jesuit journeys cover story and photo

Cristo Rey rises in the Twin Cities

Spring 2007

Also: A visit with our Kohima twin in Northeast India

Inside: What Distinguishes the

Jesuits in 21st Century?

Turning points to a deeper journey

Charisma!

We can all think of people who have it. Usually they are individuals who are politicians, entertainers, civic or business leaders, and so on. This edition of Jesuit Journeys highlights the way in which charisma belongs to a group through its founder.

Jesuit Cardinal Dulles explores the charisma or grace that was given to the work of the Church through St. Ignatius and what that means for the Society’s service of the work of the Church today, especially as manifested in the 10 features of the spirit of St. Ignatius that he identifies.

The charisma of the Society is for mission, for the benefit of others.

The stories of Cristo Rey in the Twin Cities, the ministry of the Spiritual Exercises, the work of the Jesuits in the Kohima Region of Northeast India, and the involvement of Creighton and Marquette University students in working for service and justice, concretize the missionary character of the Society’s charism for today. Each of these stories brings out what Fr. John O’Malley, SJ identifies as the five missions of the Jesuit Charism: the Pastoral-Spiritual, the Ecclesiastical, the Social, the Cultural, and the Civic.

As you read the stories they will speak of the Society’s mission to help souls, to proclaim and defend the faith, to promote the common good, to advance the dignity of the human person, and through education to contribute to the civic good. Each of these stories brings out the different but unique ways in which the charism of St. Ignatius founds the ministry of Jesuits and inspires lay men and women to live out the missionary invitation that they have received from God.

Charisma! It’s for mission.

In Our Lord,

Fr. Thomas Krettek, SJ Provincial

As members of the Society of Jesus, Jesuits endeavor to help people grow more deeply in love with Jesus Christ, moving them to serve others. Emphasizing education and justice ministries, we work with our lay colleagues to build a more just and humane world, especially for the poor and the marginalized.

Jesuit Journeys is published three times a year and distributed by the Jesuits of the Wisconsin Province – Fr. Thomas Krettek, SJ, publisher – to increase awareness and understanding of how Jesuits seek the greater glory and honor of God through stories about them, their co-workers, their ministries and the people whose lives they touch.

For editorial matters, contact the editor ([email protected]).

To change an address or for information about ways to give, contact Fr. Richard McGarrity, SJ ([email protected]) or Mr. Jack Paquette ([email protected])

3400 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53208 (414) 937.6955 or (800) 537.3736

Managing Editor: Rory Gillespie([email protected])

Designer: Jeff ZmaniaEditorial Assistants:

Fr. Charlie Baumann, SJFr. Mike Kolb, SJ

The Wisconsin Province of

Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007 �

New

s & A

nn

ou

nc

emen

ts New

s & A

NEWS from ArouNd thE ProviNcE

IN THIS ISSUE SPRING 2007 vol.15, No.2

6 In MEMorIAM Wisconsin Province obituaries.

30 THE JESuIT pArTnErSHIp Fr. Richard McGarrity, SJ tells how Councils help the Jesuits.

35 SEASonAL rEFLEcTIon Fr. Jim Gladstone, SJ on poetry, Spring and baseball.

on THE coVEr Frank Agudo is one of the first students accepted into the new Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in the Twin Cities.

STory IDEAS Do you have comments, suggestions, or a story idea? Send them along in the envelope insert or e-mail us at: [email protected]

WISconSIn prEpArES For GEnErAL conGrEGATon 35

General Congregation 35 is the world-wide gathering of the Society of Jesus and is set to begin in Rome in January 2008 and run through March. The Wisconsin Province began preparing for that meeting this winter.

The General Congregation’s first order of business is to elect a successor to Father General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach and then to discuss “postulata” or proposals for the Society. Wisconsin Province elected Frs. David Schultenover,

SJ and John Fitzgibbons, SJ to accompany Wisconsin Provincial Fr. Tom Krettek, SJ to Rome for the General Congregation.

In addition, four postulata from the Wisconsin Province were sent to Rome for the General Congregation to consider: the nature and scope of the vocation of the brothers, the environment, lay associates, and Jesuit involvement in new forms of electronic media.

SIMonDS, LAWLEr pronouncE FInAL VoWS Fr. Thomas A.

Simonds, SJ and Fr. Thomas A. Lawler, SJ have both been called by Fr. General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach to full incorporation into the Society of Jesus. At the Mass concluding the Provincial Congregation in January, Fr. Tom Krettek, SJ received the final vows of Fr. Lawler. Fr. Simonds pronounced his final vows March 19 at a special liturgy at St. John’s Church on the Creighton University campus. Fr. Krettek also received those vows. Fr. Simonds is presently teaching in the Education Department at Creighton and Fr. Lawler is the Wisconsin Province Vocations Director.

roDrIGuEZ BEcoMInG SocIuSFr. Luis Rodriguez, SJ will join the Wisconsin Province

office and take over the duties of Socius (Provincial Assis-tant) replacing Fr. John Paul, SJ. He brings a wealth of ex-perience to the province office, having taught at Marquette University, worked in formation at the Jesuit Novitiate, served as superior at St. Camillus, and having done pastoral

Fr. David Schultenover, SJ

Fr. John Fitzgibbons, SJ

Fr. Thomas A. Simonds, SJ

Fr. Thomas A. Lawler, SJ

8 125 yEArS A celebration in pictures of Marquette University’s anniversary.

10 WHAT DISTInGuISHES THE JESuITS How the Ignatian charism works at the dawn of the 21st century.

16 TurnInG poInTS Cristo Rey rises in the Twin Cities on

the shoulders of associates and Ignatian spirituality.

22 your SpIrITuAL HEALTH It’s the time of year to get back in shape and retreats can be just the ticket.

26 TruSTInG GoD EVEn MorE A visit from the Wisconsin Province to our twin in Northeast India.

32 A DoSE oF InSpIrATIon Students working for justice at Marquette and Creighton are inspiring.

� Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007New

s &

An

no

un

cem

ents

New

s &

An

no

un

cem

ents

New

s &

An

nministry while serving as the Director of Pastoral Care at the Creighton University Medical Center.

Fr. Rodriguez’ assignment will begin in July with Fr. John Paul continuing to serve as our Formation Director after his past five and a half years as Socius. Fr. John Paul’s formation role will be broadened to include ongoing formation for all Jesuits and the formation of laity in Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuit charism.

TEAcH-In EXpAnDS For SprInG SESSIonThe Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice has been very

successful in the fall and the concept has been expanded to the spring this year.

The Ignatian Family Teach-In for Racism and Poverty was held March 9-12 at Loyola University in New Orleans. Over 500 people from 16 high schools and 20 universities, in addition to Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Christian Life Communities participated. In addition to the three-day Teach-In, almost half the schools stayed for a full week of service in the Gulf area. This new Spring Teach-In focuses on domestic and justice issues and includes reflection, prayer, social analysis and testimony from those rebuilding communities post-Katrina and Rita. See www.ignatiansolidarity.net for details.

conGrATuLATIonS Br. FoSTErThe Lakota Nation Invitational Basketball Tournament

held annually in Rapid City, S.D. honored Br. Bill Foster, SJ with a Public Service Award at its holiday tournament. Red Cloud Indian School honored Br. Foster for his 40 years

proVIncE DAyS HIGHLIGHTED By orDInATIonProvince Days – the annual summer meeting and

community celebration of the Jesuits of the Wisconsin Province – will be hosted by Marquette University June 6-9 in Milwaukee.

A highlight of the week will be the ordination of Timothy T. Manatt, SJ on Saturday at Gesu Church. This year’s event

will have the theme “Our Pathway to God: Evangelization through the lens of the Spiritual Exercises and the Constitutions.”

Presentations this year will be:■ Evangelization and Inter-cultural dialogues:

Fr. John Hatcher, SJ■ Spiritual Exercises – embracing the

www. world: Fr. Andy Alexander, SJ and Maureen Waldron

■ General Congregation 35 – What is it and what it means to us: Fr. John Padberg, SJ

ArouNd thE ProviNcE

A reception was held in honor of Fr. Luis Rodriguez, SJ at the Creighton University Medical Center. Chaplain and Deacon Russ Perry, chatted with Fr. Rodriguez and Deidra Campbell at the reception.

of dedication. Br. Foster was noted by the school for his work in behind-the-scene maintenance, carpentry, plumbing, boilers, locks, and the art of informal “formation” of Jesuits through his wit and wisdom.

cHrIST’S cALL AT THInKJESuIT.VorGHelping young men, “Listen and Respond to the Call

of Christ!” is the mission of the Wisconsin Province’s new vocation Website. And tools are just a “click” away at www.thinkjesuit.org.

The site is designed as a resource for men who are considering a vocation to join the Jesuits as either a priest or brother. Some of the sections of the site are:

■ “S.J. Café” a place for spiritual conversation with others seeking direction

■ “Living Witness” introduces real Jesuits and shows who they are and what they do

■ “Foundations” points out selections from essential documents of the Society of Jesus

Check www.thinkjesuit.org often as videos and podcasts are on the way.

The Magis Theater Company presented C.S. Lewis’s “The Great Divorce” in New York City with Fr. George Drance, SJ producing and directing. Fr. Drance is pictured at right in his role as George MacDonald with Thomas Piper playing C.S. Lewis.

Br. Bill Foster (center) was honored for his service to Red Cloud Indian school and is congratulated by Red Cloud President Fr. Peter Klink (left) and Fr. Pat Burns, Superior of the Holy Rosary Jesuit Community in Pine Ridge, S.D.

ArouNd thE ProviNcE New

s & A

nn

ou

nc

emen

ts New

s & A

nn

ou

nc

emen

ts New

s & A

nn

PHo

To: J

eFFR

ey e

. SAl

zbeR

G

coMInGS AnD GoInGS Fr. Robert (Roc) O’Connor, SJ (left)

has been appointed rector of Creighton University’s Jesuit Community in Omaha. As rector, Fr. O’Connor will be responsible for fostering the spiritual and physical health of 50 Jesuits housed on Creighton’s campus. Fr. O’Connor is an instructor in the Theology

Department, a liturgist, and an associate pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church.

Fr. Charles R. Baumann, SJ is now a member of the hospital chaplaincy at the Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha. Fr. Baumann worked in administration at the Wisconsin Province office in Milwaukee for the previous nine and a half years.

Fr. Thomas D. Stegman, SJ has returned to teaching at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass.

Joseph Hoover, SJ and Patrick Gilger, SJ will both be teaching at Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, S.D. in the fall as they complete First Studies and begin Regency.

Michael Lex, SJ, Paul J. Shelton, SJ, and Nathan Wendt, SJ were advanced to the minor orders of lector and acolyte.

� Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007

Oscar L. Benzinger, SJA man who treasured friendships,

Fr. Oscar Benzinger, 76, died Nov. 3, 2006. He had fallen on a visit to Milwaukee and spent his final weeks at the Jesuit Community of St. Camillus in Wauwatosa, Wis.

Born on a farm near Mishicot, Wis. on June 5, 1930 “Ben” enlisted in the military after graduation from Mishicot High School and served in the 528th Engineering Utility Detachment in Okinawa.

After discharge in 1952, Ben felt a call to priesthood and entered the Jesuit novitiate at Oshkosh, Wis. in 1954. A math teacher at Campion Jesuit High School (1960-62) he completed an M.S. in mathematics at Marquette in 1964, was ordained in 1967, and was assigned to Marquette University High School (1968-92).

