A Holy Boldness

A Holy Boldness 1www.nysj.org

A Holy BoldnessNEW YORK PROVINCE JESUITS AND OUR COLLEAGUES . FALL 2009

Jesuits in the Ministry of Education

2 Fall 2009 www.nysj.org

Father Provincial’s Message

7 Arrupe Week

10 Ignatian Leaders

19 Jesuit Brothers

Cover photo: Fr. Carsten Martensen, SJ, Catholic Chaplain at Ithaca College,gives the Invocation at the May 2009 commencement ceremonies. [Photo: Sheryl Sinkow, courtesy of IthacaCollege]

A Holy Boldness is prepared by the Development Office of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus which is solely responsible for its content.

39 East 83rd Street, New York NY 10028 |212.774.5500 | [email protected] | www. nysj.org

Publisher: Fr. James F. Keenan, SJ | Publications Assistant: Fr. John Garvey, SJ | Staff Writer: Mr. Peter Feuerherd

David S. Ciancimino, S.J.Provincial

Gratefully in our Lord,

15 College Campus Ministry

Dear Friends of the Jesuits,

Cura personalis has been a distinguishing characteristic of Jesuit education since our first schools opened. It signi-fies a deep commitment to the education and care of the whole person – spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical and social beings that we are.

This hallmark of Jesuit education characterizes our minis-try of teaching and challenges us to embrace creative proj-ects toward educating the whole person. For example, the annual Arrupe Lecture Series at Saint Peter’s Prep in Jersey

City raises important issues of social justice and moves the hearts of young learners. Another example is the annual Ignatian Leadership Workshop for Jesuit high school students, which helps them discover how cura personalis influences and enhances their roles as leaders among their fellow students.

Care for the total person also prompts Jesuits and our colleagues in ministry to pursue new educational opportunities for the underserved in our local communi-ties. One of our schools, McQuaid Jesuit, has teamed with the Sisters of St. Joseph to co-sponsor a Nativity-model middle school in Rochester, NY, whereby youngsters with limited financial resources will have opportunity to receive quality education not otherwise available to them.

In a deeply profound way, cura personalis reflects God’s complete love and care for each one of us. Such love was in the heart of St. Ignatius as he founded a religious community that embraced men called to be priests as well as those committed to the mission and spirituality of the Society of Jesus as brothers. When he was our Superior General, Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J., described the vocation of our brothers, men who choose to be Jesuits but not ordained to the priesthood, as “irreplaceable” to the living of our Jesuit life as religious. Brothers respond to God’s grace by embracing the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience. They are living witnesses to Gospel values that contradict the world’s desires for power, possessions and popularity. Brothers in our Province dedicate their energies and talents in pursuits as varied as teaching, construc-tion engineering, financial administration and even the artistry of a puppeteer.

Cura personalis is our Jesuit way of ministry. Allow me then to express how grateful we are to you. Your prayers and financial support enable and sustain our efforts at car-ing for the entire person. You are God’s gift to us. May God continue to be gracious to each and every one of you.


Congratulations

JesuitOrdinations

Ordination to the priesthood, like every liturgy, follows the pattern

of proclamation/response. First we hear the word of God and then we respond by invoking God’s blessing upon those being ordained.

The principal part of the rite consists in three important moments of prayer [photos, right]:

• The Litany of the Saints invokes the community in heaven as witnesses upon our solemn action.

• The imposition of hands, first by the Bishop and then by the priests who are present, prays the Holy Spirit upon the ordinands.

• The Prayer of Consecration seals the ordination by praising God and invoking his blessing upon the candidates.

The newly ordained priests are vested in the stole and chasuble which symbolize their new ministry in the Church.

In an ancient symbol of consecration, the priests’ hands are anointed with chrism, the same sacred oil that is used in baptism and confirmation.

The Bishop presents the paten and chalice, holding bread and wine, to the newly ordained as symbols of their presid-ing at the Eucharist. He then offers them a sign of peace, welcoming them to the priesthood.

The Mass continues with the new priests concelebrating for the first time.

On June 13, in the Loyola College Alumni Chapel in Baltimore, Bishop Carlos A. Sevilla, SJ, of Yakima, WA,

ordained Jesuits John Braverman, Brian Dunkle and Joseph Riordan. Principal concelebrants were Fathers Provincial David S. Ciancimino, SJ, of New York and James M. Shea, SJ, of Maryland.


Congratulations

JesuitJubilarians

New Vocation Director

As a student at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Father Charles

A. Frederico, SJ, got to know Jesuits who inspired his vocation. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1995, studied at Fordham University and the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA;

tutored immigrant students in the Bronx and taught at Scranton Prep. Since his ordination in 2006, he worked in campus ministry at Loyola College in Maryland as a resident chaplain. His new assignment as Vocation Director for the Maryland and New York Provinces began on July 1.

His first goal as Vocation Director is to promote vocations teamwork, inspiring Jesuits themselves to build a future for the Society. “It is our common endeavor,” he says. “I cannot do this by myself. It is a community effort.”

Eighteen Jesuits of the Maryland and New York Provinces celebrated fifty

years in the Society of Jesus on June 12 at the Alumni Memorial Chapel, Loyola College, Baltimore. Father Daniel Gatti, SJ, presided at the Jubilee Mass which was followed by a reception and dinner for fellow Jesuits, and family and friends of the Jubilarians. New York Province Jesuits were Frs. Daniel J. Gatti, Donal T. MacVeigh, John G. McSherry, Peter J. Murray and David X. Stump.

Fr. Daniel Gatti, SJ, presides at the Jubilarians’ concelebrated Mass.

Fr. Charles Frederico, SJ

Five New Jesuits After two years of prayer, study and

ministry, five novices pronounced their first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience on August 15 in Syracuse, NY. Each novice knelt before the Blessed Sac-rament to recite the vow formula [far left], received his vow crucifix [left] and signed the Vow Book [right]. One week later, as these men moved on to First Studies to complete their college work, six first year novices arrived at the novitiate to join the eight men starting their second year.


Congratulations

On July 1, Mr. John R. Raslowsky II assumed the presidency of Xavier

High School in Manhattan. Mr. Raslowsky brings to Xavier an over twenty-five year history of involvement in Jesuit education. His association with the Society of Jesus has been extensive, beginning as a student at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, then at St. Peter’s Prep as a teacher, moderator, coach, and Principal, and finally as Assis-tant for Secondary Education to the New York Provincial. His in-depth exposure to, understanding of, and commitment to the teachings of St. Ignatius Loyola make him an ideal selection as Xavier’s President.

