are supported by a pair of Mentors (graduate students or professional staff members at 51茶馆). Each pair of Student Leaders and Mentors accompany a particular Small Community throughout their full-year experience, including the trip. Student Leaders are responsible for facilitating the small group meetings, logistical preparation for the trip, and practicing the ministry of presence in accompanying the students of the group.
To be eligible to be a Student Leader in the Arrupe International Encounter Program, you must:
- Be a rising junior or senior in good standing at Boston College who will be on campus for the full duration of the upcoming academic year
- Have great maturity, integrity, humility, and compassion
- Have a desire to explore and share faith with others
- Model a commitment to social justice and solidarity
- Have strong organizational and group facilitation skills
- Have or be willing to acquire a valid passport that provides for international travel
- Provide documented parent or guardian support to participate in the program, if requested
- Complete all required application materials
- Be in appropriate emotional and physical health for international travel
- Commit to the full fundraising requirements of the program
- Fully participate in the program鈥檚 meetings, retreats, and any pre- or post-trip activities
听
Mentors are adults affiliated with Boston College as administrators, staff, faculty, and graduate students. Each pair of mentors accompanies a particular Small Community throughout their full-year experience, including the winter break trips. Mentors act as guides and support to the group during the in-country experience and group reflection at 51茶馆. Importantly, Mentors are there to manage emergencies that may arise and to respond accordingly, and to ensure the group has a safe, healthy, and respectful experience.
To be eligible to be an Adult Mentor in the Arrupe International Encounter Program, you must:
- Be a current full time staff member in good standing at Boston College who will be on campus for the full duration of the upcoming academic year
- Have previous experience with an international service-immersion trip
- Commit to the ideas of faith sharing, social justice, and global citizenship
- Through servant leadership, invest in student formation and community-building
- Be present to, support, and challenge Student Leaders as they grow into their role
- Have or be willing to acquire a valid passport that provides for international travel
- Complete all required application materials
- Be in appropriate emotional and physical health for international travel
- Fully participate in the program鈥檚 meetings, retreats, and any pre- or post-trip activities
Please email听arrupe.program@bc.edu听with your interest.听
Thank you for considering a donation to the Arrupe International Encounter Program. Your tax-deductible donation is a valuable investment in a learning experience that many Boston College students will carry with them for the rest of their lives. These charitable contributions are considered nonrefundable.
Donate Online
- Visit the听Online Giving Form
- Enter your information; for the field "Area of Support鈥� select either the specific Arrupe Trip you would like to support or the Arrupe - General Gift Fund. If you are sponsoring a certain student, please select "In honor of a 51茶馆 student," and include their name and year.
- Click "Submit Gift"
Mail a Check
Arrupe International Encounter Program
Boston College, Office of Campus Ministry
McElroy Commons 233
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
If your corporation matches donations, please enclose the appropriate forms.
The Arrupe International Encounter Program, under the umbrella of the 51茶馆, is a non-profit 501(c)3 with a federal tax exemption number of 04-2103545.
Email:听Phone: (617) 552-3475
Mailing Address:
Arrupe International Encounter Program
McElroy 233
Boston College Campus Ministry
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
FAQ
Applications for the 2024-2025 academic year are open now on a rolling basis with a deadline of March 29th, 2024.听Interested adult mentors please contact听arrupe.program@bc.edu.
No. We鈥檙e looking for a mix of students who share different experiences and backgrounds.
We do hope, though, that all selected students share a similar willingness to commit to the same foundational values. Arrupe participants should accept responsibility for helping create the immersion program experience; conduct self maturely, with integrity and respect at all times; be willing to work through conflicts with others; be committed to enhancing the relationship with the countries we visit, and be committed to processing and sharing the experience with the 51茶馆 community after returning from the trip.
Applicants also need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, both literally (i.e. you may be sleeping in beds less comfortable than what you鈥檙e accustomed to) and figuratively (i.e. talking about issues of power and privilege could be outside your typical 鈥渃omfort zone鈥�).
