Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is the school called Creighton Prep?
   • The school was named after Edward Creighton, who, at his death, left his fortune to wife, Mrs. Mary Lucretia (Wareham) Creighton who specified in her will that the money should go to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Omaha to build a free school for boys. Edward's brother, John A. Creighton, was one of the executors of the will and gave the property and securities to the Right Reverend James O'Conner, the first bishop of Omaha. The bishop gave the school to the Jesuits of the Missouri Province to be administered by them. It is a college preparatory school. Today, at least 97% of the graduates go on to a college or a university.
2. When and how was the school named a university?
   • In 1879, at the request of the Bishop, the school was incorporated by the district court as a university, under the name of "Creighton College." Some years passed before the student body increased and departments of the university developed.
3. What does SJ stand for?
   • It stands for "Society of Jesus." You'll see these initials behind every Jesuit's name.
4. What is a Jesuit?
   • A Jesuit is a member of the Society of Jesus, a religious order founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1540.
5. Are there different kinds of Jesuits?
   • Yes. There are priests, Jesuit scholastics and Jesuit brothers.
6. What is a Jesuit priest?
   • A Jesuit priest (called "Father") is ordained for sacramental ministry after 12-15 years of training.
7. What is a Jesuit scholastic?
   • A Jesuit scholastic or seminarian (called "Mister") is still in the process of preparing for the priesthood.
8. What is a Jesuit brother?
   • A Jesuit brother (called "Brother") is one who is not ordained and whose apostolic work does not include sacramental or priestly ministry.
9. What makes a Jesuit a member of a religious order?
   • Members of a religious order take vows (sacred promises) of perpetual poverty, chastity and obedience.
10. Why were Jesuits called "Blackrobes"?
    • Jesuits wore a black robe called a cassock that was bound together at the waist by a cincture. Jesuits no longer wear cassocks, but wear a black shirt with a clerical collar.
11. Is it true the Society of Jesus is the largest religious order of men in the world?
    • Yes
12. Are Jesuits engaged in other apostolates besides education?
    • Yes. Other apostolates that Jesuits are engaged in are parish ministry, preaching, pastoral ministry in hospitals, spiritual direction, giving retreats, missionary work, the training of diocesan seminarians, writing and publishing, TV and radio ministry, medicine and psychiatry -- to name a few.
13. How many Jesuits are there in the world?
    • At the end of the year 1998 there were over 21,000 Jesuits throughout the world.
14. How many of these Jesuits were in the United States?
    • There were over 4,000 Jesuits in the U.S. at the end of 1994.
15. Where do these Jesuits work in the U.S.?
    • Jesuits in the U.S. work in ten regional areas called provinces.
     

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