Over the past two years, he has been the Superintendent of Schools in Hoboken, NJ. In this position, his focus and leader-ship has resulted in a reinvention of ex-pectations for the district.

Jack Raslowsky is Xavier’s thirty-third President and the first layman to lead the Jesuit school. The Jesuits and their lay col-laborators in this Province and in Jesuit

education across the country have pre-pared over the past thirty years for this by instituting numerous initiatives aimed at igniting the Ignatian flame among the Je-suit laity. He now joins the lay presidents of McQuaid in Rochester and Canisius in Buffalo in the New York Province and the ten lay presidents from the 52 Jesuit high schools throughout the country.

In his announcement, Xavier Board Chairman Richard Nolan said:

“It is with great confidence and enthusi-asm that the Board of Trustees welcomes Jack as Xavier’s 33rd President. We are confident that he possesses the education-al skill and experience, the understanding of and commitment to the charism of the Society of Jesus, and the authenticity of formation in Ignatian spirituality that the Board believes are essential in Xavier’s next President.

“Jack is a proven leader of educational institutions, with real-world, hands-on experience in Jesuit education that ranges

from teacher, retreat leader, moderator and coach to principal, trustee, board chairman, Provincial’s assistant, and Su-perintendent of Schools. His background and attributes make him a compelling selection.”

The Provincial of the New York Prov-ince, Father David S. Ciancimino, SJ, a 1977 graduate of Xavier and a former Xavier headmaster, in approving the se-lection, said: “Having worked with Jack, I am confident that he will serve the Society of Jesus and Xavier well.”

Jack Raslowsky welcomed by Xavier faculty.

New Presidentof Xavier High School

Xavier Alumni Office

Educational skill and experience,commitment to the charism of the Society of Jesus,

formation in Ignatian spirituality

New Jesuits John Peck. Angelo Rizzo, Travis Stoop, Henry Shea and Daniel Carrou.


Adventures in Learning

From the Director’s Desk

Rev. James F. Keenan, S.J.Director of Development

Partnersin the Work of the Jesuits

The Jesuits of the New York Province are pleased to have a loyal group of donors who support our ministries on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Good Samaritan Club donations support our Jesuit seminarians, missionaries, and elderly and infirm priests and brothers.

These donations also assist Jesuits in pastoral ministries - parishes, retreat houses and hospitals.

The commitment of our GSC members allows us to move forward to meet the needs of the 21st century.

You can easily join the Good Samaritan Club. Just contact us at:[email protected]

St. Ignatius ministers to the needy.

It’s a most wonderful time of the year.For parents, teachers and students, the beginning of

another school year offers a new adventure in learning, a time when the days grow cooler and the refreshing chal-lenge of education offers an opportunity for exploring new horizons. Appropriately enough, this issue of A Holy Boldness celebrates how Jesuits of the New York Province, our teachers and students are making their mark in education.

We congratulate Mr. John R. Raslowsky II, a long-time Jesuit educator who, after two years as Superintendent of Schools in Hoboken, NJ, has returned to Jesuit education as the president of Xavier High School in Manhattan. Mr. Daniel Dougherty, another colleague committed to the ideals of Jesuit education, de-scribes the annual Leadership Workshop. We profile how he and and Father Vincent Biagi, S.J., Provincial Assistant for Secondary and Pre-secondary Education and Lay Formation, work together to keep the Jesuit vision in education alive and well in our Province schools.

It is clear throughout this issue that Jesuit efforts in education are not confined to traditional classroom teaching. Our outreach today extends from inner-city middle school children to college students and graduates. Issues of social justice through programs such as the Arrupe Lecture series must be brought to our students’ at-tention. The times we live in demand diversity, and Jesuits continue to meet needs that were not addressed just a few decades ago.

New outreach is necessary but also expensive. Without your financial support, our efforts would soon grind to a halt. We are living in difficult economic times, and yet the real needs of those we serve continue to call upon your generosity.

Life is a growth process of continual learning, no matter our age. Thus, the beginning of a new school year is truly a wonderful time. I am very grateful for all you do to keep the vision of Jesuit education alive and attuned to our rapidly changing environment. Please know that your gift will enable our students to grow academically, socially and spiritually. Thank you.

In closing, I pray that you may know an ever-deepening union with God. Bless-ings to you and your loved ones.

Gratefully in the Lord,


I believe that the deepest call this week will be the call of Christ,” said Fa-ther Kenneth Gavin, SJ, as he spoke

to students and staff at Saint Peter’s Prep

in Jersey City last March. Fr. Gavin, president of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in the U.S., was celebrating the open-

ing liturgy for the school’s Arrupe Lecture Se-ries – a weeklong social jus-tice summit that focused on the global challenge of geno-cide and ethnic conflict.

“It is not enough to say that you’ve learned about the long history of genocide,” he said. “Christ will invite you to focus your eyes on the eyes of total strangers… the most vulnerable among us. And as you look deeply into the eyes of the crucified people of our world, Jesus will call you to see brothers and sisters.”

Rather than a single lec-ture, the 2009 Arrupe Lec-ture Series was a weeklong summit, culminating in a keynote address. The move

to a series of events during school hours ensured students would be actively en-gaged in the conversation about genocide and ethnic conflict.

The topic permeated the life of the school throughout the week. The Series consisted of three major, school-wide events, complemented by smaller group gatherings, classroom discussions of the issues at hand, and a series of displays in hallways (including a 20-foot timeline dis-playing major points of ethnic conflict in contemporary times) and other common areas designed to inspire conversation and reflection.

“For some time now we’ve wanted to look more deeply at the social issues that the Arrupe Lectures have addressed,” said Mr. Ryan Heffernan, Prep’s Director of Campus Ministry, whose office organizes the Arrupe Series. “Our Catholic, Jesuit faith asks us to contemplate what kind of

To See Brothers and Sisters

in the Eyes of Strangers

2009 Arrupe Lecture Series at Saint Peter’s Prep

Mike Jiran

Fr. Kenneth Gavin, SJ

Young boy with malnourished child at Lifeline Centre, Sudan

Jesuit Education


response our faith dictates from us when it comes to matters of injustice. A week-long summit offers the opportunity to provide a more meaningful context to an important issue.”

Fr. Gavin’s opening liturgy set the tone, inviting the school community to reflect upon both the injustice of genocide and how people of faith can work to right the wrong. According to Heffernan, “Our Catholic, Jesuit faith asks us to contem-plate what kind of response our faith dic-tates from us when it comes to matters of injustice. A focus throughout the Arrupe Series is to catalyze in our students a ‘faith

that does justice’.”Two days later, when students recon-

vened for the second school-wide event, they began to see brothers and sisters in the eyes of strangers. Holocaust survivors Ed Bindel and Hedy Brasch participated in a panel discussion moderated by Bar-bara Wind of the Holocaust Council of Metrowest Jersey. Their stories recalled not only unthinkable hardship and inhu-manity, but also undying hope and the courageous acts of generosity that helped them to survive.