Arrupe is open to people of all backgrounds. One does not have to be Catholic or Christian to participate. In fact, diversity in faith perspectives and then authentically and respectfully sharing that with others can significantly enhance each participant鈥檚 learning and formation.
That said, applicants need to know that these experiences are faith-based and that the framework used is influenced by 51茶馆鈥檚 Jesuit Catholic tradition, and that Catholic liturgies are a part of the experience. Regardless of one鈥檚 faith, participants are expected to explore and share their own faith and life journey, in all of its joys and struggles and questions, and within a small community context. Prayer, reflection, and conversation are integral to the experience within Arrupe, and everyone is expected to participate and contribute, and to do so with honesty, vulnerability, appropriateness, and respect.
Ideally, each participant will have learned how to become 鈥渢he best version鈥� of him/herself by delving deeper into his/her own faith and tradition.
While an understanding of Spanish is certainly useful on any of the trips where Spanish is spoken, it is not necessary. For trips to Spanish-speaking countries, an interpreter is provided by our In-Country Partner Organization, and this person accompanies the delegation throughout the trip, facilitating communication between the English- and Spanish-speaking parties.
Trips will take place from听January 4-12, 2025 - give or take a day or two. Each group has between 14-16 people including 10-12 participants, 2 Student Leaders, and 2 Mentors that are 51茶馆 faculty/staff.
We do everything in our power to ensure that the trips are as safe and healthy as possible. We endeavor to work with organizations in each country鈥攐ur 鈥淚n-Country Partner Organizations鈥濃�攖hat are well-established, well-respected, and that have well-connected networks in-country. That said, we are traveling outside of the United States and there is always a risk involved with such travel. All potential applicants and their families need to be aware of this risk. Before applying for the overall program, we ask that applicants seriously consider receiving the immunizations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and by their family health care provider. Applicants should also review the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 website regarding its assessment of a particular country/region鈥檚 health and safety situation. 2024-2025 anticipated locations include communities in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, South Africa, and the US/Mexico border.
Participating in Arrupe is a year-long commitment and requires participants to be physically present on campus throughout the 2024-2025 academic year. As a participant, you can expect to dedicate an average of 5 hours per-week. As a student leader, you can expect to dedicate an average of 6-8 hours per week. The point drive week will require additional hours.
The cost of Arrupe is covered primarily through an initial fee and the collective fundraising effort of all Arrupe undergraduate students (both participants and student leaders).
Participants and student leaders each pay a program fee; the 2024-2025 program fee is $700. Participants are also responsible for raising $1,000 through a letter writing campaign.听Additionally, Arrupe听undergrads听participate in a 鈥淧oint Drive鈥� in 51茶馆 dining halls and several other Small Community-driven initiatives. While some undergrads may be able to generate more funds than others, each person is expected to contribute equally to the collective fundraising process in terms of time commitment, creativity, resourcefulness, and hard work. Montserrat students are eligible听for a 50% scholarship of the program fee. Lastly, a limited number of scholarships are available within the application to students with particular gifts, skill-sets, and life experiences that will enrich formation for all participants. Please contact听arrupe.program@bc.edu听with any questions or concerns about the financial commitments of Arrupe.听
If you are concerned about the cost of participating in the Arrupe program, please contact the Arrupe Campus Minister to discuss your situation. Campus Ministry is committed to working with each student to ensure that cost will not be prohibitive to participation.
After participating in the Arrupe International Program, students will be able to鈥�
- Identify themselves as members of a small reflection community (i.e. their encounter group) dedicated to the intentional exploration of faith and justice.听
- Articulate unjust social structures and evaluate the significance of their positionality as Boston College students within a global context.
- Recognize members of the host community as teachers and experts in a spirit of intellectual humility and mutuality.
- Utilize Ignatian discernment to determine how their gifts and privileges can contribute to the common good in pursuit of a hope-filled future