Read online reports about Jesuits, ministries, and programs associated with the California Province of the Society of Jesus
Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative website shows
video "God Cries When We Sentence Youth to Die in Prison"
The Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative (J.R.J.I.), one of the social ministries sponsored by the California Province of the Society of Jesus, is currently showing a powerful video about California’s broken juvenile justice system on its website. "God Cries When We Sentence Youth to Die in Prison" was produced by Faith Communities for Families and Children, a coalition of faith-based organizations that advocates for children and families involved in California’s juvenile justice system. The video presents the views of five religious leaders, including Father Michael Kennedy, S.J., of the California Province who is director of the J.R.J.I. The video is a timely preview before Juvenile Justice Week of Faith and Healing, February 15-21. To view the video, visit J.R.J.I.’s website: http://jrji.org/
Jesuit Refugee Service quickly delivers relief supplies to
Haiti earthquake victims; more aid needed
Rafael Jimenez, social program coordinator for the Jesuit Refugee Service in the Dominican Republic, reports that convoys of at least three large trucks carry relief materials, every other day to Port-au-Prince, where the food, water and medicine are quickly distributed. In comparison, Jimenez says that many of the relief materials sent from far-away countries to Haiti have been stuck at the airport and docks due to poor infrastructure and a lack of established networks in Port-au-Prince.
“There is still need of doctors and more food aid. The aid arriving is not sufficient to feed those needing help at our intervention centers,” said Father Kawas Francois, S.J., the top Jesuit in Haiti, who is coordinating the JRS and Jesuit response to the disaster.
To make an immediate gift by credit card, use the secure online giving form of the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA and specify Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund: http://www.jrsusa.org/support_donate_credit.php
In a related development, the Board of Directors of JRS/USA has approved $300,000 in funding to support the joint emergency relief services of the Jesuit Refugee and Migration Services of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and the general efforts of the Society of Jesus in Haiti and the Dominican Republic in response to this tremendous disaster, it was announced by Rev. Kenneth J. Gavin, S.J., National Director of JRS/USA.
Brophy College Preparatory: Standing with the People of Haiti
Like everyone else in the world, the community of Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix has been haunted by images and stories of the devastation in Haiti and is responding to the call to action. Principal Bob Ryan wrote in a letter on Jan. 27, “even with the streaming video and around the clock news coverage, the scope of suffering in Haiti is impossible to fully comprehend.”
Since the earthquake, Brophy students and parents have raised several thousands of dollars through “Buck-a-Jeans” day collections, campaigns at basketball games and a recent student dance. In the last week, Mr. Ryan met with students and teachers to brainstorm what more we could do as a community and as a result will begin a two-week campaign entitled: Brophy Earthquake Relief, Standing with the People of Haiti. Events over the following days will consist of daily vigils, indicating our collective and prayerful awareness of the situation in Haiti; teach-ins, including a historical perspective, current reality and prayer/reflection.
The Brophy Varsity Shop will sell “Brophy Earthquake Relief” T-shirts for $10 beginning Thursday, Jan. 28, and collections will be organized throughout the school day. All proceeds from the Brophy Earthquake Relief Fund will benefit Jesuit Refugee Service, which has had a presence in Haiti for years and provides direct humanitarian relief to the area, and Friends of the Orphans, an organization Brophy has a deep connection with and who does important work with children in Haiti. In 2002, Brophy provided funds to the third organization, Health Through Communications, that were used to purchase land and build a soccer field in a mountainous village in Haiti. That soccer field is now serving as a landing pad for aircraft bringing food and supplies to the people in an otherwise isolated area.
Responding to the Call of Christ: Haitian Earthquake
Father Thomas Smolich, S.J., President of the Jesuit Conference of the United States, talks about the Jesuits' efforts in Haiti to provide earthquake relief. To view video reports by Fr. Smolich and other Jesuits, visit the National Jesuit News online: http://www.nationaljesuitnews.com/
News from the Jesuits in Haiti: "We give thanks to the Lord and
to Mary"
A day after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti, Father Kawas François, S.J., described the condition of the local Jesuits, their residences and apostolates in a letter to the French Canada Provincial. At the time it was written on January 13, the whereabouts of Father Sainfariste Dérino, S.J., were unknown. Fr. François subsequently reported that Fr. Dérino was found alive but injured. To read the letter from Fr. François, see the bulletin from the Society of Jesus News Service in Rome: http://www.sjweb.info/news/index.cfm?Tab=7&Language=1&PubNumID=47
Father Gregory Konz, S.J., of the California Province to serve as
new Secretary for Higher Education, Finance and Development for
the Jesuit Conference USA
The Jesuit Conference of the United States announced the appointment of Father Gregory Konz, S.J., to the position of Secretary for Higher Education, Finance and Development at the Conference’s offices in Washington, D.C. Fr. Konz, a member of the California Province of the Society of Jesus, will join the Jesuit Conference in the summer. He will replace Father Albert DiUlio, S.J, who leaves the Jesuit Conference after five years of service.
“Greg’s extensive experience as a faculty member, academic administrator, development professional and member of budget committees on the university-level will allow him to greatly contribute to the dynamic changes taking place in the Assistancy,” said Father Thomas H. Smolich, S.J., President of the Jesuit Conference.
Fr. Konz is currently the Assistant Vice President for University Relations and Assistant to the President at Regis University in Denver. His new responsibilities will include managing much of the financial assistance for the Society of Jesus in the United States’ international and domestic programs and working with province development officers in national fundraising and planning. He will also work as a liaison between the Jesuit Conference and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), as well as represent the provincials of the Society of Jesus on higher education issues.
“I am honored to be considered for this appointment and I’m eager to put my experience to work for the wider Society,” said Fr. Konz. “This is an exciting time to be a member of the Conference staff.”
