Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe

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Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
USA MIDWEST PROVINCE | SPRING 2021

 Midwest
 Jesuits
 Abroad
 Wisdom and
 Lessons from
 around the Globe

                                         Also in This Issue:
Celebrating 500 Years since St. Ignatius’s Conversion n Introducing New Provincial Fr. Karl Kiser, SJ
                           Retirees Embark on Ignatian-inspired Journey
Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
Dear Friends,

I am humbled.

These are the words I used when I wrote my first message in this magazine as the first provincial of the
newly formed USA Midwest Province. And they are just as true today—in this, my last message to you
as provincial in Jesuits Magazine. I have been humbled to work with my Jesuit brothers and our lay
collaborators to pursue our mission, and I have been humbled to experience the fruits of your prayers
and support in all that we do.

I am pleased that Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ, has named Fr. Karl Kiser, SJ, as our next provincial
(see page 12). A proven leader, Fr. Kiser brings considerable pastoral and administrative gifts, along
with international experience, to his role of caring for the Jesuits and the ministries of our province. I
am equally grateful for his deep and abiding love for the Society of Jesus and its service to the Church.

One such mutual goal involves the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation dialogue that has
been taking place among the Society of Jesus, Georgetown University, and the Descendants of
Jesuit Slaveholding (page 9). President of the Jesuit Conference, former Chicago-Detroit Provincial
Timothy Kesicki, SJ, has been engaged in this vital work for several years; it is just now bearing
fruit. The Descendants have invited us to partner with them on a common project—their vision of a
new charitable foundation. While much work remains, this is an important moment as we embrace a
partnership that seeks progress in healing racial divisions. If you are so moved, I invite you to join us in
supporting this ambitious and important project which flows from the heart of the gospel.

Briefly, this magazine has much more good news to share: a new program called the Ignatian Legacy
Fellows (page 6); our cover story (page 8), which provides perspectives from Midwest Jesuits who are
serving abroad; an up-and-coming playwright (page 13); a student leader in activism and social justice
(page 16); and several food industry professionals who have improvised during the pandemic (page
20).

Finally, we are celebrating as we embark on the Ignatian Year (page 4), which begins on May 20—
the 500th anniversary of the date a cannonball hit Iñigo de Loyola and forever changed his life. This
jubilee will be an opportunity to rediscover our roots, while considering the “cannonball moments”
in our own lives, through which we might hear God
calling us to our own conversion, as we endeavor “to
see all things new in Christ.”

It is my prayer that you might experience such
transformation as you ever deepen your relationship
with God. And it is my fervent prayer that you
know how grateful we are for your support of and
participation in our mission.

In Christ,

V. Rev. Brian G. Paulson, SJ
Provincial, USA Midwest Province
Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
MIDWEST

                                                                                                                                                                  ®

                                                                                           USA MIDWEST PROVINCE                                                                                        Spring 2021

                                                       Evangelizing Through Drama

                                                         Page 13

  ON THE COVER
  Midwest Jesuits are presently serving
  and studying in every corner of the
  world, as the Society of Jesus has
  done for centuries. Many of the locales
  mentioned in the story can be found on
  the cover. How many can you find?                       Imanol Ruiz, graduate of Cristo Rey Jesuit High Milwaukee, emphasizes the importance of his Jesuit
                                                          education in his success as a playwright.
  Illustration: Jacqui Langeland

                                                                                                                                                                                                         Photo: Jeff Zmania

    For additional content and more
  information, connect with us online:
  WWW.JESUITSMIDWEST.ORG                                                         Page 8                                                                           Page 12
                                                                                 Close Encounters of the Global Kind                                              Passing the Torch to Set the World on
                                                                                 Midwest Jesuits share lessons and                                                Fire
     Search “Midwest Jesuits” on Facebook,
                                                                                 reflections from their time abroad.                                              As the V. Rev. Brian Paulson, SJ, takes
Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Instagram                                                                                                              on the role of president at the Jesuit
                                                                                                                                                                  Conference of Canada and the United
        Visit our photo galleries at
     midwestjesuits.smugmug.com                                                                                                                                   States, the Midwest Jesuits welcome
                                                                                                                                                                  Fr. Karl Kiser, SJ, as the new provincial.

      JOIN THE JESUIT
    PRAYER COMMUNITY!                                                            Page 15                                                                          Page 24
                                                                                 From the Earliest Days of Jesuit                                                 A Pastoral Workhorse
            JesuitPrayer.org                                                     Education                                                                        Father Stan Czarnecki, SJ, spreads joy
            ■   Daily Scripture, Ignatian                                        The Pontifical Gregorian University,                                             with his various forms of ministry.
                reflection, and Ignatian                                         established by St. Ignatius, turns 470
                prayer                                                           years old in 2021.
            ■   Free iPhone, iPad, and
                Android Apps
            ■   Submit a prayer request
            ■   Download prayer cards
            ■   Free daily email
            ■   Translation now available
                                                       ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
     Shop for Mass and
                                                       News............................................. 2   A Heart on Fire.............................. 14         In Memoriam................................. 22
  Special Occasion Cards at
 Store.JesuitsMidwest.org                              Special: Ignatian Year................... 4           Education...................................... 16       Assignments................................. 23
                                                       Spirituality..................................... 6   A Jesuit’s Journey........................ 18            Advancement................................ 25
                                                       Reconciliation............................... 7       Arts & Culture............................... 20
Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
NEWS

 Loyola University Chicago’s 3,100-square-foot            The Jesuits celebrated 100 years of working in Patna,    Colleen M. Hanycz, PhD
 greenhouse, the Ecodome                                  India, on March 3, 2021.

