NEWS & EVENTS

Parents participate in the monthly rosary at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.
Parents and grandparents participate in the monthly Pray and Crochet Gathering.
Members of the Belen community attend the Eucharistic Procession.
Members of the Belen community attend the Lenten Reflections.
Members of the Women of Grace Foundational Study Cohort gather in the Garrido Family Plaza.

Ministry to Parents Grows in the 
2026-2027 Academic Year

 9/24/2026

Teresa Martinez | Director of Communications


One of the school's objectives is to strengthen the Catholic-Jesuit identity in everything from curriculum and athletics to our employees, students, parents, and grandparents. This core pillar has led the Strategic Plan since 2017 and will remain part of the 2027 Strategic Plan, which is currently in development.
 

“Belen Jesuit is committed to enhancing its Catholic-Jesuit ethos in order to continue providing for its students, their families, the faculty, staff and alumni an opportunity to encounter the person of Jesus Christ and to strengthen their relations with him within the context of the Catholic faith,” said Fr. Willie García-Tuñón, S.J.,’87 in the 2022 Strategic Plan. 
 

As such, a key component is how we minister to parents and grandparents. Over the last few years, we have increased our efforts. 
 

  • The Monthly Rosary has grown from moms to parents, and now to grandparents.

  • Pray & Crochet combines a fun hobby with prayer and service to the community, and it's open to the entire Belen family.

  • The Women of Grace Foundational Study was initiated in the 2024-2025 school year to help Belen mothers deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, the Mass, and the sacraments. By unpacking the life-changing treasures of Sacred Scripture and gaining insights from our Blessed Mother and some of the great female saints of our Church, Belen moms were called to discover their mission as Catholic women in today's world. This beautiful ministry grew exponentially in 2025-2026, and we look forward to welcoming an even larger cohort in January of 2027. An informational meeting will take place on December 15.

  • This year, Belen's Chaplain Fr. Joseph Hill, S.J., is offering parents the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life, known as the 19th Annotation Retreat. Based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, it invites participants to attend weekly meetings and to pray one meditation a day for six months while continuing their regular lives.

  • The Cana Couples Rosary, led by our Principal and his wife, will be offered on October 12, January 12, and May 27.  This couples’ rosary includes reflections on each mystery, dedicated to praying for our vocation as husbands and wives. These special evenings will also include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with time to pray for our families and, in particular, our sons. 

  • Each semester, we offer a Mass at the Our Lady of Belen Chapel for grandparents. This is a special opportunity for grandsons and their grandparents to attend Mass at Belen. Stay tuned for dates. 

  • In 2025-2026, we introduced ∫ for Belen Dads and Alumni as a Lenten formation series. This deep dive into Scripture was a perfect way to strengthen our ethos by deepening our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Additionally, parents are invited to Mass at 7:15 a.m. on weekdays in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception and to monthly adoration in the Our Lady of Belen Chapel. Special events such as participation in the Life Chain, Eucharistic Procession, the 40 Hours of Devotion during Ignatian Week, Holy Week Devotions, the Lenten Challenge, and more offer the community at large the opportunity to grow closer to Christ.  

 

These ministries remind us that forming "Men for Others" begins at home in the faith lived out by the parents and grandparents who walk alongside them. As Belen's Catholic-Jesuit identity continues to grow, so too does the community's shared commitment to prayer, formation, and grace.