Fr. Konz came to Regis University in 2007 from Marquette University, where he served as an Assistant Dean in the College of Business Administration and Co-director of the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship. Prior to coming to Marquette in 2003, he was an Assistant Professor of Management at John Carroll University for five years.
A native of Phoenix, Fr. Konz earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees at Arizona State University prior to entering the Society of Jesus in 1980. He earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree at the Melbourne College of Divinity in Australia prior to being ordained in 1990. He graduated from Saint Louis University with a Ph.D. in Business Administration in 1998.
Letter from the Provincial, Jan. 14, 2010, Haiti Earthquake Relief
Dear Ignatian Partners,
It seems that natural disasters never cease, and most often hit the parts of the world least prepared to deal with them. The last several months have provided opportunities to respond to disasters of all kinds and sizes throughout our world. I am grateful that so many of our ministries, communities, and friends have found different ways to reach out to those in need even in the midst of economic crisis at home.
Today, I join all of you in prayer for the people of Haiti. The strength of the earthquake and the pre-existing conditions in Haiti combined to form a “perfect storm” of destruction and death. I know we are all saddened by the images we are beginning to see in the media, and in our sadness we realize that what we see is but a small part of the devastating reality for the people of Haiti. With this letter, I encourage you personally, communally, and through your place of work or ministry to find ways to reach out in this time of need to the poorest of the poor: our sisters and brothers in Haiti.
The California Province is sending emergency funds to assist the Jesuit Refugee Service in Haiti with their relief efforts. JRS has a history of working with the people of Haiti and are poised to respond quickly to this tragedy. I invite each of you in your communities and places of ministry to find ways to support our sisters and brothers in Haiti who will be searching for the living as they mourn and bury the dead. The time will come to help rebuild the lives and communities of the people in Haiti, and governments around the World will need to be involved, but right now it is urgent that we do what we can to get resources quickly to organizations that are in a position to tend to the needs of those displaced by this disaster. Please invite your colleagues, parishioners and students to touch the lives of those in greatest need by offering a gift of support.
You may send your support to:
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
1016 16th Street NW Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
Checks should be made payable to “Jesuit Refugee Service/USA.” Please clearly note “Haiti Earthquake Relief” in the memo field of the check.
If you would like to make a donation online via credit card, use the following link: http://www.jrsusa.org/support_donate_credit.php and be sure to choose “Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund” under the Purpose Field.
Sincerely in the Lord,
John P. McGarry, S.J.
Provincial
Ignatian Family Spring Teach-In to focus on environmental justice and sustainability
The Ignatian Solidarity Network invites the Ignatian family to attend a three-day learning experience to explore environmental justice and sustainability. The Ignatian Family Spring Teach-In will be held March 5-7 at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia. This Teach-In’s topics follow a growing trend among Jesuit universities, high schools, parishes, and ministries to look at their ecological footprints and create more environmentally sustainable campuses and communities. For more information on the Teach-In program, housing options, and registration, go to http://www.ignatiansolidarity.net/Spring2010/Spring2010flyer1.pdf
What does it mean to be a Jesuit, Catholic university
in San Francisco today?
What are the qualities that define a university as Catholic? At the University of San Francisco, the answers are all around—from service among the city’s marginalized to work with victims of human trafficking to weekly student Mass. To read "By Spirit & Deed" by Kimberly Winston online in USF magazine, go to http://www.usfca.edu/usfmagazine/fall09/f1_catholic_1.html
Requiescat in Pace: Father Thomas F. McCormick, S.J.
Father Thomas F. McCormick, S.J., 72, died on January 1 at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco while recovering from surgery performed several days earlier. Born in Oakland in 1937, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1954 at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1967. He received a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas and taught at Loyola Marymount University. He served as Vice-Provincial for Formation for the California Province, Rector of the Jesuit community at the University of San Francisco, and Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Sorrows, a Jesuit parish in Santa Barbara, where he directed the regional diaconate formation program for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
For details on funeral arrangements, go to http://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/Page.aspx?pid=774
To make a gift in memory of Fr. McCormick, please visit https://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=184
Requiescat in Pace: Father A. Francis Frugoli, S.J.
Father A. Francis Frugoli, S.J., 95, died on December 28 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California. Born in San Francisco in 1914, Fr. Frugoli entered the Society of Jesus at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos in 1932. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1945. He was an administrator at Santa Clara University, taught at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose and Loyola High School in Los Angeles, and counseled freshmen at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco before embarking on a ministry as a shipboard chaplain. Serving at sea for up to 9 months a year, he ministered to passengers and crews on more than 460 cruises over a 30-year period.
For details on funeral arrangements, go to http://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/Page.aspx?pid=773
To make a gift in memory of Fr. Frugoli, please visit https://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=184
Ignatian Companions are committed to spirituality and service to people in need around Santa Clara County
The Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality is a burgeoning group sponsored by the California Province of the Society of Jesus, Santa Clara University, and Catholic Charities of San Jose that responds to the thirst of Catholics aged 50 and over to deepen their spiritual life as they give of their time and talent in community service outreach to people who are poor and socially marginalized. What began as a handful of volunteers who sought common opportunities for ongoing spiritual reflection has grown into a program with more than 20 participants who are engaged in three basic commitments: a daily commitment to personal prayer and Ignatian reflection; a weekly commitment to service to people in need; and a monthly commitment to gather with others for common spiritual reflection, formation, and community.
