Welcome to Magis Americas

Who is Magis Americas?  Magis Americas is you!  With your help, Magis Americas supports the work of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits) around the world.  The word “magis” literally means “more” in Latin, we ask you to stand with us and do more for the global poor.

Learn more about Magis Americas

Magis Americas is a Washington, D.C.- based Jesuit 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to global development. Informed by the Sustainable Development Goals and the Universal Apostolic Preferences, we envision a world in which all people have their rights upheld, their dignity protected and the capacity to act as protagonists in their individual and communal development.

Our Mission: We build just societies by mobilizing support for Jesuit education, migration, and ecology initiatives in the Global South. 

Support of Magis Americas goes directly to fund Jesuit programs that offer educational opportunities in some of the poorest areas of the world. We advocate for human rights and fundamental freedoms among migrant families and we advocate for ecological justice, particularly in the Amazon.  We have a special relationship with CPAL (the Conference of Jesuit Provincials in Latin America and the Caribbean) and the JCCU (Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States) to raise resources for Jesuit missions and ministries outside of the United States.
Through these networks, we identify and support sustainable and impactful responses to the injustices faced by those living at the margins. In particular, we are focused on cultivating a community of individuals and organizations in the U.S. who can support programs in the Global South, with special attention to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean.
If you are interested in learning more about our projects and partners in the Global South, Follow the links below and please consider joining as we work on behalf of those living on the margins.

 

Fe y Alegría

Corazón Fe y Alegría

While visiting Fe y Alegría in El Salvador the Magis Americas team learned how to to bake alfajores (mouth-watering dulce de leche cookies) from a group of students who participate in one of the many professional development programs at the school. We wanted to share the recipe with you so you could bake them at home and get a little taste of the great work our partners are doing throughout Latin America.

Learn more about Fe y Alegría

Fe y Alegría is a popular education movement that works with marginalized and excluded sectors in Latin America, Europe, and Africa to promote comprehensive development and participation in order to achieve social transformation and improve lives. Its founder, José María Vélaz S.J., said that “Fe y Alegría begins where the asphalt ends, where the drinking water does not drip, where the city loses its name …”

Fe y Alegría’s work is carried out through a network of schools, job training centers, formation institutes, research centers, and radio stations. It originated in Venezuela in 1955 and has now spread to 22 countries. But did you know that many schools also offer adult educational programs for people in need? These educational programs range from courses in computer science and foreign languages, to how to bake and to serve to make a living.

This simple recipe is just a tiny piece of the amazing work that Fe y Alegría is doing around the globe and, here at Magis Americas, we are committed to supporting these programs. Can you help us continue to do so?

ALFAJORES (DULCE DE LECHE SANDWICH COOKIES)

Baking Class Fe y Alegria

PREP TIME: 15 mins
COOK TIME: 15 mins
CHILL TIME: 2 hrs
TOTAL TIME: 2 hrs 30 mins
YIELD: 3 dozen 2-inch cookie sandwiches

Classic alfajores filled with dulce de leche and rolled in shredded coconut.

Read our alfajores recipe here
Ingredients Instructions
  • 1 1/2 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/8 cups (300g) cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 and 3/4 sticks (200g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar or 1 1/4 cups (150g) powdered sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 350 g (12 oz.) dulce de leche, for filling
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded or desiccated coconut or powdered sugar, for
    rolling
  1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  2. In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract just until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Do not over mix or the cookies will turn out tough.
  3. Form the dough into a ball, then flatten slightly to form a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until firm enough to roll.
  4. If you don’t want to use the dough right away, you can refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to a month, then thaw it overnight in the fridge.
  5. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften slightly for easy rolling. On a lightly floured surface (or between 2 pieces of parchment paper), roll the dough to a 1/8 or 1/4-inch (3-5mm) thickness. Cut out into rounds using a 2-inch (5cm) fluted or round cookie cutter, and place the cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  6. If at any point the dough becomes too warm, place it back into the fridge for a few minutes. Re-roll the remaining scraps and repeat. Place sheets with cookies in the freezer or fridge for at least 15 minutes, until firm, so that they will be less prone to spreading.
  7. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies appear golden brown at the edges. Allow cookies to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Spread the bottom half of the cookies with dulce de leche (about a teaspoon). Sandwich together with remaining cookies, pressing slightly so that the caramel oozes out the sides. Roll the sides in shredded coconut or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  9. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave on the counter, still covered, or overnight in the fridge.

Support Magis Americas

Your donations allow us to strengthen our global Jesuit partners who are working in areas of education, migration, and ecology with people living at the margins.

Batey Lacheria Clinic
Work of our Jesuit partners in Batey Lechería in the Dominican Republic.

Following the example of St. Oscar Romero and the Jesuit Martyrs

In March of 1980, St. Oscar Romero was killed by an assassin’s bullet because he stood on the side of the poor and marginalized and used his influence as Archbishop to call for an end to the suffering of his parishioners. More than nine years later, another group of assassins claimed the lives of six Jesuits as well as their caretaker’s wife and daughter who were living with them at the University of Central America in San Salvador.  (If you want to learn more about Saint Oscar Romero, we encourage you to check in with our friends at the Archbishop Oscar Romero Trust.)  

Today, Magis Americas is proud to serve in the tradition of Saint Oscar Romero and the Jesuit martyrs – advocating for the poor and those in need, especially those in Latin American and the Caribbean. Designated as the international development organization for the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in the United States, Magis Americas works with Jesuit partners globally to offer educational opportunities to the poor and marginalized, advocate for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants and displaced people, and call for ecological justice, particularly in the Amazon.

Saint Oscar Romero Center
The mural of the San Romero Center in El Salvador.

Join Magis Americas in honoring the life of Saint Romero, and all the Jesuit martyrs, by making a contribution to support our global work promoting education, ecology and justice for migrants.