Loyola University Chicago                                The Jesuits Celebrate 100 Years                          Xavier University Names First
Launches School of                                       of Working in Patna                                      Female, Lay President
Environmental Sustainability                             This year, the Society of Jesus is celebrating           Xavier University has announced that Colleen
Loyola University Chicago has formally                   the 100th anniversary of Jesuits working in              M. Hanycz, PhD, will serve as the 35th
announced the launch of its new School                   Patna, India. Many American Jesuits have left            president of Xavier University, starting July 1,
of Environmental Sustainability (SES), the               their mark over the century, such as Jesuit Frs.         2021. Dr. Hanycz’s leadership, academic
first school dedicated to environmental                  Ed Daly in catechetics formation, Bob Grib’s             credentials, character, and commitment
sustainability among Jesuit institutions                 teaching Hindi to young Jesuits, and Robert              to Catholic higher education highlight her
worldwide.                                               Stegman, who designed and constructed many               ability to serve as its next president and lead
     The school will build on the foundation of          landmark buildings in the Patna Province.                Xavier into the future. Dr. Hanycz currently
the Institute of Environmental Sustainability                 The first Jesuits actually came to Patna            serves as president of La Salle University in
(IES). IES has demonstrated success at the               400 years ago, in 1620, from neighboring                 Philadelphia, a Lasallian, Catholic university.
undergraduate level and, more recently, the              Bengal. That mission didn’t last, but in 1919,           Prior to that, she served for seven years as
graduate level, putting Loyola on the map                Pope Benedict XV created the Patna Diocese               principal (president) of Brescia University
as a leader in environmental sustainability.             under the auspices of the Jesuits of the                 College in London, Ontario, Canada, a Catholic
Other achievements of the Institute include              Missouri Province.                                       women’s university in the Ursuline tradition.
the founding of an annual climate change                      On March 16, 1921, Jesuit Frs. William                   “Xavier’s lived mission is deeply appealing
conference, the establishment of the student-            Eline, Henry Milen, Patrick Troy, Thomas                 to me,” Dr. Hanycz noted. “As a Jesuit,
run farmers’ market and greenhouse, and                  Kelley, and Edward Anderson arrived in Patna             Catholic university committed to serving
the development of hand sanitizer during the             as the first American Jesuits and laid the               society by forming students intellectually,
COVID-19 pandemic.                                       foundation for the advances we see today.                morally, and spiritually for lives of solidarity
     The school’s five-year plan advances                As decades passed, Jesuits in Patna focused              and service, Xavier’s values strongly align
Loyola’s vision of amplifying and                        on serving the poor, founding and nurturing              with my own. Building on the tremendous
enhancing cross-school interdisciplinary                 numerous Christian faith communities,                    legacy of Fr. Michael Graham, SJ, I am excited
collaborations, scholarship, and research.               spreading education, promoting economic                  to partner with Xavier’s community in writing
The plan includes the establishment of                   development, and feeding hungry mouths so                the next chapter in its storied history.”
five new interdisciplinary areas of study;               that they could, in turn, feed their souls.                   Dr. Hanycz will become the first lay and
development of interdisciplinary research and                 Today Patna serves 328 million people               first female president in Xavier’s 190-year
scholarship across schools; the goal of nearly           in the two least-developed states of North               history. Dr. Hanycz has done this before,
tripling SES undergraduate and graduate                  India. This great need offers both challenges            serving as both firsts for La Salle as well. A
enrollments; expansion of graduate student               and opportunities. The Patna Province faces a            former associate professor of law, Dr. Hanycz
research; increased research funding and                 decline in resources and in Jesuit candidates            possesses an excellent teaching and academic
publication; growth of professional seminar              while also staring down potential opposition             background with a demonstrated passion for
and conference offerings; and employment                 and persecution from fundamentalist forces.              student-centered education.
opportunities with hires in each department              The challenges are real and great, but so, too,
to increase diversity of faculty and staff and           is the vision for the future.
fortify interdisciplinary research teams.                     Watch Fr. Brian Paulson’s message to
                                                         Patna at JesuitsMidwest.org/Patna100

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Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
JESUIT CONNECTIONS

                                                          Stephanie Ibemere,
                                                          PhD, RN
                                                          Hometown: Tulsa, OK
                                                          School(s) Attended: Xavier University and
                                                          University of Cincinnati
                                                          Profession: Postdoctoral Fellow-Nurse
 Creighton president Fr. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ, (left)   Scientist
 with board of trustees chair Mike McCarthy (right)
                                                          How did you get involved with the Jesuits?
Creighton University Receives
                                                          I first learned about the Jesuits during my
$25 Million Gift to Establish                             college search. Once I was accepted to
Global Medical Program                                    Xavier University, I remember seeing the
Creighton University is set to become the                 course requirements for my degrees, and
largest Catholic health sciences educator in              I thought, “This is going to be quite the
the United States. The university has received            experience.” Getting to take philosophy,
a transformational $25 million gift from an               theology, and ethics-related courses as a
anonymous foundation to establish the Arrupe              science major produced an environment
                                                                                                               the value of cura personalis and magis, both
Global Scholars and Partnerships Program.                 in which I could begin my process of
                                                                                                               values I had seen in Fr. B but hadn’t truly
    Named for Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, 28th                  addressing health inequities. The idea of
                                                                                                               understood.
Superior General of the Society of Jesus and              living our lives as human beings in solidarity
founder of the Jesuit Refugee Service, the                for and with others enlivened my spirit,             How do you bring Jesuit values into the
program seeks to improve the health and well-             as this is a paradigm I was familiar with
                                                                                                               workplace?
being of the international poor and to educate            from my Nigerian background and in the
future servant-leader physicians. The gift                South African philosophy of Ubuntu. As I             While at Xavier, I was selected to be a
will support 10 cohorts of 12 students from               grew in my understanding of science, my              student participant for the Guatemala
Creighton’s medical programs in both Omaha                involvement with the Jesuits increased               interfaith medical service trip founded in the
and Phoenix over 10 years beginning in 2022.              my understanding of myself, my role in the           former Office of Interfaith and Community
    Arrupe Global Scholars will earn a medical            greater community, and how my hopes for a            Engagement by Rabbi Abie Ingber. After a
degree while working alongside international              more just world could be realized.                   transformative experience in the western
health care workers and Creighton faculty                                                                      highlands of Guatemala, I was asked to
on multiyear projects aimed at addressing                 How have the Jesuits impacted your life?             join the medical team as its triage nurse.
significant health challenges in locations                The Jesuits and their teachings have really          This opportunity galvanized my opportunity
around the world.                                         become part of my life “scaffolding.” If I           to engage in “service rooted in justice and
    “Creighton is known for producing                     were to name one Jesuit in particular, it            love,” through the value of cura personalis.
physicians committed to the Jesuit value of               would be Fr. Al Bischoff, SJ. Seeing him on          My involvement in this work also rekindled
caring for the whole patient—mind, body, and              campus always meant I was going to have a            my deepest desire of learning more about
spirit. Our graduates then go on to careers in            good day. He really is an embodiment of how          creating justice in global health so that I
which service for and with others is central              to show compassion and genuine interest              could return to West Africa and partner
to their practices,” said Michael Kavan, PhD,             in your fellow human being. From him, I              with local communities who wished to build
associate dean for student affairs at the                                                                      healthcare capacity. Much of my research
                                                          learned what it means to ask the question,
Creighton University School of Medicine.                                                                       and activism is influenced by my time at
                                                          “How are you?” and to take the time to
“The Arrupe Global Scholars and Partnerships                                                                   Xavier and Jesuit values. My research focus
                                                          listen to the response. My experience as
Program will build upon this foundation in
                                                          an undergraduate solidified my decision              is aimed at improving health inequities
forming future doctors who consciously and
                                                          to return and complete a second-degree               rooted in social injustices affecting our
compassionately care for some of the world’s
                                                          nursing program as a graduate student. It            global family.
most vulnerable populations.”
                                                          was in this program I learned more about

                                                                        Jesuits | A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts | Spring 2021 | Page 3
Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
SPECIAL: IGNATIAN YEAR

                                                         From Worldly
                                                         Cavalier to
                                                         Limping
                                                         Pilgrim to
                                                         Spiritual Leader
                                                         By Amy Korpi

