＜－（Image from:The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin）
The Society of Jesus' initiative in interreligious dialogue in the United States began in 1997, and will continue to develop through national planning in coordination with efforts initiated in Rome and in other regions of the Society. At this site we will keep a brief record of past and current initiatives.
In the first phase, in October, 1997, Frs. Thomas Michel, S.J., Coordinator for Interreligious Dialogue for the Society of Jesus (globally) and Francis X. Clooney, S.J., were invited by the United States Provincials to meet with them during their fall meeting in Sedalia, Colorado, to discuss the follow-up to the 34th General Congregation's initiatives on interreligious dialogue. In the spring of 1998, the provincials accordingly asked Fr. Clooney to become the coordinator for mission and interreligious dialogue in the ministries connected with the Society of Jesus in the United States.

During 1998-1999 Fr. Clooney began to develop first of all a network of Jesuits around the United States involved in some way in interreligious encounter, either formally or simply in the course of other ministries. During 1998-1999 Fr. Clooney formed the national Advisory Committee on Interreligious Dialogue.

February 25 - 27, 2000
The national Advisory Committee had its first national meeting in St. Louis in February, 2000. We have privided a description of that meeting. The Advisory Committee will meet in May 2001, and thereafter other national and regional meetings will be scheduled, and announced here.

May 18 - 20, 2001
The Advisory Committee met in Montreal, Canada. Fr. Clooney, S.J. has written a report on this meeting. A number of guests were present, and supplement the expertise of the members of the board. The primary goal of the meeting was to identify key initiatives which will aid those who work in institutions and ministries related to the Society of Jesus in attending to and fostering the interreligious dimensions of their work and lives. Visitors to this website are invited to send suggestions to any of the Board members, or to Francis X. Clooney, S.J. clooney@bc.edu

July 7 - 8, 2003
A sub-group of the advisory comittee met for two days at Loyole University Chicago to disucss initiatives in interreligious dialogue. We have provided a report on this meeting. As part of our research into programs geared towards cross-religions understanding and interreligious dialogue the committee has compiled a list of courses in World Religion Courses taught as part of the core curriculum and a list of World Religion courses taught as part of an undergraduate major in theology and/or religious studies. The goal of the meeting was to evaluate past initiatives in interreligious dialogue and to suggest future plans. Visitors to this website are invited to send suggestions to any of the Board members, or to Francis X. Clooney, S.J. clooney@bc.edu

The Advisory Board is intended to give the Coordinator for Mission and Interreligious Dialogue, currently Francis X. Clooney, S.J., advice and feedback on the development of our work in this area. It is comprised of Jesuits and colleagues of Jesuits from the various ministries related to the Society of Jesus in the United States. The Board is a flexible body, on which members will serve for several years at a time. Much of the communication occurs by e-mail, but it is expected that at least once a year members of the Board will meet for extended discussion. Readers of this Page are welcome to contact either the Coordinator or any of the members of the Board with ideas regarding our work in the area of Dialogue.

〔 source from " http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/dialogue/background/background.html "〕