Ben received training in spiritual direction and moved to Aberdeen, S. D. where he served as chaplain to the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 2005 he joined the staff at the Jesuit Retreat House in Oshkosh. ■

Charles L. Kerr, SJ A four-decade associate pastor at SS

Peter & Paul Parish, Mankato, Minn. Fr. Charles L. Kerr died Dec. 2, 2006 of congestive heart failure at the Jesuit Community at St. Camillus, Wauwatosa. He was 87.

Born June 13, 1919, in Pittsburgh, Charlie entered the Society of Jesus at Florissant, Mo. immediately after graduating from Marquette High in Milwaukee in 1937. He taught at St. Francis Mission (1944-47), St. Stephen’s Mission (1953-54) and Creighton Prep (1954-55). After ordination in 1950 he found his niche in parish work at St. Benedict’s in Omaha (1955-60) and at SS Peter & Paul in Mankato, Minn. (1960-2003).

At SS Peter & Paul his ministry included teaching religion in the lower grades and serving as spiritual director to the Catholic fraternal organizations.

In 2003 Charlie moved to St. Camillus. ■

William R. Duffey, SJThe son of the founder of Marquette

University’s Department of Speech, Fr. William R. Duffey died Dec. 15, 2006 at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex. He was 85.

Born in Austin, Texas, on Jan. 10, 1921, Bill’s family migrated to Milwaukee where

Bill graduated from Marquette High in 1938. He entered the Society of Jesus at Florissant, completed his collegiate studies at Saint Louis University in 1947, and, capitalizing on his father’s example, taught speech at his alma mater in the 1945-46 and 1947-48 school years. He was ordained in 1951.

Following a post-ordination year in Belize, Bill held a series of assignments while living at Marquette High (1954-75).

For a brief time Bill offered his services to the Diocese of Gallup, New Mexico (1976-78) but returned to Marquette High and retired from ministry for personal and health reasons. He moved into the Milwaukee County facility in 1994. ■

Benno G. Kornely, SJFr. Benno G. Kornely, known for his

sensitivity and empathy, died of cancer Nov. 17 at Colombiere Health Care Center in Clarkson, Mich. He was 78.

Benno was born in Milwaukee, Dec.11, 1928 and grew up in St. Francis of Assisi Parish. After graduating from Marquette

High in 1946, he entered the Society of Jesus at Florissant, Mo. After finishing studies in Philosophy at St. Louis University, Benno taught math for three years at Campion High School.

Benno worked 10 years as director of guidance, assistant principal at St. Francis Indian Mission in South Dakota.

From 1975 until 1981 he helped establish the directed retreat program at the Jesuit Retreat House at Oshkosh, Wis. and in 1982 moved to the Jesuit Retreat House in Cleveland and worked with the spirituality team at Colombiere College.

When Colombiere closed in 1993, Benno continued his spiritual direction and retreat work at the Emmaus Center in Des Moines Iowa for two years before joining the Manresa Jesuit Retreat House in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. ■

Maurice B. McNamee, SJA professor emeritus of English and

art history at Saint Louis University, Fr. Maurice B. McNamee, 97, died of pneumonia, on Jan. 28, 2007 at Saint Louis University Hospital.

Born in Montello, Wis. on June 5, 1909 Maurice graduated from the minor seminary located at St. Francis Seminary

in Milwaukee and entered the Jesuits in 1927. Prior to ordination he taught English at Creighton Prep (1936-37).

“Father Mac” as many later called him was ordained in 1940 and obtained a PhD in English from Saint Louis in 1945.

His real love was art and art history. He was the first to introduce an art course at a Jesuit institution and his scholarly work in Flemish art received recognition in an honorary PhD awarded in 2006.

IN L

OV

ING

MEM

OR

Y I

N L

OV

ING

MEM

OR

Y IN

LO

VIN

G M

EMO

RY iN mEmoriAmiN mEmoriAm

IN LO

VIN

G M

EMO

RY IN

LOV

ING

MEM

OR

Y IN

LOV

ING

MEM

OR

YIn St. Louis he is best known for saving a Victorian mansion,

the Samuel Cupples House, from demolition and turning it into a museum and art gallery. ■

William F. Pauly, SJFr. William Pauly, a man whose smile,

warmth and ready laughter endeared him to all, died of an unexpected heart attack while on sabbatical in Chicago, on Nov. 29, 2006. He was 59.

Born in Sheboygan, Wis. on May 1, 1947 Bill graduated from St. Lawrence Seminary in Mount Calvary, Wis. and

entered the Society of Jesus at St. Bonifacius in 1965. He taught at Creighton Prep (1972-75) and did a year of chaplain training at Mendota State Hospital in Madison, Wis.

Following studies in Toronto, and ordination in 1979, Bill worked briefly in campus ministry at Marquette University (1979-82). The next six years he studied Spanish and was a pastor at St. Patrick’s Church in Milwaukee.

From 1989 onward Bill worked at Holy Rosary Mission in South Dakota, ministering to the Oglala Sioux on the Pine Ridge Reservation and the Hispanics in the Black Hills area.

Bill’s favorite poet Mary Oliver asks in “A Summer’s Day,” “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Bill commingled his life with the lives of those he met. ■

Norbert J. Tracy, SJThe first academic dean of Sogang

University in Seoul, South Korea, Fr. Norbert J. Tracy, 82, died at St. Camillus in Wauwatosa, Wis. on Jan. 21, 2007.

Born in Chicago, May 18, 1924, Norb grew up in Milwaukee and graduated from Marquette University High School in 1942. He entered the Society of Jesus

and received a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Minnesota in 1961.

After teaching three years at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan (1949-52) and after ordination in 1955, he was sent to Seoul to the newly established college. He served the institution as academic dean (1961-1977), as planning director (1977-81), and as founder and director of several institutes (1981-96) that are still in operation today.

In 1996 Norb returned to the U.S. and died peacefully in his room at St. Camillus. ■

iN mEmoriAmiN mEmoriAm

Favorite prayers“St Patrick’s Breastplate” is also known as the “Lorica Of St. Patrick” and sometimes “The Deer Cry”. It is attributed to St. Patrick and lore has it reciting this prayer protected him when he ventured to

visit the Pagan King of Ireland. Assassins were ready for an ambush, but as Patrick said the prayer it seemed to the enemies that a heard of deer were going by.

Recite this prayer in the morning and you are ready to face the world. – Rory Gillespie, Editor, Jesuit Journeys

We would love to print it or use it on our website www.jesuitswisprov.org Send them to: [email protected]

I arise today through the power of God: God’s might to comfort me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to lead me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s Heavenly Host to save me from the snares of the devil, from temptations to sin, from all who wish me ill, from near and afar, alone and with others.

May Christ shield me today against poison and fire, against drowning and wounding, so that I may fulfill my mission and bear fruit in abundance. Christ behind and before me, Christ behind and above me, Christ with me and in me, Christ around and about me, Christ on my right and on my left, Christ when I lie down at night, Christ when I rise in the morning, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone that speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

Have a favorite prayer? Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007 �

5

8

7

2

It was Aug. 15, 1881 when the city of

Milwaukee celebrated the official dedication of Marquette College.

1

4

3

6

� Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007

Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007 �

A Catholic university in the heart of the Midwest was the dream of Bishop John Martin Henni and he called on the Society of Jesus to help him achieve it.

Bishop Henni raised the $16,000 seed money and with 30 years of prayer and persistence the college named after Jesuit explorer Jacques Marquette came to fruition. It may be easier to remember the year 1977 since that’s when MU won the NCAA basketball championship, but it is probably more important to remember 1909 since that is the year Marquette became the first Catholic university in the world to introduce coeducation.

of Faith&Learning in Action

1 SePT. 5, 1881: There were 35 who registered the first day, but by the end of the year 77 students attended Marquette, a respectable number for a college in its first year in mid-19th-century America.

2 1937: The Marquette Golden Avalanche faced Texas Christian University in the first Cotton Bowl Classic, but fell 16-6 to the Horned Frogs.

3 1909: Marquette became the first Catholic university in the world to introduce coeducation when, during the summer of 1909, nuns were invited to attend Marquette — and laywomen joined them — while most men enjoyed a seasonal break from studies.

4 SePT. 19, 1940: Before the beginning of the Second World War, Marquette became the first Catholic university to establish a Reserve Officer Training Corps program.

5 1887: The graduating class.

6 1981: Mother Teresa of Calcutta came to Marquette to accept the Père Marquette Discovery Award.

7 1969: The Discovery Award is the highest honor presented by the university and honored the Apollo 11 astronauts.

8 1977: Coach Al McGuire and the men’s basketball team brought home the NCAA championship title after Marquette beat North Carolina in the title game with the final score 67-59.

9 1966: Marc and Lillian Rojtman presented Marquette University with the St. Joan of Arc Chapel, today a favorite place for student prayer and reflection.

10 1969: Marquette empowered Dr. Arnold Mitchem to establish the Educational Opportunity Program which became a national model.

11 2005: President Robert A. Wild, S.J., announced the “Magis” Campaign that raised $357 million.

10 11

9

10 Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007

The Ignatian charism at the dawn of the 21st century

What Distinguishes the Jesuits?

By Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ

This lecture is intended to complete a series of four on the Jesuit founders whose jubilees are being celebrated this year. At Fordham we have had in

2006 one lecture on St. Ignatius, one on Peter Faber, one on Francis Xavier and now, to complete the series, a lecture on the Ignatian charism today. The notion of the Ignatian charism requires some explanation. A charism is a gift of grace, conferred not for one’s personal sanctification but for the benefit of others. St. Paul has a famous list of charisms in the 12th chapter of the First Letter to the Corinthians. They include the gifts of prophecy, speech, miracle-working and the interpretation of tongues. If these are charisms bestowed on some members of the

church, what charisms, if any, are given to St. Ignatius of Loyola? Who are the beneficiaries? Are these charisms still bestowed today? And if so, who are the recipients?

In what follows I shall speak principally of the gifts that St. Ignatius possessed in an eminent way and that he expected to be applied and handed down with God’s help in the Society he founded.

The life of St. Ignatius was remarkably focused. Beginning with his long convalescence at Loyola after being wounded at Pamplona in 1521, he was led by God through a series of stages culminating in the foundation and organization of the Society of Jesus. Although the Society, when first officially established in 1540, had only 10 members, including the inner circle of the three whose anniversaries we celebrate this year, all 10 recognized without a shadow of doubt that the true founder of the Society of Jesus, under God, was none other than Ignatius. He was endowed with an extraordinary gift – a charism, one may say – of leadership. His primary achievement was the founding of a new religious order in many ways quite unlike any order that had previously existed. It was an order of men vowed to

live in the midst of the world with their eyes continually focused on God, on Jesus Christ and on the needs of the church.

These three foci of the Ignatian vision are compactly expressed in the bull of Pope Paul III in 1540, confirmed by a similar bull of Julius III in 1550. Both these documents quoted in full the Formula of the Institute composed by Ignatius himself. The Formula begins with these lapidary words: “Whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God beneath the banner of the cross in our Society, which we desire to be designated by the name of Jesus, and to serve the Lord alone and the

Illuminating the role of the Society of Jesus for today and tomorrow was proclaimed by Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ in a speech commemorating the Jubilee year of 2006.

Fr. Jonathan Haschka, S.J., greets a parishioner in front of the Jesuit church in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007 11

Church, his Spouse, under the Roman pontiff, the vicar of Christ on earth, should, after a vow of perpetual chastity, poverty, and obedience, keep the following in mind.”

Focusing on God

The first feature of the Jesuit in this description is to be a soldier of God. Anyone who enters the Society, says the Formula, must “first of all keep before his eyes God and then the nature of this Institute which he has embraced and which is, so to speak, a pathway to God.” According to his custom Ignatius here distinguishes between the means and the end. The end for which the Jesuit order exists is the greater glory of God. In the constitutions he composed for the Society, Ignatius repeats the formula “ad maiorem Dei gloriam” in the same or similar words 376 times. Because God is God, he deserves all the praise and service we can give him. The use of the comparative “greater” (maiorem) is significant. It signifies the desire to excel, to seek ever more (magis). What we have done and are presently doing is never enough.

