JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE SPRING 2010 CARING SENIOR JESUITS: CARE AND PRAYER HIGH SCHOOLS WITH HIGHER AIMS AMAZING GRACE AT ALCATRAZ REMEMBERING THE MARTYRS OF EL SALVADOR
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JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE SPRINg 2010
caringSEniOr JESUiTS: carE anD PraYEr
HigH ScHOOLS WiTH HigHEr aiMS
aMaZing gracE aT aLcaTraZ
rEMEMBEring THE MarTYrS OF EL SaLVaDOr
Dear Lord, Teach me to grow old graciously.
You know I am still available. I am now ready and completely
able to fulfill this mission of prayer to which you have called me.
My lifestyle has changed, become slower, and much simpler, less
complicated and more prayerful. Now I have the time and the tranquility
to rekindle my love for you, to renew my willingness to serve God’s people
in the church, but in a different way, and to increase my devotion to
Mother Mary, Queen of the Society of Jesus.
Based on Prayer of an Aging Jesuit by G. Perico, S.J. (1973),
offered by the Sacred Heart Jesuit Community
6A Holy cAring plAce
for senior JesuitsAt Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, residents seek a
balance of wellness and holiness. Fathers Francis
Buckley, S.J., and Leo Hombach, S.J., share their
reflections on life in the California Province’s
senior Jesuit community.
14eigHt HigH scHools
witH HigHer AimsEight high schools associated with
the California Province recently
participated in the Jesuit-lay
Sponsorship Review Process to
ensure their Catholic/Jesuit identity
and Ignatian values.
18AmAzing grAce At AlcAtrAzWhen a Jesuit and a bank robber become friends,
anything is possible. Father Bernard Bush, S.J.,
recounts his friendship with Larry Trumblay.
JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE SPRINg 2010
2 From ThE ProVINCIAL My Job is to Care by John P. Mcgarry, S.J.
3 ProVINCE NEWS
Listen to senior Jesuit voices on podcasts; meet Joe Naylor, the new Vice President for Advancement and Communications
19 JESuIT ProFILE Meet Father William Maring, S.J.
22 oN PoINT Rising Diversity: Making Choices by Allan Deck, S.J.
24 mEDITATIoNS The El Salvador Martyrs: Crosses to Liberate the Poor by Michael Engh, S.J.
in eVery issue
The late Fr. Dare Morgan, S.J. (1923-2010), held Amy, a Shih Tzu, during Pups & Poetry session at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, as dog owner Diana Murphy (left) and Cheryl Holsman, recreational coordinator at SHJC, looked on.
oN ThE CoVEr: Father John Privett, S.J., gives Communion to senior Jesuits in the chapel of Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. For more about the painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, see page 9. PHOTO by PETER LEMIEUx
2 mission spring 2010
my Job IS To CArE
• Care for ongoing leadership, vocation
development, and management of the
Province.
My job as Provincial is to care. Yet cura
personalis is an act of giving and receiv-
ing. As Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach,
S.J., former Superior General of the
Society of Jesus, said in a 2007 address
on Ignatian spirituality: “Cura personalis
is simply help, from person to person,
so that God and a human being may
really meet.” This help for others is our
California Province trademark.
When, after years of exercising cura
personalis for others, a Jesuit needs time
to rest in retirement and prayer, or attend
to health-care needs, the Province con-
tinues to provide cura personalis for him.
Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, once the site
of our Novitiate, remains a place of great
importance in the life of our Province:
It is the site where we care for our older
men and those who are infirm. We honor
these great Jesuits, and our cura person-
alis of them, in this issue of Mission.
As we pray for these Jesuits who have
given their lives in service, please know
that the Jesuits of Sacred Heart Jesuit
Center have a special mission and min-
istry of prayer for you, our benefactors
and friends, and for the whole Society of
Jesus and the Church. Cura personalis is
an act of giving and receiving.
Gratefully in the Lord,
Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J.Provincial
While the Provincial has many
things to do in leading the
Province, these five key
areas are the major focus of my ministry:
• Care of people: Cura personalis means
that the heart of my service and leader-
ship is to care for the nearly 400 Jesuits
of the California Province, especially
by listening and receiving the annual
account of conscience of each Jesuit so
as to support them in living a healthy
religious life and the mission they have
been given to do. Cura personalis also
includes care for the Ignatian apostolic
partners with whom Jesuits serve in all
of our ministries.
• Care for Jesuit community life: The
dynamics and structures of Jesuit com-
munity life also need careful attention
in order to support our members and
our ministries, with particular attention
to our personal and communal prayer
and celebration of the Eucharist.
• Care of apostolic works: Cura apos-
tolica of the sponsored, cosponsored,
and endorsed works of the California
Province, including 12 parishes (7 with
elementary schools), 3 universities,
8 secondary schools, 2 pre-secondary
schools, 3 retreat/spirituality centers,
5 social ministries, 7 national minis-
tries and services, 3 international twin-
ning relationships, and other works of
the Church in which members of the
Province are involved. (For a complete
list of our apostolic works, please see
our website, www.jesuitscalifornia.org)
• Care for continued development of
apostolic vision and goals in the
context of partnership, the Decrees
of General Congregation 35, and the
Strategic Discernment Process of the
Jesuits of the United States.
eDitoriAl BoArDJohn P. McGarry, S.J., Provincial John P. Mossi, S.J., Executive Editor Richards E. Bushnell, Editor Kathy Cain, Zehno Cross Media Communications Gail Tyson, Consultant
eDitoriAl contriButorsBernard Bush, S.J. Allan Deck, S.J. Michael Engh, S.J. Peter Lemieux Dan Peterson, S.J. Robert Stephan, S.J.
DesignZehno Cross Media Communications
ADVAncement office Joseph B. Naylor Vice President for Advancement and Communications
John P. Mossi, S.J. Manager
Richards E. Bushnell Associate Director of Communications
William C. Farrington, S.J. Advancement Associate
Julie Han Jesuit Mass Cards Administrator
Grace Melendrez Gifts Steward
Mission is published three times a year by the Jesuits of the California Province P.O. Box 68 Los Gatos, CA, 95031-0068 Phone: (408) 884-1630 E-mail: [email protected] www.jesuitscalifornia.org ©2010 California Province of the Society of Jesus. All rights reserved.
The comments and opinions expressed in Mission magazine are those of the authors and editors and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the California Province of the Society of Jesus.
mission
mission spring 2010 3
Ijoined the Jesuits because I wanted to do god’s will, and I have no regrets, I have just enjoyed this life. god has let me know that his plans for me are the ones he wanted to work out.”
Those comments by Father Frank J. buckley, S.J., age 81, echo sentiments expressed repeatedly by senior Jesuits residing at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center (SHJC) in Los gatos. Whether told by former high-school teachers, retreat directors, college presidents, or medical doctors, the stories these Jesuits tell reflect lives and ministries that are part of a larger plan.