Bindel noted that only one in six Jew-ish children in Europe survived the

Holocaust. “One out of six really is a very small number,” he said. “And sometimes when I speak to a crowd like this, I imag-ine that there are five others, five young people standing behind me, who cannot be here to talk with you – because of prejudice, because of genocide, because of hatred...it still boggles the mind.”

Brasch, whose family was first con-fined to a Hungarian ghetto, then sent to Auschwitz, recalled a German soldier’s advice to lie about her age, a suggestion that saved her life. “If you were 17, you had more of a chance of surviving and going to a work camp,” she explained, students

Ed Bindel, Barbara Wind and Hedy Brasch Elizabeth Kuch

Saint Peter’s Prep students at an Arrupe Series presentation


staring back at her with a mix of sur-prise and awe. “If you were under 17, the Nazis believed you couldn’t work, and would send you directly to the crematorium.”

Student responses spoke of their desire to better understand the his-tory of genocide and ethnic conflict. “The Arrupe Week gave us a chance to focus on topics that are commonly overlooked,” said junior Josh Barry. “It gave us the chance to reflect on the hardships endured throughout gen-erations because of genocide experi-enced by different cultures.”

Elizabeth Kuch, a Sudanese refugee who spent years in a displacement camp after being separated from her family, closed the week by sharing her story and offering a message of hope. Kuch traveled thousands of miles on foot at the age of five, first to Ethiopia and then to Kenya. She would reach the United States years later with the help of Prep faculty member Boreta Singleton. She spoke of the impor-tance of maintaining hope and faith in God through her many trials, as in the face of such hardship, hope is often all there is left.

In response to one student’s question,

she admitted that maintaining hope could be challenging at times. “When I had left southern Sudan, and crossed into Ethio-pia, that afternoon, it was the middle of

the summer, and it was so hot, and I was thirsty, and suddenly I just fell,” she recalled. The strain of her walk-ing journey and the lack of medical care had left her left foot ravaged by an infection, but she had no choice but to continue. “At that point, I started asking myself, ‘What else?’ I had been asking God every day to help me out, and it was hard to believe that God was really helping me. Every day, there were enemies around me, and where was God?” Finding God in the struggle was difficult, she said, but the search helped strengthen her faith.

This year’s Arrupe Lecture Series gave the Prep community the oppor-tunity to connect their sense of faith with the demand for justice.

“It was a tremendous week,” said Mr. Erich Sekel, the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry. “From celebrating the Eucharist as a community, hearing and learning about those affected by war and genocide, to discussing and consequently taking action to move toward the end of injustice and suf-

fering in our world – it represented going beyond the surface of an issue.”

During the opening Mass, Prep Junior Ryan Gordon lights a candle in memory of victims of genocide.

Timeline displaying the major points of ethnic conflict in contemporary times

Mike Jiran is Communications Manager at Saint Peter’s Prep.


Apropos of a day honoring great leaders of the United States, Presidents’ Day weekend was the

occasion for the annual Student Leader-ship Workshop sponsored by the New York Province. Thirty-eight students from five Jesuit high schools gathered at Mt. Manresa Jesuit Retreat House on Staten Island last February to participate in this year’s 3-day event.

We invited students to consider what it means to be a leader, identify the char-acteristics of effective leadership in an Ignatian setting, and develop their own leadership skills and style. Through pre-sentations, large and small group discus-sions, private reflection, skill-building exercises and role playing, participants learned from one another and their fac-ulty mentors.

For many, the experience prompted increased self-awareness. “I had been told that I possessed leadership qualities, but I never really realized them fully. At this moment, I see that being a leader stems from trust in yourself and trust in oth-ers,” said Joseph Gonzalez, a sophomore at Regis High School. Nicholas Fedyk of McQuaid Jesuit High School echoed the

Daniel Dougherty

Educat ing Ignat i an Leader s

significance of being attentive to other people. “I have understood how impor-tant it is to be selfless when acting as a leader, and how to take my companions’ concerns into account when striving to achieve goals,” he said.

Planning for the workshop began months before Presidents’ Day. A leadership team fronted by Ryan Heffernan, Campus Minister at St. Pe-ter’s Prep, John Irvine, Di-rector of Admissions at St. Peter’s, and Jill Johanson, a Chemistry teacher at Re-gis, researched materials used in previous years to build a foundation for the 2009 workshop. By calling on colleagues from Jesuit schools across the country, the team identified success-ful approaches to leadership training and integrated them into the program.

Each participating school provided an adult chaper-one to assist in leading the workshop. The chaperones

collaborated with Heffernan, Irvine and Johanson on-site and provided indispen-sible guidance in small group discussions. Adam Baber, History teacher and chaper-one from Canisius High School, spoke on Christian Leadership.

Members of the New York Province

The gathering sparked the novel realization that their school was but one among many in

the network of Jesuit schools.

James Woodall, Regis High School, and Joseph LaBarbera, Saint Peter’s Prep, present their small group’s ideas.

The 2009 Student Leadership Workshop

Jesuit Education


Daniel Dougherty gives a Student Leadership presentation.

staff also participated. Father Vincent Biagi, SJ, the Provincial Assistant for Sec-ondary and Pre-Secondary Education and Lay Formation, attended the opening day of the workshop and celebrated liturgy with the group. Dan Dougherty, staff as-sistant to Fr. Biagi, facilitated sessions on leadership styles and the profile of a Jesuit school leader at graduation.

From the moment participants gath-ered for their first meal together, the students from Canisius, McQuaid, Saint

Peter’s Prep, Regis and Loyola began to build new relation-ships. For some of the younger students, the gathering sparked the novel realization that their school was but one among many in the network of Jesuit schools. Students in conversation quickly identified shared val-ues and beliefs. In their time together, they be-gan to see one another as brothers and sisters in the larger Ignatian family.

“We have grown to-gether in that we are

not just strangers from other schools any more,” said Regis sophomore Aedan Can-non. “We are now fellow Jesuit students. We have changed our sense of identity from individual schools to the whole Je-suit order.”

The concept of leading through rela-tionships resonated with the students as well. Kevin Wolf, sophomore at Canisius, commented, “I will try to be more active in other people’s lives and not just skim the surface of friendship but dive deep into

the rocky waters of friendship – to open myself up and make myself vulnerable in situations that I might not have before.” Fellow Canisius Crusader, Patrick Dear-ing, added, “Leadership is not just leading a meeting or a team, but it’s reaching out whenever others are in need.”