Society of Jesus                                         M       ay 20, 2021—the 500th anniversary
                                                                 of the date a cannonball hit
                                                                                                                         Father Arturo Sosa, Superior General
                                                                                                                      of the Society of Jesus, has said, “It is my
prepares to                                              Iñigo de Loyola and forever changed
                                                         his life—the Society of Jesus and the
                                                                                                                      hope and desire that we can work together
                                                                                                                      among the entire
rediscover its                                           Ignatian family will start a worldwide
                                                         celebration: the Ignatian Year. This
                                                                                                                      Ignatian family
                                                                                                                      to celebrate this
founder’s legacy                                         jubilee will include March 12, 2022, (the
                                                         400th anniversary of the canonization
                                                                                                                      year, rediscover
                                                                                                                      our roots, and                   IGNATIUS 500

and inspiration                                          of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis
                                                         Xavier), and end with St. Ignatius’s feast
                                                                                                                      thus renew
                                                                                                                      ourselves and our outlook to the world.”
during “Ignatian                                         day on July 31, 2022.                                        He has called the Ignatian Year an
                                                                                                                      opportunity for people today to have an
                                                                                                                      experience of conversion—to consider
Year”                                                       The Portuguese Province will be publishing a
                                                            Portuguese translation of the comic on the life of St.    the “cannonball moments” in our own
                                                            Ignatius, in collaboration with the youth ministry of     lives, through which we might hear God
                                                            the province. The original is in German: Ignatius - Auf
                                                            der Suche nach mehr (Ignatius - Looking for More).        calling us to transform our own mission.
                                                                                                                         The theme of the celebration is “to
                                                                                                                      see all things new in Christ.” Activities
                                                                                                                      will aim to deepen the Ignatian family’s
                                                                                                                      understanding of and focus on the
                                                                                                                      Universal Apostolic Preferences—the
                                                                                                                      preferences that orient the Society of
                                                                                                                      Jesus toward areas that are vital for our
                                                                                                                      world today.

                                                                                                                      WHAT IS A CANNONBALL
                                                                                                                      MOMENT?
                                                                                                                      Sometimes epiphanies come from
                                                                                                                      unexpected moments, and a perceived

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Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
SPECIAL: IGNATIAN YEAR

                                                        Fortunately, the French admired his
                                                     courage. Instead of taking him to prison,
                                                     they treated his injuries and carried him
                                                     to the castle of Loyola. When doctors
                                                     realized his leg was not healing properly,
                                                     they broke it again and reset it. By this
                                                     point, his strength began to fail, and
                                                     he received last rites. Amazingly, he
                                                     survived.
                                                        But all was still not well. Because of
                                                     the way his bones settled, one protruded
                                                     below the knee. He “could not bear this,”
                                                     according to his autobiography, “since
                                                     he intended to live a life at court.” So, he
                                                     asked for the bone to be cut off.
                                                        Although the doctors warned Ignatius
  Catholic Life Communities will organize a world    that “it would cause him more suffering
  meeting of youth entitled “Embrace the World in    than all that had preceded,” vanity
  an Ignatian Way.” The meeting will take place in
  Loyola, Spain, and will be broadcast completely    prevailed, and he endured the torture.
  online July 29–31. Details will be shared on our      As Ignatius recovered, he became
  social media and website later this spring.        bored and restless and asked for some                   He began with elementary grammar
                                                     romance novels to pass the time. All that            lessons and moved on to studies at the
                                                     could be found were The Life of Christ               universities of Alcalá and Salamanca.
failure prompts a new way of life.                   and Flowers of the Saints. While these               Eventually, he came to study at the
  Such was the case for Ignatius. In                 readings caused him to meditate more on              University of Paris, where he met fellow
what is now known as his “cannonball                 holy things, he still returned to “what he           students, including Peter Faber and
moment,” Ignatius experienced a                      should do in honor of an illustrious lady.”          Francis Xavier, who would become the
calamity that marked the beginning of                   This doesn’t sound like the St. Ignatius          first members of the Society of Jesus.
a new purpose—a spiritual journey of                 we know today, does it?                                 “It took many setbacks, crises, and
conversion to follow Christ more closely,               But God works patiently. Those                    challenges to form St. Ignatius out of
and, ultimately, a catalyst to establish the         readings about the life of Jesus and                 Iñigo de Loyola,” Fr. Brian Paulson,
Society of Jesus.                                    the saints began to make inroads into                SJ, provincial of the Midwest Jesuits,
                                                     Ignatius’s way of thinking.                          says. “But his cannonball moment had
THE STORY IN BRIEF                                      As his autobiography tells us,                    an impact with great significance, not
From the time he was young, Ignatius                 eventually his “eyes were opened to the              only for Ignatius, or even the Jesuits, but
had been a vain courtier seeking military            vanity of life and the reality of eternity           for all who have drawn from Ignatian
prowess, excitement, material wealth, and            compared with the worldliness of the life            spirituality in their own faith journey, and
glory. While he was a practicing Catholic,           he had been leading…”                                for the Church at large. What perhaps
he fashioned himself more as a soldier                  His transformation was underway, and              is most important for us at this time,
and a ladies’ man—an ambitious knight                the question was now how to live out                 however, is the idea that we can all
on the move in sixteenth-century Europe.             his new purpose. He set off by himself,              experience events which trigger a form
  That was until the Battle of Pamplona.             first as an ascetic in Spain and then as a           of conversion, a desire to see things new
While fighting for the Spanish against a             pilgrim to the Holy Land. Forced to go               in Christ. In short, anyone can be hit by a
French army, Ignatius—who was by then                home by the authorities in Jerusalem,                cannonball.” @
a captain of infantry—convinced some                 however, his second career evaporated.
compatriots that they must hold out, even               Ignatius was persistent, though. As he
though the cause was hopeless and most               says in his autobiography, after learning
others had given up. Then, after a six-              “that it was God’s will that he should                                      Amy Korpi, a freelance writer
hour bombardment, an event took place                not stay in Jerusalem, he pondered in                                       with two degrees from Marquette
that would change Ignatius’s life forever:           his heart what he should do and finally                                     University, is now based in Green
                                                                                                                                 Bay, Wisconsin. She has been
a cannonball shattered one of his knees              decided to study for a time in order to be                                  working with the Jesuits since
and severely wounded the other.                      able to help souls.”                                                        1998.