Following Jesus Christ

The life of the Jesuit according to the Institute is in the second place centered on Jesus Christ, who is, in the phrase of St. Ignatius, the way that leads to life. The Formula of the Institute specifies that the Society is to be designated by the name of Jesus. St. Ignatius never thought of himself as the head of the Jesuits. He wanted only to be a companion in the following of Jesus, the true head of the Society.

St. Ignatius received a remarkable grace while praying at the chapel of La Storta, just outside Rome, in October 1537, together with Peter Faber and Diego Laínez. He was, as he declares, “very specially visited by the Lord,” whom he saw

carrying his cross on his shoulder in the presence of his Father, who said to Ignatius, “I want you to serve us.” From that moment forth, St. Ignatius never doubted that the Father had placed him with the Son; he insisted adamantly that the new congregation ought to be called the Society of Jesus.

Already in the meditation on the Two Standards in the Spiritual Exercises, written some years earlier, Ignatius had the retreatant ask for the grace to be received under the standard of Christ. And so in the Formula of the Institute he has those entering the Society express the desire to fight under the banner of the cross. This is a commitment to struggle ceaselessly against great odds and to fight bravely, not heeding the wounds, imitating the example of Christ who embraced the cross to accomplish our redemption.

Serving the Church

The third component is the ecclesial. Totally and unequivocally a man of the church, Ignatius writes in the Formula of the Institute that the prospective Jesuit must be resolved to serve “the Lord alone and the Church his spouse.” Here we may detect an echo of Ignatius’ famous “Rules for Thinking with the Church,” at the conclusion of the Spiritual Exercises, where he refuses to admit any discrepancy between the service of Christ and the church. “I must be convinced,” he writes, “that in Christ our Lord, the bridegroom, and in His spouse the Church, only one Spirit holds sway, which governs and rules for the salvation of souls.” The hierarchical and Roman Church, he says, is “the true Spouse of Christ our Lord, our holy Mother.”

St. Ignatius’ allegiance is not to some abstract idea of the church, but to the church as it concretely exists on earth, with the Roman pontiff at its summit. The popes of St. Ignatius’ day may not have been the holiest and the wisest of men, but


he looked upon them with the eyes of faith and saw in each of them the vicar of Christ for the teaching and government of the universal church. As early as 1534, when the original seven companions took their vows at Montmartre, they had the idea of placing themselves at the disposal of the pope, asking him to assign them to the missions he considered most pressing. After the papal approval of the Institute in 1540, Ignatius established himself at Rome, where he spent the rest of his life in order to be accessible to the pope.

As yet I have stated the goal of the Society of Jesus in only the most general terms—the glory of God, the service of Christ and availability to the pope. Ignatius still had to specify what kind of service his order would be prepared to offer. This too is mentioned in the Formula of the Institute. In the sentence following the one I have quoted, St. Ignatius writes: Whoever wishes to enter should know that he is asking to be “a member of a Society founded chiefly for this purpose: to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine.” And then he mentions various means whereby these goals are to be achieved: “public preaching, other ministries of the word of God, spiritual exercises, education in Christianity, hearing confessions, and administering other sacraments.” And then in the next sentence the Formula speaks of certain works of charity: reconciling the estranged, ministering to persons in prisons and hospitals and similar services.

Ten Shining Features of the Society of Jesus

A number of attempts have been made in recent years to gather up certain principles that shine through the writings of St. Ignatius and are envisaged as permanent features of the Society he founded. Any such list presupposes, of course, the common elements of all religious orders in the Catholic Church, including the faithful observance of the usual vows of religion: poverty, chastity and obedience. The following 10

features may serve as a summary of what is more specific to the spirit of St. Ignatius.

1. Dedication to the glory of God, the “ever greater God,” whom we can never praise and serve enough. This gives the Jesuit a kind of holy restlessness, a ceaseless effort to do better, to achieve the more or, in Latin, the magis. Ignatius may be said to have been a God-intoxicated man in the sense that he made “the greater glory of God” the supreme norm of every action, great or small.

2. Personal love for Jesus Christ and a desire to be counted among his close companions. Repeatedly in the Exercises Jesuits pray to know Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly and to follow him more nearly. Preaching in the towns of Italy, the first companions deliberately imitated the style of life of the disciples whom Jesus had sent forth to evangelize the towns of Galilee.

3. To labor with, in and for the church, thinking at all times with the church in obedience to its pastors. Throughout the Constitutions, Ignatius insists on the teaching of the doctrine that is “safer and more approved,” so that students may learn the “more solid and safe doctrine.”

4. Availability. To be at the disposal of the church, available to labor in any place, for the sake of the greater and more universal good. Regarding the Society as the spiritual militia of the pope, St. Ignatius sees the whole world, so to speak, as his field of operations. Inspired by this cosmic vision, he admits no divisions based on national frontiers and ethnic ties.

5. Mutual union. Jesuits are to see themselves as parts of a body bound together by a communion of minds and hearts. In the Constitutions St. Ignatius asserted that the Society could not attain its ends unless its members were united by deep affection among themselves and with the head. Many authors quote in this connection the term used by Ignatius of his first companions: “friends in the Lord.”

6. Preference for spiritual and priestly ministries. The Jesuits are a priestly order, all of whose professed members must be ordained, although the cooperation of spiritual and lay coadjutors is highly valued. In the choice of ministries, Ignatius writes, “spiritual goods ought to be preferred to bodily,” since they are more conducive to the “ultimate and supernatural end.”

7. Discernment. Ignatius was a master of the practical life and the art of decision-making. He distinguished carefully between ends and means, choosing the means best suited to achieve the end in view. In the use of means he consistently applied the principle: “tantum...quantum,” meaning “as much as helps,” but not more. In this connection he teaches the discipline of indifference in the sense of detachment from anything that is not to

Red Cloud Indian School President Fr. Peter Klink, SJ chats with some students at breakfast.

Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007 1�

be sought for its own sake.8. Adaptability. Ignatius always paid close attention to the

times, places and persons with which he was dealing. He took care to frame general laws in such a way as to allow for flexibility in application.

9. Respect for human and natural capacities. Although Ignatius relied primarily on spiritual means, such as divine grace, prayer and sacramental ministry, he took account of natural abilities, learning, culture and manners as gifts to be used for the service and glory of God. For this reason he showed a keen interest in education.

10. An original synthesis of the active and the contemplative life. Jerome Nadal (1507-80) spoke of the Jesuit practice “of seeking a perfection in our prayer and spiritual exercises in order to help our neighbor, and by means of that help of neighbor acquiring yet more perfection in prayer, in order to help our neighbor even more.” According to Nadal, it is a special grace of the whole Society to be contemplative not only in moments of withdrawal but also in the midst of action, thus “seeking God in all things.”

Wisdom From Recent Popes

In view of my assignment to speak of the Ignatian charism today, I shall shift immediately to the 20th century and to the years since the Second Vatican Council. The popes, as the highest superiors of all Jesuits, have given us wise directives regarding the application of our Jesuit charism to the needs of the day. They have addressed each of the four general congregations held since 1965. On the theory that the charism of the Society is correlative with its mission, I shall particularly examine the injunctions of recent popes.

Addressing the 31st General Congregation on May 7, 1966, Pope Paul VI congratulated the Society for being “the legion ever faithful to the task of protecting the Catholic faith and the Apostolic See.” He took the occasion to charge the Jesuits with a new mission: to make a “stout, united stand against atheism,” which was rapidly spreading at the time, “frequently masquerading as cultural, scientific, or social progress.”

In an address to the second session of the same congregation on Nov. 16, 1966, Paul VI raised questions about whether some Jesuits were accepting naturalistic

norms for their apostolate and weakening in that traditional loyalty to the Holy See that had been so dear to St. Ignatius. In its “Decree on the Mission of the Society Today,” General Congregation 31 accepted the mandate to confront atheism and offered the Society completely to the church under the direction of the pope.

In his address to the 32nd General Congregation on Dec. 3, 1974, Pope Paul VI referred to the “vocation and charism proper to Jesuits,” transmitted by an unbroken tradition, which includes conformity to the will of God and that of the church. In a valuable analysis, he reminded Jesuits of their fourfold vocation: to be religious, to be apostolic, to be priests and to be united with the bishop of Rome. He admonished them not to be seduced by the dazzling perspective of worldly humanism and the pursuit of novelty for its own sake. In subsequent correspondence he renewed his earlier warnings that the Society of Jesus should retain its religious and priestly character and avoid ways of action more appropriate to secular institutes and lay movements. The role of ordained Jesuits, he said, should be clearly distinct from the role of laity.

In response, the 32nd General Congregation strongly reaffirmed the Society’s reverence and loyalty to the Holy See and to the magisterium of the church. It underlined the sacerdotal (or priestly) character of the Society, while recognizing the value of the contribution of lay coadjutors.

Pope John Paul II, on Sept. 2, 1983, delivered a homily to the 33rd General Congregation. The Ignatian spirit, he said, is a special charism that makes the Society of Jesus a privileged instrument of the church’s action at all levels. After repeating the mandate of Paul VI to resist atheism, he spoke of the danger of confusing the tasks proper to priests with those of the laity. “Intimate knowledge, strong love, and closer following of the Lord,” he said, “are the soul of your vocation.”

John Paul II, in his allocution to General Congregation 34 on Jan. 5, 1995, spoke of the singular charism of fidelity to the successor of Peter, which marks out the Society of Jesus as being “totally and without reservation of the

Fr. Ted Bohr, SJ celebrates at St. John’s Church on the Creighton Campus in Omaha.

1� Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007

Church, in the Church, and for the Church.” The charism of the Society, he said, should make Jesuits witnesses to the primacy of God and his will, which points to the primacy of spirituality and prayer. He asked that Jesuits, seeking to follow the leadership of St. Francis Xavier in missionary evangelization, be in the forefront of the new evangelization, promoting a deep interior relationship with Jesus Christ, the first evangelizer. In their universities, His Holiness said, Jesuits should teach clear, solid, organic knowledge of Catholic doctrine. They should be very attentive not to confuse their students by questionable teachings, at variance with the church’s doctrine on faith and morals.

Benedict XVI, in a speech of April 22, 2006, celebrating the current jubilee year, exhorted the Society to continue in its tradition of imparting solid training in philosophy and theology as a basis for dialogue with modern culture. The Society of Jesus, he said, enjoys an extraordinary legacy in the holiness of St. Ignatius, the missionary zeal of Francis Xavier and the apostolate of Peter Faber among leaders of the Reformation. In many of his addresses this pope has aligned himself with Paul VI and John Paul II by insisting that the primary and indispensable task of the priest is to be an expert in the spiritual life and a witness to the truth of revelation. The promotion of justice in society, he believes, is primarily a responsibility of the laity.

Challenges: Ignatius’ Day and Our Day

The challenges of our day are certainly different from those of the 16th century; but they are, I believe, analogous, and for this reason, I would contend, the Society is well positioned to deal with them. Its charism is by no means outdated. The 16th century, like our own, was a time of rapid and radical cultural change. That time witnessed the rise of anthropocentric humanism, the birth of the secular state and the autonomy of the social and physical sciences. Jesuits who have studied their own tradition have stellar examples of scholars who equipped themselves to enter into these new fields and show the coherence between the new learning and the Catholic heritage of faith. We have only to think of the economic and legal philosophy of Luis de Molina (1535-1600) and Juan de Lugo (1583-1660), the astronomical achievements of Christopher Clavius (1537-1612), the atomic theories of Roger Boscovich (1711-87), and so many other great Jesuit thinkers of the past. They spoke incisively to the problems of their day, building bridges between faith and reason, between theology and science. In our day some Jesuits are venturing into questions concerning cosmic and human origins and into complex problems of biochemistry and genetic engineering, all of which are so vital for the future of faith and morals.