Sonia Banegas, a junior at Loyola School, recognized that extending oneself as a leader takes confidence. “Being one of four girls here, I stepped out of my com-fort zone,” she said. “It was easy to do so due to the chemistry, openness and bond-ing among all the school representatives presented. We had a safe environment to express ourselves.”

Her experience at the workshop pre-pared Banegas to succeed in a diverse so-ciety. “I learned to be more tolerant of the ideas and personalities of others…the key to becoming a good leader is com-munication: the ability to reach out to my peers and feed off their thoughts and criticisms.”

Joseph LaBarbera, Saint Peter’s Prep junior, said what was on many students’ minds: “When I return to school, I plan to apply my newly acquired leadership skills to be a better, more efficient leader.”Daniel Dougherty is Assistant to the Provin-cial Assistant for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education and Lay Formation for the New York Province.

In times of turmoil, the world needs leaders. The participants at the Je-suit Leadership Conference at Mount

Manresa on Staten Island, NY (five of whom were from McQuaid Jesuit – Zach Lubberts, Wyatt Goulthorpe, Peter Ryan, Nate Tisa, and Nicholas Fedyk), have learned to fill these leadership roles, and

Ready to LeadNicholas Fedyk

to perform their duties effectively. Since we all come from a Jesuit background, we now understand that we must not only become leaders, but Christian leaders. What does this mean? It means that we emulate Christ, one of the greatest lead-ers in history, and adopt his methods and ideals in everyday life. Like Christ, we are called to be servant leaders, people who display care and concern for the needs of others around us. In order to stimulate a group effectively, we must first under-stand that we are, indeed, just one part

of a group, whose goals and ideas, when gathered collectively, are greater than our own personal aspirations.

One of the activities that reflected this servant idea was when we gathered into small groups and each member took on a different role that contributed to a discussion. Some people acted shy and reserved, some acted unruly, and some acted intelligently. The leader was faced with the challenge of fostering a pro-ductive group conversation. We quickly realized that this could only be achieved

A student reflection.


if all the participants were persuaded to contribute their own thoughts. Complete cooperation by all members was central to the functioning of the group.

Prior to this conference, many of us hungered for complete control over our groups, but after our participation in the retreat, we have realized that it takes team synergy in order to accomplish our goals and dreams. Yes, it may feel great to ex-ercise absolute authority; but Christ did not do this. Christ sacrificed himself for our salvation, and through his selflessness he has been able to save millions of his followers. Similarly, we must sacrifice our thirst for authority and become more humble on our journeys toward success.

Nicholas Fedyk is now a senior at McQuaid Jesuit School, Rochester.

McQuaid Jesuit participants Peter Ryan, Nate Tisa, Wyatt Gouldthorpe, Nicholas Fedyk and Zachary Lubberts

Open to GrowthMoves out of one’s element to experience new things• Allows oneself to be vulnerable• Accepts new points of view; learns from others; open to • diversity and other’s idealsKnows own limits but still takes on challenges; takes the • initiative to achieve goalsTakes responsibility in an adult manner; if in trouble, • takes the blame and does not blame othersReflects on and learns from mistakes•

Intellectually CompetentMasters academic disciplines and stays informed about • current eventsAnalyzes situations thoroughly; applies critical thinking • skills to daily lifePossesses excellent communication skills; speaks articu-• lately and persuasivelyEffectively applies personal experiences accumulated • from a variety of situationsMakes rational decisions• Remains open-minded•

ReligiousActs humbly as a servant leader who is selfless in goals • and methodsDemonstrates understanding; relates well with others•

Forgives freely; reconciles as in God’s example• Teaches morality by living it; an active teacher who leads • by exampleRespects others; embraces other’s ideas and religious • traditions

LovingMaintains faith and confidence in self as foundation for • loving othersHas affection for colleagues, followers and those being • servedFeels called to serve others as a responsibility• Encourages others; listens sensitively; possesses aware-• ness of othersSets goals that benefit others beyond self; is sensitive to • impact of decisions on othersActs with trust and openness in relationships• Remains open to new relationships• Disagrees respectfully, when necessary•

Committed to Doing JusticeBecomes aware of the injustice present in the world• Is compassionate to others• Acts humanely• Desires to continue service beyond graduation for its • own sakeSeeks to do good work for others•

The Students’ Profile of an Ignatian Leader


A New Option for Success

McQuaid Jesuit co-sponsors a Nativity School in Rochester.

McQuaid Jesuit School, located in suburban Rochester, NY, is long-known in the region as

a successful institution. Its graduates go on to top colleges, its alumni are known as successful professionals and its sports teams boast a legendary history.

But there are always ways for great or-ganizations to get better. And as the Mc-Quaid Board began to develop the 2006-11 strategic plan, they were nagged by some very Jesuit questions: Are we being men and women for others? Are we doing all we can for the poor?

Bill Carpenter, businessman and

McQuaid Board member was led to part of the answer by his son. Joe Carpenter is a McQuaid alumnus who, after graduation from Villanova University, taught at Nativ-ity Preparatory School in Boston.

While visiting Joe, Bill and his wife, Chrissy, were amazed by the school’s vital-ity. They marveled at the concept, begun by Jesuits and now in wide use across the country, that poor children in American cities can be educated through a challeng-ing prep school atmosphere focused on extended school days, study halls at night, Saturday enrichment programs, and sum-mer sessions that combined accelerated instruction and character development.

“Why can’t we do this in Rochester?” Mr. Carpenter asked himself, and the McQuaid Board began to evaluate just that possibility. Father Jack Podsiadlo, SJ, a McQuaid graduate who led the Nativ-ity school on New York’s Lower East Side and eventually came to oversee the en-tire Nativity network of schools, went to

Rochester and presented the opportunity to the Board.

“Rochester needs it,” he told them. “Parish schools are being closed. This is an attempt to bring quality education to inner-city children.”

Peter Feuerherd

Mural at Nativity Preparatory Academy

Bill Carpenter

Jesuit Education


as part of their Magis service program, have contributed labor to the refurbishing of the St. Boniface School building, now ready for a new life.

The cost to educate a student will be about $10,000, but parents will pay only a modest tuition of $500. The majority of the funding will come from donors who individually or in conjunction with others, will sponsor the education of an individual student.

The advantage of all this effort will be a new presence of Catholic education in the city of Rochester, which has suffered from school closings due to troubled finances and lowered enrollments.