To learn more about the Ignatian Companions, visit their website: www.ignatiancompanions.org or contact program coordinator Kay Mascoli by calling (408) 666-7506 or e-mail kmascoliscu@gmail.com
At Dolores Mission Church’s posada, L.A.P.D. chief assures Latino community members they will not be asked about immigration status if they report a crime
Teresa Watanabe of the Los Angeles Times reports on an appearance by new L.A.P.D. Chief Charlie Beck at Dolores Mission Church’s posada, a traditional reenactment of the journey of Mary and Joseph as they sought lodging in Bethlehem. Pastor Scott Santarosa, S.J., asked Chief Beck if he “could assure community members that they will not be asked about their immigration status if they report a crime. ‘Si,’ Beck said.” Dolores Mission Church is one of 12 Jesuit parishes sponsored by the California Province of the Society of Jesus. To read the story online, go to http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-posada20-2009dec20,0,7360617.story
A family’s determination pays off as son goes to Loyola High School in Los Angeles
In the December 2 issue of the Los Angeles Times, Steve Lopez reports on how Juan Correa's parents worked hard to be able to send him and his brother to an after-school program, where Juan is being mentored in art. There, Dan McCleary, a 1970 graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, spotted Juan’s enormous potential and worked to help him come to Loyola. The Correa family’s efforts paid off with Juan's admission to Loyola, one of eight high schools associated with the California Province of the Society of Jesus. To read “A family’s quiet story of determination and success in the city,” go to http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez2-2009dec02,0,5338190.column
Thomas Rausch, S.J., describes his experience of teaching Christology in China
Father Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., a member of the California Province of the Society of Jesus, is the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. During a sabbatical in the spring of 2009, he taught a course in Christology at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. He describes his experience in a story headlined “Mandate of Heaven: Religious studies return to China” published in the November 2 issue of America Magazine. To read Fr. Rausch’s story, courtesy of America, go to
http://americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=11950
Jesuit alumni in Arizona invite Ignatian family members to check out their new website
Jesuit Alumni in Arizona (JAAZ) is an organization of about 2,000 men and women who live in Arizona and whose backgrounds have some aspect of Jesuit life and values in common. Members of JAAZ are graduates of 28 Jesuit universities and 47 Jesuit high schools. They meet periodically to celebrate their Jesuit background. To learn more about JAZZ, visit its website: http://jaazsw.org/
Newman Center at the University of Hawaii is the lively heart of religious education
The Newman Center at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu is an active campus ministry, not only for students, but for individuals and families who return here to enrich their faith. The Newman Center is one of 12 Jesuit parishes associated with the California Province of the Society of Jesus. For an overview of the center's religious education programs, view a PDF: http://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/Document.Doc?id=372
For more information, including Mass schedules, visit the Newman Center's website: http://www.newmanhawaii.org/
California Province Centennial featured in Company magazine
A story headlined "California Centennial: The Jesuits' California Province celebrates 100 years of service to the Church" is featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Company, a magazine about "the world of Jesuits and their friends." Written by Paul Totah of St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, the story and accompanying photos trace the dynamic history of the California Province of the Society of Jesus from 1909 to the present. "As evidenced by our new initiatives and by the success of our ongoing traditional ministries, the California Province is going strong," says Father Provincial John P. McGarry, S.J. To read a PDF version of the story, go to http://www.companymagazine.org/v271/FA09.Calif%20Centennial.pdf
Students from Xavier College Preparatory High School are serving as mentors for younger children in La Quinta, California
In the October 29 edition of the La Quinta Sun, Madison N. Jennings reports on a mentoring program that has paired youngsters from the local community with student mentors from Xavier College Preparatory High School. Xavier is one of eight schools associated with the California Province of the Society of Jesus. To read the report, go to http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910280356
Vatican exhibit commemorates Matteo Ricci, S.J., on the 400th anniversary of his death
An exhibit commemorating Matteo Ricci, S.J., is now on view in St. Peter’s Square through January 24, 2010. “To the Heights of History. Matteo Ricci (1552-1610): Between Rome and Peking” is a tribute to the man who initiated the Jesuit relationship with mainland China in 1583 when he landed at Zhaoqing. Ricci reached Beijing in 1601, winning an audience with Emperor Wanli. The Chinese called him Li Mateou or Si-Tai (Sage of the West).
At a presentation of the exhibit, Bishop Claudio Giuliodori of Italy spoke about the famous Jesuit. Matteo Ricci’s “extraordinary missionary adventure,” Bishop Giuliodori explained, “led him to build, for the first time in history, a true bridge of dialogue and exchange between Europe and China. Besides paying homage to this giant of the faith and friendship between peoples, the exhibit seeks to provide all with an opportunity to learn about and be inspired by a model of evangelization of the Gospel culture and inculturation that, in many aspects, has no equal in the history of humanity.”
Matteo Ricci died in 1610 and was buried in 1611 beneath a stone bearing the inscription: “To the man from the distant West, renowned judge, author of famous books.”
To read more about the Vatican exhibit, visit the ZENIT website at http://www.zenit.org/article-27383?l=english
Planning a group retreat? Check out the Jesuit Retreat Center of the Sierra at Applegate, California
Is your parish, school, or organization planning to hold a meeting, conference, or retreat during 2010? Do you seek a restful place for a day, a weekend, or longer? Are you looking for an affordable venue in a natural setting with complete facilities where you can plan, train, celebrate, or pray? If so, consider the Jesuit Retreat Center of the Sierra at Applegate, Calif., in the Gold Country foothills. The center welcomes religious groups, nonprofit organizations, and other associations. To view a new informational webpage showing the center's conference, dining, lodging facilities, chapel, meal plans, rates, and a locator map, visit http://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=715&srcid=342
Only Your Love, new CD featuring instrumental music of Robert Fabing, S.J., released by Oregon Catholic Press
The instrumental music of Father Robert Fabing, S.J., of the California Province of the Society of Jesus, is featured on Only Your Love, a new CD release from Oregon Catholic Press. The collection of 11 works features Father Arnel dC. Aquino, S.J., a Jesuit priest from the Philippine Province, on the keyboard. Fr. Fabing is the founder of the Jesuit Institute for Family Life International Network based in Los Altos, California. To listen to two of the selections, click on the song titles below to activate the audio.