                                                                     Jesuits | A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts | Spring 2021 | Page 5
Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
SPIRITUALITY

The Ignatian Legacy Fellows with undergraduate
students at Santa Clara University

What Do You Ask
of Me Now, God?
By Patrick Kennedy
                                                                                                             Mariann Salisbury and
                                                                                                             Fr. Michael Garanzini, SJ

T    he retirement party has concluded,
     the new home office has been set up,
but for what? So many retired or semi-
                                                         experience the global Jesuit mission,
                                                         interacting with young people engaged
                                                         in Jesuit-sponsored works, and making
                                                                                                        from almost day one. When we launched
                                                                                                        the program, we thought this might be
                                                                                                        something for people with a great deal yet
retired people who have experienced                      a pilgrimage to walk in the steps of St.       to give. The program fellows will tell you
rich careers, sticky problems to solve,                  Ignatius of Loyola. The meaningful             that we’re meeting that need and goal.”
people to care for, or businesses to                     journey begins with a turn inward,               John Fontana, co-founder of the
build, find themselves asking the critical               is strengthened by peer support, and           Ignatian Legacy Fellows, says that
question—what now? One person spoke                      establishes new relationships within the       participants have found tremendous
of calculating how many days are left                    broader community. It is an Ignatian-          comfort in working toward what they
on the earth for him (given the average                  inspired journey that invites people of all    see as their personal capstone project.
age of death for a male) and how many                    faiths. As co-founder Mariann Salisbury        He sums it up with yet another complex
subsequent hours. One person described                   aptly describes it, “It’s not retiring, it’s   question, “Will I pass the final test?”
the profound sense of loss of meaning and                rewiring.”                                       For more information about the
intention. Another spoke of flailing from                   The program has demonstrated early          Ignatian Legacy Fellows, visit their
one possible new business to another                     success, forming people who have               website at LUC.edu/ILF or contact
and yet feeling empty. But the critical                  found new passions and reconnected to          co-directors Mariann Salisbury at
question remained—how to best spend                      Ignatian spirituality. Participants describe   msalisbury1@luc.edu or John Fontana at
those days.                                              feeling newly prepared for “doing”             fontanjj3@gmail.com. @
   Ignatian Legacy Fellows is a new                      versus “being.” It inspires the next
program that aims to help people find                    push to utilize one’s God-given talents
those answers. The first cohorts have                    and energies for good. Father Michael
                                                                                                                              Patrick Kennedy, is a major gift
come together six times over the course                  Garanzini, SJ, says, “It’s been a privilege                          officer for the Midwest Jesuits
of a calendar year to explore the meaning                for me to accompany the Ignatian Fellows                             based in Chicago. He is a native of
of retirement and the opportunities that                 on their journey—a true pilgrimage with                              Kankakee, Illinois, and a graduate
                                                                                                                              of Villanova University and the
lie ahead. The program involves peer                     friends and like-minded sojourners.                                  University of San Francisco.
meetings, traveling to apostolates to                    We’ve become a supportive community

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Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
RECONCILIATION

Descendants of Jesuit Slaveholding
and Jesuits of the United States Announce

                               Historic Partnership
I  n a landmark undertaking in the
   pursuit of racial healing and justice,
Descendants of ancestors enslaved
                                                   men, women and
                                                   children were sold
                                                   by the Jesuit owners
and sold by the Jesuits, together with             of Georgetown
the Jesuits of the United States, have             University to
announced a partnership to create the              plantation owners
Descendants Truth & Reconciliation                 in Louisiana. “Our                                       Descendants Earl Williams Sr., Cheryllyn Branche,
Foundation.                                        shameful history of                                      and Joseph Stewart, pictured with Father General
   The Foundation is a first-of-its-kind           Jesuit slaveholding                                      Arturo Sosa, SJ, and Fr. Timothy Kesicki, SJ
partnership among the Descendants of               in the United States
the enslaved and the descendants of the            has been taken off
enslavers. JPMorgan Chase is a supporter           the dusty shelf, and it can never be put               years of a powerful dialogue process.
of this historic partnership.                      back,” said Fr. Tim Kesicki, SJ, president             In April of 2017, Fr. Kesicki publicly
   “For more than 400 years, our                   of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and                 apologized for Jesuit slaveholding at a
country has denied the persistent                  the United States and former provincial                Liturgy of Memory, Contrition and Hope
human destruction caused by slavery                of the Chicago-Detroit Province Jesuits.               at Georgetown University. In May of
and the conscious and unconscious                  “Racism will endure in America if we                   2017, about a year after learning of their
racism that divides our communities                continue to turn our heads away from the               connection to this tragic and sinful past,
and nation,” said Joseph Stewart, acting           truth of the past and how it affects us all            Descendant leaders petitioned Fr. Arturo
president of the Descendants Truth &               today. The lasting effects of slavery call             Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society
Reconciliation Foundation and one                  each of us to do the work of truth and                 of Jesus, to respond.
of more than 1,000 Descendants of                  reconciliation. Without this joining of                   Father Sosa responded to the
Isaac Hawkins, an enslaved man who,                hearts and hands in true unity, the cycle              Descendants’ letter, writing, “Jesuit
along with many other enslaved men,                of hatred and inequality in America will
                                                                                                          slaveholding in the United States, and
women, and children, was sold to save              never end.”
                                                                                                          in particular the sale of 272 enslaved
Georgetown University from financial                  Citizens Bank of New Orleans, later
                                                                                                          persons from the Jesuits in southern
ruin. “After 182 years, Descendants and            acquired by JPMorgan Chase, used the
                                                                                                          Maryland to purchasers in Louisiana,
Jesuits have come together in the spirit of        272 enslaved humans as collateral. The
                                                                                                          was both a sin and a betrayal because
truth, racial healing, and reconciliation,         Foundation has set up a trust for which
uniquely positioning the Descendants               JPMorgan Chase will serve as a co-                     the Society robbed your ancestors
Truth & Reconciliation Foundation to set           trustee and provide planning and advice                of their human dignity.” Father Sosa
an example and lead America through                as well as other services. “The institution            called the US provincials to dialogue
dismantling the remnants of slavery and            of slavery and systemic racism are tragic              with the Descendants. In the summer of
mitigating the presence of racism. Our             parts of America’s history, and we have a              2018, soon after receiving the Superior
partnership will pursue and support the            responsibility to drive sustainable change             General’s letter, Mr. Stewart called Fr.
creation of a new and abiding reality of           for the people and communities who have                Kesicki, and the two met in person at Mr.
love and justice for all members of our            been impacted by this bitter legacy,” said             Stewart’s home in Michigan.
one humanity.”                                     Brian Lamb, the global head of diversity                  A life-long partnership and a shared
   The Foundation is rooted in the                 and inclusion at JPMorgan Chase.                       commitment to transformation and
events of 1838, when 272 enslaved                     This announcement comes after several               conversion emerged from this process. @

     More information, including a video message from Midwest Jesuits Provincial V. Rev. Brian Paulson, is available at JesuitsMidwest.org/Descendants

                                                                     Jesuits | A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts | Spring 2021 | Page 7
Midwest Jesuits Abroad - Wisdom and Lessons from around the Globe
SOCIAL & INTERNATIONAL

                                                                                                           Garrett Gundlach, SJ, participates in a fundraising walk
                                                                                                           for the Lebanon branch of Filipino Church initiative
                                                                                                           Couples for Christ (CFC) with the community from his
                                                                                                           local Jesuit parish’s English-speaking Sunday Mass.