The 16th century had early experiences of globalization. It was the great age of discovery. Jesuits, eager to evangelize the whole world, were leaders in the missionary apostolate

to the Americas, to parts of Africa, to India and the Far East. They not only sent missionaries but also trained them to present the Gospel in a manner suited to the cultures of various peoples. Francis Xavier (1506-22) is the most famous, but he was by no means alone. Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and Robert de Nobili (1577-1656) are only two of dozens of outstanding missionaries who preached the Gospel in an inculturated form, inspired by the principles of St. Ignatius.

Proclamation in an accommodated style is not less needed today than in the past. The fields are white for the harvest, but the laborers are few. Who can better fill the urgent demand for priests to proclaim the Gospel and administer the sacraments in continents like Africa, where conversions to Christianity are so numerous and so rapid? Jesuits in the young churches, if they are well trained, can take up the task left to them by foreign missionaries.

The age of Ignatius was no stranger to the clash of civilizations. The Muslim world and the Christian world were engaged in incessant warfare. Jews were being mistreated and persecuted in many countries. Jesuit missionaries encountered fierce opposition from religious leaders in practically every country they evangelized. In the course of time, they became leaders in interreligious dialogue. Missionaries learned to respect the good things in native cultures

while sifting out the chaff. That is still a task of great urgency today.

Jesuits have in their tradition rich resources for learning how and how not to deal with non-Christian religions. Bloody conflict and useless provocation must be avoided, while, on the other hand, Christians must frankly oppose elements in every religion and every culture that promote superstition or injustice.

The 16th century saw the division of Western Christianity between the Protestant nations of northern Europe and the Catholic nations of the south. The Jesuits, few though they were in number, accomplished great things by their energy

Wisconsin Provincial Fr. Tom Krettek, SJ (left) and Provincial Assistant Fr. John Paul, SJ confer blessing at an ordination.


and heroism. Peter Faber (1506-46) did extraordinary work to stem the tide of heresy in Germany and the Low Countries. He inspired Peter Canisius (1521-97) and a host of others to go forward in his footsteps. One wonders what the Jesuits of those days would have done if they were alive today to see the defection of so many Latino Catholics from the church in the United States and in Central and South America. The need is evident; the principles are clear; but there are all too few talented candidates to take up the task.

Centralization of the church was imperative in the days of St. Ignatius. He himself clearly perceived the need for the papacy as the headquarters of the universal church. He saw that Catholicism must be universal and that nationalism and ethnocentrism could have no place in it. He founded a Society made up of Spaniards, Portuguese, Frenchmen, Germans, Italians, Englishmen and many others who worked together in an undivided apostolate under the direction of a single general superior. One of the great blessings of the Society of Jesus, today as in the past, is its worldwide horizon. Jesuits are “friends in the Lord” undivided by distinctions of nationality, ethnic origin or social class.

A great weakness of the church in the Europe of St. Ignatius’ day was ignorance of the faith. Many priests were barely literate, and the laity in some countries did not know the basic elements of the Creed. Rather than complain and denounce, Ignatius preferred to build. Popular education, he perceived, was on the rise. Taking advantage of the new desire for learning, Ignatius quickly set about founding schools, colleges and seminaries. The educational efforts of the Jesuits in the past count among their greatest services to the church. These educational institutions, I believe, are still among the major blessings that the Society of Jesus offers to the church and to the culture at large.

Jesuits in the past have entered deeply into the intellectual apostolate. Many were leaders in practical sciences such as political theory. They can look back on a great tradition extending from Francisco Suárez in the 16th century to John Courtney Murray in the 20th. Nothing suggests that this type of research has lost its relevance. The church needs loyal and devoted scholars who will carry this type of reflection further, in view of new and developing situations. Here again the Society has much to contribute if sufficient numbers will hear the call.

In the 16th century, the Society of Jesus was at the vanguard of the church in dealing with the problems posed by the Protestant Reformation, by the new science and by access to new continents that had been beyond the awareness of Europeans in the past. Today the church is confronted with mounting secularism, with new advances in technology, and growing globalization and an attending clash of cultures. If anyone should ask whether these developments render the Ignatian charisms obsolete, I would reply with an emphatic no.

The Society can be abreast of the times if it adheres to its original purpose and ideals. The term “Jesuit” is often misunderstood. Not to mention enemies for whom Jesuit is a term of opprobrium, friends of the Society sometimes identify the term with independence of thought and corporate pride, both of which St. Ignatius deplored. Others reduce the Jesuit trademark to a matter of educational techniques, such as the personal care of students, concern for the whole person, rigor in thought and eloquence in expression. These qualities are estimable and have a basis in the teaching of St. Ignatius. But they omit any consideration of the fact that the Society of Jesus is an order of vowed religious in the Catholic Church. They are bound by special allegiance to the pope, the bishop of Rome. And above all, it needs to be mentioned that the Society of Jesus is primarily about a person: Jesus, the redeemer of the world. If the Society were to lose its special devotion to the Lord (which, I firmly trust, will never happen) it would indeed be obsolete. It would be like salt that had lost its savor.

evangelizing the World

The greatest need of the Society of Jesus, I believe, is to be able to project a clearer vision of its purpose. Its members are engaged in such diverse activities that its unity is obscured. In this respect the recent popes have rendered great assistance. Paul VI helpfully reminded Jesuits that they are a religious order, not a secular institute; that they are a priestly order, not a lay association; that they are apostolic, not monastic; and that they are bound to obedience to the pope, not wholly self-directed.

Pope John Paul II, in directing Jesuits to engage in the new evangelization, identified a focus that perfectly matches the founding idea of the Society. Ignatius was adamant in insisting that it be named for Jesus, its true head. The Spiritual Exercises are centered on the Gospels. Evangelization is exactly what the first Jesuits did as they conducted missions in the towns of Italy. They lived lives of evangelical poverty. Evangelization was the sum and substance of what St. Francis Xavier accomplished in his arduous missionary journeys. And evangelization is at the heart of all Jesuit apostolates in teaching, in research, in spirituality and in the social apostolate. Evangelization, moreover, is what the world most sorely needs today. The figure of Jesus Christ in the Gospels has not lost its attraction. Who should be better qualified to present that figure today than members of the Society that bears his name?

Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., is the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University,

Bronx, N.Y. The text was delivered Nov. 9, 2006 and is reprinted with permission from America magazine,

Jan. 15-22, 2007.


Fr. Bill Johnson, SJ and Dr. Kris Melloy know their journey is just beginning as Cristo Rey Jesuit High School prepares to open in August 2007.

Cristo Rey rises in theTwin Cities

on the shoulders of associates and

Ignatian spirituality

Turning points


A business executive, a tenured professor and a Jesuit priest end up in a dicey inner-city neighborhood next to a Dollar Store.

This isn’t the beginning of a joke which might be told after supper at a Jesuit community. This is the beginning of a life-changing journey and a revolution in education in the Twin Cities.

Steven Schulz, Dr. Kris Melloy, and Fr. Bill Johnson, SJ, aren’t surprised by the turn their lives have taken. Each one has been on what Dr. Melloy calls “a venture into the interior.”

That venture led them to help create a Cristo Rey Jesuit High School for urban youth from low-income families in South Minneapolis.

“I would have come to Cristo Rey as a volunteer if necessary,” said Melloy, who will be the school’s principal. “That’s how much I believe in this.”

As a tenured professor with a Ph.D. in Special Education, Melloy’s career track seemed established. She had become an Ignatian Associate. Her life was spiritually and professionally rewarding.

“Two and one half years ago I was invited to help with a feasibility study for this school,” said Melloy. “I visited Chicago’s Cristo Rey High School and came back with an overwhelming sense that I needed to be involved.”

Melloy visited three more schools in the Cristo Rey

Network. Their practical application of the Jesuit vision to educate the whole person impressed her as an educator.

“I’d spent my career working with students with emotional disorders. Poverty is the number one risk factor for mental health issues. Cristo Rey schools provide the kind of education these kids need to escape the cycle of poverty and change their lives.”

The feasibility study confirmed the impoverished Central-Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis as a good location for a Cristo Rey school. Melloy volunteered to head a task force to shape the academic curriculum.

An idea became a vision, and the vision produced a plan. Cristo Rey visionaries crossed paths with Urban Ventures Leadership Foundation, an inter-denominational Christian non-profit with deep roots in South Minneapolis. Business and community leaders expressed interest. A Cristo Rey-Urban

PH

oTo

by

xx

xx

xx

xx

xx

An excitement for education will be a key element at Cristo Rey Jesuit.

(Below) Chris Murphy, after 20 years of teaching in Twin Cities schools, was hired by Cristo Rey to recruit neighborhood students like these at the Urban Ventures Learning Lab.

Turning pointsBy Julia Pferdehirt & Todd Svanoe


Ventures partnership emerged. This partnership would place

the Jesuit high school inside Urban Ventures’ newly-built Colin Powell Youth Leadership Center, creating a hub for a community which seems to desperately need a strong anchor.

While drawn to the project, Melloy said it was her 10 years as an Ignatian Associate that helped her commit to what others may consider a risky start-up.

The process started, she said, “with wondering…prayer…discernment. The Holy Spirit was leading, speaking, ‘This is the job you’ve been preparing for all your life. It addresses every vision and goal you’ve set for yourself.’ It was an invitation from God.”

When the Cristo Rey Network agreed to establish the school, Network President Fr. John Foley, SJ asked Dr. Melloy if she would help launch the project. She said yes, and later was chosen as principal.

She joins a busy team of educational pioneers in a bare-bones one-room office of cubicles, making the vision a reality. Teachers and corporate internship staff must be hired and trained. A freshman class of 125 students must be recruited by the fall. Melloy knows most of those students will be academically behind. Yet, she is confident.

“Kids consistently rise to the challenge. Adults are afraid to let them prove what they can really do,” Melloy said. “These students take on adult responsibilities. Many run their households because their parents work long hours.”

In mid-August, when most students are wringing the last drops of fun from summer break, students will begin a three-week orientation to school and workplace internships. She will fit in an eight-day silent Ignatian retreat to prepare her heart for this new adventure.

“I’ve never been involved with an organization where you constantly feel the presence of the Holy Spirit –in the schools, and in our little office here,” she said. “In my first year as an Ignatian Associate, I understood that I would serve children and youth living in poverty. Now, to be employed in a formal sense with the Jesuits is like a dream come true.”

A Businessman’s Journey: experience, Reflect, Act

Director of Corporate Internships Steve Schulz described his transition from 22 successful years in the business world to the business office of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in three words: experience, reflect, act.

Schulz has always combined business and service. He started a Medicaid HMO in rural Kentucky and managed a Chicago community clinic. He’s volunteered as a Big Brother, has been a board member of an after-school

Fr. Bill Johnson, SJ shares the excitement of the new

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School with prospective

students and Principal Dr. Kris Melloy.


outreach program and is active in parish service.

Life was both good and rewarding. “I was the product of Jesuit education, working for a national healthcare consulting firm,” Schulz said. “I traveled and spent winters in Tucson. Then I was asked to visit Jesuit missionaries in India.”

The trip was part of a new Wisconsin Province immersion experience to the Kohima Region of India. The province has a twinning agreement with the region and last year lay colleagues and Jesuits visited the works and people.