"Only Your Love" (3:30 min); Copyright 2009, Robert Fabing, S.J., used by permission.
"In You, O God" (3:16 min); Copyright 2009, Robert Fabing, S.J., used by permission.
The CD is available from Oregon Catholic Press in Portland, Oregon: call 1-800-LITURGY or go to http://www.ocp.org/
Mass of Resurrection: Margaret (Peg) Dolan, R.S.H.M., Saturday, October 16, 2009
Homily by Robert B. Lawton, S.J., President, Loyola Marymount University
I don’t normally write out my homily. Normally I speak without notes, from my memory and, I try, my heart.
But today, like each of you, my memory is so full and my heart so heavy that I don’t trust any of this to come out clearly without a text.
This is in many ways my least important sermon. Far more important are your thoughts. So, although you don’t need my permission, I explicitly invite you to let your thoughts wander as I speak, wander into your heart and into your own memories of Peg.
I’ve made a fundamental decision. Peg would want me to talk about God, but God would want me to talk about Peg. Surprisingly, for a Jesuit, I’m going to listen to God! To talk about Peg is to talk about love, quite fundamentally her love for each of us. So this homily has just one point--love. The journey of love isn’t easy. There’s a frequent detour most of us take. In trying to love others we quickly, unsuspectingly, end up trying to turn them into our fantasy of what they should be, rather than quietly, respectfully getting a sense of them, listening to them, listening to them as they change over time, and helping them to grown gracefully into who God wants them to be, not what we want them to be.
Peg didn’t take this detour. She accepted us, respected us, loved us for who we are, while challenging us to be fully ourselves in God’s light. She simply wanted each of us, in our own way “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God.”
As I’ve thought about Peg I’ve thought about Mary. If you look at Mary in the Gospel, she is a person who, although busy and hard-working, stands back, ponders, treasures in her heart. She struggled we sense, to understand her own Son and not to turn him into everyone’s fantasy for him. She loved her Son in all his divine–human complexity.
The only difference between Peg and Mary is that Peg seemed to understand us without a struggle.
And in Peg’s face we saw more than Peg. We saw God. Despite all our talk about how God loves us, how difficult it is for us to feel that. We don’t touch God, and God doesn’t touch us. But in Peg’s love for us we received something of the “power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is this breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” When Peg smiled at us we felt God smiling on us.
Well, Peg has won, yet again: we’ve ended up talking about God! Augustan wrote that “to fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances, to seek Him the greatest adventure, to find Him the greatest achievement.” Peg’s life was a romance, an adventure, an achievement. She became like the God she loved and touched each of us with God’s love, as well as her own.
Sometimes a saint smiles on us so that we might have life. It has happened to us. And now Peg has that same life to the full.
Requiescat in Pace: Sister Margaret Mary (Peg) Dolan, R.S.H.M
Sister Margaret Mary (Peg) Dolan, R.S.H.M., died on Tuesday October 6, 2009. Sr. Peg was a long-time member of the Loyola Marymount University community, serving as Director of Campus Ministry and Alumni Chaplain.
With his permission, I share with you the following letter of Fr. Bob Lawton, S.J., President of LMU, to the university community. Sr. Peg was truly a shining example of an Ignatian Apostolic Partner not only at LMU, but in the California Province and for the Society of Jesus.
She is widely known and loved throughout our province and can be honored for many, many things, especially her personal holiness and pastoral ministry and generosity. When we talk of partnership in the California Province, Sr. Peg was truly a companion in mission. Some of her reflections and experience are featured in our recently produced Centennial DVD, Responding to the Call of Christ: 100 Years and Beyond ( http://jesuitscalifornia.blip.tv/ ).
We pray in thanksgiving for Sr. Peg Dolan. May she enjoy eternal life in the presence of the God she loved and served so well.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J.
Provincial
Dear LMU Community:
It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you of the passing of Peg Dolan, R.S.H.M. She died Tuesday night after her courageous battle with cancer.
Few people are so identified with a place as Sister Peg is with Loyola Marymount University. She was the heart of LMU – a vibrant link to our proud Marymount past and an extraordinary member of our community. Sister Peg touched thousands of lives and made everyone accepted and loved. I, for one, will never forget her smile.
We named our Campus Ministry after Sister Peg, but that was simply putting a name on what we all knew already. She embraced our whole campus and everyone in it.
Margaret Mary “Peg” Dolan, was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, after her parents came to the United States from Ireland. After graduating from high school in 1952, she entered the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, an international community of women religious who serve in 15 countries. Sister Peg was a devoted member of her order.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Marymount College, her master’s degree in counseling psychology from Loyola Marymount University, and her master’s degree in applied spirituality from the University of San Francisco.
Before coming to LMU, Sister Peg was a teacher and principal at Marymount High School in Santa Barbara. She arrived here in 1973 to complete her degree. In 1974, she became a campus minister. For more than 30 years, Sister Peg served the LMU community in various capacities, including campus minister, director of campus ministry, director of Ignatian retreats and, most recently, alumni chaplain.