Last summer, I was privileged to interview 20 Jesuits residing at SHJC. The audio recordings I made are part of a project to collect the oral histories of California Jesuits, following the example of the New England Province. The goal is to preserve and share the rich experiences of Jesuits whose lives span events such as the great Depression, World War II, and the Second Vatican Council.
In mid-November, Joseph b. Naylor joined the California Province of the Society of Jesus as the new
Vice President for Advancement and Communications, based in the Advancement Office in Los gatos, California.
Joe comes to the Province from Southern California after a successful 22-year career in fundraising for nonprofit organizations there, including the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Foundation in burbank, Los Angeles Orthopedic Hospital Foundation, and yMCA branches in metropolitan Los Angeles, Montebello, and Torrance-South bay. A native of St. Louis, Joe is a 1986 graduate of Rockhurst University, a Jesuit college in Kansas City, Missouri, where he earned his b.A. in Psychology and English. Since 2006, Joe has been recognized as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (C.F.R.E.). In announcing Joe’s appointment, Father Provincial John P. Mcgarry, S.J., said, “I am confident that Joe has the vision and the ability to lead the Province’s advancement and fundraising initiatives for the future.” During Joe’s first week on his new job, he was interviewed by Mission magazine.
Mission: Welcome to the California Province. you’ve known Jesuits from the Missouri and California Provinces for many years. Can you tell us about your association with our Ignatian family?
Joe Naylor: I feel blessed to be a part of the Ignatian family. My first experience with the Jesuits was receiving an outstanding education at Rockhurst University. During that time my spiritual director, Father Nick Rashford, S.J., encouraged me to volunteer for a summer in Central America. Through that experience, I learned about the Jesuits’ strong commitment to foreign missions. The following summer, I was asked by Fr. Paul Sheridan, S.J., founder of boys Hope, to volunteer at Camp Owakonze in Canada where I learned about the Jesuits’ outreach to troubled youth there. When I moved to Los Angeles, I continued my relationship with the Ignatian family by taking theology classes at Loyola Marymount University and enlisting as my spiritual director Wilkie W.K. Au, Professor of Theological Studies. Dr. Au helped me in the practice of quieting my mind so I could listen to my heart. It was through this discernment process that I felt called to leave Southern California, which had been my home for 22 years, and come to Los gatos. I put my trust in the Lord and took the plunge. I am excited about the opportunity to meet the dedicated Jesuits, lay volunteers, and benefactors of the California Province who make an impact on so many lives every day.
Mission: you’ve devoted much of your life to working for charitable causes. What do you find most fulfilling about your work?
Joe Naylor: I enjoy meeting with volunteers and donors who have a strong connection and bond with a nonprofit institution.
Their personal histories also give voice to the day-to-day real-ity of lived faith. They are stories of schools and sports, wars and protests, suffering and hope. Above all, they are stories of commitment to something greater than themselves. In listening to them, I felt nourished and strengthened. While the Jesuits I interviewed did not avoid sharing memories of difficulties and struggle, overall I got a sense of joy and gratitude in sharing lives dedicated to the service of god. As Father Robert L. McDevitt, S.J., age 83, said at the end of our interview: “It’s been a great ride.” Listening to our senior Jesuits has been a great ride for me, too.—Robert Stephan, S.J.
To listen to audio recordings of Fathers buckley and McDevitt, visit the Podcast Album on our website: www.jesuitscalifornia.org
California ProvinCe welComes JosePh naylor to lead advanCement offiCe
Continued on page 4.
listening to senior Jesuit voiCes“
PE
TER
LE
MIE
Ux
4 mission spring 2010
father a. francis frugoli, s.J., 95 December 28, 2009, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco in 1914, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1932 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1945. He was an administrator at Santa Clara University, taught at Bellarmine College Preparatory and Loyola High School, and counseled freshmen at St. Ignatius College Preparatory 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.
father James e. latham, s.J., 80 September 23, 2009, in Paris, France. A native San Franciscan, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1947 at Los Gatos, California, and was ordained to the priesthood in France in 1960. He did graduate study in theology at the Institut Catholique in Paris and taught at the University of San Francisco and Loyola Marymount University before returning to Paris, where he served as chaplain at the Sorbonne and as long-time professor of philosophy at the American University of Paris.
father thomas f. mcCormick, s.J., 72 January 1, 2010, in San Francisco. Born in Oakland in 1937, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1954 and was ordained a priest in 1967. He received a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas and taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He served as Vice-Provincial for Formation of the California Province, Rector of the Jesuit community at the University of San Francisco, and Associate Pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows, a Jesuit parish in Santa Barbara, where he directed the regional diaconate formation program for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
father John B. Palm, s.J., 95 September 8, 2009, at Los Gatos. Born in 1914 in Baltimore, Md., he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese there in 1941. In 1944, he entered the California Province to become a missionary in China. In 1948, he arrived in Shanghai and did pastoral work there until his 1953 when he was relocated to Taiwan. He served at Sacred Heart Church in Hsinchu until his retirement to Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in 2004. During several summers, he assisted parishes in Northern California with fundraising efforts for the missions.
in rememBrAnce
It is a joy to hear their stories of how an institution helped shape their lives, possibly by teaching them a skill, providing an education, or enhancing the health and well-being of their family or a loved one. I am in awe of these individuals who search for ways in which they can give back. I enjoy being a facilitator to assist them in finding the right program or project that pulls on their heartstrings, so they are able to make an impact and leave a legacy.
Mission: While you were attending Rockhurst University, you did volunteer work in belize and Honduras. What did you learn from those experiences abroad?
Joe Naylor: I learned how Jesuits truly respond to the call to service. While I was in the mountains of Honduras, I met the late Father Frank Hogan, S.J., who had been ministering to the people there since the late 1940s. He was a man of tremendous faith who lived the gospel every day. I also had the chance to meet amazing members of the Jesuit International Volunteer Corps who were giving their time to make a change in the lives of others.
Mission: you recently made a pilgrimage to Spain, walking 100 miles on El Camino de Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St. James). How did that experience touch you?
Joe Naylor: It was a life-changing experience. It was a chance in a lifetime to journey the same path that Chaucer, St. Francis of Assisi, Dante, and countless pilgrims have travelled over the centuries. On El Camino you carry only what you truly need, otherwise your backpack becomes too
heavy and you are so burdened that you can not progress any further. I found this to be analogous to my life. I was ready for a change and needed to make my life simpler so that I could adeptly move to where god was calling me.
Mission: If our readers are interested in making a bequest or endowment to support the California Province, how would you advise them to proceed?
Joe Naylor: The Jesuits are able to accomplish their works through the generosity of our benefactors. The annual gifts and bequests that our benefactors entrust to us will allow the Jesuits to meet the changing needs of our community. We are grateful to donors who wish to create a Legacy gift so that it can continue helping Jesuits make an impact. The Province’s Legacy Circle recognizes benefactors who include the California Province in their estate plans.
Our website (www.jesuitscalifornia.org) has a “Support Our Mission” select with information on how to make an annual gift, establish an endowment, or include the Province in a bequest. Our qualified staff will work with you, your family, attorney, and accountant to ensure that your intentions are honored and your gift is maximized by saving on estate taxes. I encourage you to contact the Advancement Office to see which giving program is best for you.