Close Encounters Lessons
of the Global Kind from Abroad                             “The world is our home.”
By Amy Korpi                                              — Fr. Jerónimo Nadal, SJ (1507-1580)

A     ccording to José Casanova of
      Georgetown University’s Berkley
Center for Religion, Peace and World
                                                         respectful human conversation, Tantur’s
                                                         setting is ideal for promoting a greater
                                                         understanding of the richness of the
                                                                                                         this land and its peoples.
                                                                                                           Father Paul explains, “Here I am
                                                                                                         surrounded by sounds and spiritual
Affairs, the Jesuits were the first                      religious, ethnic, and cultural traditions of   practices of three Abrahamic traditions
organized group in history to think and
act globally. As such, he writes that the
Society “embodied what [Pope Francis]
so frequently evokes as a ‘culture of
encounter’ and a ‘culture of dialogue,’
within and between peoples as the only
way to peace in our globalized world.”
   Midwest Jesuits, continuing that
tradition in other countries today, have
some insights.

BUILDING BRIDGES IN ISRAEL
In his years as a Jesuit, Fr. John Paul, SJ,
has engaged in various ministries that
broadened his cultural horizons. He is
currently missioned as rector at the Tantur
                                                                                                           El Agustino in Lima, Peru
Ecumenical Institute on the southern
edge of East Jerusalem. Founded to build
bridges through ecumenical dialogue and

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SOCIAL & INTERNATIONAL

that keep me conscious of being in the
presence of the Holy One, and of how
my mission is to provide an ‘oasis of
encounter’ with holy sites, traditions, and
people for participants in our programs
offering personal renewal, continuing
education, and scholarly writing or
research.”
   It enhances his own spiritual life
as well. “Five times a day,” says Fr.
Paul, “I become aware of the Islamic
call to prayer, broadcast from minaret
towers, and I am reminded of my own
call to prayer. Each Friday evening
and Saturday, I become aware of how                                                                      Father Paul Mueller, SJ, currently serves as vice
Jerusalem becomes ‘silent’ in observance                                                                 director of the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo,
of keeping the Sabbath and am invited to                                                                 Italy.
find ways to ‘keep Shabbat.’ On Saturday
afternoons and Sunday mornings, I                                                                                                                       Photo: CNS
hear church bells from a nearby Greek          to me, and to appreciate those differences             first encountered locally. Certain
Orthodox monastery as well as Greek            as gifts,” he says. “In addition, interacting          histories and needs where you are in the
Catholic, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox         regularly with Vatican personnel, even                 moment require both a deep knowledge
churches in Bethlehem and adjoining            occasionally with Pope Francis, I have                 of tradition and nimble adaptation to
cities, and I am reminded of a risen Lord      come to appreciate more deeply that                    circumstances. The Church in England is
inviting me to encounter him in the            the Church is Christ’s mystical body,                  hungry for God and open to discovering
breaking of the bread of fellowship.”          recapitulating his incarnation. At all                 Christ’s call anew, but the religious
CULTURAL SIMILARITIES AND                      levels, the Church is a very human                     sensibilities of Catholicism are radically
DIFFERENCES IN ITALY                           institution.”                                          different from those in the United States.
                                                                                                      To be Catholic here is to be in the
Father Kevin Flannery, SJ, is a consultor      HUNGRY FOR GOD IN ENGLAND                              minority, with a history of persecution
for the Holy See’s Congregation for the        While studying abroad, Fr. Joseph                      and martyrdom looming large.” As a
Doctrine of the Faith and a professor          Simmons, SJ, has been reminded of                      nod to this history, Fr. Simmons has
at the Pontifical Gregorian University,        how “the universal Church is always                    celebrated Mass at the chapel of the
which hosts students from over 100                                                                    family who protected St. Edmund
nations each year. “This means that my                                                                Campion, SJ, before his capture and
students invariably have cultural and                                                                 execution.
educational backgrounds that are unlike
my own, forcing me to be attentive to our                                                             INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR
differences,” he says. “Yet their spiritual                                                           JOURNEYS IN SPAIN AND PERU
struggles are common to all who are                                                                   Working on a doctorate at Comillas
trying to live lives for others and for God.                                                          Pontifical University in Madrid, Fr.
Cultural differences do enter in, but the                                                             Christopher Staab, SJ, is studying St.
spiritual issues are, in the end, the same                                                            Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Diary—
for all.”                                                                                             written by the Jesuits’ founder about
   As Jesuit community superior and vice                                                              his intimate experiences with God and
director at the Vatican Observatory, Fr.                                                              God’s responses to his questions about
Paul Mueller, SJ, has found that living                                                               the Society’s structure. “This was at a
with Jesuits from ten different countries                                                             time when he was no longer traveling;
can present many opportunities for cross-                                                             his journey was interior,” says Fr. Staab.
cultural misunderstandings. “Daily life                                                               “As I write my thesis, my journey is also
itself is teaching me to be patient with                                                              interior and, though it is not a spiritual
                                                 Fr. Joseph Simmons, SJ
behaviors and practices that seem strange                                                             diary, I hope my thesis can share the same

                                                                 Jesuits | A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts | Spring 2021 | Page 9
SOCIAL & INTERNATIONAL

                                                          terrain as Ignatius’s text, as one seeking to mission of the Church and the Jesuits is
                                                          make explicit the God who communicates to build a more just society where all can
ITE, INFLAMMATE OMNIA                                     deeply with the human person.”                 live with the dignity of God’s children.
Roughly translated as “go forth and set                      There is certainly an exterior aspect to    The experience of the faith of the poor,
the world on fire,” this phrase has often                 Fr. Staab’s current journey as well. He        and accompanying Jesuits in formation
                                                          lives in a formation house, accompanying and men and women who dedicate their
been attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola
                                                          12 young Jesuits from Malaysia, India,         lives that others might have greater life,
upon sending his friend and fellow Jesuit
                                                          Europe, and the Americas, and says,            allow me to glimpse the Lord who lives
Francis Xavier to the missions in India.                  “We are learning not just to pass through      in our midst.”
     It’s also been said that St. Ignatius                Madrid on our way                                                         Father James
often ended his letters with the phrase.                  to another mission,                                                     M. O’Leary, SJ,
     Modern scholars tell us this isn’t                   but to accompany            Despite diverse backgrounds                 also served in
quite the case—but no matter. One of                      the men and women           and interests, we have found                Peru for many
                                                          of this city, who are       common ground, especially                   years—largely in a
the last surviving Jesuits to have known
                                                          so deeply affected          in the desire to find God in                popular education
Ignatius credited the founder of the                      by the pandemic.            all things. We live a unity                 movement called
Society of Jesus with the saying and                      We are pilgrims,            that transcends language and                Fe y Alegría (faith
claimed that when St. Ignatius missioned                  like Ignatius, and          culture.                                    and joy)—until he
a Jesuit somewhere to cultivate the Lord’s                it is in this place                                                     was missioned to
vineyard, he told them, “Go, ignite and                   that our interior                                                       serve as chaplain,
                                                          and exterior journey to God with others        campus minister, and theology professor
inflame all things.”
                                                          continues to emerge.”                          at Saint Louis University’s Madrid
     As such, it’s become common tradition
                                                             On March 15, 2020, after celebrating        campus. Reflecting on these experiences,
to accept that, regardless of the specific                Mass in a poor area of Lima called “El         he notes, “In Peru, it’s more common to
words Ignatius might have used, he                        Agustino,” Fr. Kevin Flaherty, SJ, told        talk about your faith. In Spain, people
wanted—as Jim Manney writes—                              parishioners that liturgies would be           will certainly attend a procession, but
“everyone to be set afire with passion and                suspended due to the pandemic. Since           fewer are going to church. Those who
zeal for the Kingdom of God.”                             then, the area has been hit especially         do practice are very committed to
                                                          hard; many families have lost loved ones       social justice. No matter where I am,
     Saint Ignatius went so far as to encode
                                                          and been pushed deeper into poverty.           though, I find that when we trust God,
this in the Constitutions: “The aim and                   “Yet, while the people are economically        no matter what happens, we are held and
end of this Society is, by traveling through              poor, they are rich in spirit,” says Fr.       loved. It helps me to be less fearful and
the various parts of the world…to preach,                 Flaherty. “Their faith and resilience          preoccupied—and more generous and
hear confessions, and use all the other                   remind me why I am in Peru, and how the empathetic.”
means it can with the grace of God to help
souls.”
     But such preaching most definitely
did not prevent engaging in dialogue and
adapting to the cultures where the Jesuits
visited.
     For example, Alessandro Valignano, SJ
(1539–1606), known as the architect of the
missions in Asia, recognized that cross-
cultural engagement and exchange was
necessary for the Jesuits to be successful.
They needed to fit into the local culture,
and not the other way around, by learning
native languages and customs and treating                                                                  Fr. O’Leary at SLU-Madrid’s 2020 Mass of the Holy
                                                                                                           Spirit
new converts with respect.