Janice Morgan, a Sister of St. Joseph who represents her community in the new school, said that Nativity will be aimed at children in need from a city plagued by low-performing public schools.

A recent Brookings Institution study rated Rochester as among the top10 in the country for its concentration of people

in poverty. Parents in the city are look-ing for viable education alternatives, and while public charter schools have gained in popularity, there is still a lack of avail-able options.

Joe Kilmade, the newly-appointed prin-cipal for Nativity Preparatory, is looking forward to the challenge of getting the new school off and running. An Albany, NY, native and Villanova University grad-uate, Kilmade served for three years as a teacher and administrator at the San Miguel School in Tulsa, OK, another Na-tivity model institution.

“I love the mission of these schools,” said Kilmade, who came to Tulsa as part of a Christian Brothers service program soon after graduating college. He hopes the new Rochester school has an immedi-ate impact on the inner-city.

“A lot of families can’t afford to give their children a good education” he said, “but it doesn’t mean their children aren’t capable.” Sr. Janice Morgan, SSJ

The McQuaid Board members...were nagged by some very Jesuit questions...

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The former St. Boniface School, now Nativity Preparatory Academy

When Bill Hobbs, an ed-ucator with Nativity School experience and now Presi-dent of McQuaid, became the school’s principal, the pieces were in place for establishing this Catholic school mission in urban Rochester.

Four years later, a thought becomes a real-ity as the new Nativity Preparatory Academy has opened at the site of a for-mer Catholic school in the city. The first class, com-posed of about 50 fifth- and sixth-graders, includes boys and girls who will at-tend same-gender classes.

Putting the pieces in place took time and community-wide co-operation. Support was garnered through the McQuaid Jesuit board and local Cath-olic benefactors, as well as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester, who will provide staff and support for the new school.

The Sisters also plan on providing room, board and community life for the school’s interns who, like Carpenter’s son, will provide a year or two of service to the school. Students from McQuaid Jesuit,


Every year high school seniors, their parents in tow, tour college campuses, hoping to find the educational setting that will propel them to personal and professional suc-

cess. Some are also hoping that at college they can find a com-munity that will embrace their Catholic faith, challenging them spiritually in ways that mirror what happens intellectually.

A Jesuit campus ministry office might be a good place to start, at colleges where a Jesuit presence could be expected, and also at places where it wouldn’t be.

At Le Moyne College in Syracuse, a Jesuit school, Father • Louis P. Sogliuzzo, SJ, campus minister, reflects upon his work as liaison to the diocese, promoter of the school’s Catholic mission, and supervisor of liturgical and other religious services to Le Moyne’s 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students. His eyes light up while reviewing pho-tos of a recent campus ministry trip to Kenya – campus ministers and students spent a week with AIDS orphans, putting human faces on a worldwide crisis.Ithaca College students under the direction of campus • minister Father Carsten Martensen, SJ, reflect upon the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, learning prayer techniques they can apply to their everyday lives as college students.At Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Father Rich-• ard D. Hunt, SJ, campus minister, brings years of pasto-ral counseling skills to a secular institution noted for its science and engineering programs. He studies quantum physics to be conversant in those places where science and theology intersect.

Whatever the scene, however, much of the ministry is linked by common enterprises: outreach, from Appalachia to Africa to Central America, giving students a taste of the Jesuit preferential option for the poor; community building, particularly through vibrant Sunday worship; and spiritual development intended to build a Catholic identity among students.

The programs are in place, but are the students interested? Many are not, Catholic campus ministers will acknowledge.

They work with a generation that is largely unreceptive to the Catholic message. Making headway in such an atmosphere can be a painstaking process. “There is wariness about religion in this generation,” said Lee Imbriano, an assistant campus minister at Ithaca College. “We try to show them that spirituality and reli-gion don’t have to be opposed.”

A regular refrain heard by campus ministers is, “I’m spiritual, not religious.” It’s a catchphrase reflective of what social scien-tists say about today’s college students: they seek the spiritual and still ask themselves tough questions about the meaning of life. Yet, raised in an era in which authority is widely questioned, they are frequently only loosely-affiliated with institutions such as the Catholic Church. Still, enough students are attracted by the Jesuit vision to create pockets of spiritual seekers.

Fr. Martensen, who came to Ithaca College two years ago af-ter serving as pastor at St. An-thony’s Church in Oceanside, NY, noted that previous gener-ations of Catholics were more likely to view Sunday Mass as an obligation missed only under pain of sin. “Students don’t have that understanding at all,” said Fr. Martensen. As a result, an intense effort is made to make liturgies as attractive as pos-sible. Talented musicians avail-able at Ithaca, a school noted for its music program, bring a high-quality sound to Sunday prayer.

Jesuit Ministry on Campus

Reaching a techno-savvy, ‘spiritual, not religious’ generation

Peter Feuerherd

Lee Imbriano

Fr. Carsten Martinsen, SJ

Jesuit Education


spirituality in the experience they share with the poor and the sick. “They are trying to find God in their experience,” Beth reports. “They are trying to find out why a child has to grow up with HIV/AIDS or why some mountain people in West Virginia have no water in their homes. Then they move to what am I going to do about it? What is my response?”

Ithaca College students have found a space for Jesuit spiritual-ity. Caitlin McFadden said that her participation in the Scripture

reflection group was “an eye opener that made me think about my faith.” Often, she said, the Gospel stories caused her to examine the depth of her own faith commitment.

Billy Way found that the campus ministry spirituality program “was a way of breaking up the week, spending time putting the wor-ries of the world aside. It kept me grounded, focused on what is really important. It made me cognizant that there’s more than just school.”

Elizabeth Honas is a member of the campus parish liturgy team at Ithaca. Her faith life has a strong social dimension as well: she was among a group of Ithaca students who attended the School of the Americas annual gathering in Co-lumbus, GA, an event inspired by Jesuits and others concerned about violence and social injustice in Central America.

Even while attending a secular college, she has found that Jesuit campus ministry has helped her to revitalize her own Catholic faith. She said that in her later high school years her interest in faith concerns began to wane. But she received an unexpected spiritual boost in up-state New York.

“I have been so changed,” she said. “Being here is so different. The music is lively, the homilies are awesome. I’ve found that you need other people to feel God yourself. It’s unbelievable how my spiritual life has improved.”

Some campus ministries try to bring a particularly Ignatian spirituality to college students. At Ithaca College, for example, they offer an eight-week introduction to the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. Students are also introduced to Lectio Divina, reflecting upon the Scriptures in ways that they can bring themselves into the Gospel stories.