Mission: Thanks, Joe.
To contact Joe Naylor, call (408) 884-1635 or e-mail [email protected]
Since the first Jesuit schools opened during the 1850s, tens
of thousands of students, perhaps including you, have
graduated from one of the eight high schools associated
with the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Over the past
century, hundreds of Jesuits have devoted their lives to providing
students with a high-quality education and instilling Ignatian
values. The same devotion is evident today in our classrooms
as new generations of Jesuits and lay educators serve nearly
7,500 students.
Not all of our students are blessed with sufficient financial
resources, yet the California Province seeks to share its educational
legacy with as many young men and women as possible. To fulfill
this goal, we instituted the Provincial Educational Scholarship Fund.
For the 2009-2010 academic year, a total of $200,000 in scholarship
P.O. box 68 • Los gatos, CA 95031-9900
Phone: 408-884-1630
Visit our website at www.jesuitscalifornia.org
funds were awarded to deserving students at each high and middle
school based on their financial need. In this issue of Mission, you
will see and hear from some inspiring student recipients.
To ensure that the Provincial Educational Scholarship Fund can
continue to help students like these in the future, we depend on
your generosity. If you or your children graduated from one of our
schools—or you care deeply about educating children to be men
and women for others—consider making a gift today.
Help share our LEGACY OF LEARNING
“Walk with us into a New Century of Service: 2010 and Beyond”
Send your gift for the “Provincial Educational Scholarship Fund” to the California Province Advancement Office, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031; or use the easy and secure Online Donation Form on our website: www.jesuitscalifornia.org
To Give:
6 MISSION SprINg 2010
On his 80th birthday, br. nOrbert “biz” KOrte, s.J., reflects On his pictOrial vignette with recreatiOnal aide JOyful MathiesOn (left) and nurse’s aide weini nguse, c.n.a., in regis infirMary.
A holy cAring plAce for senior JesuitsAt SAcred HeArt JeSuit center, reSidentS Seek A bAlAnce of wellneSS And HolineSS
by Dick Bushnell • photography by Peter Lemieux
A lthough it is said that Jesuits never actually “retire,” at some point in their lives the members of the California Province are assigned to the Sacred
Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California. Here, nearly 75 senior Jesuits, averaging 80 years of age, receive the personal care and community support they need as they pursue a vital new mission: praying for the Church, the Society of Jesus, and our benefactors.
The center occupies a site that has been in continuous use since 1888 when the Sacred Heart Novitiate opened. In 1973, after extensive renovation, the Novitiate officially became Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. Following the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, which damaged the center, repairs were made and further remodeling led to the opening of the 17-bed Regis Infirmary.
On these pages, we present images of day-to-day life at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center and the profiles of two Jesuits who inspire us. We do so in the hope that readers may find it in their hearts to consider making a gift to help us sustain the high quality of care for our senior Jesuits.
MISSION SprINg 2010 7
The hospice care program is dedicated to Jesuits who are
dying and may require medications and pain-control therapy
from off-site providers. During hospice, each Jesuit and a
member of the SHJC recreational staff engage in a dialog to
compose vignettes of memorable photos and short statements
that celebrate the Jesuit’s life. The framed vignette is displayed in
the Jesuit’s room.
In 2007, members of the independent and assisted living
programs and infirmary patients collaborated in writing a mission
statement for Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. Those Jesuits’ words
eloquently express the priorities of the senior Jesuit community:
“Sacred Heart Jesuit Center serves the members of the Society of
Jesus by encouraging the highest quality of spiritual, physical,
psychological and creative life.
Members are encouraged to continue whatever apostolic work
they feel they can and to the extent that the opportunity exists.
Lacking that opportunity, members remain apostles through their
suffering and the prayers they offer to God for the works of the
Society of Jesus and the Church.”
teAmworkStriving for balance, teamworkIn providing the best possible care, the center’s staff addresses
each man’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs to achieve
wellness and wholeness, according to Mary Eden, Provincial
Assistant for Health Care.
cAreQuality care, individual needsDeciding when a Jesuit is assigned to Sacred Heart Jesuit
Center is a process of discernment involving that Jesuit, his
local superior, the Provincial Assistant for Health Care, and the
Provincial through his regular cura personalis of individuals
(see From the Provincial, page 2). “Being missioned to SHJC is
not simply about one’s age or aging, but more about a person’s
health and level of need for care,” explains Father Provincial
John P. McGarry, S.J. “It is our experience that often a Jesuit’s
health improves after transitioning to SHJC due to the quality of
care we provide in skilled nursing, assisted living, pastoral care,
and recreational services.”
The center is dedicated to providing quality care for elderly
and infirm Jesuits, according to each man’s particular needs at
one of four levels: independent living, assisted living, infirmary,
and hospice care.
Jesuits who participate in the independent living program
generally need fewer services and medications. Those in assisted
living may suffer from a chronic condition, such as diabetes,
and need access to nurses on duty and to see a physician on a
regular basis. The assisted care program also serves Jesuits who
come to SHJC periodically to recuperate following surgery.
Those with the greatest physical needs are placed in Regis
Infirmary where they receive nursing care on a 24/7 basis,
appropriate medications and treatments, and a weekly visit with
a physician.
above: the late fr. George dennis, S.J. (1923-2010), consulted with nutritionist Patricia Peasley, r.d., in regis infirmary.
top right: fr. robert taheny, S.J., reads a poem during Pups & Poetry session as oscar, a yellow labrador, and dog owner diana Murphy listen.
8 MISSION SprINg 2010
To foster a balanced life-style, the center integrates support
in six related aspects of senior Jesuit living: health/nutrition,
physical exercise, recreation, social and intellectual activities,
and spirituality, says Mary.
Accomplishing these goals requires a coordinated team
approach by 25 licensed nurses, a medical director, two
psychiatrists, a dental hygienist, a podiatrist, a registered
dietitian, four experienced cooks, three recreational staff
members, two drivers, therapists, and other service providers
as well as the Jesuits themselves. For example, Jesuits often
present lectures to fellow residents on various academic,
cultural, and religious topics, and Father Silvano P. Votto, S.J.,
conducts a weekly Bible Conference.
Regular recreational activities include arts and crafts projects,
gardening, musical performances, and “Pups & Poetry,” a
program in which Jesuits enjoy a visit with a pair of adorable
dogs while the men read selections from their favorite poets.
prAyerMission centered on prayerAs part of their mission of praying for the Church, the Society
of Jesus, and its benefactors, the Jesuits at SHJC receive
monthly prayer requests from Fr. McGarry. These include the
prayer requests and intentions of benefactors. He may also
request that Jesuits pray for specific intentions, such as for
members of the Province who are struggling or suffering in any
way, for the unemployed, and for the monthly intentions of the
Holy Father.
Because Jesuit life is centered on the Eucharist, seniors
attend Mass daily in the Sacred Heart Community Chapel or the
chapel in Regis Infirmary.