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SOCIAL & INTERNATIONAL

CONSOLATION AMIDST
DESOLATION IN LEBANON
In addition to his daily Arabic studies,
once a week Garrett Gundlach, SJ, heads
to Beirut’s Karantina neighborhood—
which was heavily damaged by the city’s
port explosion in August—where he
makes giant pots of soup for workers
rebuilding. While doing so, he is “trying
to find [his] feet in a new language, a
new culture, and the unfolding reality
of political instability, economic crisis,
coronavirus, and explosion healing,” he
says. “Even our community’s daily Mass
is new to me, with the language and the
                                                                                                                Ignatius Jesuit Centre in Ontario, Canada
flow of the Byzantine (Greek Melkite) or
                   Maronite rites; what I knew
                     primarily as a place of
                       restful prayer has become
                        a place to learn.”
                                                    priority of working with youth. It is                    have found common ground, especially
                           “So, my daily Examens
                                                    their energy that will help us to be more                in the desire to find God in all things. We
                       and our house’s monthly
                                                    audacious in our hopes.”                                 live a unity that transcends language and
                      faith sharing have become
                                                      “I have also found consolation in my                   culture.”
                       the graced places where
                                                    ministry with JRS,” he adds. “Many
                        I can prayerfully unpack                                                             UNEXPECTED INVIGORATION IN
                                                    of my colleagues are refugees, and
                         all this newness,                                                                   CANADA
                                                    they have taught me the importance
                         recalibrating for the
                                                    of accompaniment in ministry, that                       “Prior to the pandemic, the world came
                        next day or month,”
                                                    ministry is dynamic, that those being                    to Guelph, and people of other continents
                       Gundlach says. “I haven’t
                                                    served always teach something to those                   introduced me to different emphases of
                       always done this so well,
                                                    who are serving, and that the ability to                 praying,” says Fr. Paul Panaretos, SJ,
                       pushing myself to learn
                                                    give something is itself a gift from God.                of the ministry at Ignatius Jesuit Centre
                     faster and do more. But
                                                    Finally, my life in community here has                   in Ontario. Yet, even if COVID-19 has
                      the simplicity, strength,
                                                    made me marvel at this vocation. Despite                 prompted physical isolation, it has not
                      and playful joy of our
                                                    diverse backgrounds and interests, we                    stopped the ministry nor the opportunity
                       neighbors always remind
                       me of a slower, better                                                                for profound insights.
                       road—a marathon, not a                                                                  “Electronic platforms help us stay
By Jacqui Langeland
                     sprint; together, not alone;                                                            connected with people seeking ongoing
small steps, not miracle solutions.”                                                                         direction, and online retreats continually
    Ryan Birjoo, SJ, is also missioned to                                                                    demonstrate St. Ignatius’s conviction
Beirut, studying Arabic and working                                                                          that God personally communicates with
with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS).                                                                       individuals seeking God,” explains
“Arriving shortly after the blast, I                                                                         Fr. Panaretos. “Further, within our
witnessed the resilience of people                                                                           community, our prayer, faith sharing, and
confronting great challenges with real                                                                       daily care for one another have deepened
solidarity,” he recalls. “Consolation                                                                        our union and compassion. Learning
amidst desolation is a recurring theme—                                                                      to detect God’s presence during the
such as when I was clearing rubble                                                                           pandemic has been a source of spiritual
with some university students, and they                                                                      aching and unexpected invigoration.” @
expressed their desires for a better future.
Their excitement was tangible, and I                  Father John Paul, SJ, serves as rector at the Tantur
                                                      Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem.
understood why we have the apostolic

                                                                      Jesuits | A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts | Spri n g 2021 | Page 11
LEADERSHIP

                                                                                                         Father Karl Kiser, SJ, served as president of University
                                                                                                         of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy for 14
                                                                                                         years prior to being named pastor of Gesu Parish in
                                                                                                         University Heights, Ohio.

