AMDG
The absolute vision of AMDG is to bring the love and generosity of God to life in young adults, to feed their beliefs in fulfilling ways, and to foster the awareness of that love through compassionate service extended to others, fueled through the practices of a faith life rooted in the Church. The program's name, AMDG, comes from the Latin motto of the Society of Jesus, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. For the Greater Glory of God.
Boston College's Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies Secures $10M Grant to
Inspire Youth Faith and Service
On November 22, 2024, the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies (IAJS) at Boston College was awarded a $10 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to launch the AMDG (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam) program, dedicated to revitalizing faith and service among youth and young adults.
AMDG will immerse over six hundred participants, aged 16 – 29, in a year-long faith exploration and service journey. Drawing from Jesuit traditions and leveraging global networks, the program includes mentorship opportunities for fifty Ambassadors and Beadles, Jesuit retreats, and a transformative pilgrimage on the Camino Ignaciano in Spain.
The program will collaborate with accepted institutions including fifteen high schools, five colleges, and five parishes across the U.S., fostering a renewed spirit of faith through community service and personal growth. Participants will also engage with Boston College's renowned Ever to Excel program and have the opportunity to earn a certificate in Jesuit Studies.
This grant will cover the piloted phase of the AMDG program, which will run from July 2025 to August 2027. The Institute has selected its participating institutions from across the country and looks forward to welcoming them to Boston College's campus this summer to begin the AMDG journey.
More information is forthcoming. We congratulate the accepted institutions and look forward to collaborating with them.
AMDG By The Numbers
5
Colleges & Universities
15
High Schools
5
Parishes
600+
Participants Projeted to Complete the Program Over Two Years
In addition to Institute leadership, the AMDG Program involves three different populations. Learn more about them below.
Participants will work with Ambassadors during their year-long participation in the program at their home institution. They will engage in six components to deepen their faith and service with the program.
- Ever to Excel: July 13 – 18th
- Spiritual Conversations
- In-Person Retreats
- Journey with Ignatius Mobile Pilgrammage App
- A Mobile App Retreat in Daily Life
- In-Person Pilgrimage on the Camino Ignaciano
To learn more about the program's Ambassadors click here.
Ambassadors are selected by their home institution and serve for a two-year term. They also receive a stipend for their commitment and leadership. They will also participate in the fifteen-credit Certificate in Jesuit Studies program at the Institute. The Ambassador is tasked with recruiting and leading a group of 10 participants from their home institution in year one and 15 participants in year two of the program.
Additional responsabilities will include:
- Recruitment of participants to build a cohort in their community to engage with the program
- Journey with cohort participants to the Ever to Excel program at Boston College, July 13 – 18th.
- Facilitate bi-weekly meetings with cohort focusing on reflecting and sharing about spiritual and service experiences
- Participate with their cohort on in-person retreats
- Accompany their cohort on the Camino Ignaciano
- Complete the Certificate of Jesuit Studies program coursework
Beadles are selected from an applicant pool of current Boston College undergraduate students. They work with Ambassadors to provide guidance throughout the program. Beadles are individuals who have demonstrated commitment to service and spiritual growth during their time at Boston College. They are active members of the Boston College faith community and have participated in and mentored high school students in the Ever to Excel program.
FAQ
Ambassadors are AMDG program leaders at the local level and serve for the years of this piloted program. Beadles are undergraduate students from Boston College who accompany each participating institution and serve as an additional resource for participants. Participants are students from each participating institution who commit to fulfilling the full-year requirements of the AMDG program. In year one there are 250 participants for the first cohort, and in year two, there are 375 participants from the 25 participating institutions.
The AMDG program for Participants is a year-long commitment with specific requirements for those selected. These requirements are meant to help guide those involved in spiritual growth and service.
The program will begin with Participants and Ambassadors joining together at Boston College and engaging in the Ever to Excel Summer program for five days, July 13 – 18th.
Each Participant group will be entrusted with milestones throughout the year, which their group's Ambassador will facilitate.
Ambassadors are tasked with leading the group of Participants from their home institution. They will sign on with AMDG for a two-year commitment.
Institutions who are involved with the AMDG program appoints an Amabassador.
If you are interested in being involved with AMDG as a Participant please reach out to the Ambassador at your institution. Click here to see who the Ambassador is at your Institution.
Beadles are undergraduate students from Boston College who accompany each participating institution throughout the AMDG program. They assist Ambassadors and serve as an additional resource for enriching the participant experience.
No, expenses related to the program will be covered by the grant awarded to the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College through the Lilly Endowment's National Youth and Young Adult Initative on Faith and Service.
Each Ambassador, Beadle, and Participant will travel to Boston College for Ever to Excel, to a Jesuit retreat house in the United States, and to Spain in order to walk the Camino Ignaciano.
Ever to Excel is a summer program hosted by the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies. Every Participant and Ambassador is expected to participate in a special session of the Ever to Excel program. During this session you will meet other participants of the AMDG program and connect with your cohort.
The AMDG program seeks to pursue the promotion of justice through acts of service among participants, in order to renew the service of faith and to do so in a way that presents the practices of faith as beautiful and worthy of pursuit and the very source that sustains the Christian life of service.