Painting of the Sacred Heart
t he painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus above the main altar of the chapel was installed in 1915 as a gesture of gratitude by exiled Mexican
Jesuits to the california Province Jesuit community for offering them refuge at Sacred Heart novitiate when they fled religious persecution in Mexico.
from fall 1914 until summer 1915, a group of Mexican novices, juniors (Jesuit collegians), and their teachers lived in an original
farmhouse and winery building on the property in los Gatos, california. the exiles included the future martyr Miguel Pro, S.J. (top row, second from left), who was named a blessed by Pope John Paul ii in 1988. they were relocated to Spain to continue their studies in exile.
the painting by Gonzalo carrasco, S.J. (1859-1936), a noted Mexican Jesuit artist, was installed in the newly completed chapel in 1915. Also exiled by persecution, fr. carrasco established a studio in new York, where he continued his painting and ministered to the Spanish-speaking people there. —Brother Dan Peterson, S.J.
above: Presenting the consecrated elements, father John Privett, S.J., presides at morning Mass in the community chapel at Sacred Heart Jesuit center.
MISSION SprINg 2010 9
10 MISSION SprINg 2010
fr. a. francis frugOli, s.J., died at the age Of 95 On deceMber 28, 2009, shOrtly after this phOtO was taKen.
top: The late Fr. George Dennis, S.J., got a ride to a dental appointment from staff driver Mike Coffaro.
Middle: Fr. Theodore Taheny, S.J., points out a relative in an old family portrait as he and fellow Jesuits recalled Christmasses past with recreational assistant Karen Ferguson and Fr. Richard Blinn, S.J.
bottom: Senior Jesuits use elastic bands to stretch their leg muscles during morning fitness class. From left to right: Fathers Ralph Drendel, S.J., Anton Renna, S.J., Robert Taheny, S.J., and Richard Blinn, S.J.
support CoSTly CARe ReQuiReS GeneRouS SuppoRTThe Province’s commitment to high quality care for its
senior Jesuits is a costly undertaking. “The total annual
budget for retirement and health care of senior men in the
Province, including our comprehensive services at SHJC, is
close to $6 million,” says Fr. McGarry.
The cost of care for each resident is $5,700 per month
on average. However, the Province receives no state
or federal compensation for the nursing care provided
at SHJC, and with 25 licensed nurses on staff that cost
alone is substantial. Also in recent years, demand for care
has risen as the Jesuit population grows older and more
men are assigned to the center. By late 2009, SHJC had
reached maximum capacity with no more rooms available
in its assisted living program and infirmary, according to
Mary Eden.
Fr. McGarry appeals to the many friends of the Jesuits
who “have been positively impacted and influenced by
the ministry of one or more of our senior Jesuits who live
at SHJC. I hope that you will assist us in providing for
the care of these good men who have given their lives
in service to countless people through parishes, retreat
centers, schools, universities, and other apostolates.”
“We do our best to provide quality care and services,”
Fr. McGarry adds. “In order for the Province to maintain
our endowment at a level that will provide income
to cover expenses in perpetuity, we need your
generous support.”
On their part, the Jesuits at SHJC will go on fulfilling
their mission of prayer and living out their vows of
poverty, chastity, and obedience for the rest of their lives.
tO givePlease send your gift to support the care of elderly and
infirm Jesuits to the California Province Advancement
Office, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031. Or use the
Online Giving Form on the Province’s website:
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
MISSION SprINg 2010 11
12 MISSION SprINg 201012 MISSION SprINg 2010
father francis bucKley, s.J.
f our years ago, Father Francis J. Buckley, S.J., 81,
relocated to the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center after
45 years of teaching theology at the University
of San Francisco. After a series of eye operations
failed to improve his sight, Fr. Buckley explains,
“I had to resign from teaching because I couldn’t
see anymore.”
Shortly after he moved to SHJC, he received an
e-mail from a fellow Jesuit who told him: “They
need you in Los Gatos. You’re going to make a big
difference.” At that point, Fr. Buckley says he thought
“God has something else in store for me here.”
Indeed, Fr. Buckley, who uses a wheelchair to get
around, has a kind word for everyone in his path,
whether he can see them clearly or not. From nurses
to cooks, he compliments SHJC staff members on the
job they’re doing.
“At age 81, I’m non-threatening to people; I can
listen to them and help them.” Since Fr. Buckley
arrived at SHJC, he has gathered a new flock of
folks who come to him for spiritual direction or to
hear their confessions. “To help to bring people
closer to God—that’s why I’m a priest. It’s a joyous
experience.”
Of his fellow members of the Sacred Heart Jesuit
Community, Fr. Buckley says, “I enjoy being with
these guys. Many are old classmates of mine. I
realize that many of them are failing—the same
thing is happening to me. I can’t see anymore, but I
can sure talk.”
On the quality of care at SHJC, Fr. Buckley says,
“I think we have the best nursing care in the state of
California. The nurses take a personal interest in the
patients—they really care about them.”
As for the future, Fr. Buckley says he as no
worries. “I abandon to Divine Providence whatever
God has in mind for me. I pray every day that God’s
will be done for each of the 6 billion people on the
face of the Earth.”
sacred heart Jesuit center reSidentS Speak out
“i enjoy being with these guys. many
are old classmates of mine. i realize
that many of them are failing—the
same thing is happening to me. i can’t
see anymore, but i can sure talk.”
MISSION SprINg 2010 13 MISSION SprINg 2010 13
father leO hOMbach, s.J.
s ix years ago, Father Leo J. Hombach, S.J.,
79, retired to the SHJC. Although he had
been actively engaged in various ministries,
including teaching biology at Santa Clara University,
throughout his career, Fr. Holmbach says he looked
forward to retirement “because in my previous
time here at SHJC I was the Superior and we were
remodeling the place.”
Still, he hasn’t completely retired, but continues
doing the job he has done for past 14 years: serving
as the editor of Vineyard, the in-house newsletter
for California Province Jesuits.
As the former Superior and now a resident of the
SHJC, Fr. Hombach says he has seen a quantum
shift in the quality of life within the community.
“We created a place for the retired, the sick, and the
dying that recognized the gradations of care each
man needs.”
“We have a salvific environment: it brings health
and it brings salvation. It’s a vocation to come here;
the Lord is calling us here. We exercise our ministry
which is very specific—praying for the Church and
the Society of Jesus.”
Asked to characterize the Sacred Heart Jesuit
Community, Fr. Hombach replied, “They are very,
very good people, and they’re very open to the
problems that come with aging—of sickness and
of dying.”
Of his spiritual life, Fr. Hombach says, “Pretty
much the whole day is involved in periods of
checking in with the Lord—Here I am, Lord. It’s not
a formal thing. It’s part of my experience of God.”
“We have an Examen [of Conscience]. Usually, I’ll
spend some time reflecting on what I did during the
day, celebrating the experiences I have. Sometimes
I don’t feel good, and I try to celebrate that, too.”
“we have a salvific environment: it brings
health and it brings salvation. it’s a vocation
to come here; the lord is calling us here.
we exercise our ministry which is very
specific—praying for the church and the
society of Jesus.”
