Catholic San Francisco, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, profiled the Society of Jesus in its latest issue, providing some good historical information. A snippet:

Jesuit work in San Francisco also included parish ministry through St. Ignatius Church between 1855 and 1863; the parish was made famous by Father James Bouchard, SJ, the son of a French woman and a Delaware chief. In the 1860s San Franciscans flocked to hear him speak and called him “The Eloquent Indian” for his skill as a homilist. Much later, in the early 1990s, Jesuits resumed their parish work, once again at St. Ignatius Church, located on the USF campus, and at St. Agnes Church, two vibrant communities in the archdiocese. 

Matt Emerson's essays have appeared in a number of publications, including America, Commonweal, and the Wall Street Journal. The Catholic Press Association named his September 2012 essay "Help Their Unbelief," published in America, as the "best essay" in the category of national general interest magazine for 2012. He is the author of the book Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press 2016).Articles:Fruitful Searching (Jan. 5-12, 2015)Preambles for Faith (May 13, 2013)Help Their Unbelief (Sept. 10, 2012)Posts at The Ignatian Educator