It is one way to reach the most technologically-advanced, yet perhaps socially awkward and unsure, generation ever to reach college campuses. And, Imbriano asks, is all that technology imped-ing the ability to connect to human beings in a deep way?

Others note that this college gen-eration is facing economic challeng-es unheard of in decades. “There is an anxiety taken hold of the senior class,” said Fr. Sogliuzzo. But some campus ministers see a silver lining in the dire economic news: num-bers are up in applications to pro-grams such as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, indicating that this genera-tion may get more exposed to con-cepts of Jesuit service.

Of RIT’s 16,000 students, only a small slice are observant Catho-lics, notes Fr. Hunt. Those that are maintain a particularly traditional worship stance. His campus minis-try offers programs on the rosary and other traditional devotions, popular among science-oriented students.

At the same time, RIT students are interested in outreach to the poor. That means a strong reliance on projects, many of them with a Jesuit perspective, challenging students to put their faith into action.

Beth Scanlon, social justice co-ordinator for campus ministry at Le Moyne, said that student social ministry trips to Kenya and West Virginia open them to a world that causes them to reflect upon the meaning of faith amidst hu-man suffering. Students are finding

Fr. Richard Hunt, SJ Fr. Sogliuzzo, SJ, in Kenya

Caitlin McFadden Elizabeth Honas

Billy WayBeth Scanlon


Father Vincent L. Biagi, SJ, raised in Flushing, NY, entered the Society of Jesus soon after graduation from

Xavier High School in 1967. After seven years as Principal of Regis High School, he is nowAssistant for Secondary and Pre-secondary Education and Lay Formation for the New York Province. His concerns encompass Jesuit schools from Jersey City to Buffalo, and he knows there is oppor-tunity for academic, social and religious development in all of them.

Fr. Biagi at first had trepidation about taking on such wide administrative duties, removed from day-to-day Jesuit school life. His ministry had been in education as a campus minister and French and reli-gion teacher in Jesuit high schools. He also served as Vocation Director for the Prov-ince, and studied in Paris, a city he loves, and earned a graduate degree in French from NYU. The travels in his present job, to cities like Buffalo and Rochester, have given him the opportunity to explore Je-suit education throughout the Province. He is thrilled by what he has observed.

Staff and teachers at Jesuit schools

remain “excited, enthusiastic and commit-ted to the work,” he says. He has found that those who work in Jesuit schools like to get together and talk shop, an attitude that makes his job easier. To encourage ed-ucational sharing and reflection, the Prov-ince sponsored a colloquium that brought together educators from its seven Jesuit high schools.

He finds himself struck by the preva-lence of a common culture of Jesuit schools that are similar in so many ways, whether they are located in the Bronx or upstate Rochester. “At the heart of what makes Jesuit education valuable is the world view of St. Ignatius that gives it life,” he says. Jesuit schools are known for their service programs, essential in any Jesuit endeavor; theology, based upon the quali-ties of Ignatian spirituality and a “common culture” felt by students and staff alike.

“They really do get it,” he says. “Some-thing is happening here that will mark both students and faculty for life.”

The focus of his work is to keep the Jesuit vision alive in the schools, espe-cially during a time when there are fewer

Keeping the Jesuit Vision Alive

Jesuit priests, scholastics and brothers. He regularly visits schools and attends board meetings, all in an effort to encourage Jesuit identity. He says much of his work is largely confirming what already exists. “Right now our schools are strong in their Jesuit identity and mission.” Lay people serving on school boards and as teachers “can articulate the mission as well as any Jesuit.”

That mission has been important in Fr. Biagi’s personal quest. He was inspired to become a Jesuit during his student years at Xavier. His story is not unusual for many Jesuits of his era who entered the Society at a young age. “Through the experiences you have, you arrive at a sense that this is where God wants you.”

Like the Society of Jesus itself, the Jesuit school serves the worldwide mission of the Church. Jesuit Education is called to be truly, even radically different, having at its

very core the love of God who creates us with a purpose, and who creates all things to help us find and achieve that purpose. The point of Jesuit Education is to help students through the cultivation of mind, heart, body, spirit and community, to recognize the gifts of knowledge, culture, and relationship, and to discern their own right use of these gifts. It assists them in building lives for themselves that will best help them to use these gifts in response to God’s love for the good of God’s people.

The Point of Jesuit Education

Fr. James Van Dyke, SJDirector of Ignatian Programs, Xavier High School

Peter Feuerherd

The world view of St. Ignatius gives Jesuit education its life.

Fr. Vincent Biagi, SJ

Jesuit Education


Most every spring of his 41 years, Daniel Dougherty has lived a passion for the crack of

the bat and the sound of leather gloves capturing a round ball. In baseball par-lance, he is a utility player: shortstop for Regis High School, an infielder-outfielder and sometime pitcher at Harvard (class of 1990), and, for 15 years, combined duties in teaching, guidance and as dean of stu-dents, with coaching baseball at his high school alma mater.

This past spring, however, Dougherty was on the sidelines, put there due to another passion: Jesuit education. As As-sistant to the Assistant for Secondary and Pre-secondary Education and Lay Forma-tion of the New York Province for the past year, Dougherty has moved on to another kind of competitive challenge. His work, he says, “is to assure that the mission of Je-suit education is nourished and flourishes in each of our schools.”

Dougherty plans workshops and pro-grams for faculty, students and trustees of Jesuits schools. The goal is to instill that “at their root Jesuit schools are trying to shape people who will follow Christ as a model.”

While the goal might seem abstract, its implementation is contained in the nitty-

gritty of conferences and discussions, work that requires careful planning. Un-der the direction of Father Vincent Biagi, SJ, Provincial Assistant for Secondary and Pre-secondary Education for the Prov-ince, Dougherty attends boards of trust-ees meetings and organizes conferences for principals, school presidents and board chairs. One ongoing project is a discussion with education leaders from the Maryland and New England Provinces to shape how all their Jesuit schools will relate to each other as the provinces consolidate.

Much focus is spent on classroom train-ing, the place where day-to-day education takes place. This happens at workshops for first-year teachers, during which they re-flect upon their experiences and study the Examen, an aspect of Jesuit spirituality that brings God’s grace to bear in developing self-awareness, moral conscience and re-flective prayer.

A history major at Harvard, Dougherty also explores for teachers, administrators and school board members how the Jesu-its developed an education tradition, an early example of lay collaboration. When he founded the Society, St. Ignatius did not plan to operate schools. But schools originally formed to train Jesuit seminar-ians were, after popular demand, opened

A Passion for

Jesuit Education

Peter Feuerherd

to non-Jesuit students as well. That open-ness to innovation changed history.