14 MISSION SprINg 2010
Eight high schools with highEr aims
The California Province’s Sponsorship Review Process
Ensures Quality Catholic Education with True Ignatian Character
by Father Edwin B. Harris, S.J., Provincial Assistant for Secondary
and Pre-secondary Education
photo by Pedro Cafasso
MISSION SprINg 2010 15
The Jesuit ministry of secondary education is
deeply rooted in the history of the California
Province, going back to the days when our high
schools were part of colleges located in Santa Clara,
San Francisco, and Los Angeles. As the high schools
evolved and established themselves as independent
academic institutions, it was important to maintain
and strengthen their Catholic and Jesuit identity and
mission in the service of the Church.
Currently, the nine secondary and pre-secondary
schools operating within the California Province serve
almost 7,500 students. They are blessed with rich
cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious diversity
among faculty and staff members, reflecting the
characteristics of California and Arizona where the
schools are located. The graduates of these schools
live locally and in many other states and countries
around the world. Many of them serve in ways which
contribute to building a better world for generations
to come.
All of these schools recently concluded their
participation in the first round of Project Sponsorship,
a program to validate the Jesuit nature and identity of
each of these schools. This process was developed in
response to questions and concerns which are being
discussed at the national, international, and provincial
levels of the Society of Jesus.
Continued on page 17
Josué
“Before attending Loyola High
School, I had feelings of emptiness
and dissatisfaction with the way
my life was going. After tutoring
underprivileged children for the first
time and seeing the elation on their
faces, it became clear to me what I
was called to do. Loyola provided
infinite opportunities to serve the
community. Whether I was in New
Orleans during an immersion trip or
in downtown Los Angeles serving
the homeless, I knew what God
wanted me to do.”
— Josué de Paz, junior, Loyola High School
16 MISSION SprINg 2010
“Xavier College Preparatory High School has given me a new way to look at life and a different outlook on my future. Xavier has been very generous to me, from giving financial aid to being a second home for me.”
—Eddie Rodriguez, senior, Xavier College Preparatory
High School
EddiE
“I saw God’s influence in our im-mersion trip to New Orleans last summer. Where I saw God the most was in the persevering force of the people of New Orleans, as the inner light that keeps them striving to rebuild their home-town when so many would just abandon it.”
—Henry Stroud, senior, Jesuit High School
“In my religious studies class, we reviewed a passage from the Gospel of Luke about the need to share our gifts and the joy we feel when we help others. That’s just how I felt working with disabled children and adults last summer at the Janet Pomeroy Center in San Francisco.”
—Josef Rivera, sophomore, St. Ignatius College Preparatory
HEnry JosEF
in scholarship funds were provided in
2009 by the Province
$200,000
ignatian studEnts with charactEr
“Cristo Rey High School Sacramento’s Work-Study Program is a rewarding experience. This year, I am working at Bustos Media, learning the business side of the industry. I am lucky to have this job as I hope to major in communication.”
—Ana Carmona, senior, Cristo Rey High School Sacramento
“Bellarmine has molded me into the person I wish to stay like for the rest of my life. Rather than being a follower, Bellarmine has forced me to become a man with the voice for the voiceless.”
—Alex Cagwin, 2009 graduate, Bellarmine College Preparatory
ALEXAnA
MISSION SprINg 2010 17
in 2005-06, participants from each of the schools formu-
lated a Sponsorship Review Process, which included a
self-study by each school, visits to each campus by a
committee of faculty and administrators from academic
institutions, and a report delivered to the Provincial and to the
leadership of each school. The process culminated in the sign-
ing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Province
and the individual school, reaffirming the Jesuit and Ignatian
character of the school and its relationship to the Province. The
first round of these visits took place between Spring 2007 and
Spring 2009, and all the agreements were signed by Fall 2009.
The visits and subsequent reports are helpful to the schools
because they highlight their strengths in the areas of Jesuit mis-
sion, Ignatian formation of the various groups within the school,
and how these two factors affect the educational work in the
school with the students who are served in that community. The
sponsorship experience can confirm the school’s direction for
the future and propose considerations for future growth. The
written agreements highlight the responsibilities of the school
and the Province to preserve the Catholic, Jesuit, and Ignatian
character of the school.
Commenting on the recently concluded Sponsorship Renewal
Process, Father Provincial John P. McGarry, S.J., said, “I had
the opportunity to participate in a ‘signing ceremony’ at each
school, usually in the context of the celebration of the Eucharist,
during which we gave thanks to God for the gift of the mission
of Jesuit education.”
“I had the opportunity to participate in
a ‘signing ceremony’ at each school,
usually in the context of the celebration
of the Eucharist, during which we gave
thanks to God for the gift of the mission
of Jesuit education.”
—Father Provincial John P. McGarry, S.J.
ignatian studEnts with charactEr
The California Province promotes the Jesuit mission and identity
of each school in several ways. In September, the Province hosts
the Ignatian Orientation Program for new faculty and staff mem-
bers, which gives them an introduction to the life of St. Ignatius
and shows how the work of Jesuit education flows from the
charism of St. Ignatius as developed in the Jesuit Order over 460
years. In January, experienced faculty and staff members participate
in the Colloquium for the Ministry of Teaching which is designed
to refresh their understanding of the Jesuit mission and identity
of the schools and renew their commitment to this vital ministry
of the Catholic Church. Various programs from the national Jesuit
Secondary Educational Association (JSEA) provide periodic oppor-
tunities for professional renewal in the Jesuit mission.
In addition, every year the California Province provides
scholarship funds to each of the schools for individual students
based on their financial need. In 2009 alone, the Province pro-
vided a total of $200,000 in scholarship funds, including $20,000
to each high school, making it possible for deserving students
to receive a quality Catholic education.
Editor’s note: For an overview of the pre-secondary program at Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in San Jose, see the Spring 2009 issue of Mission magazine, page 8.