Recognized by the LMU community and beyond for her humanitarian efforts, Sister Peg has been the recipient of numerous distinctions. In 1994, she was initiated into Alpha Sigma Nu, the National Jesuit Honor Society. In 1997, she received LMU’s Barbara Bonney Staff Award as an outstanding staff member. Catholic Charities of Los Angeles named Sister Peg “Honoree of the Year” in 2001 for her efforts to link parishes, schools, and social services and for her tireless dedication on behalf of the poor. The following year she was named “Woman of the Year” by the Santa Monica Westside YWCA for her leadership and service to those in need. In 2006, the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, a volunteer program for retired persons, awarded Sister Peg the first “Madonna Della Strada Award,” which honors an individual whose life reflects the Ignatian values of direct service to the poor and working and educating for a more just society. Sister Peg was the LMU commencement speaker in 2008, when she told our graduates, “Dream big, big enough to fulfill God’s dream for you.”
Alumni, friends and the community are invited to the closed-casket visitation beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, at Sacred Heart Chapel on the Loyola Marymount campus. There will be a prayer vigil service Friday at 7 p.m., also at Sacred Heart. On Saturday, Oct. 17, Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at Sacred Heart at 10 a.m., and will be followed by a luncheon in Sculpture Garden. Burial will be private at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, to Loyola Marymount University for the RSHM Gailhac Pastoral Leadership Scholarship, or to the Sister Peg Dolan RSHM Campus Ministry.
“That all may have life” was the motto of her order. She will always be part of our life and a huge part of our legacy. We have been fortunate to know a saint.
Sincerely,
Robert B. Lawton, S.J.
Brophy College Preparatory breaks ground for new sports campus in Phoenix
Brophy College Preparatory, a Jesuit high school in Phoenix, recently broke ground for its new Brophy Sports Campus to provide much-needed field space for all of its teams. Brophy is one of eight Catholic high schools associated with the California Province of the Society of Jesus.
“We are excited to be getting this project off the ground,” said Father Eddie Reese, S.J., President of Brophy. According to Jeff Glosser, Assistant Principal for Activities, “Brophy had only one field for football, soccer, lacrosse, and all the practices for freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity teams. The new Brophy Sports Campus will revolutionize our practice schedule.” (An artist’s rendering of the sports campus is posted in the Photo Gallery located on the home page of this website.)
During the past few years, Brophy has been raising funds for the final phase of its Major Gifts Campaign and currently has $5 million earmarked for this project. Fr. Reese explains, “We are only spending monies we have collected already which are designated for this campus. This phase will give us a synthetic turf soccer/football/lacrosse field, an all-weather track, and natural grass practice fields. Our coaches and students are so excited to start using it.” The natural turf field is due to be ready by mid-November and the artificial turf and ancillary buildings will be done by April 2010.
For more information about Brophy College Preparatory, visit http://www.brophyprep.org/
Loyola High School honors five alumni with Cahalan Award
Five alumni of Loyola High School (LHS) in Los Angeles were honored on Sept. 19 as recipients of the school's Cahalan Award. The five honorees are Michael A. Enright (LHS 1954), Jerome A. Frumento ('79), Thomas E. Malloy ('57), O'Malley M. Miller ('69), and Rev. Mario J. Prietto, S.J. ('62). The award is named for former President Patrick J. Cahalan, S.J., who served at LHS for 27 years. It is given in recognition of his belief in the ideals of Loyola and the Ignatian spirit of the Magis as exemplified through distinguished and meritorious service to Loyola, Los Angeles, and the United States of America. A photograph of the 2009 recipients is posted in the Photo Gallery. For more information about LHS, visit http://www.loyolahs.edu/Default.asp?bhcp=1
Loyola Institute for Spirituality invites you to visit its blog
The Loyola Institute for Spirtuality (LIS), based in Orange, California, is a spirituality center sponsored by the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Recently, LIS launched a blog featuring news, articles, and information about upcoming events including courses. In a recent blog, for example, there's a report on "The Spiritual Exercises" of St. Ignatius, a nine-month program presented in the form of the 19th Annotation Retreat for Daily Life, and a reflection by Penny Hansen, LIS Associate, titled "Seeking Holy Ground." The blog is updated on a weekly basis. To visit, go to http://www.loyinst.blogspot.com/
Marcus Scroggins talks about his journey from Verbum Dei High School to Marist College
In Tidings Online, R.W. Dellinger tells how Marcus Scroggins' "inner-city drive" led him from Nickerson Gardens in Watts to attend Verbum Dei High School, then go on to graduate from Marist College in New York's Hudson River Valley. To read his inspiring story, go to http://www.the-tidings.com/2009/091109/mountcarmel.htm
Hispanic minstrel launches Honor Migrante, a new CD to educate and lift up migrants, working people
In the spirit of commitment to “solidarity with migrants,” the California Province of the Society of Jesus is a proud sponsor of Honor Migrante, a new CD album produced by Francisco Herrera and the non-profit organization Fundación Caminante. Honor Migrante is a collection of original songs in Spanish that educate migrant communities about fundamental human and worker rights. Fundación Caminante will be producing community concerts across California as fundraisers for local organizations that support migrants and working people.
Francisco Herrera, a former California Jesuit, is well-known in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond for his grassroots music ministry on behalf of the poor and marginalized. He has performed at the Ignatian Family Teach-In at Columbus, Georgia, and the Teach-In on Immigration in Los Angeles.
“Honor Migrante is a composite of immigrant and work people's stories put to music, and as such it provides a soundtrack to the immigrant and labor rights movements," says Francisco. "Each song is dedicated to different issues that migrant and working people face as well as the dignity they bring to society.”