This trip pushed Schulz’s vision for service to a new level. In rural India he met missionary priests who advocated for workers’ rights and basic needs like food or health care. “I saw selfless men,

Cambridge, Mass.ChicagoClevelandDenverKansas City, Mo.Lawrence, Mass.

Los AngelesNew York CityPortland, Ore.SacramentoTucson Waukegan, Ill.

Director of Corporate Internships Steven Schulz

The Cristo Rey networkis a national association of high schools

that provide quality, Catholic, college preparatory education to urban young

people who live in communities with limited educational options. Most of our students

qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program. Member schools utilize a longer school day and year, academic assistance, and counseling to prepare students with a broad range of academic abilities for

college. All students at Cristo Rey Network schools participate in a work study program through which they finance the majority of the cost of their education, gain real world

job experience, grow in self-confidence, and realize the relevance of their education.

During the 2006-07 school year,

students are enrolled

in the 12 Cristo Rey schools.

The schools are located in:

of the students are racial minorities.

The average family income of this year’s 9th grade class is

of last year’s graduates enrolled in college in the fall of 2006.

schools are scheduled to open in 2007.


and reflected, is there something more I could be doing?”Schulz participated in the Twin Cities feasibility study,

adding his business expertise. After visiting schools in the Cristo Rey Network, he was hooked.

“Ignatian spirituality calls us to experience, reflect, and act,” Schulz said. “I’ve experienced the business world and I experienced the success of these schools. I reflected on my trip to India and what I’d learned from so many Jesuit teachers. Then I reflected on being blessed and successful.”

Schulz asked what it would mean to leave his winter-in-Arizona, well-paying consultant position. Then, he acted. “Being part of this school will allow me to make a difference – to serve 500 kids.”

“Will I miss Tucson? The pay check?” Schulz said. “Sure.” But a more compelling vision has captured his heart.

What excited Schulz most about Cristo Rey is that every student earns 75% of tuition working in a business one full day each week.

The idea that students could earn their tuition was unique and untried. It has become the backbone of the Cristo Rey system. Nearly 95% of Cristo Rey students graduate. More than 80% are attending or have graduated from college.

“The job element is key,” said Cristo Rey-Twin Cities President Fr. David Haschka, SJ. “A student has a reason to pass that math test. They’re using those skills at work on Friday.”

Part of Schulz’s job is recruiting corporate “sponsors” for student internship jobs. He’s optimistic about this challenge,

meeting with six or seven businesses each week. The more challenging aspect for him personally is learning about his new low-income neighborhood.

“I am weekly, if not daily, challenged to hear about the lives of people in the city where I’ve lived for 13 years. I had no idea so many people were struggling in so many ways. You see, I knew about poverty from a health care perspective, but the daily challenges of poverty were new to me.”

Never mind Minnesota’s below-zero winters or walking with the corporate giants. There’s a bigger challenge. “What will I say to these 14-year-olds?” he says, with the smile of someone who is being given a new experience to reflect on – and someone who is ready to grow. “I guess we’ll find out.”

Fr. Bill Finds “Truer self” in Serving

Fr. Bill Johnson, SJ knows about interacting with youth, but the staff in Minneapolis will look to him for much more. Johnson brings the experience of having been in on the ground level of the now-thriving Nativity Jesuit Middle School in Milwaukee begun in 1993, and having helped established it over a period of 12 years.

While empowered by that success, Fr. Johnson is energized by the new dimensions of this calling. “Nativity was a Latino school, Cristo Rey will be more diverse,” Fr. Johnson said. “Central and Phillips have been among the most neglected neighborhoods in the Twin Cities. It just seems like this is where we’re supposed to be.”

Lay Associates in the Wisconsin Province

Ignatian Associates are Catholic adults, married and single. Our

founding as a Community was inspired in 1991 during the Ignatian Year – which celebrated the 450th Anniversary of the existence of the Society of Jesus and the 500th Anniversary of the birth of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and encouraged by the Document on “Cooperation With the Laity in Mission” from General Congregation 34. Begun in 1992, we are an innovative extension of the 450 year Jesuit tradition of service to our Church and world.

Our spiritual formation is rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Following a two-year formation program, Ignatian Associates may accept an invitation to make public “Promises” of Simplicity of Life, Fidelity to the Gospel and to our Associate and Jesuit Companions, and Apostolic Availability.

Ignatian Associates serve in schools, universities, hospitals, businesses, social service programs, parishes, retreat centers and a variety of other settings. Some work in traditional Jesuit institutions and ministries, while others bring the mission of the Jesuits to new situations. Associates learn to stretch their abilities to minister in different cultural contexts, as we walk with the

poor and marginalized.Promised Ignatian Associates and

Jesuit companions meet regularly for Eucharist, faith sharing, hospitality, continued formation and ministry discussions. Our many ministries are bound by one common mission of service, however the Spirit may lead us.

There are active Ignatian Associate communities around the Wisconsin Province in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and Omaha.

For more information on Ignatian Associates, please contact Joan

Shrout Coordinator, Ignatian Associates 3195 S. Superior Street Room 101, Milwaukee, WI 53207.

E-mail address is: [email protected]


Indeed, since 1982 when three South Minneapolis high schools were closed, gangs, drug dealing and prostitution have been more prevalent here than educational opportunities.

As Director of Admissions, Johnson spearheads the mountainous job of filling 125 seats at Cristo Rey-Twin Cities with “trail blazers,” as he calls them, the first freshman class. “It’s a taller task than recruiting the 50+ middle schoolers at Nativity,” he says. “Our goal here in four years is to have 10 times that many, a high school of 500 students.”

Yet, far from daunted, Johnson has a bounce in his step. “If it’s up to me, we’re doomed,” he says smiling, yet dead

serious. “I know this is of the Holy Spirit. If we do our part, the benefactors, corporate employers and even schools and universities will step up to join us in serving these kids.”

If the first Hard Hat Tour of the Cristo Rey/Colin Powell Center building was any indication, he’s right. There were 20 adults, including representatives of four media outlets, who showed up on Feb. 1 to see five students receive acceptance letters to the school. They all seemed eager to report any positive educational turn in this part of the city.

Johnson’s light-hearted humor is injecting faith and hope where it is greatly needed. At one point in the tour, with the camera’s rolling, he spontaneously turned to a Latino recruit named Frank, and asked him what his favorite color was.

“Blue,” said Frank. Then, turning to the construction

manager on the tour, Johnson said, “Can we get a blue room for Frank?”

The media moment proved eerily prophetic. Moments later Frank announced that he hoped to get math help at Cristo Rey to fulfill his dream of being an architect who could build schools like this.

Johnson’s ability to “speak the language” of Latino kids will be a valuable asset. In only eight years, the historic Lake Street corridor has filled up from one to now 250 Latino shops from Highway. 35W to the Mississippi. More Latino residents are entering the neighborhood than any other group.

And as a mark of their personal approach to ministry, Fr. Johnson, Fr. Haschka and others have moved into the neighborhood, sharing a house only blocks from the school. “As Jesuits, we’re re-finding our roots with today’s newly-arrived people,” Johnson said.

The Twin Cities high school has brought the Jesuit mission full-circle, he said. “A century ago, Jesuits educated immigrants’ kids. Now those children are community leaders. Today, Jesuits are teaching new immigrants from Mexico, Central America, or Africa. Maybe in a generation we’ll see these students as leaders in their communities.”

Johnson speaks of the benefit he will receive from living and working there. “I find God more easily in humble people; they bring out the best in me and help me to know my truer self. In Milwaukee, I became friends with so many Latino families. They taught me, opened my eyes. They have that ‘spark’ and joy in life. It’s contagious!”

So while the new Cristo Rey Twin Cities team busily hires, trains and recruits, they are taking care to grow and be changed personally. They ponder God’s sense of humor in placing them in a crowded office next to a Dollar Store where ideal recruits come and go.

“We see a family,” said Dr. Melloy, “and right away, we’re wondering, ‘Do you have an 8th grader? Is this a Cristo Rey family here?’”

Yet they sense not so much the press of the marketplace as the prodding of a mission. Fr. Johnson speaks for the team in saying, “We look forward to making new friends here. Finding Jesus in them. Hoping they see Jesus in us.”

Bryant Shelby, Sara Courts, and Dorian Curtis pose in front of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in South Minneapolis.


By Amy Guckeen

This is the time of year when thoughts of

getting “back in shape” crowd our minds

as warmer weather might just peak on

the horizon. On the heels of Lent which

is popularly known in today’s culture as

the time to give up vice, whatever it may

be, and if you lose weight or become

healthier as a result, even better. Yet

while self-denial and discipline can be a

good thing, perhaps it’s time to consider

more than just the physical this year

– it’s time to get spiritual.

“Physical exercise is good for toning up the body,” said Fr. John Schwantes, SJ, director of the Jesuit Retreat House in Oshkosh, Wis. “Spiritual exercise is good for increasing the openness of the Holy Spirit. We do spiritual exercises so that we can limber up and be open to the movement of the Spirit to help us be more responsive to God’s presence and his workings in our heart.”

Just as one might go to the doctor to get an assessment of their physical health, Schwantes offers a new idea for a spiritual checkup. Check the pulse to make sure it’s still

alive and ticking, step on the scale to make sure you’re not getting weighed down by sin, and as you see necessary, consider the following prescriptions to remedy any problems or to give yourself an added boost.

Recommit yourself to God’s presence

Between work, family and other commitments, it’s easy for one to lose sight of the reason why we do what we do. Taking a step back, Schwantes said, is the first step in achieving spiritual health.“We must recommit ourselves to becoming more attentive

to God’s presence in our lives,” Schwantes said. “Be willing to commit yourself to some little prayer every day. We need to connect ourselves to our connection with God.”

Once one has established that connection, taking a moment to listen to that connection can help you determine what direction you should head next.

Ask, ‘What I am really asking for from myself, and what I am really looking for, is to walk with Christ. Whether it be for reasons like letting me know that I am frail and that I am no Savior, or if it gets me into a more intimate relationship with Christ, either way I am improving my lot and in turn improving my soul’s chances of reaching God’s heavenly arms.

According to Creighton University Online Ministries, another way of incorporating Christ into our daily lives may be placing symbols in our home-such as a crucifix, water, sand, or a bible to remind us of God’s constant presence.

eat some spiritual fruit

Fruit, vegetables, whole grains and calcium are all things that nourish the body. Nourishment for the soul however, is

It’s Time to Get in Shape –Spiritually


an important part of one’s spiritual life, Schwantes said. “Everybody says to eat more healthy – get more whole

grains, more fruits and vegetables,” Schwantes said. “Our spiritual version of that is Scripture. Decide to read something, do some spiritual reading and put away the junk reading you might do for a little while. Put some space in your life for something that would be more nourishing spiritually.”

Some ideas of spiritual reading may be a prayer book, the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, or a local diocesan publication. Don’t, however, forget the basis of it all –the Bible.

Read about Christ in the Gospels, the story of Christ’s passion. Read what he really said, and how those last few days went for the four Gospel writers.

Keep holy the Sabbath day

God rested on the seventh day, something anyone rarely does in today’s world. Schwantes offers a challenge that’s hard for some to imagine, do what God did, and take some time for yourself.“This is a lot harder to do,” Schwantes said. “But really

create some Sabbath time in your life. Take some time out and just go for a walk. Do not be afraid to sit down, take some time to rest.”

While this may seem like an indulgent behavior to some, according to Schwantes, it is a vital commitment one must make to them self.“When we work too hard it destroys the fruit,” Schwantes

said. “By resting you really do get in touch with the Holy Spirit, and that’s the place we make our best decisions out of. With the rush and pressure of modern life, you can contribute to peacemaking in the world by just taking some Sabbath time and not being so violent towards yourself.”