Benefactors are encouraged to contribute to the Provincial Educational Scholarship Fund by making a gift directly to the California Province Advancement Office, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031 or visit www.jesuitscalifornia.org
To GivE
BeLLarmine CoLLege PreParatory
Location: San Jose, CaliforniaFounded: 1851 (as part of Santa Clara College)California Province
association: SponsoredSponsor: California Province of the Society of Jesus (CPSJ)Student enrollment: 1,390School website: www.bcp.org
BroPhy CoLLege PreParatory
Location: Phoenix, ArizonaFounded: 1928California Province association: SponsoredSponsor: CPSJ
Student enrollment: 1,250School website: www.brophyprep.org
Cristo rey high sChooL saCramento
Location: Sacramento, CaliforniaFounded: 2006California Province association: Cosponsored
Cosponsors: CPSJ, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of Notre Dame de NamurNational model: Cristo Rey NetworkStudent enrollment: 281Student body note: CoedSchool website: www.cristoreysacramento.org
Jesuit high sChooLLocation: Sacramento, CaliforniaFounded: 1963California Province association: Sponsored
Sponsor: CPSJStudent enrollment: 1,070 School website: www.jhssac.org
LoyoLa high sChooLLocation: Los Angeles, CaliforniaFounded: 1865 (as St. Vincent’s College)California Province
association: SponsoredSponsor: CPSJStudent enrollment: 1,228School website: www.loyolahs.edu
st. ignatius CoLLege PreParatory
Location: San Francisco, CaliforniaFounded: 1855California Province association: Sponsored
Sponsor: CPSJStudent enrollment: 1,424Student body note: CoedSchool website: www.siprep.org
VerBum Dei high sChooLLocation: Los Angeles, CaliforniaFounded: 1962California Province association: Cosponsored
Cosponsors: CPSJ, Archdiocese of Los AngelesNational model: Cristo Rey NetworkStudent enrollment: 281School website: www.verbumdei.us
XaVier CoLLege PreParatory high sChooL
Location: Palm Desert, CaliforniaFounded: 2006California Province association: Endorsed
Student enrollment: 340Student body note: CoedSchool website: www.xavierprep.org
schools & locations
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2
1
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8
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18 MISSION SprINg 2010
MISSION SprINg 2010 19
On his 96th birthday, Father William J. Maring, S.J.,
was asked if he had retired at the Sacred Heart
Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California. “I haven’t
retired yet,” he replied. “You just can’t sit around.” Indeed, on
his birthday, this nonagenarian born before World War I in San
Francisco had gone out to attend Mass with a friend, continuing
his cultivation of a potential benefactor.
Not only is Fr. Maring the oldest Jesuit in the California Prov-
ince, but he still carries out his duties as Promoter of Province
Arca. Arca is a Jesuit term for fund, and the California Province
maintains a group of arcas set aside for
specific purposes: for men in formation,
for apostolic works including missionar-
ies, for the care of elderly and infirm
Jesuits, for the maintenance or purchase
of community houses where Jesuits live,
and for the greatest need at a particular
time. The arcas are sustained in large
part by donations from benefactors past,
present, and future.
Fr. Maring’s life spans most of the history of the California
Province which itself was established only four years before he
was born on November 9, 1913, to Edward and Minnie Maring.
He attended Catholic schools in San Francisco and studied
for one year at the University of San Francisco before entering
the Society of Jesus at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in 1932. After
two years in the novitiate, he entered the juniorate, then under
the auspices of Santa Clara University. After his regency at
Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, where he taught
Latin and math, he studied theology at Alma College in Los
Gatos. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1945.
In 1947, his life took a turn in a different direction. Although
he had planned to study for a doctorate in mathematics at
Georgetown University, he was called to Los Gatos to help
run the Novitiate Winery. Then in 1948 he was “assigned
temporarily” to be Province Treasurer “and 30 years later they
fired me,” he jokes.
More recently, Fr. Maring played a starring role in the
California Province Centennial film, Responding to the Call of
Christ: 100 Years and Beyond. In a memorable scene, Fr. Maring
walks briskly in front of the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, and as
the camera follows him, he says, “I’m the oldest Jesuit in the
California Province now. We have to have courage. We have to
have conviction and not be afraid to face the future.”
Reflecting on that scene months later, Fr. Maring explains, “I
spoke from my heart. Maybe that’s what
God wanted to be said.” Yet he knows how
easy it is “to give up. To keep plugging
away—that takes courage,” he says.
While Fr. Maring is clearly unafraid of the
future, he is actively engaged in the present
and takes a pragmatic approach. Referring
to the Province’s Kino Border Initiative,
a social-outreach ministry located astride
the U.S.-Mexico border at Nogales, Arizona, he acknowledges that
“immigration is a big problem. There are hundreds of thousands of
illegal aliens in this country.” He quickly adds, “We can’t just throw
them out, yet what can we do? How can we solve that problem?”
As for his fundraising efforts, Fr. Maring encourages benefac-
tors to keep the big picture in mind. “We are educating Jesuits so
that they can run our schools and ministries, working with the
poor all across the board. If you don’t have the funds to educate
Jesuits, then you can’t maintain the Jesuit schools and ministries
that you have.”
Fr. Maring also thinks the Province’s benefactors ought to
know more about what his fellow Jesuit community members do
at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. In addition to “taking care of old
priests and brothers,” he says, “it’s a source of Jesuit power. We
pray for the benefit of the Church and the Society and for the
people who support Jesuit enterprises.”—Dick Bushnell
“I’m the oldest Jesuit in the California Province now. We
have to have courage. We have to have conviction and not be
afraid to face the future.”
Meet Father William J. Maring, S.J.
PE
TER
LE
MIE
UX
Jesuit profile
20 MISSION SPRING 2010
When a Jesuit and a bank robber become friends, anything is possible.
AlcAtrAzby Father Bernard J. Bush, S.J.
It is part of the formation of Jesuits to spend
some time in an apostolate before Theology
Studies and Ordination to the Priesthood. In
1957, I was assigned to teach at St. Ignatius
College Preparatory in San Francisco.
At that time, Fr. Jim Tupy, S.J., who was on the faculty of St. Ignatius, also served as chaplain at the U.S. Penitentiary on Alcatraz Island. Fr. Tupy went out to The Rock every Sunday
to say Mass for the prisoners. I was very curious about the
prison and asked Fr. Tupy if it would be possible for me to
accompany him so I could see what it was like.
He got permission from the warden, Paul Madigan, for me
to go with him to visit while he did his ministry. After the
Mass, I went into the yard where the men were hav-
ing recreation period. Some were playing cards, while
others were playing handball, lifting weights, or walking
around. I began introducing myself and talking to them.
One man in particular, who was sunning himself
against the wall, looked very tough. I did not want to
startle him, so I called out from a few feet away. He
opened his eyes and looked at me. I advanced, shook
his hand, and introduced myself. He told me his name
was Trumblay. When I asked how long he was in for,
he said 35 years. I asked him what he had done. “They
say I held up some banks,” he replied. [Trumblay had
been sentenced to prison in 1953 for a $53,000 holdup
of National Bank and Trust in South Bend, Indiana, in
which a teller was wounded by a shotgun blast.]
Amazing grace at
Fr. Bernard Bush, S.J., celebrates his Ordination Mass, as Larry Trumblay (far right) brings the chalice to the altar.
MISSION SPRING 2010 21
L ater, as I was leaving the prison, the warden asked
me how I liked my visit. I told him that I really
enjoyed meeting the men and talking with them.
Then I mentioned that I had met a man named
Trumblay who seemed very tough and hostile. The warden
told me that I was wasting my time with him as he caused
more trouble than any five other inmates. He then showed
me a list of Trumlay’s infractions since he had been there. He
had not earned any “good time” for all of his years there and
had spent considerable time in the “The Hole.”
That was the first of many visits to Alcatraz. On my next
visit, I saw Trumblay walking by with a couple of other men.
“Hello, Trumblay,” I said. “Do you remember me?” he asked.
“Sure, I never forget my friends,” I replied. “No one ever
called me that before,” he said. “Well, why not? We had a
good talk the last time I was here,” I told him.
