“The Sparrow”/“Children of God” – If “The Mission” is the most famous fictional tale of Jesuits, Maria Doria Russell’s sci-fi novel “The Sparrow” is many Jesuits’ favorite. If you’re interested in Jesuit missionary stories, the historically-based movies “Black Robe” and “Silence” are other interesting examples. We might not carry a weapon like Robert DeNiro’s character, but a warrior lives inside many of us. Ignatius was first a soldier, though, and he would describe Jesuits as “soldiers for God.” And while some of that language doesn’t really work today, it also points to the very Jesuit belief that our vocations are lived out in action, particularly in standing with and fighting for those who are forgotten or the victims of injustice. Jeremy Irons’ character very much captures that spirit of trust and hopefulness. On the one hand, we’re trained to be mystics, men who open themselves to the movements of the Spirit in our lives and the world around us. The delicate, soul-searching score by Ennio Morricone has also become a standard at Jesuit events, especially ordinations.īut the thing that makes the story enduring is the way that it captures two main threads of Jesuit life that go all the way back to St.

As the two Jesuits trying to evangelize and then save a community of Guarani people in the jungles of Paraguay, Jeremy Irons and Robert DeNiro are each incredibly powerful.

“The Mission” – Even though it’s over 30 years old at this point, “The Mission” is by far the most famous fictional story of Jesuits. If you’re looking for an interesting way to celebrate, what about a book, movie or TV show about Jesuits? There’s actually more than few at this point, and in a whole bunch of genres.

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