Jesuit Father Douglas Marcouiller thanked Jesuit Volunteer Gabby Alexander at a celebration honoring St. Louis-area Ignatian volunteers.

Jesuit Father Douglas Marcouiller, provincial of the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, recently honored members of the three groups of lay volunteers working in St. Louis: the Alum Service Corps, the Ignatian Volunteer Corps and the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

Fr. Marcouiller called the 42 Ignatian volunteers “a close-knit group of friends — friends with each other and the poor.”

At a Mass for the volunteers, Marcouiller said that the volunteers “see the spirit of God working in the world.”

Marcouiller said it is a gift to be drawn into the lives of others such as former prisoners or middle school students. “These are places where we can encounter the Lord,” he said.

For more on the Fr. Marcouiller and the volunteers, visit the St. Louis Review.

Where does a Jesuit come from?

Why does he join the Society of Jesus?

How does he know his calling?

The Jesuit Conference of the United States has launched a new video series interviewing Jesuits from across the country discussing their vocations, their various paths to becoming a Jesuit and what it has meant to them to answer God’s call. National Jesuit News will feature a new video interview each week. You can watch additional videos by going to the Jesuits Revealed channel on YouTube.

Today’s video features Jesuit Paul Vu of the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus discussing the importance of retreats in following the spirituality put forth by St. Ignatius of Loyola and what retreats mean for Jesuits. You can watch additional videos with Vu here and here at the Jesuits Revealed channel on YouTube.