Passing the Torch
               to Set the World on Fire
By Grace Rice

Fr. Karl Kiser, SJ, to                                    side of the province, on the Pine Ridge      for 14 years. There, Fr. Kiser developed
                                                          Indian Reservation in South Dakota,          his own leadership style, one that is
succeed V. Rev. Brian                                     Jesuits Fr. Joe Daoust and Br. Mike          deeply rooted in his faith: “I like inspiring
Paulson, SJ, as provincial                                Baranek, both originally from the former     people around a vision, and I like finding
of the Midwest Jesuits                                    Chicago-Detroit Province, make their         new ways of serving and thinking.”
                                                          own meaningful contributions in ministry.    Coming from a pastoral role, Fr. Kiser is
                                                            As Fr. Paulson comes to the end of
T
                                                                                                       prepared to incorporate the Gospel into
     hough he had been a Jesuit in the                    his term as provincial, his leadership       his vision. “It’s very important to me that
     Chicago area for nearly 40 years and                 will span an even larger area, as he is to   first and foremost, we’re centered around
is a native of the suburb of Waukegan,                    succeed Midwest Jesuit Fr. Tim Kesicki       the Gospel, and we’re aiming to spread
Illinois, for the V. Rev. Brian Paulson,                  as president of the Jesuit Conference of     and preach the Gospel,” he says.
SJ, serving as provincial of the Midwest                  Canada and the United States. The end           Father Kiser’s goals for the province
Jesuits was uncharted territory. The                      of Fr. Paulson’s time as provincial is       stem from this, as he notes that the
Midwest Province had only just been                       bittersweet, as he is excited to take on     primary job of the provincial is to care for
created in 2017 by combining the                          new responsibilities: “I will certainly      the Jesuits in the province through cura
former Wisconsin and Chicago-Detroit                      miss the work and people here, but as        personalis—care of the whole person.
Provinces. As its first provincial, Fr.                   provincial, I have taken great consolation   Regarding specific goals, Fr. Kiser says,
Paulson was tasked with not only leading                  in the times when I have been able to be     “I think that Jesuits, Ignatian spirituality,
but also with unifying the men and                        part of successful international, inter-     and the Jesuit vocation have particularly
works of the former provinces, which are                  provincial cooperation, and I know that      deep and powerful gifts, gifts that are
spread across 12 states. Reflecting on this               will continue on the Conference-president    deep and powerful in a way that the world
mission, Fr. Paulson says, “I am pleased                  level. I look forward to getting involved    needs today.” As we go forward, Fr. Kiser
with the sense of mutual trust and support                in conversations about sharing men and
                                                                                                       says, “My number one goal would be to
Jesuits in the Midwest have across                        resources.”
                                                                                                       ask, ‘How do we leverage our talents and
the territory regardless of the original                    Father Paulson is guided by his faith
province in which they entered.”                                                                       our institutions to meet the needs of a
                                                          and Ignatian principles in his leadership,
   Father Paulson notes that Jesuits                                                                   Church that’s struggling today?’” @
                                                          as he says, “Ignatian governance is
from the former Wisconsin Province,                       supposed to be rooted in the manifestation
comprising the north and west sides of                    of conscience.”
the new province, are now making a                          Incoming provincial Fr. Karl Kiser, SJ,                             Grace Rice is a journalist based
                                                                                                                                in Chicago and a graduate of
big, positive difference in cities on the                 joins the province office from Cleveland,                             Boston College, where she was
eastern side of the province; he provides                 where he has served as pastor of Gesu                                 editor-in-chief of The Rock.
examples such as Jesuit Frs. Nathan                       Parish. Prior to his service as a pastor,                             Currently, she works as assistant
                                                                                                                                director of communications for the
Wendt, Paul Lickteig, and Tom Manahan,                    Fr. Kiser was president at University of                              Midwest Jesuits.
all working in Cincinnati. On the other                   Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy

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LIVING THE MAGIS

Imanol Ruiz finds the Basilica of St. Josaphat in
Milwaukee to be a source of inspiration. Ruiz says,
“The Basilica was built by immigrants, so to me it is
an example of what immigrants can accomplish and
the limitless possibilities of what we can do with our
lives. It also serves as a depiction of the beauty and
magnitude, which is the Catholic Church.”

Evangelizing Through                                     Drama
                                                                                                                                                     Photo: Jeff Zmania
By Kristine Mackey

F    rom the mid-16th century, through the
     suppression of the Society of Jesus
in 1773 and beyond, Jesuit colleges in
                                                         disguised as a farmer. In a dramatic
                                                         moment Llorente, who was a father
                                                         figure to Castro for years, pleads with
                                                                                                              Fitzpatrick and Mary Ristow-Dey, with
                                                                                                              teaching him critical life skills. Ristow-
                                                                                                              Dey, herself a practicing Lutheran, helped
Europe led the way in the arts, turning                  him to abandon the revolution. Castro,               him to understand and tap into his faith
out famous playwrights including Joseph                  offended and enraged, sends him away,                more deeply. His transition to college has
Simeon, Pierre Corneille, and Molière.                   leaving Llorente to pray for Castro’s soul.          been supported by the All in Milwaukee
In 2021, theater and the inspiration it                  The relationship continues for decades,              program and by his mentors there, Bill
provides for students in Jesuit schools                  despite Castro’s expulsion of the Society            and Sandy Haack. The Haacks say,
continue to thrive. Imanol Ruiz’s story                  of Jesus from Cuba in 1961. Later in life,           “Imanol is a self-starter, mature beyond
is a testament to the enduring legacy of                 in many situations, Llorente, who has                his years. We are hoping to help him
these Jesuit contributions.                              since emigrated to Miami, humanizes                  achieve his potential.”
   Ruiz, the son of a hardworking, faith-                Castro even as the world demonizes him.                 Currently a theater student at the
filled immigrant family and a ’20 graduate               This conflict, imagined and animated by              University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
of Cristo Rey Jesuit High Milwaukee,                     Ruiz, becomes the heart and the soul of              Ruiz is developing that potential. He
grew up in the city’s historic Mitchell                  the play.                                            hopes to widen his artistic repertoire by
Street neighborhood. His parents,                           Ruiz did not always see himself as                writing screenplays, working on films,
originally from Santiago Maravatío in                    an artist nor as a strong self-advocate.             and building his technical skills. Ruiz
Guanajuato, Mexico, immigrated to the                    During his senior year at Cristo                     says that he is “elated by the thriving
U.S. in pursuit of a better life. He describes           Rey, he worked on a project for his                  arts scene in Milwaukee,” and sees
the life they gave him in Milwaukee and                  Advanced Placement research class                    the area as an up-and-coming hub for
his education at St. Josaphat and Cristo                 titled Evangelizing Through Media. Ruiz              aspiring artists like himself. Perhaps,
Rey as “the greatest gifts.”                             interviewed Fr. James Martin, SJ, for the            like the European Jesuit colleges of
   Encouraged by his theater teacher                     essay and realized through their pivotal             past centuries which yielded notable
at Cristo Rey, Catie O’Donnell, Ruiz                     exchange that he could build his own                 productions, methods, and people, the
submitted an original work to the                        opportunities. His parents had, of course,           drama programs of the Jesuit institutions
Milwaukee Chamber Theater’s Young                        provided the platform, and Cristo Rey                of the Midwest will continue to inspire.
Playwright’s competition and won. Ruiz                   provided the skills and community. As                Imanol Ruiz believes so! @
was especially enthusiastic about the                    Fr. Bill Johnson, SJ, says, “Imanol sacar
subject of his play, Armando Llorente, SJ,               el jugo—he took advantage of every
a Spanish-born Cuban Jesuit who taught                   opportunity of his Jesuit education—
and mentored a teenage Fidel Castro at the               heart, mind, and soul.”                                                     Kristine Mackey is VP for
Jesuit’s El Colegio de Belen in Havana.                     While Ruiz enthusiastically credits                                      advancement and communications
   Ruiz exercises artistic license but for               every teacher and every mentor he has                                       for the USA Midwest Province
                                                                                                                                     Jesuits.
one micro-story. Castro, the revolutionary,              encountered on this journey, he credits his
is in hiding and is visited by Llorente,                 BMO Harris work-study mentors, Tricia

