Motivated by Jesus’ example and the rich heritage of Catholic social teaching, we recognize and embrace the call to serve. As a diocesan college, service on campus overflows into the local, national, and international communities.
The Catholic Church teaches the importance of practicing mercy by meeting individuals’ immediate needs and addressing the systems that prevent people from flourishing through social justice.
At 黑料正能量, students engage in service to the world through meeting immediate needs and advocating for social change.
Peace & Justice
Loras is dedicated to peace and justice, and we are called to do our part to build a sustainable world where conflict is reduced, and resolution is more easily achieved. We offer a peace and justice minor and many opportunities for you to get involved.
Fr. Ray Herman Peace & Justice Center
Loras is home to the Father Ray Herman Peace and Justice Center. It was established in 1982 in memory of Fr. Herman, who was murdered in 1975 after thirteen years of serving Bolivia’s poor spiritual, medical, and educational needs. His commitment to the Gospel message of justice and peace lives on in the center鈥檚 mission to create a more decent, loving, just, and peaceful human community.
Peace & Justice House
The Father Ray Herman Peace and Justice House is an intentional community that promotes awareness of social justice issues and lives out a mission of hospitality and inclusion.
Members live intentionally with one another, host weekly community-building gatherings open to all students, work with the Peace and Justice Center to organize events, and raise awareness of social and ecological justice issues through joint leadership of the Du-Peace and Justice student club.
Peace & Justice Week
In conjunction with the International Day of Peace, Loras plans a collaborative week highlighting the vast number of student groups working for peace and justice on local, national, and international ways.
Valder Social Justice Award
Every year, $3,500 is awarded to select juniors for an eight to ten-week internship at a social change organization nationwide. Past internships include interning at places that focus on immigration and refugee services, Catholic Worker communities, living in right relationship with the land, and community organizing agencies.
Explore More with TREC TRIPS
Loras offers a variety of service and justice immersion trips throughout the year.
TREC stands for think, reflect, engage, and connect鈥攔eflecting the depth of experience you encounter on these immersion trips.

Trips frequently offered:
“Peacemaking through Many Lenses” in Washington, DC
This trip has been a Loras tradition since 1984! Travel to Washington, D.C. on Amtrak to explore how people create peace within themselves, build peace in their communities, advocate for peace, and work for peace through nonviolent action. Students learn how to lobby with NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, enjoy a retreat day in the countryside, celebrate Mass at a historically Black Catholic church, serve people experiencing homelessness with Catholic Workers, visit museums, and build relationships with people who work for peace around the world.
Native Sacred Lands
Every other fall break, students have a unique opportunity to travel throughout the Driftless region and to Minneapolis to learn about land that is sacred to Native peoples. Our group experiences Mass at Gichitwaa Kateri Catholic Church, guided hikes in Wisconsin and Effigy Mounds National Monument, and a Sacred Lands Tour in Minneapolis. This trip is a unique and powerful opportunity to grow in faith, understanding, and community.
Jerusalem Farm in Kansas City, MO
The spring break trip to Jerusalem Farm is a new favorite! Students repair homes for people in need, serve individuals experiencing homelessness, and learn about sustainable urban farming. Through J-Farm鈥檚 four cornerstones of prayer, community, simplicity, and service, students experience what it means to live in community rooted in faith and a deep love for all people.
Students share about their experience at J-Farm:
鈥淢y experience at Jerusalem farm taught what it means to serve others and how to live a Christian life.鈥
“It was good to be at a place where everyone’s human dignity was upheld and honored at all times, regardless of age, race, or social class.”
Kinship Food Center
In alternating fall semesters, students travel to Milwaukee, WI to serve and encounter neighbors in need through Kinship Food Center. With a motto of 鈥淓verybody gives, Everybody receives,鈥 Kinship shows students ways to serve their community through the lens of Catholic social teaching.
Outdoor Retreat Day
Loras professors and staff join students in a day of outdoor fun on Labor Day weekend! This year, activities will include kayaking, a picnic, and group reflection and prayer. This is a great opportunity to make new friends and build community through Spiritual Life at the beginning of the year.
Local Service
As a diocesan school, Loras emphasizes the importance of place and tending to the local community’s needs. Spiritual Life provides a connection point between students and many non-profit organizations for short-term and long-term service.
Yearly food and clothing drives and fundraising for local organizations are other ways we serve the local community. Local service also happens regularly in conjunction with the service learning office, the Honors program, and other curricular and co-curricular settings.

A Leader in Fair Trade
Loras was the first college in Iowa, the first Catholic college in the Midwest, and the fourth Catholic college in the nation to sign a fair trade resolution in 2012, designating Loras as a Fair Trade College.
Fair trade colleges and universities aim to seek equity in trade and sustainable development. We serve fair trade coffee and tea and have a yearly Ten Thousand Villages Fair Trade sale near Christmas.
We continually work to expand our fair trade products and educate our campus and community on the importance of buying fair trade.
Our Commitment
- Holding a campus-wide fair trade sale every Advent season
- Providing educational opportunities helps our campus and greater community understand the importance of buying fair trade.
- Extend our offering of fair trade products in Dewey’s Perch, our on-campus spirit shop.
- Current students help plan educational events about ethical consumerism each semester.
Sustainability on Campus
The Loras Green Team consists of faculty, staff, and students who work together to promote environmentalism on a personal level, in the classroom, in our campus community, and beyond.
Our community affirms the goodness of creation and the special place humans have within the natural order here on earth. We recognize that from these beliefs flow certain serious obligations to all of God鈥檚 creatures, both human and non-human, living and non-living. Accordingly, the Loras faculty, staff, students shall bear witness to careful, thorough, lasting, and sustainable stewardship of all creation, for the sake of present and future generations and for the common good, by:


