Τi - USA Northeast Province

8
Provincial
V. Rev. Myles N. Sheehan, SJ
Associate Consultants
Rev. William R. Campbell, SJ
Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, SJ
Provincial Assistants
Rev. John J. Higgins, SJ
Socius/Executive Assistant
Rev. John T. Butler, SJ
Director of Vocations
Rev. Robert J. Daly, SJ
Assistant for Higher Education
Rev. Richard A. Deshaies, SJ
Assistant for Formation
Margaret T. Florentine
Assistant for Secondary Education
Rev. Michael D. Linden, SJ
Assistant for International,
Pastoral and Social Ministries
Catherine R. Morency, RN
Province Health Care
Coordinator
Alice Poltorick
Director of Communications
Grace Cotter Regan
Executive Director of
Advancement
Sr. Clare Walsh, MHSH
Assistant for New England
Ignatian Spirituality in The Jesuit
Collaborative
Rev. Dennis J. Yesalonia, SJ
Treasurer
ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE
Elizabeth Bourque
Patricia A. Casey
Ann Marie Connolly
Jack M. Connors, Jr.
John J. Griffin, Jr., Esq.
Francis C. Mahoney
John J. Mahoney, Jr.
John A. McNeice, Jr.
Joseph E. O’Leary, Esq.
Catherine L. O’Neil
Spring/Summer 2010
Vol. 6, Issue 1
Dear Friends: The Peace of Christ!
Province Consultors
Rev. John J. Higgins, SJ
Rev. Paul D. Holland, SJ
Rev. Joseph M. O’Keefe, SJ
Rev. William E. Stempsey, SJ
As I conclude my first year as Provincial, I want to thank you for
your support and to express my gratitude for your prayers. In the years
ahead, I hope to continue to move the Province forward to meet the
needs of the Church in ways for which the Jesuits are so well known.
You will read in this issue about the exciting trip I took in May to Amman and Baghdad,
seeking to reaffirm the ties that the New England Province has had with that region since
we began a school in Baghdad in 1932. The faith, courage and hope of the men and women
I met in Baghdad was an inspiration.
Our work in Amman provides a striking example of the good that a small number of
Jesuits can do:
• we provide ministry for the English-speaking community in Jordan, many of them
domestic workers from the Philippines;
• the staff of our pastoral center reaches out to the Christians with classes in prayer,
Scripture, and Ignatian spirituality;
• the Jesuit Refugee Service works out of our pastoral center and provides assistance to a
large Iraqi refugee community.
A wonderful part of my visit to the area was meeting with our Iraqi novice, Stev Metika,
who is doing his novitiate in Cairo.
You will also read in this issue of the 2010 GALA fundraiser in April. Not only are we
grateful for your generous contributions, but the presence of 1,250 guests brought with
it a heartwarming spirit of affection for the Jesuits. I am happy to announce that the
2011 GALA will honor the past presidents of our institutions of higher education: Fr.
John E. Brooks, SJ, of the College of the Holy Cross, Fr. Aloysius P. Kelley, SJ, of Fairfield
University, and Fr. J. Donald Monan, SJ, of Boston College.
I hope that you enjoy this issue of JESUITS magazine and have a great summer!
Sincerely,
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Francis B. Campanella
Joseph P. Fallon
Lawrence E. Kaplan, Esq.
Michael J. Lochhead
Judith A. Malone, Esq.
John H. McCarthy
Mary Coffey Moran
William Supple
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
Richard F. Connolly
William R. Durgin
Paul F. Healey
Peter C. McKenzie
Robert J. Morrissey
Sean P. O’Neil
Publisher
V. Rev. Myles N. Sheehan, SJ
Executive Editor
Alice Poltorick
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Associate Editor
Rev. Charles B. Connolly, SJ
Executive Director of Advancement
Grace Cotter Regan
Contributing Writers/Editors
Rev. Charles B. Connolly, SJ
Suzanne Heffernan
Alice Poltorick
Grace Cotter Regan
Layout/Design
Pat Mullaly, Circle Graphics
1
Jesuits in Formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Ordinations –Welcoming Our New Priests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Annual Jesuit GALA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Inspiration at Eastern Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Cover: Br. Donald J. Murray, SJ,
and Fr. Charles B. Connolly, SJ,
assist the New England Province
in advancing the mission of the
Society of Jesus. Read their story
on pages 22–23. Photo by John
Gillooly.
JESUITS is published twice
per year by the New England
Province and is available online:
www.sjnen.org.
Jesuit Theologian and Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Men Behind the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chaplain Fr. James Shaughnessy, SJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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Please address all
correspondence to:
Alice Poltorick
New England Province
of Jesuits, P.O. Box 9199,
Watertown, MA 02471-9199
Phone: 617-607-2895
Email: apoltorick@sjnen.org
Very Reverend Myles N. Sheehan, SJ
Provincial, New England Province of Jesuits
John F. Power
Deborah P. Reed
John J. Shaughnessy, Jr.
William J. Teuber, Jr.
Features
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Michael J. Lochhead
John H. McCarthy
Rev. Richard A. McGowan, SJ
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
COMMITTEE
Mary Corcoran
Ellen Keohane
Robert J. Ostiguy
in every issue
© 2010, New England Province
of Jesuits. All rights reserved.
Printed in USA.
C Printed on recycled paper.
Provincial Letter . . Inside Front Cover
18
Province News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Advancement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Words to Live By. . . Inside Back Cover
Province News
New Assignments
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Fr. Joseph A. Appleyard, SJ, has been
appointed socius of the New England
Province. He has been vice-president for
mission and ministry at Boston College. Fr.
John J. Higgins, SJ, who has served in the
position for the past six years, will be going
on a well-deserved sabbatical.
Fr. John P. Murray, SJ, has been appointed
superior of Eastern Point Retreat House.
Fr. Murray served as internal consultant on
Ignatian spirituality in human resources at
Boston College.
Fr. John T. Butler, SJ, who has served as
director of vocations for the New England
Province and director for Manresa House
at BC, has been named vice-president for
university mission and ministry.
Fr. James P. Carr, SJ, has been appointed
director of novices for the Maryland, New
York and New England Provinces and
superior of St. Andrew Hall in Syracuse,
New York. Fr. Carr was director of Eastern
Point Retreat House.
Boston College has also named Fr. Terrence
P. Devino, SJ, to succeed Fr. Butler as
director of Manresa House and special
assistant to the president. Fr. Devino served
as vice-president for university ministries at
the University of Scranton.
Fr. Robert J. Levens, SJ, is the new superior
of the Campion Jesuit Community.
Fr. Levens served as retreat director and
chaplain to alumni and faculty at Fairfield
College Preparatory School.
Fr. Mark S. Massa, SJ, is the new dean of the
School of Theology and Ministry (STM) at
Boston College. He succeeds founding dean
Fr. Richard Clifford, SJ.
Fr. Paul D. Holland, SJ, who has served as
rector of the Campion Jesuit Community
for the past five years, has been named
rector of the Fairfield Jesuit Community.
Read Fr. Holland’s reflection on page 13.
New Scholars
Maine Jesuits in Maine
Two Jesuits are welcomed into the “community of scholars.”
For the first time in a long
time, three Jesuits who are
native Mainers have been
assigned to Maine at the same
time, and are living in the
same community. Fr. John
R. d’Anjou, SJ, was born
in Biddeford and moved to
Portland when he was one year old; Fr. Richard D. Bertrand,
SJ, was born and lived in Biddeford; Fr. John T. Crabb, SJ,
was born in Bangor and moved to South Portland at the age
of twelve.
Fr. John D. Savard, SJ, was awarded an EdD
from the University of San Francisco.
Fr. Savard is the rector of the Jesuit Community at the College of the Holy Cross.
Fr. Joseph R.M. Palmisano,
SJ, was granted a PhD in
theology from Trinity College
in Dublin. Fr. Palmisano begins tertianship
in September and will serve in campus
ministry at Fairfield University.
Jesuits in the Middle East
J
Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ, Abp. Francis Assisi Chullikatt, Nuncio to
Jordan and Iraq, and Fr. Michael Linden, SJ, met in Amman, Jordan.
esuits from the New England Province minister throughout New
England and around the world. Recently, Fr. Provincial Myles
Sheehan, SJ, and Fr. Michael Linden, SJ, provincial assistant for
international, pastoral and social ministries, traveled to the Middle
East to visit New England Jesuits ministering in Lebanon, Egypt and
Jordan. From Jordan, they traveled to Iraq to meet with the Latin Rite
Archbishop of Baghdad.