Challenge yourself to reach out

While looking inwardly is an important Lenten practice, taking a look at our relationships with others can also be helpful and not just our relationships with the ones we know and love. “We must move beyond our own little circle of friends and

our comfortable way of living and become more attentive to the needs of people around us,” Schwantes said. “People can choose something simple that would be of service to others, whether it be each day to say a little prayer for peace, or committing to reach out beyond your own.”

Finally...just pray

Something exciting or terrible happens in our life and what’s the first thing we do? Call a friend or a family member. Talking. It’s something we do to connect, even if it’s just with random people we meet on the street or the bus. So in all of your conversations, don’t forget about the one person you should be going to with all your joys and sufferings – God.

Amy Guckeen is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to the Catholic Herald, the weekly publication of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Just as if I were thereThere are myriad ways to pray from reciting the Rosary,

reading Scripture or just talking to God. Fr. John Schwantes has another favorite from St. Ignatius Loyola, Gospel Contemplation.

Schwantes lowers the lights in the room, asks you to calm yourself for a moment and asks you to clear your mind. He then reads a short selection from the Bible. He asks you to put yourself in that biblical scene. He wants you to be part of the reading. Schwantes then asks you how and what you felt.

This can be a vibrant new way to add to your prayer life. The description below is from

“Orientations” a book on prayer by John Veltrie, SJ. (This explanation may help you to appreciate better

the method that Ignatius suggests for most of the Spirtual Exercises. This method is called by various names such as Gospel Contemplation, Method of Contemplation, Ignatian Contemplation. It makes use of guided imagery and active imagination within the framework of a gospel passage of Jesus’ life.)

It happened one morning in an 8th century Italian monastery. On waking, the monks all dressed in their cells and then filed down the corridors to a central meeting room. There they sat quietly until a monk, standing at a lectern, began to read a passage from the Gospel of John. He read clearly in a leisurely manner verses 13-22 of chapter 2. He paused for 30 or 40 seconds. Then he reread the same passage in the same clear, leisurely manner. Again, he paused for half a minute, then read the same passage a third time.

When he paused this time, some of the monks began to Fr. John Schwantes, SJ


return to their cells in order to pray over the passage. Others waited for the fourth reading and even the fifth before they, too, left for their cells.

What was happening? These repetitive readings saturated their imaginations with a Gospel scene of particular energy and color. This saturation would, of course, minimize distractions, and encourage a frame of mind and heart conducive to prayer. Perhaps it would enable a monk to identify with some particular person in the Gospel episode, and even to discover the inner feelings of Christ. The mystery of the gospel event would so take hold of the person at prayer that the past would become present through the instrument of the imagination and memory. The memory of the person at prayer would be influenced by the memory of Jesus present now to the person praying.

enter into the life of Jesus through prayer:

1. Select a short concrete/action passage. First, from one of the Gospels, select an action passage,

preferably fast-moving and colourful in detail. When you first begin to use this method do not attempt to pray a parable or a sermon.

2. Relax and settle into God’s presence. Ask for a particular grace that you are seeking or the

particular gift you need at this time - perhaps to know Jesus more intimately, or to become more compassionate, or to be healed in a particular area of your heart, etc.

3. Read aloud the passage several times pausing half a minute or so between each reading while the gospel episode takes hold of you.

Slowly read the passage once - aloud, if circumstances allow. Then for 30 seconds or so look up from the page and let the scene sink into your imagination. Do a second oral reading, noticing details which you missed in the first reading. Again look up from the page for 30 seconds or so, until these new details fit into the total scene in your imagination. In the third reading, you will see more details for the first time, also insights, questions and interpretations will begin to occur to you. Use a half-minute to let them settle into your memory. Then read a fourth or even a fifth time until almost all the distractions have disappeared and the Gospel scene totally saturates your imagination.

Several locations in the Wisconsin Province provide the resources for a

spirituality checkup: retreats.The Jesuit Retreat House on Lake

Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis. invites men and women of all faiths to reserve a spot on one of its silent retreats. Some of the weekend retreats include 12-Step recovery program retreats, individual retreats and couples retreats. The weekend retreats include Mass, private reflection time and conferences focused on Ignatian spirituality. The retreat house also offers extended retreats during the summer.

While primarily for Creighton University students, staff and alumni, the Creighton University Retreat Center also offers retreats. The center is located in Griswold, Iowa and holds 30-day directed retreats and individually directed retreats all year, in addition to occasional men’s, women’s and couples’ retreats.

The Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House

offers retreats exclusively for men. Located in Lake Elmo, Minn., the retreat house holds 47 silent retreats each year. Retreats at Demontreville are based on the Spiritual Exercises with the theme, “To know, love, and serve God in this world.”

Located in Milwaukee, Wis., the Casa Romero Renewal Center offers a variety of retreats in both Spanish and English. Some are family retreats for parents and their teenagers, retreats based upon the Spiritual Exercises and retreats in daily life. According to Fr. David Shields, SJ, the executive director of Casa Romero, the Spiritual Exercises retreat is a 12-session retreat in which groups meet once weekly to pray and share experiences of prayer from the previous week. The retreat in daily life is an individually directed retreat based on annotation 19 of the Spiritual Exercises.

Fostering spiritual growth in the Jesuit and Lakota traditions, the Sioux Spiritual

Center in Plainview, S.D., offers retreats as well. In addition to weekend parish retreats, the center hosts retreats for those recovering from drug and alcohol addictions.

The Loyola Spirituality Center in St. Paul, Minn. also offers a retreat in the Spiritual Exercises. The retreat is extended to people of all faiths and requires a commitment to one hour of daily prayer, reflection and weekly meetings with a spiritual director. The retreat lasts for eight to ten months, and directors have specialized training in leading the Exercises. The Loyola center also invites people to attend a fall, directed retreat in Buffalo, Minn.

For more information on these facilities of faith, click on www.

jesuitswisprov.org and click on the Spiritual Resources tab on the left

hand side of the page.

Retreat centers can get you back in shape


4. Now place the bible aside and let the scene happen. Do nothing to promote it except to stay alert to its

developments. As you let yourself sink into the scene, you will tend to lose the sense of yourself and to identify with the situation. Suppose, for example, that you have read about Jesus quieting the storm on the lake. You may imagine the wind howling, the boat pitching, the apostles struggling at the oars. If this identification deepens, you will find yourself in the boat, e.g., at the oars, or you may find yourself to be in Peter or Philip. Sometimes you will discover yourself drifting in and out of the scene, in and out of various people of the scene.

5. Allow yourself to take part in the scene which is now present to you.

Be as passive as possible while being as alert as possible. In fact, let everyone else control the event: Jesus, Peter, Mary, Martha, John. You merely interact with the persons, listen and reply to their words, take part in their activity - conversing with them, accompanying them, helping them in their occupations, in whatever ways you find yourself as part of the event that is present to you.

6. Do not moralize or try to make applications. Don’t moralize (for example, “I should be more spontaneous

like Peter when I am with my friends ...”) or draw theological conclusions (for example “Notice how the three temptations of Jesus parallel the temptations of the Israelites ...”) or try to make clever applications (“It’s amazing how the Pharisees are so much like the people I am working with ...”) By losing yourself in the persons, words and activity of the gospel event your whole being is affected and influenced. You won’t need applications because you will notice what happens to you either in the period of reflection after your prayer or, more subtly, in the effects in your life as almost by osmosis you begin to put on the mind and heart of Jesus’ Spirit.

7. After your period of prayer comes to an end make a review for a few minutes by reflecting upon what took place during the prayer.

What happened in you during this prayer exercise? What did you notice as standing out even slightly? Is there something you should return to in a later period of prayer? Give thanks to the Lord for being with you during this time.

(Above) The Jesuit Retreat House in Oshkosh, Wis.

Casa Romero Renewal Center in Milwaukee, Wis.

Creighton University Retreat Center in Griswold, Iowa


Following are excerptsfrom Fr. Winzenburg’s reflections.

A 15-hour flight took the travelers from Chicago O’Hare to New Delhi, India. A flight on Air Sahara (which has the slogan “Sahara Airline: Emotionally Yours)

took the men to Guwahati where they took a train to Dimapur and then travel by jeep throughout the Kohima region.

My knowledge of India as I entered the country was

limited. I knew that India is considered a sub-continent of Asia and its major cities had changed their names: Bombay to Mumbai, Calcutta to Kolkata, and Madras to Chennai. India has a population of more than a billion people; it has two official languages, Hindi and English, but also hundreds of other languages and local dialects. The major religion is Hinduism (83%) and its minor religions are Islam [Sunni Muslim] (11%), Sikhism (2%), and Christianity (2%). India, when it gained independence from Britain in 1947, had most

A visit with our Kohima twin in Northeast India

Trusting God even more

A song of welcome from school children at Campion School in Jakhama greeted Wisconsin Province men they visited our twin, the Kohima Region of India.

It is always great to visit family around the holidays. There was a special family visit which began on Thanksgiving and finished up Dec. 4 as Wisconsin Province men visited with our twin—the Kohmia Region in Northeast India.

Wisconsin Provincial Fr. Tom Krettek, SJ was joined on the trek by Fr. George Winzenburg, SJ (Director of the Sioux Spiritual Center in Plainview, S.D.) Fr. Tom Merkel, SJ (President of Creighton Prep High School in Omaha, and Fr. Dan Krettek (Immaculate Conception parish, Des Moines, Iowa.) It was Fr.Tom Krettek’s first visit to the region where his duties

as Provincial called him to visit the many Jesuit men and works of the Wisconsin twin. He also helped dedicate Kohima’s new novitiate in Shillong. It was important for Fr. Tom Krettek to have his colleagues along because foreigners have trouble getting visas to visit the area if they are not traveling in a group. The government fears that lone travelers might be connected to insurgents.

Kohmia Region

I N D I A


Muslims partitioned to the west (now Pakistan) or to the east (now Bangladesh); it currently wages war with Pakistan for control of Kashmir, a mountainous region in the Northwest.

Seven States

Assam was for many years the only State in the Northeast. As tribal peoples living there demanded self-rule, the federal government subdivided Assam into seven States. We started and ended our trip in Assam. We visited Nagaland and Meghalaya and passed briefly through Manipur. The other States are Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Tripura.

Other countries border the Seven States. To the north are Bhutan and China. To the west is Myanmar (Burma). To the east is Bangladesh, which is surrounded by India on all sides except on the south (Bay of Bengal).

Off to Kedima and Pfutsero

We climbed into the jeep, left Phesama, and headed to Kedima where we were told a parish community was waiting to have Mass with us. It took two hours of driving on winding roads to reach the church. Along the way we passed hundreds of trucks that were parked near the Nagaland-Manipur border. At night the army would escort them to Manipur. Insurgents are known to attack and burn trucks as a display of power and a form of economic boycott.

We were warmly greeted when we arrived at Kedima. The street leading to St. Francis Xavier church was lined with tribal people. Fr. Tom Krettek presided at Mass and later we were asked to offer “heartfelt” words to parishioners

and neighbors. When it was my turn I told them that tribal people in South Dakota (Lakota) have a saying, “We are all relatives.” I said we are related whether we live in India or the United States. When we are joined together in prayer, especially at the Eucharist, we are the Body of Christ. I added that when Mother Teresa was asked how one might become a saint, she said, “Love your children. Love your children. Love your children.” I felt that my listeners were already living the message.