                                                                       Jesuits | A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts | Spri n g 2021 | Page 13
A HEART ON FIRE

Trevor Rainwater, SJ, (right) with his brother and fellow
Jesuit, Conan Rainwater
Inset: Trevor and Conan as kids with their sister, Ellecia

Different
Yet United
By Trevor Rainwater, SJ

I  grew up in North Dakota and attended
   Creighton University, where I first
encountered the Jesuits. I was delighted
                                                             often overlooked by society. It is very
                                                             consoling to return home and hear how
                                                             members of my community adapt to serve
                                                                                                            we unite after a day in the “vineyard of
                                                                                                            the Lord” to celebrate the Passion, death,
                                                                                                            and Resurrection of Christ once again.
to meet this group of men who shared                         those in need despite the current situation.     In the midst of this academic program,
a deep love of Christ but, at the same                         One adjustment occurred for me in May        God willing, I will be ordained to the
time, were involved in a variety of                          2020, when I was ordained a transitional       priesthood in 2021 to further share in
professions—teaching, medicine, law,                         deacon. The most obvious change in             the Eucharistic celebration and unite all
retreat work, and parish life. This variety                  the liturgy was when I turned around to        people, regardless of their background,
of work attracted me to the Society of                       see an empty church (due to COVID-19           to the heavenly banquet of the Lord’s
Jesus, as one could be a priest and a                        restrictions). However, despite the            Supper. Despite living in an apostolic
medical doctor, a brother working in                         physical emptiness, I was comforted by         community where members work at the
astronomy, or a Jesuit scholastic working                    the “online Church” of family and friends
                                                                                                            Jesuit Conference of Canada and the
in a refugee center. My desire to enter                      who supported me through numerous
                                                                                                            United States, minister at a high school,
the Society was confirmed during a silent                    emails, texts, and photos as they watched
                                                                                                            or take part in graduate studies, we all
retreat and has deepened through my time                     the ceremony.
                                                                                                            come together to share in the gift of the
in formation.                                                  Another adjustment grew out of my
  Through my ten years of formation,                         love for liturgy. After completing my first    Eucharist which Jesus left to us. @
Jesuits have continued to engage the                         round of theology studies in Toronto, I
world in a variety of ministries, with                       moved back to the United States to pursue
men serving on reservations in South                         a graduate degree in liturgical studies
Dakota, high school teachers navigating                      from a non-Jesuit university. Through
                                                                                                                              Trevor Rainwater, SJ, is a Jesuit
online classes, pastors returning to                         the liturgy, a Jesuit’s title (high school                       scholastic currently in theology
full parish life, and men working in                         president, teacher, student, medical                             studies. He will be ordained this
outreach programs providing food,                            doctor) is dropped, as each person is                            June.
clothes, or identification to those who are                  equal at the Lord’s table. At the Eucharist

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EDUCATION

From the
     Jesuit
Earliest Days of

Education
ESTABLISHED IN 1551 BY ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, PONTIFICAL
                                                                                                     The Pontifical Gregorian University hosts 2,750
                                                                                                     students from 120 countries.
GREGORIAN UNIVERSITY TURNS 470 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR

By Michael Austin

T    he storied tradition of Jesuit
     education had to begin somewhere,
and this year one of its earliest schools—
                                              received both his bachelor’s and master’s
                                              degrees there between 1971 and 1975.
                                                 Cardinal Cupich recalls the first-class
                                                                                                  midst of integrating with the Pontifical
                                                                                                  Biblical Institute, founded in 1909 by
                                                                                                  Pope Pius X, and the Pontifical Oriental
in Rome—turns 470 years old.                  professors who led him through the rigors           Institute, founded in 1917 by Pope
   Established as the Collegio Romano by      of Jesuit schooling and the profound                Benedict XV. The goal, as Fr. Grummer
St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1551, the school    experience he had living in Rome. “It               sees it, is to consolidate the institutions’
of grammar, humanity, and Christian           introduced me to the wider world of the             financial resources and personnel,
doctrine was expanded later that century      Church and society,” he says.                       promote collaboration, and facilitate
by Pope Gregory XIII, who would                  Father Vincent Strand, SJ, also                  interdisciplinary activity and networking.
become the university’s namesake in           cherished his student years at the Greg                “I am a great believer in the law
1873 by order of Pope Pius IX.                despite some of the challenges of living            of unintended consequences, which
   Today, the Pontifical Gregorian            in the Eternal City.                                means that the future is never what we
University, colloquially known as “the           “Studying theology with students                 plan,” says Fr. Grummer, who is also
Greg,” has roughly 2,750 students from        and professors from all over the world              the director of the Centro Ignaziano di
120 countries. As an ecclesiastical           was rewarding, and doing so in a city               Spiritualità, a constitutive part of the
institution, about 70 percent of its          as historically significant as Rome, near           Greg’s Institute of Spirituality. “I think
students are priests or seminarians. The      the tombs of the apostles and ancient               we hope there will be more interaction
remainder of the student body consists of     martyrs, was inspiring and formative,”              among our various faculties and students
laypeople and women religious.                says Fr. Strand, who earned a Bachelor              so that we can better serve local churches
   “Working at the Gregorian is a fantastic   of Sacred Theology in 2016 and is now               and the universal Church.”
opportunity for which I will always be        studying for a PhD at the University of                As a student, Fr. Strand took every
grateful,” says Fr. James Grummer, SJ,        Notre Dame. “The mission of the Greg                opportunity he could to learn about and
superior of the university’s 70 Jesuits,      is quintessentially Jesuit, combining               experience the history of St. Ignatius
who hail from 25 countries. “The people       education and intellectual depth with a             and the early Jesuits in Rome. “Living in
I live with, work with, and serve are         global vision for the needs of the Church           the very building that houses the rooms
fantastic people with deeply felt desires     universal.”                                         of St. Ignatius was an incomparable
to serve the Church. It is a joy to get up       Mary McAleese, the president of                  experience,” he says. “I am a better Jesuit
every day and be part of what happens         Ireland from 1997 to 2011, is an alumna,            today because of my years at the Greg.” @
here.”                                        and Italian poet and librettist Andrea
   Among the school’s alumni are              Salvadori, who served the Medici family
dozens of saints and blesseds, including      in the 1600s, is an alumnus as well. At
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, SJ, and St.             the school’s establishment, St. Ignatius
                                                                                                                           Michael Austin is a freelance
Maximilian Kolbe; numerous popes,             envisioned a “university of the nations,                                     writer based in Chicago, a national
including Pope Pius XII and Pope John         for the defense and propagation of the                                       James Beard Award finalist for
Paul I; and approximately 1,000 living        faith, and for the training of wise and                                      magazine feature writing, and
                                                                                                                           a former nationally syndicated
bishops, including the Archdiocese of         qualified leaders of the Church and of                                       columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich, who          society.” The Greg is currently in the

                                                           Jesuits | A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts | Spri n g 2021 | Page 15
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