To listen to two songs from Honor Migrante, download the audio files by clicking on the links below:
“Saber Ante la Migra” (3:30 min); Copyright 1992 by F. Herrera/H. Sigüenza, used by permission: http://www2.calprov.org:81/files/09_Saber_Ante_la_Migra-final.mp3
“Trabajo en el Hotel” (3:20 min); Copyright 2009 by Francisco Herrera/Martin Llamas, used by permission: http://www2.calprov.org:81/files/08_Trabajo_en_el_Hotel-final.mp3
For information on how to purchase Honor Migrante or specifics on community concerts, contact Francisco Herrera
To learn more about Fundación Caminante’s Honor Migrante community concert project, click here
Ice skating champion Richard Dwyer, a graduate of Loyola High School, is grateful "for the faith Loyola had in me"
Richard Dwyer, a 1953 graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, says the "Jesuits at Loyola made by life click. They pushed me to succeed." Dwyer went on to become a world-class skater, starring in the Ice Follies and Ice Capades, and partnering on the ice with Olympic champions including skaters Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill.
Today, Dwyer remembers Loyola as the place "where it all started...it's where my life really began." He has expressed his gratitude by making a generous planned gift to the school. To read more about Dwyer's career and his memories of the Jesuits, go to http://www.loyolahs.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=113907
"New Frontiers: Jesuits and Prisons"
"New Frontiers: Jesuits and Prisons," "A Letter from Prison," and "Reflection on Advocacy" by Father Mike Kennedy, S.J., in the Summer 2009 issue of the JRJI Newsletter from the Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative. To read a PDF copy, go to http://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Document.Doc?id=354
"Hard times for Homeboys" interview on CNN
On August 18, Kyra Phillips of the CNN Newsroom interviewed Father Greg Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries, and David Oropeza, an ex-gang member, about the group's tough economic situation. To view the video interview (5:20 min), go to http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/19/nothing-stops-a-bullet-like-a-job/
Webmaster's note: Homeboy Industries is one of the social ministries sponsored by the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Father Greg Boyle, S.J., is a Jesuit priest of the California Province. To make a donation to Homeboy Industries, visit their Virtual Car Wash (see item below).
Homeboy Industries opens "Virtual Car Wash"
Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention program in Los Angeles, is asking visitors to their website to click on the "Virtual Car Wash” and make a donation ($10 is suggested), just as if they were getting a real car washed for a worthy cause. If you’re thinking about getting your car washed, save water as you help save young lives. To view a video about Homeboy Industries and experience the Virtual Car Wash, drive in to: http://www.homeboy-industries.org/virtualcarwash.htm
New Saint Ignatius of Loyola Mass Offering card now available online from the California Province
This year, as the Jesuits of the California Province celebrate their Centennial (1909-2009), they are introducing a new Saint Ignatius of Loyola Mass Offering card. This devotional card has special significance for Jesuits and all members of the Ignatian family whose lives have been touched by St. Ignatius.
Gracing the front cover of the card is the painting “St. Ignatius of Loyola” (circa 1620-1622) by the accomplished artist and ardent Catholic, Peter Paul Rubens. The original painting hangs in the Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena, California.
Inside the card is his Prayer for Generosity. A favorite prayer of Jesuits, it exemplifies the tradition of Ignatian spirituality. In the span of his 65 years, Ignatius wrote the Spiritual Exercises, a thirty-day retreat of growing closer to Jesus Christ, founded the Society of Jesus, became the Jesuit order’s first Superior General and established schools and parishes. We celebrate his Feast Day on July 31, the day Ignatius died in 1556 in Rome. He was canonized in 1622.
Consider giving the Saint Ignatius Mass Offering card to a family member or friend as a special gift, to provide prayer support for someone who is in need of healing or suffering from a loss, or to celebrate a special occasion, such as a birthday, marriage, or anniversary.
All donations received for the Saint Ignatius Mass Offering card will go toward the education and training of Jesuit priests and brothers during their formation, and the care of elderly and infirm Jesuits.
To view the Saint Ignatius Mass Offering card online and place an order quickly and securely, use the California Province website’s electronic shopping cart: https://products.jesuitscalifornia.org/cart/selection.asp
To order the Saint Ignatius Mass Offering card by phone, call the California Province Advancement Office at (408) 884-1633.
Perpetual Certificates from the California Province, an enduring way to remember loved ones in prayer
Since January 2004, nearly 5,000 persons, deceased and living, have been honored by family members and friends who dedicated Perpetual Certificates issued in their name by the California Province of the Society of Jesus.
When you dedicate a Perpetual Certificate to a person, you ensure that they will be remembered perpetually in the prayers, Masses, and apostolic labors of the Jesuits of the California Province.
The Perpetual Certificates are available in standard and deluxe styles. Each certificate is inscribed with the name of the person being honored and is imprinted with a portrait of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and the seal of the California Province of the Society of Jesus.
Once a donor’s request for a Perpetual Certificate is processed, the honoree’s name is listed in the Province Prayer Intentions Book located at the St. Joseph Altar in Sacred Heart Chapel at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California, where a community of more than 50 Jesuit priests and brothers attend Mass.
For each Perpetual Certificate, a donation to the California Province is suggested. All donations are applied by the California Province to educate Jesuit priests and brothers, to care for aged or infirm Jesuits, to sustain ministries serving poor and disadvantaged people, or to meet the greatest need at a particular time. Jesuits of the California Province include all benefactors in their prayers and Masses on a regular basis.
To order Perpetual Certificates by phone, call the California Province Advancement Office at (408) 884-1633. To view the selection of four Perpetual Certificates online, visit our website at https://products.jesuitscalifornia.org/cart/selection.asp
The “Vatican’s Celestial Eye” in Arizona
In the June 23 edition of The New York Times, George Johnson reports on the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope on Mount Graham, Arizona, in a story headlined “Vatican’s Celestial Eye, Seeking Not Angels but Data.” A number of Jesuit scientists from Europe, South America, and the United States, including the California Province of the Society of Jesus, are members of the Vatican Observatory Research Group. To read the story online, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/science/23Vatican.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Father Stephen Privett, S.J., comments on an eye-opening immersion trip to Nicaragua
In the June 4 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Father Stephen A. Privett, S.J., president of the University of San Francisco, reflects on how a trip abroad with a nontraditional itinerary can be as revelatory for college officials as it is for students. To read Fr. Privett's commentary online, go to http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i38/38privett.htm (Posted by permission)
“What Makes a Great Teacher?” For Ronald Maggiano, the ingredients are found in Father Anton Renna, S.J.