Over the next four years, I went to Alcatraz about once
every month or two. Each time I went, Larry Trumblay and I
would make a point to talk with each other. We became very
close friends.
We began to fantasize that he would attend my ordination
in San Francisco which would be coming up in a few years.
Since he had about 25 years left of his sentence that seemed
completely impossible, but it was fun to talk about how I
would help him escape, come to my ordination, then get him
back before they missed him. He told me that while he would
not be there, he would give me something to remember him
and the boys by.
I went to study theology in 1962 and they closed Alcatraz
the next year. Larry went to the federal prison at Leavenworth,
Kansas, where through his good behavior he got all of his good
time back. His sentence was reduced by the court through a
technicality and he was released from prison on parole on
May 19, 1965.
We got permission from the Attorney General of the United
States for him to come to California. So on June 4, 1965, Larry
was at my ordination. He gave me something that day to
remember him and the boys by. It was an alb, which he had
designed and crocheted in his cell at Alcatraz. I wore it for my
ordination and first Mass. It was a very joyous time for Larry and
me because our wildest, most improbable
dream had come true.
Larry returned to his home in
Chicago, but a few weeks later on
June 26, he was killed in an auto
accident. He was 37 years old.
Looking back at that experience, I
believe that God did the impossible
by allowing Larry to “escape” from
Alcatraz so that my best friend could
be at my ordination. Then God took
him right to heaven. It is the passion
and resurrection of Christ in our time.
I have felt Larry’s closeness many,
many times.
Editor’s note: Father Bernard Bush, S.J., is a retreat director at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos. The late Father Jim Tupy, S.J., was chaplain at Alcatraz federal prison from 1958 until it
closed in 1963.
“Looking back at that experience, I believe that God did the impossible by allowing Larry to ‘escape’ from Alcatraz so that my best friend could be at my ordination.” –Fr. Bernard Bush, S.J.
22 MISSION SPRING 2010
“The ever-growing cultural options being placed before us present us with baffling pathways.”
by Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., Executive Director, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Journalist John Allen believes there are two overarching trends
in worldwide Catholicism today. The first is the dramatic shift
in the Church’s composition from being European-centered to
now being centered in the developing world of Africa, Asia, and
Latin America. This shift is true as well for worldwide religious
orders like the Jesuits. The second is the corresponding search
for Catholic identity and unity, or communion, in the face of so
much diversity.
These two trends coexist with a great deal of tension today.
In the wake of globalization nobody–no institutions, nations,
cultures, churches, or religions–can remain unaffected by the
encounter with the “other.” These encounters advance in the
form of migration: there are more than 20 million migrants and
refugees in our world.
In addition, market forces are creating a new balance of power,
one that is polycentric. Once-sleeping giants like China and India
are on the move. While global economics drive the use of English
as a lingua franca and the Internet, digital communications, and
travel unite people instantly in a baffling variety of ways, there is
plenty of push-back in the form of rising nationalisms and sectari-
anisms that partially explain today’s terrorism. In our own country,
the current anti-immigrant environment incited by “advocacy jour-
nalists” like Lou Dobbs is an example of this push-back.
Robert Putnam, a leading commentator on U.S. society,
reminds us that most people react to diversity—what is
different—with fear and suspicion. The trauma of 9/11 did not
help! It created in the minds and hearts of many a context of fear,
a fear that poisons political discourse and throws cold water on
efforts to dialogue with others.
In a much-commented talk he gave a few years ago titled
“E Pluribus Unum,” Putnam reported that what he calls
“social capital” is in decline in the U.S. because of diversity. The
presence of many different cultural groups in so many places
throughout the country has created a “hunkering down” reaction
on the part of many. They respond to diversity like turtles—they
retreat into their shells. As a result, people are less rather than
more willing to listen to the other and much less willing to
collaborate in the resolution of common needs.
This stressful situation is nothing new to the Catholic Church.
While in its sinfulness the Church does not always live up to its
deepest and most authentic identity, nor act consistently with
its own message about catholicity (its nature as a communion
or unity within diversity), the Church keeps coming back to its
identity which is communion. Communion is reached not only
through adhering to the message received from the Lord but
by putting it into action. Pope Benedict XVI uses the word “per-
formative.” Tools like the Catechism of the Catholic Church and
the Magisterium (contemporary teachings of the Holy Father and
the bishops and other doctrinal resources) enhance the Church’s
search for a doctrinal and moral backbone. But these resources
are never enough because truth has to be put into action.
Truth for a Christian is incarnate, that is, it becomes flesh—it
is embodied. That’s why Catholic identity is linked to action on
behalf of justice, the option for the poor, and the pursuit of the
common good. Symbolically and actually this is what happens
in the Church’s highest form of prayer which is the Eucharist.
Christ’s loving sacrifice and presence, agape, become reality in
the body made up of the faithful who embody Christ for others in
marriage, the family, friendship, in the workplace or school, in the
boardroom, in business, on the sports field and sometimes (in a
just war) even the battlefield.
Rising Diversity:
Making Choices
MISSION SPRING 2010 23
Openness to the other is a fundamental characteristic of the
catholic spirit. The basis for this openness is the conviction that
God’s Spirit is at work literally everywhere and in everyone. The
message of Christ is that there is one God and Father of all and
that we are all brothers and sisters. All life must be respected,
including that of the unborn and the poor. Is there something
one does not understand about the meaning of the word “all”
in the last sentence? But the human race, even devout Christians,
often do not accept God’s universal love. Today’s changing world
scene is forcing the issue as people are on the move within their
nations and across international borders. Never have human be-
ings and their cultures been more mobile than
they are today.
The word that best expresses the reality
of this new age of human interaction is
interculturality. At its heart, it is the notion
of culture as the way of life, values, and
customs, in a word, the identity, of a people.
This identity interacts with others by means
of symbols, stories, and rituals—the vehicles
by which the core values of human identity
express themselves. People tend to hold on
to their culture because it constitutes their
comfort zone, the way of living they are used
to and take for granted. The challenge of
our time revolves around the effective communication of these
values and their dynamic execution, transformation, or decline.
This happens in the crucible of a people’s symbols, stories, and
rituals through the give-and-take of life as mediated by work,
education, travel, cyberspace, and religion. Cultures are being
cramped, stretched, and squeezed. While cultures have always
been dynamic realities, they “hunker down” when they perceive
themselves to be threatened.
U.S. culture has responded to cultural transforma-
tions both positively and negatively. The integra-
tion of many immigrant people into our culture
is a great human accomplishment, but we have
always blown hot and cold about this. We have
a hate-love relationship with our immigrant selves, since virtually
everyone’s roots (except the Native Americans) are found some-
where else. Our history includes ugly, recurring moments of
racism and bigotry. Yet our cultural drive toward equality and
due process under law has defended the rights and human
dignity of minorities. The election of an African-American
president in 2008 was a dramatic demonstration of this.