Dougherty is the Province link to six schools: Fordham Prep, the Bronx; Loyola School, Cristo Rey, and Nativity Mission Center, Manhattan; St. Ignatius, the Bronx and Brooklyn Jesuit Prep. Fr. Biagi works with the other six: Saint Peter’s Prep, Jer-sey City; Xavier and Regis in Manhattan; Canisius High School and the Nativity/Miguel Schools, Buffalo, and McQuaid Jesuit School, Rochester.

Dougherty began his education career after spending three years working for a pharmaceutical corporation after college graduation. While a volunteer basketball coach at his parish, St. Catherine of Siena in Cedar Grove, NJ, Dougherty began to sense a vocation towards education.

Jesuit education at Regis High School was a natural. Not only was Dougherty a graduate, his father and an uncle were as well. Besides the opportunity to coach baseball, Regis also offered Dougherty another benefit as well: it was there he met his wife, Hee-Sun Hong, chair of the Guidance Department and Director of College Counseling. “We have no chil-dren,” says Dougherty, “but Hee-Sun and I have had our share of experience in look-ing after teenage boys.”

Daniel Dougherty

Jesuit Education

To shape people who will follow Christ as a model


They comprise only five percent of all American Jesuits and read-ily recognize that, at least in the

public imagination, Jesuits are largely known as priests. Yet, in ministries as varied as teaching, parish administration or puppetry, Jesuit brothers find freedom and satisfaction.

Brother Louis Mauro, SJ, is the New York Province representative to the National Jesuit Brothers Committee. He joined the Jesuits in 1961 after high school, studied accounting and worked in a number of church and school offices in upstate New York. As he became more interested in direct ministry, he was ordained a permanent deacon in 1982.

The diaconate fulfills Br. Mauro’s concept of brotherhood as focused on service. As business manager for a cluster of Jersey City parishes, he joins his business skills with his pastoral abilities.

Br. Mauro remains committed to be-ing a Jesuit. “The brother’s vocation tells everyone what life as a Jesuit really is. Brothers don’t enter for the priesthood,

they come in to be a Jesuit,” he says. “Our vocation opens a whole additional avenue of possibility. A brother is unhampered by priestly responsibilities. Thus he can devote more time to his daily tasks.”

Brother Christopher Derby, SJ, who served for the last five years as Voca-tion Director for the Maryland and New York Provinces, has been a Jesuit since 1988. His vocation is rooted in his own

Jesuit Brothers

Peter Feuerherd

Br. Louis Mauro, SJ Br. Christopher Derby, SJ

Jesuit Brothers


familial experience of brotherhood. While at home, Br. Derby shared a room with his older brother, Brian, now deceased, who had cerebral palsy and was unable to speak or walk. Br. Derby became a protector and interpreter to the world for his brother. “The role of brother in my family,” he says, “was deeply meaningful to me.”

Brother Jerome Menkhaus, SJ, has discovered that his vocation has allowed him freedom and opportunity for techni-cal service as well as teaching.

He joined the Jesuits right out of Ford-ham Prep in the Bronx in 1961. At that

construction of a rectory in the Marshall Islands where he became not only the su-pervisor but also did the plumbing and electrical work.

In 1990, he was missioned to Nigeria to supervise the development of a retreat center, a novitiate and a high school. Now as a science teacher at Nativity Mission Center in Manhattan, he enriches his stu-dents with his experience as an engineer.

Brother Francis Turnbull, SJ, as-sistant editor at America magazine, also entered the Jesuits in 1961 after work-ing three years in a real estate office.

roof. In another is Mother Teresa. A piano player taps out a tune. A weight lifter goes for the gold. And a trapeze artist performs to the tune of Stars and Stripes Forever. These are Br. Sheehy’s creations, but the puppeteer says they reflect “seeing God in all things.”

A Jesuit for 57 years, his puppet minis-try began in 1970 during a trip to Califor-nia. At Universal Studios he was entranced by a sophisticated puppet exhibition. Now he keeps his eyes open, attempting to dis-cover how his puppetry can better reflect God’s presence. He will look carefully at

Br. Jerome Menkhaus, SJ

time, he recalls, being a Jesuit brother “was light years apart from what I’m do-ing now.” Brothers then were akin to the stage crew of a Broadway show. They were instrumental, yet worked quietly offstage, making sure that the actors in the drama had everything they needed. Now broth-ers are more likely to be nudged into the spotlight.

Br. Menkhaus earned a graduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Detroit. But by the time he left college, the boom years of Jesuit building projects in the Province were just about over. He taught math at St. Peter’s College and was their director of institutional research.

He was then sent to Micronesia where he was a teacher at Pohnpei Agriculture and Trade School. He also tackled the

Br. Francis Turnbull, SJ

Determined to be a brother, he learned that the Jesuits were open to that voca-tion. “I could come in and be a brother, feeling that I was part of the community,” he says.

Br. Turnbull’s ministry has focused on administrative tasks. He worked in the offices of various Jesuit high schools and St. Peter’s College. During two years in Nigeria, he furnished a new retreat house, set up a library, taught typing to novices and gave retreats. At America he charts the progress of articles from submission to publication.

A Jesuit with a uniquely creative min-istry is puppeteer Brother Edward Sheehy. His workshop at Saint Peter’s Prep in Jersey City is adorned with his creations. In one corner is a fiddler on a

Br. Edward Sheehy SJ


the faces on the PATH trains, wondering if a particular visage could adorn one of his creations.

Br. Sheehy has delighted audiences in public and Catholic schools, nursing homes, hospitals and churches. Some of his performances feature religious themes, including the Stations of the Cross. At children’s liturgies he enacts parables such as the Prodigal Son and the Good Samari-tan. His Fiddler on the Roof performs show tunes for senior citizens at nursing homes. He has taken his puppets on the road, to places as disparate as Guyana, Micronesia, Indonesia and Nigeria. Everywhere he has the same goal. “It’s something you hope brings some joy,” says Br. Sheehy. “Some-times just putting a smile on someone’s face can be the message.”

Many Jesuit brothers entered religious life with a desire to develop technical skills in the service of the Society of Jesus. In doing so, they were following a long tradition. From the earliest days of the Society, writes Brother William R. Rehg, SJ, in a recent article in Studies in the Spiri-tuality of Jesuits, brothers worked largely in maintaining Jesuit houses, laboring as cooks and groundskeepers. Some ven-tured into other realms: Andrea Pozzo (1642-1709), an Italian Jesuit brother,

was an artist known for his paintings on church ceilings.