Ronald Maggiano, a history teacher at West Springfield High School in Virginia, is a 1970 graduate of Brophy College Preparatory, a Jesuit high school in Phoenix. It was there that Maggiano was a student of Father Anton J. Renna, S.J., a California Province Jesuit, who taught English and Humanities at Brophy for 45 years. “It was because of him that I became a teacher,” writes Maggiano in “What Makes a Great Teacher?” in his May 26 blog on The Classroom Post. To read it online, go to http://www.theclassroompost.com/2009/05/what-makes-great-teacher.html
Kino Border Initiative in the news
In its Spring 2009 issue, Company magazine features a photo essay on the new Kino Border Initiative, one of the social ministries supported by the California Province. The photographer, Father Robert Dolan, S.J., a member of the California Province, shows the people and services involved in this binational ministry located on the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. To view a PDF version of the "I Was Hungry and You Fed Me: Ministering to Deported Immigrants on the U.S.-Mexico Border," visit http://www.companymagazine.org/v263/SP09.IwasHungry.pdf
(Copyright 2009 Company, a Jesuit magazine. Posted by permission; do not reproduce without permission.)
In the May 8 issue of Commonweal magazine, Ananda Rose Robinson writes about her encounters with Sister Maria Engracia Robles, M. de la E., and Father Martin McIntosh, S.J., members of the Kino Border Initiative ministry team, in “Borderline: Stranded in Nogales." To view the story online, go to http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/article.php3?id_article=2536
The Kino Border Initiative (KBI) was inaugurated Jan. 18, 2009. To read about the KBI and view slide shows and videos produced by the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, click on http://www.jrsusa.org/kino/ To view the video "Transforming Hearts," featuring Father Sean Carroll, S.J., Executive Director of the KBI, go to http://vimeo.com/channels/refugee
Jesuit novice Travis Stoops of the Maryland Province, recently spent a couple of months working at the Kino Border Initiative in the twin cities of "Ambos Nogales." He reflects on his experience in “On Assignment with the Kino Border Initiative.” To view it, go to http://www.jrsusa.org/photo/photo_on_assignment.php
Pope Benedict XVI recalls work of Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci to evangelize China
ZENIT website reports that Pope Benedict XVI highlighted the work of Father Matteo Ricci, an early Jesuit missionary, in a recent letter to Bishop Claudio Giuliodori of Macerata-Tolentino-Recanati-Cingoli-Treia, Italy, where Ricci was born in 1522, on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the missionary’s death. To read the story online, go to http://www.zenit.org/article-25941?l=english
Editor’s note: Father Ricci entered mainland China in 1583, reaching Beijing in 1601. The Chinese called him Li Mateou or Si-Tai (Sage of the West). In 1928, five Jesuits from the California Province of the Society of Jesus initiated a China Mission. Eventually, 64 California Jesuits served in China over a period of three decades, working in cities and villages, until the 1950s. For more about the California Province’s China Mission, go to http://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=473&srcid=315
Jesuit General's "California Odyssey" and California Province Centennial featured in Genesis V magazine
In its Spring 2009 issue, Genesis V, the alumni magazine of St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, has a special feature section titled "SI and the Jesuit World." To view a PDF copy of "Jesuit General Adolfo Nicolás & His California Odyssey," go to https://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Document.Doc?id=331 To view "Jesuits Celebrate California Province Centennial" and read the poem "At the Mission Santa Clara Cemetery" by Paul Totah, go to https://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Document.Doc?id=332
Ignatian Volunteer Corps honors Fr. Peter Felice, S.J., and Tom Zeko of Loyola High School
In its May 8 issue, Tidings reports on honorees--Father Peter Filice, S.J., and Tom Zeko of Loyola High School--at the 2009 Madonna Della Strada Reception hosted by the Los Angeles Regional Council of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC). To read the story online, go to http://www.the-tidings.com/2009/050809/ivc.htm
For more information about volunteer opportunities with the IVC in Los Angeles and San Diego, go to http://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=384&srcid=367
Theological center to be known as Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University
On May 4, the boards of Santa Clara University and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (JST), along with the U.S. Jesuit provincials, announced the integration of the two Bay Area institutions that will enable each to draw upon the academic and theological strengths of the other, officials announced today.
Under the new arrangement, JST will remain in Berkeley and become a school of Santa Clara University known as the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. Degrees granted by JST eventually will bear that name.
“This partnership solidifies and fortifies SCU and JST in their shared goal of engaging in global theological study, contextual education, and justice-oriented ministry,” said Father Michael Engh, S.J., president of Santa Clara University. “It will also help ensure a continued, strong Jesuit presence at SCU,” he added.
School officials say that many prized facets of JST and SCU will remain unchanged after the integration. For instance, JST will remain a member of the nine-school ecumenical Graduate Theological Union, which operates a world-class theological library and the largest doctoral program in theology in the United States.
The Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley is one of only two Jesuit theological centers in the United States operated by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Drawing on the diversity of people and cultures in Northern California, the Jesuit School is an international center for the culturally contextualized study of theology and ministry, and currently includes students from nearly 40 countries.
“The integration with Santa Clara University represents a crossroads for the Jesuit School of Theology,” said Father Kevin Burke, S.J., the executive dean and acting president of JST. “This transitional moment ranks among the most significant in our history, on a par with our foundation as Alma College in 1934 and our move to Berkeley in 1969. Indeed, we are entering an exciting moment for both institutions as well as for the mission of the Society of Jesus in the United States.”
