Colleagues of the Maryland Province - Bound together by Ignatian spirituality, many longtime lay colleagues in Jesuit works wanted to be more available for service to the province. Aware of their desires for the future and grateful for the strength of their relationships, they united and formed the Colleagues of the Maryland Province (COMP) in 2000.

Current Projects:

• Offer assistance to the province for long range planning
• Sponsor conferences and gatherings of lay colleagues in Jesuit works
• Provide training and formation in the Ignatian charism and spirituality

Identity Statement:

"We find ourselves at a graced moment in the history of our Church and of the Society of Jesus. We have been invited by the Jesuits to share in their mission through a variety of apostolic ministries. We have been formed in Ignatian spirituality and supported by relationships with Jesuits who have helped to inspire and animate our work and witness. Our identity as Colleagues of the Maryland Province is grounded in grateful participation in the Ignatian vision. We offer our unique perspectives and gifts in partnership with the Maryland Province to respond to the apostolic challenges we face. We offer our discernment of the movement of the Spirit in our work, in our church, and in our world."

Member Criteria:

• Engaged in a work of the Society of Jesus for a minimum of five years
• Working knowledge of Ignatian principles * Committed to Ignatian spirituality
• Available for service to the Maryland Province Jesuits

"Cooperation with the laity is both a constitutive element of our way of proceeding and a grace calling for individual, communal, and institutional renewal. It invites us to service of the ministry of lay people, partnership with them in mission, and openness to creative ways of future cooperation"

General Congregation 34.360.26