After a meal we left for Pfutsero. Along the way we stopped at some police checkpoints and later saw a few

Visions from India – A novice in Shillong greets

the morning. Life comes at a different pace in the Northeast outside Kohima and on roads

that must be shared.


insurgents standing beside the road. We made two other stops. One was at Kezoma to see a school that was built with funds provided by the Wisconsin Province.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Pfutsero, which is one of the highest-elevated villages in the Northeast at almost 7,000 feet. No wonder it was cold! Darkness had fallen and still there was a crowd waiting for us. They took us into the school where the “mothers” among them dressed us in traditional garb. The women laughed more than we did as we posed for pictures.We proudly were led into an auditorium where a hundred students and adults were waiting and they sang a song of welcome.

Later we met with the mothers who described a “cooperative” they had established to help them become financially independent. The cooperative was a simple idea: Each mother deposited a small amount of money every week in a common account at a local bank. When anyone needed cash to pay school fees or cover other expenses, she took a loan from the account and later repaid it. The mothers told us that it took a while for their husbands and other women to adjust to the idea. They said that participating in the cooperative had greatly increased their self-confidence.

Christianity in the Northeast

The Northeast is seemingly not caught up in the tension that mainland Indians face between Hinduism and Islam. But I was told that Hindus are quietly promoting themselves in the Northeast, which is mainly Christian.

The British in the early 19th century did not want tribal people to become Catholic so they invited Southern Baptists from the United States to build churches. (The majority of Christians in the Northeast today are Baptist.) Later Catholic missionaries were allowed to enter the Northeast. First there came the Salesian priests. Jesuits came to Nagaland in 1970 and they have witnessed a steady growth in the Catholic population, much of it attributed to the establishment of Catholic schools.

The Catholic Church in the Northeast is a young Church. All but a few of the Jesuit novices are tribal people. As their

novice master told me, “They are learning about the faith. In time they will critique it, but not now.”

There are hundreds of tribes in the Northeast. By the end of our trip we visited the Angemi in Nagaland, the Dimasa and Karbi in Assam, and the Khasi in Meghalaya.

Life in the Northeast

Nagaland is mountainous and so the climate was generally mild but cold in the evening.

We were eating every few hours, largely because everywhere we went our hosts offered us food. The meals were generally the same: white rice, a seasoned (pungent) sauce, green beans or another vegetable, and lettuce without dressing. For breakfast we sometimes had eggs and toast, and for dinner small pieces of chicken or deer meat. Bananas, apples, or pineapple were served for dessert. Our beverage was bottled water or hot tea mixed with sugar and milk. Cooking is done over an open fire; plates are washed outdoors.

In the Northeast electricity is unreliable if not scarce, and lights are dim. Near the end of our trip, while in Guwahati, I heard a loud bang one afternoon and was told that a transformer down the street had just blown out.

I will remember the sound of the legs of straight-back chairs scrapping against concrete floors; the sound reverberated throughout the Jesuit houses we stayed in.

What about poverty? In New Delhi beggars stood along busy streets leading to the airport and peered into our

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nod quaint and curious volume of forgo.

Shawls signifying the local area were often gifts to traveling companions Fr. Dan Krettek, Fr. Tom Krettek, SJ, Fr. Tom

Merkel, SJ and Fr. George Winzenburg, SJ.


vehicle as it waited at a stoplight. But in the Northeast I never saw anyone begging, though their needs are great. I wondered if that is because tribal culture and Christian religion give people hope in the face of insufficiency. In his remarks to groups that welcomed us, Tom Krettek frequently repeated the words of Pope John Paul II: “The greatest poverty is not to know Christ.”

We arrived in Diphu about an hour later than expected. Darkness had fallen. We went directly to a convent where the Apostolic Franciscan Sisters operate a training school for girls from the Karbi tribe. The girls come from poor families and live with the Sisters for two years so they can learn how to sew and weave. They are also taught to speak some English and to become catechists. After finishing their program they are given a sewing machine and a loom, which will provide them with a means of support in their village.

The girls sang a song of welcome upon our arrival and then demonstrated how to operate a loom. Though they smiled warmly, there was a look of sadness in their faces because all would be leaving for home early in the morning. The older girls had finished their program and would not return.

Sights Along the Way

Driving on the roads you might think you are in Africa or Southeast Asia. You see pedestrians, some of them walking side by side. You see women carrying bundles filled with firewood or implements for harvesting rice; or balancing a container of water atop their head. Men will sometimes use a bicycle to transport bananas or a bag of grain. I found it painful seeing a man carrying a heavy bale of hay on his back.

Also along the side of the road you see an occasional water spigot. People gather there to fill containers with water for cooking or drinking, or they are bathing. Sometimes there will be fruit stands where women sell bananas or pineapple. In villages and in cities there are small stores where one can

buy anything from candy tobacco to tires and electronics.Driving through a jungle in Assam, we occasionally saw

monkeys scurrying off the road as we approached. Once we came round a bend and saw three or four elephants coming toward us. They were “work elephants” with young men sitting atop them. Fortunately, the approaching elephants and drivers stayed in their lane!

Dedication of the New Novitiate

A novitiate is both a “stage of formation” and a “place” where Jesuits live. The new novitiate building is west of Shillong, which is the capital of Meghalaya and is spectacular and replaces a bamboo building which is just down the hill. The dedication Mass the next morning featured The Most Reverend Dominic Jala, S.D.B., Archbishop of Shillong presiding. He was assisted by a number of diocesan, Salesian, Franciscan, and Jesuit priests. The Jesuit concelebrants were Fr. Hector D’Souza, Provincial of India, Fr. Gregory Coelho, Regional Superior of Kohima, Fr. Charles D’Souza, Regional Superior-elect of Kohima, and Fr. Tom Krettek, Provincial of Wisconsin.

In his homily the Archbishop, who is from the Khasi tribe, spoke of his people’s story of the mountain on which the

novitiate rests. The story explains why nine of the original 16 ancestors went to heaven and seven remained on earth. The Mass was celebrated in Khasi and only two of the songs were in English. The crowd of more than a thousand participated with great devotion.

After we moved to the front door of the novitiate for a blessing of the building, a huge “feed” was offered. Special guests were fed in the new dining room while others were given a meal to be eaten outdoors. Their food was

(Above and left) Large crowds welcomed the new Jesuit novitiate situated in Shillong. The beautiful multi-purpose facility replaces a bamboo structure.

�0 Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007

wrapped in leaves. Volunteers had prepared 2,000 such meals during the night. Those who ate outside were later invited to tour the building. It was fun watching them, especially the children, move swiftly through the halls checking out the various rooms. I wondered what they thought of the spacious bedrooms and the toilet facilities. Few of them have such comforts.

Twinning Relationship

Our final day in the Northeast was on Sunday, Dec. 3. We met with Kohima Jesuits in the morning to reflect on our visit and our twinning relationship. Many of them were wearing the green vests that Fr. Tom Krettek had given them. The vests were seen as a symbol of a relationship that has grown.

We began our sharing with a feeling of gratitude. Our initial agreement to share “men and money” has developed into a relationship that binds us emotionally and spiritually. We have become “friends in the Lord.” Our relationship has been fostered in many ways. It is based on interest in the other’s ministry and enthusiasm for it. Institutional ties have been established, thanks to Creighton University’s Department of Education and Marquette University’s College of Engineering.

How have we benefited from twinning? To offer but a few comments, the Kohima Jesuits have appreciated the Wisconsin Jesuit scholastics’ ministry in the Northeast in the summer and the visits of lay people who are imbued with Ignatian spirituality. The Wisconsin Jesuits enjoy the exchange of personnel such as Fr. Paul Coelho, SJ who is from Kohima and serves as the principal at Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, S.D. Wisconsin also hosts Kohima Jesuits who are earning graduate degrees at Creighton and Marquette. Our participation in the other’s ministry has inspired us. We will continue to visit one another’s area. We will explore new ways to share resources, perhaps through technology and online learning, teacher exchanges, and spiritual formation of clergy.

The Impact of our Visit

I wondered what the villagers learned from our trip. One Jesuit host told me how joyful the people were to welcome their American guests and present them with gifts. A villager had asked, “Why did the Americans want to come to our

jungle?” Another said that our visit changed his impression of Americans: “They are like any other people who visit us.”

Learning local languages, Fr. Paul Coelho told me later, is both easy and hard. Angemi, a dialect spoken in Nagaland is in one sense easy to learn; if you want to make a verb into a noun, simply put a “k” in front of it. On the other hand, Angemi is difficult because it is tonal; a word has different meanings according to the tone in which it is pronounced (think

“musical scales”). Use the wrong tone and the word you think you’re saying takes on another meaning. That can be embarrassing if not dangerous.

The Kohima Jesuits seemed greatly encouraged by our visit. As Fr. Hector D’Souza said, “Periodic visits prompt Kohima Jesuits to reflect on their ministry. Wisconsin Jesuits ask questions and Kohima Jesuits are led to explain tribal culture and their ministry.”

Final Reflections

The trip to Northeast India was consoling. It introduced me to ordinary people whose dedication, faith, and joy of living in the face of adversity seemed extraordinary. It reconnected me with poverty in the Third World and stirred my desire to be poor with the poor wherever I am privileged to live and serve. It gave me a fresh insight into Native American culture.

It renewed my love of the worldwide Society of Jesus and forced me to reflect again how living the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience serves its mission. It reminded me how fortunate I am to be an American and to enjoy freedom of speech and religion. It gave me enthusiasm for our Province’s twinning agreement with the Kohima Region. In sum, I was consoled by witnessing the dedication and ministry of Indian Jesuits and the intense faith of tribal people, notably through their prayer, singing, and gifts.

The trip also forced me to face the enormous scale of human suffering. What can I do, what will I do, by prayer and action, to be part of a solution that will bring justice and peace to the world?

The trip challenges me to evangelize, which begins with “being with the people” as Jesus was and inviting them to know and follow Him.

After planting his feet on U.S. soil, Tom Krettek said of the trip, “It was unsettling in a good sense. It made me trust God even more.”

– George Winzenburg, S.J.tribal culture and their ministry.”

Fr. Tom Merkel, SJ is surrounded by a group of smiling students.

Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007 �1

One of the main purposes of the Jesuit Partnership

is to raise sufficient funds to support our seminarians, (which includes our novices and men in their future formation,) our elder and infirm Jesuits, who deserve proper care in their declining years, and for our foreign mission activities which are focused in Eastern Africa and Northeast India. These needs are continuous and I thank all of you who so generously support them with your financial contributions.

In this article I want to single out many others, who while they support us financially, also help us in many different ways. I want to mention specifically our Jesuit Partnership Councils which we have set up in the three major metropolitan areas within the Wisconsin Province. We have Councils in Milwaukee, with Tim Hanley (Marquette University) as Chair, Minneapolis/St. Paul, chaired by Steve Lucke (Holy Cross College), and Omaha, with Mike Dahir (Creighton University) as chair. In each of these centers our Councils consist of anywhere from 14 to 20 members, men and women, who advise us and help us in our fund raising and by identifying other needs they see calling out for greater Jesuit presence.

A good illustration of Jesuit Partnership Council advice which leads to action occurred in the Twin Cities at one of our meetings in 2003. It was observed that there is a real need in the area for a silent Ignatian retreat for women. For many years the Jesuits in the area have offered silent weekend retreats for men only at Demontreville Retreat House in Lake Elmo, Minn. These have been extremely well attended.

It was anticipated that a large number of the wives of the Demontreville retreatants and other women in the area would be anxious to have a similar spiritual experience. After some discussion Meg Mannix, David Graff and Meg Connolly were designated as a sub-committee of the Council to look into the matter and as they say, the rest is history. The women’s retreats have been held at Christ the King Retreat House in Buffalo, Minn. Within the first year, the retreats, which have a capacity of 68, were way over-subscribed and a large number of women were left disappointed by not finding a place. The solution was to add a second retreat, which is now in place.