The Church looks at the dynamics of cultural change through
a much different lens. For the Church, it is not about defending
national or modern cultures, no matter how exalted they be. It
is about proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. That message
encoded in the Sermon on the Mount and more widely in the
Scriptures and the Christian tradition has permanently counter-
cultural features. Jesus’ teaching about the centrality of love of
God and neighbor challenges every culture to go far beyond its
values and norms because it proposes the counterintuitive notion
that life passes through death, that agape or self-sacrificial love
and not self-promotion is the highest norm for approaching life.
The reality of the world’s growing experience with cultural,
generational, and gender diversity highlights the need for what
sociologist of religion John A. Coleman, S.J., calls “cultural
discernment.” Ignatian spirituality proposes to all people on life’s
journey the possibility of discovering God’s will in their most
authentic desires as lived in the context of Christian community
fed by the Eucharist.
The ever-growing cultural options being placed
before us present us all with baffling pathways.
Many Americans are blessed with economic
mobility and education that allow them to make
these choices. We know that many will opt out of
life in Christian community and pursue a “good
life” as secular humanists. They will not be antag-
onistic to their ancestral Catholicism but it won’t
be a source of light and life any more. This is a
fundamental shift in which God and others cease
to be the center of one’s life and in their place is
put a pleasant but innocuous ideal (idol?) of self-
fulfillment, living for oneself and not for others.
While one’s culture is perceived as being influenced or “under
attack” by foreign tongues, values, and ways of being in this age
of migration, globalization, and diversity, the strongest and most
persistent influence is not coming from other national cultures.
It is coming from the all-pervasive modern culture that offers
material satisfactions and ethical ones in the form of secular
humanism. The heartland of this secular culture is the United
States and Europe. The Church does not condemn this culture of
secularity, but points out that it, like every other cultural influ-
ence, has to stand in judgment before the goodness, truth, and
beauty revealed in Jesus Christ.
In the face of today’s mounting diversity, the best stance for
committed and alive Catholics is one of critical awareness of their
own culture, its strengths and limitations; an openness to other
people’s cultures; and, more than anything else, a real grounding
in the gospel message taught by Christ whom they profess to
follow. The Ignatian heritage of prayerful discernment is a
particularly relevant tool today as so many choices are being
offered to us in the context of diversity. The question is: Do you
choose to follow Christ in the world?
Editor’s note: In 2008, Fr. Allan F. Deck, S.J., became the first Executive Director of the Office for Cultural Diversity in the Church at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops based in Washington, D.C. Previous to that appointment, Fr. Deck, a Jesuit priest of the California Province, served as Executive Director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, Calif.
The Church looks at the dynamics of
cultural change through a much different lens.
24 MISSION SprINg 2010
In front of the Mission Church at Santa Clara University
stand eight white crosses. Each bears the name of one of
the six Jesuits, their cook, and her daughter murdered at
the University of Central America (UCA), El Salvador. I
have seen these crosses many times since they were erected in
November 1989. They contrast starkly with the bustling groups
of students headed to and from class. Only when visiting El
Salvador in this past year did I began to understand why the
martyrs remain so important to
the mission of this university in
the Silicon Valley.
At Santa Clara we have a
historic link to the work of the
Jesuits at the UCA. Their slain
president, Ignacio Ellacuria, S.J.,
had delivered the commencement
address here in 1982. He chal-
lenged Jesuit universities to work
in solidarity with those who
suffer oppression and poverty.
I saw one example how this
university has responded when
I visited Santa Clara’s Casa de la
Solidaridad in San Salvador.
The Casa directors, Kevin and
Trena Yonkers-Talz, work with Father Mark Ravizza, S.J., from
Santa Clara’s philosophy department, and a dedicated staff of Sal-
vadorans. They assist the 25 to 30 students who study at the Casa
each semester. Besides taking classes at the UCA, students work
two days per week in neighborhoods and small rural communi-
ties. To learn from the people, the Casa’s program emphasizes
the word: acompañar—to accompany. Students accompany
by meeting, listening, and working alongside the Salvadoran
people amidst their daily realities.
I accompanied Trena and Kevin into the homes of the
campesinos in hamlets like Tepecoyo and Los Nubes. In San
Ramon Abad, Rosa and Lilo welcomed us for a dinner of beans
and heaps of insert thick, homemade Salvadoran tortillas. When
the table was cleared, they shared their stories of the violence of
the civil war thirty years ago. One-time farmers, they fled their
village when caught in the crossfire between government and
rebel forces. As they ran with their small children, Rosa carried
her baby in her arms. Closing in on them, a soldier tossed a gre-
nade. Not until they had run much further did Rosa discover that
a tiny piece of grenade shrapnel had killed her daughter. Rosa
asked me, “Padre, why did God
take my child from me?”
The people of El Salvador have
taught me, touched my heart, and
stirred my conscience. I recalled
Rosa’s query when Father Jon
Sobino, S.J., spoke at Santa Clara
in November 2009. He offered
the keynote address during the
university’s commemoration of
the martyrs of the UCA. Sobrino,
who was not home the night
when the killers attacked 20 years
earlier, spoke in the Mission
Church about the eight martyrs.
Explaining that the poor in El
Salvador are still being crucified,
he asked: What have we done to put them on the cross? What
are we doing to take them down from the cross?
Jon Sobrino speaks and writes so that the light of Truth will
reveal how people live and suffer in El Salvador. As God’s
beloved, the poor possess rights to life and security, health,
education, respect, a living wage. As I reflected on Sobrino’s
witness, I wondered about the death of Rosa’s child and about
that question, what are we doing to take the poor down from the
cross? We might ask, how is the world better because of me and
my actions? How is the world sanctified, improved, transformed?
What good do I allow God to work through me for the benefit of
others? How, indeed, do we alleviate the crucified poor?
The El Salvador Martyrs: Crosses to liberate the poorby Michael Engh, S.J., President of Santa Clara University
The poor in El Salvador are still being crucified.
Pau
l W
oo
lle
y
The First Jesuit Pilot
Brother george Feltes, S.J. (1898-1993), received his flying license in 1929 in order to become a bush pilot for the far-flung Jesuit mission stations of northern Alaska. The first Jesuit to fly
an airplane, he was hailed in the press as the “First Flying Missionary.” He oversaw the construction of a Bellanca Pacemaker, dubbed “The Marquette Missionary,” flew it across the U.S. and shipped it to Alaska. The plane was in service only a few months when it crashed at Kotzebue in October 1930, killing the lay pilot, the Jesuit mission superior, and another priest.
Br. Feltes returned to the East Coast to pick up a second airplane of the same make, “The Alaska Missionary.” During this period, he was photographed with Col. Charles Lindbergh at Curtiss Field on Long Island in 1931 (inset photo). Br. Feltes flew the second plane to Jesuit mission stations
for a few years before the bishop, deeming flying too dangerous, sold the aircraft. Br. Feltes served another 50 years in Alaska before retiring to Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los gatos.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
California Province of
the Society of Jesus
CALIFORNIA PROVINCE OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUSAdvancement OfficeP.O. Box 68Los gatos, CA 95031-0068
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
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