Brother Rehg’s survey of Jesuit broth-ers’ history notes that, in the 19th century, at least one U.S. province had a member-ship that included more than 40 percent brothers. Their role expanded after Vati-can II as they became involved in more varied ministries and were encouraged to pursue higher education. Brother candi-dates today are likely to be men who have some expertise in the secular world.

Jesuit brothers look to St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, their Jesuit patron saint, for inspiration. A widower with two chil-dren, St. Alphonsus entered the Jesuit community in Spain in 1571. He served as a porter but he also was a master of the Spiritual Exercises. His example points out

that common labor and spiritual mentor-ing can co-exist in a single vocation.

Jesuit brothers tend to agree that their vocation, while largely below the radar of public attention, remains a vehicle for unique service. Nevertheless, the general decline in religious vocation numbers has taken its toll. The humble appeal of brotherhood, in a world that elevates sta-tus, is not easy to convey. But its value can be seen in the faces of those men who have chosen that vocation. As one Jesuit brother puts it: “As the years go on, you recognize not that you made the choice but that the Lord had chosen you.”

Br. Sheehy’s Fiddler and friends

Jesuit Saints Father Peter Claver and Brother Alphonsus Rodriguez engage in spiritual conversation. [Stained glass image, Loyola Hall, Fordham University]

For information on Jesuit vocations, please visit:

www.jesuitvocation.org


Almost 200 Jesuits, 40 to 60 years of age, gathered last June at Santa Clara

University for the conference, Keep-ers of the Flame. While there were a few formal presentations, the or-ganizers focused the sessions on small group discussions and then conver-sations among members on the proposed province configurations. The attend-ees had the opportunity to renew friendships formed years before and to meet contemporaries from other parts of the country. The sessions had a tone of hope for the future in the context of a smaller Soci-ety of Jesus. The movements of General Congregation 35 and the partnership with lay colleagues provided the backdrop for future ministry. Nine of the ten current provincials joined the gathering to both receive and contribute to the ideas of this middle generation.

Jesuit Conference

Keepersof the Flame

Jesuit conference participants from across the United States.

Fr. James Martin, SJ, gives a presentation on a proposed province configuration.

Jesuit Provincials concelebrate conference Mass:Frs. David S. Ciancimino, SJ, Patrick J. Lee, SJ, Timothy M. McMahon, SJ, and Timothy P. Kesicki, SJ.


Focus on Faith

Season of LongingFather Ugo Nacciarone, SJ Senior Priest Associate St. Ignatius Loyola Church, New York

Go up on a high mountain, joyful messen-ger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joy-ful messenger to Jerusalem. Shout without fear; say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God’. (Isaiah 40:9)This text from the prophet Isaiah

gives us one of the important images of Advent – the messenger sent to a high place to shout and announce the coming of the King. The other important image is given a few chapters later in chapter 45, verse 8:

Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down. Let the earth open for salvation to spring up. Let de-liverance, too, bud forth which I, Yahweh, shall create.The Church uses these words in the

liturgy to express the longing of the people for a Savior. Therefore, we have two images: a people longing for righ-teousness, and a messenger proclaiming that the righteous Saviour is coming. In these images we have two important elements in the spirit of Advent: it is a time of personal and collective longing, and it is a time of proclamation that the fulfilment of that longing is at hand.

Advent is a time of personal and col-lective longing. The world is always looking for progress – greater prosper-ity, more happiness, and more stable peace. The Jewish nation sought these no less than the nations of any other pe-riod.

Our own age and its peoples repeat the pattern. After two world wars, the countries came together to form the United Nations so that there would be no more wars. But the wars continued

from the Korean War up to our present wars in Iraq and Afghani-stan. The world still longs for prosperity, peace and happiness.

We all feel the empti-ness or longing that Isaiah speaks of. Unless we have the experience of the emptiness, then we will not have the longing of Advent. The cry “Shower, O heavens, from above” must be a sincere expression of the emptiness in ourselves as well as in the society around us.

Advent is a time of searching for the deeper meaning of life and all the things that go into it. It is a time to reflect on the need for Christ in our lives. It is only when we sincerely feel the need that we will pray with eager longing for a deeper union with Him in mind and heart.

The second theme of Advent is proc-lamation. It is a time to tell everyone of the coming of Christ. The liberation of the people was something the prophet could not be silent about. It had to be shouted aloud to all the people. Such good news could not be kept to oneself. The happi-ness of the people depended on it. It was a source of hope to those in despair; a bright light for those in darkness. And because the news was good news, it was shouted in joy and with great enthusiasm.

These are the two great themes of Ad-vent. During the first week of Advent, we also celebrate the feast of St. Francis Xavier. His longing for Christ was uncov-ered for him by St. Ignatius when they

were students at the University of Paris. Through the Spiritual Exercises, he fell in love with Jesus and joined Ignatius in the great enterprise of founding a group of Companions of Jesus who would try to set the world on fire with that love. As a Jesuit, he worked tirelessly in In-dia, in part of Indonesia, then in Japan, and finally died while trying to bring the good news to the people of China. His passionate love for Jesus drove him to the ends of the earth to proclaim the good news.

Francis Xavier captures the two themes of Advent: longing to be filled with Christ and then proclaiming that good news once he found Him.

This Advent, the words of the prophet Isaiah and the example of Francis Xavier challenge us to reflect on the emptiness within us and our world. Then, long-ing for the coming of Christ into us and our world, and experiencing that coming at Christmas, we are driven to proclaim that good news wherever we find ourselves.

Mural of Francis Xavier at Church of St. Francis Xavier, New York


Notes from Micronesia

The formation of local church lead-ership is a primary task of Jesuit

missionaries. Kelly Yalmadau and Moses Tashibelit were ordained to the priest-hood on June 27th on the island of Fala-lop in Ulithi Atoll. They are now priests of the Diocese of the Caroline Islands. Kelly is from Ulithi itself; Moses is from the neighboring island of Ifaluk. Moses did his theological studies at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji. Kelly studied at St. John’s Seminary in Cama-rillo, CA.

Bishop Amando Samo of Chuuk was the ordaining prelate. He is the immedi-ate successor of Bishop Martin Neylon, SJ, who retired in 1995. Together with diocesan priests, five Jesuits concelebrat-ed the Mass of ordination.

New Priestsin Ulithi

Father Daniel Mulhauser, SJLe Moyne College, Syracuse, NY; Former Director of St. Ignatius House of Studies, Guam

Newly ordained Fathers Kelly Yalmadau and Moses Tashibelit distribute Communion.

Jesuit Fathers Thomas McGrath, Kenneth Urumolug, John Hagileiram, Anthony Eddy and Daniel Mulhauser

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A Holy Boldness