You might wonder what benefits are foreseen in a silent Ignatian retreat. The promotional material which is used for the women’s retreats define what the retreat is meant to be. First of all it states that it recalls the time when the Apostles, who had been sent out to teach,

preach repentance and cure the sick, were reporting back to Jesus as we read in Mark’s Gospel.

Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile,”(Mark 6:31.) This is the atmosphere that is intended for the retreats. As the promotional piece states, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius help us to focus on how much God loves us and our need to accept that love. By looking at the life of Christ, we gain insight into how to live our lives. Christ not only died but also rose that we might have life to a fuller extent. By reflecting on this in silence, we can see more clearly who we are and how we need to grow in order to really live in the modem world.”

So the Jesuit Partnership, through its Councils in Milwaukee, Omaha and Minneapolis/St. Paul is engaged in more than fund raising for the Wisconsin Province Jesuits, as important as that is. The Councils, each in its own way and with distinctive activities suitable to their respective cities, provide advice and work to promote Jesuit spirituality. This is accomplished largely by the efforts of many committed lay men and women who freely give of their time and energy to help us and we are grateful to them.

The Wisconsin Province has five other retreat centers within its boundaries.

Turn to page 24 for more information or click on the “Spiritual Resources” tab at

our website: www.jesuitswisprov.org.

Fr. Dick McGarrity, SJPresident,

The Jesuit Partnership

Councils help greatly in carrying out the work of Wisconsin Province.

Jesus said to them,

“Come away by yourselves to a

deserted place and rest awhile,”(Mark 6:31.)

This is the atmosphere that is intended for the

retreats.

thE JESuit PArtNErShiP

�2 Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007

STuDEnTS WorKInG For SErVIcE AnD JuSTIcE AT

MArquETTE AnD crEIGHTon IS InSpIrInG

Awards are newsworthy, more importantly they often point to the real

story. There is inspiring work being done in Jesuit higher education.

The Service/Justice programs at Creighton and Marquette universities have recently received significant recognition for forming leaders who are committed to faith-informed service and social concern for others, particularly those experiencing poverty, discrimination, and injustice.

The Milwaukee Interfaith Conference awarded the Marquette JUSTICE (Jesuit University Students Together in Concerned Empowerment) students the Youth Service Award for their work to secure passage of an Affordable Housing Trust Fund in Milwaukee.

The Creighton Center for Service and Justice (CSJ) was recently awarded the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Campus Legacy Award.

In conversations with Creighton’s CSJ director Maria Teresa Gaston and Marquette’s Assistant Director of Ministry Gerry Fischer, these themes arose as keys to success for the mission of faith doing justice in Jesuit higher Education.

Peer-leadership:

This was a dominant theme for both campus leaders. While faculty and staff certainly influence student worldview and may even introduce new concepts regarding theology and social concern, student-to-student peer testimonials have a powerful effect. In essence, campus adults speak to an issue by virtue of their office, students do so freely. In Making the Most of College, which surveyed over 400 students at 90 campuses, Dr. Richard Light found that in areas such as diversity and cultural understanding, 80% of learning was done outside of the classroom.

A dose of inspiration

John SealeyPROVINCIAL ASSISTANT FOR

SOCIAL AND INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES

SociAl ANd iNtErNAtioNAl miNiStriES

Students from Marquette and Creighton are active in the Ignatian Family Teach-In.

Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007 ��

Small numbers have a multiplier effect:

Technology allows students to share information much more effectively than out-dated leaflets and word of mouth. Effective networking made it possible for a relatively small, but intensely focused group of Marquette students, to oto btain 5,000 signatures demanding greater international pressure end the Darfur genocide.

They personally delivered the signatures to U.S. Representative Gwen Moore who credited their effort with her own participation in non-violent civil disobedience to draw attention to Darfur. The students are currently campaigning for Darfur divestment.

emerging Issues:

Students have a growing connection to the local community surrounding the campuses. Since Creighton and Marquette are both located in urban contexts, they identify the issues facing the cities. Creighton students have awakened themselves regarding the struggle of immigrants and they are committed to advocacy which corresponds to the Church’s support of comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship (www.justiceforimmigrants.org.) Not surprisingly, this is a major issue for Omaha with the recent migration

flows working in the agricultural and meat-packing sectors in Nebraska and Iowa.

Marquette students have focused on homelessness largely due to the relationships they have built with homeless women and men through the Midnight Run outreach program. After enjoying a win on the Housing Trust Fund, they have now petitioned a call to end homelessness in Milwaukee by 2015 and will be coordinating a city-wide Sleep-Out later this Spring.

Fair trade links consumption choices to sustainable development and this is a strong and growing value for students across Jesuit campuses. Originating with the anti-sweatshop campus clothing movements, fair trade has now broadened to include food, beverage and support for small local/organic farming.

They want to be challenged:

There are expanding offerings from both formal and informal student residences (themed dormitory floors to off-campus housing) which demand a rigorous commitment to prayer, critical social reflection, service, simplicity and ecological concern.

Too often we have imagined such counter-cultural challenges would “turn off ” students, but the reality is that students challenge themselves and one another quite forcefully. For instance, what might start as an “experiment” can soon become a pattern of more reflective living and intentional non-consumer choices in an ad-drenched culture.

Jesuit Mentors:

Jesuit leadership, endorsement and – best of all – participation in campus social justice programming makes a lasting impression on students. They have mixed inklings of the courageous Jesuit documents on justice and solidarity with the poor. When Jesuits actually live that option it is noted by students and demonstrates to them a life of integrity. Many lay leaders can and do demonstrate this, but for many students, there seems a visible value added when Jesuits participate.

Past experience:

This remains a pretty reliable indicator of student involvement in service-justice programs. Many of the leaders come from families, high schools or dioceses with strong service/reflection programs. Occasionally, usually through peer invitation, a person will accidentally discover these programs, but it is safe to say that parents and early mentors play a vital role in preparing a student to exercise this dimension of their moral development.

The next time you are feeling a little disappointed about the state of the world we live in, click on one of the links below and view some of the great work going on at our Jesuit universities. It will make you feel better about our world and the young people jumping into leadership roles.

For more information click on these links: www.creighton.edu/ccsj/

www.marquette.edu/um/serving/

Marquette students dispense soup and sandwiches during their Noon Run program. (Bottom) Creighton students celebrate with a send-off service before departing on Spring Break Service Trips.

The rates for one- and two-life annuities are shown at the right

and currently offer a higher rate of return than most other

investment options.

ONE LIFE TWO LIVESYour Age Rate of Return

To receive a free brochure outlining the benefits of a Jesuit Gift Annuity, contact Jack Paquette, Vice President – Development

(800) [email protected]

or use the envelope enclosed in this magazine.

55 .................5.5 55/60 ................ 5.060 .................5.7 60/65 ................ 5.565 .................6.0 65/70 ................ 5.770 .................6.5 70/75 ................ 6.175 .................7.1 75/80 ................ 6.680 .................8.0 80/85 .................7.385 .................9.5 85/90 ................ 8.490 ...............11.3 90/95 .............. 10.1

Rate of ReturnYour Age

The rate of return is slightly lower for two lives because the period of payment generally is longer.

All of these benefits are available through a Jesuit Gift Annuity.

Jesuit Gift Annuities:n Secured Payments

for Life

n Legacy of Support for the Jesuits

n Guaranteed Rate of Return

n Dependable Income

n No Fees

A Win-Win For All

Of Poetry, Baseball and Spring

SEASoNAl rEflEctioN

I don’t remember when I started to like poetry. But then again, I don’t remember when I started to like

pickles or olives. All of a sudden I began to acquire a taste for something many passed up.

I don’t remember when I started to like baseball either. I was pretty certain I could play baseball well into middle age. When

you are 10 that will never really come. In fact I could not imagine myself doing anything more worthwhile and more all consuming.

When I was in grade school I memorized some poems which dwelt mostly with nature. In high school I was exposed to the Jesuit JUG (Judgment Under God) which in my day was always memorization of poetry. If you did not master the poem in the time allotted you were given another opportunity. The next day! Some people assume from the number of poems I have memorized that I was a regular participant in JUG at Campion. I was not.

For some mysterious reason my Jesuit education lit a candle in my soul that helped me to appreciate the beauty of poetry without forcing it down my throat, to recover and mix the metaphor of pickles and olives. For some reason not even JUG did that.

I came to realize that poetry had to be heard, read aloud to be grasped and appreciated.

I was fortunate to have many truly wonderful Jesuits who taught me English literature and opened my heart to this great treasure of poetry, but no one that I can say was solely responsible for my

appreciation. I had already gone beyond “liking.” Strangely enough though, I am quite fond of Emily Dickinson and Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ though I never had a class from the revered Jesuit, Fr. Leonard Waters.

Before I move too far ahead I must relate my world of baseball. Football and basketball were OK (no one had heard of soccer and golf was too expensive) but size did not matter in baseball; you just had to hit and catch and throw. And almost everyone can do that!

The dead period from the end of the World Series until the beginning of spring training offered the real devotees a time for reverie and dreaming.Would Ralph Kiner or Hank Sauer, who hit so many homeruns for the other teams, really help the Cubs whose management had a penchant for hiring players in their waning years? Would Bill Nicholson strike out more times than he got hits?

Having been a Jesuit for 50 years, my preference in poetry has centered on religious experiences, and the liturgical seasons have somehow mirrored the natural seasons, at least in the Western calendar.

Spring evokes a fresh beginning, an awakening, new life, an Easter glory.

Who can say how it happened: gradually truth and beauty began to take precedence to the all important statistics of the baseball world.

Now when I wait in a doctor’s or dentist’s office I refrain from paging through old “People” magazines and spend some time reviewing my repertoire of poems. However, during these poetry reviews I refrain from keeping my commandment of oral recitation, lest the other patients have no doubt what doctor awaits.

By Fr. James Gladstone, SJ

EasterBreak the box and shed the nard;Stop not now to count the cost;Hither bring pearl, opal, sard;Rock not what the poor have lost;Upon Christ throw all away; Know ye, this is Easter Day.Build His church and deck His shrine,Empty thought it be on earth;Ye have kept your choicest wine –Let it flow for heavenly mirth;Pluck the harp and breathe the horn;Know ye not ‘tis Easter morn?

Gather gladness from the skies;Take a lesson from the ground;Flowers do ope their heavenward eyesAnd a Spring-time joy have found;Earth throws Winter’s robes away,Decks herself for Easter Day.Beauty now for ashes wear,Perfumes for the garb of woe,Chaplets for disheveled hair,Dances for sad footsteps slow;Open wide your hearts that theyLet in joy this Easter Day.

Seek God’s house in happy throng;Crowded let His table be;Mingle praises, prayer and song,Singing to the Trinity.Henceforth let your souls alwaysMake each morn an Easter Day.

– Gerard Manley Hopkins

When not admiring poetry or baseball, Fr. Gladstone is the Provincial Assistant

for Personnel and the Superior at the St. Camillus Jesuit Community in

Wauwatosa, Wis.

Fr. Gladstone offers this verse by Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ as perfect for the season.

Jesuit Journeys – Spring 2007 �5

All of these benefits are available through a Jesuit Gift Annuity.

3400 West Wisconsin Ave.Milwaukee, WI 53208

Please pray for vocations to religious life

Teacher Scholar Doctor Lawyer Actor Pastor Artist Builder Retreat Director Journalist Counselor Spiritual Director

What’s in your heart?

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 108 Spencer, IA 51301

www.thinkjesuit.orgJeremy Cramer, SJ

First Studies - St. Louis UniversityNathan Wendt, SJ

First Studies - Loyola University ChicagoCharlie Olsen, SJ

First Studies - Fordham University

Documents

jesuit journeys cover story and photo