“The Society of Jesus, The Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and Santa Clara University share a rich tradition of fostering a strong and growing environment for theological study” said Father Thomas H. Smolich, S.J., president of the Jesuit Conference of the United States. “By bringing those traditions together, this partnership will ensure a strong future for the education of tomorrow’s Jesuits, religious women, and Catholic lay ministers.”
The Jesuit School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the American Association of Theological Schools, and by the Vatican Congregation of Catholic Education as an Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology.
“With the integration of JST into the university, JST students will have access to the breadth of Santa Clara’s resources in religious studies and other disciplines, and SCU faculty will benefit from a relationship with theologians at JST,” said Father Paul Crowley, S.J., chair of the religious studies department at SCU.
Fr. Michael Engh, S.J., becomes Santa Clara University's 28th President
On April 24, Father Michael E. Engh, S.J., became Santa Clara University’s 28th president amid reminders to protect the needy in the global quest for "just sustainability." Attended by about 1,500 guests, Fr. Engh’s inauguration took place at the school’s Leavey Event Center, as the Jesuit university celebrated its first new leader in 20 years. (See the Photo Gallery for images of Fr. Engh's inauguration.)
Speaking of the need to take time to “consider all living beings,” Fr. Engh issued a proposal for Santa Clara to become a leading center for “just sustainability,” to ensure that socially and economically marginalized people aren’t further harmed in the worldwide “green wave” toward conserving resources.
“I propose that we seriously consider becoming a major center for discussion of environmental justice, and for examining the ethical dimensions of how we treat the physical world,” he said.
Weaving in themes of sparing the environment, listening to and protecting the poor, and educating students to do both, Fr. Engh reminded his audience of students, staff, faculty, visiting university officials and politicians that it is often the poor who suffer the most in the battle over scarce resources.
“Who hears the voice of the needy and listens to their concerns about exploited lands and economics? Who is the voice for the defense of the assaulted world?” said Fr. Engh, dressed in a black gown with the red hood of his doctorate alma mater, University of Wisconsin at Madison.
With its Catholic and Jesuit roots and its location in Silicon Valley, Fr. Engh suggested the 158-year-old Santa ClaraUniversity is well-positioned for this role, suggested Fr. Engh.
“We can lead and participate in the Valley’s fast growing interest in sustainability, green energy, and environmental protection,” he said. “We must strategically link our long-term commitment to justice to the growing efforts to protect our environment and ensure a sustainable future for all God’s people,” he added.
Father John P. McGarry, S.J., Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus, sent Fr. Engh forth by “missioning” him to his new post, saying “I entrust to him the task of maintaining the university’s Jesuit Catholic mission.”
In his homily during the Mass, Fr. McGarry struck the theme of service as well, reminding attendees that the Jesuit heritage is to “bring our mission to the frontier” of marginalized people, and to recognize “the increasingly globalized world” and “the interdependence of all people.”
Fr. Allen Deck, S.J., honored by Catholic Library Association
On April 14, Father Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., executive director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (http://www.usccb.org/scdc/), was with the 2009 Aggiornamento Award of the Catholic Library Association (CLA) at a ceremony during the CLA’s annual convention in Anaheim, Calif. The Aggiornamento Award is presented annually by the Parish and Community Library Services Section of the CLA to honor an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the growth and renewal of parish and community librarianship in the spirit of Blessed Pope John XXIII. In the case of Fr. Deck, the CLA wanted to especially recognize his contributions in articulating what this aggiornamento (“updating”) of the Church means from a Hispanic perspective.
Fr. Deck, a member of the California Province of the Society of Jesus, is the former president/executive director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, Calif. His career also encompasses teaching at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.
Fr. Robert Ballecer, S.J., named Director of National Vocation Promotion
On April 9, the Jesuit Conference of the United States announced the appointment of Father Robert Ballecer, S.J., to the newly created position of Director of National Vocation Promotion for the Society of Jesus. Fr. Ballecer, a member of the California Province of the Society of Jesus, will join the Conference in Washington, D.C. in August.
“With his extensive background in web-based technologies, Robert will bring a unique skill set to the Society’s vocational efforts, one that is required, and expected, by today’s tech-savvy young people,” said Father Thomas Smolich, S.J., president of the Jesuit Conference. “This is an important step in our work in the ‘vineyard of the Lord’ as we use these new technologies to help young men discern their calling to the priesthood.”
Fr. Ballecer’s responsibilities will include working with the ten U.S. Jesuit Provinces to implement the recommendations of "Weaving a New Net", the document prepared by the Task Force on Vocations. He will work to expand the Society’s presence on the Internet and will coordinate and share best practices among the Province’s vocation promoters.
“I am honored to be considered for this appointment and excited to bring my background in Information Technology and social networking to the efforts of finding innovative ways of attracting candidates who are called by the Spirit to join us,” said Fr. Ballecer. “Throughout its history, the Society of Jesus has used the medium of the era to spread the gospels and the work of the Society. I look forward to helping the Society use the Internet to reach a new generation of those contemplating a vocation in the Society.”
A native of Hayward, Calif., Fr. Ballecer studied Computer Engineering at Santa Clara University, completing a degree in Philosophy at Loyola University of Chicago. He holds a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1994 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2007. He is currently serving as Campus Minister at the Newman Center in Honolulu. He is the Director of The Center for Apostolic Technology, an apostolate of the California Province which creates Internet content. The Center's current IPTV offerings have more than 19 million views over the past two years. To read an online interview with Fr. Ballecer, go to http://www.jesuitscalifornia.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=653&srcid=483
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