Fr. Michael Linden’s first stop was Beirut, Lebanon, where he visited
with Fr. Martin J. McDermott, SJ, and Fr. John J. Donohue, SJ. From
there, he traveled to Egypt and spent time with novice Mr. Stev
Metika, SJ, and Fr. John A. Carty, SJ. From there, Fr. Linden traveled
to Amman.
Fr. Sheehan, after spending two weeks in Rome meeting with Fr.
General and other provincials at the Jesuit Curia, traveled to Jordan.
With Fr. Linden he visited Fr. Alfred J. Hicks, SJ, Fr. Clarence J. Burby,
SJ and lay colleagues at the Jesuit Centre and visited Sacred Heart
Church, where Fr. Kevin G. O’Connell, SJ, is pastor. After meeting
with Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, Nuncio to Jordan and
Iraq, they proceeded to Iraq. In Baghdad they met with the Latin Rite
Archbishop of Baghdad, Jean Sleiman, Mr. Wathiq Hindo, alumnus of
Baghdad College and his wife, Nidhal.
Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ, with Fr. Al Hicks, SJ, at the memorial to the
Jesuits who died while serving in Baghdad.
Fr. Al Hicks, SJ, Superior of the Jesuits in Jordan and Iraq, with Nidhal and Wathiq Hindo.
Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ, concelebrates Mass with Abp. Jean Sleiman at
St. Joseph Cathedral.
Fr. Martin McDermott, SJ, with refugees from
the Philippines and Africa in Beirut, Lebanon.
Fr. John Carty, SJ, ministers in Alexandria, Egypt.
3
Formation
The First and Most Important Novitiate Experiment:
The Spiritual Exercises
by Fr. Joseph E. Lingan, SJ
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5
T
his past January, the six novices of the Maryland, New England and
New York Provinces made the Spiritual Exercises at Eastern Point Retreat
House in Gloucester, Massachusetts. They were joined by the 12 Jesuit novices
from the Chicago, Detroit and Wisconsin Provinces.
Fr. Joseph E. Lingan, SJ
As novice director, directing the Exercises is the
highlight of my year! While directing the Exercises,
one comes to know the novice well, and is privileged to
witness up close his relationship with God. An authentic
experience of the Exercises is both personal and intense.
Through the experience of directing novices, my own
relationship with and affection for God has deepened, my
appreciation and affection for St. Ignatius has deepened,
and my appreciation and affection for each of our novices
has deepened. I have certainly come to better know and
appreciate the Spiritual Exercises, and I pray that I have
become a better Jesuit in the process.
At the novitiate, we regularly remember and pray for
our benefactors and their intentions. We are keenly
aware that our mission at the novitiate is made possible
through the generous prayerful and material support of
our benefactors. I pray they know how grateful we are for
their support of this important mission, and that God will
continue to bless them with a generous spirit.
Fr. Joseph E. Lingan, SJ, is the master of novices for the
Maryland, New England and New York Provinces of the
Society of Jesus.
Jesuit novices James Ferus, Marco Rodriguez, Chris Grodecki, Andrew Otto, Gil Stockson, and Adam Rosinski on retreat at Eastern Point Retreat House.
New England Province novice Stev Metika, nSJ, on the left, made the “Long Retreat” this spring in Alexandria, Egypt. The photo was taken at Sainte-Famille in Cairo.
Novitiate
For many religious orders the first stage of formation is
called the novitiate. For the Society of Jesus, the novitiate
is a two-year period of time during which the vocation
of a novice is discerned and confirmed. The Society’s
guidelines state that “[a] vocation is to be tested by various
experiments that, in St. Ignatius’ view, constitute the
specific characteristic of the novitiate; these must place the
novices in circumstances wherein they can give evidence
of what they really are and show how they have made their
own the spiritual attitudes proper to our vocation.” Today,
our novitiate program is guided by these norms originally
established by St. Ignatius and the early members of the
Society of Jesus.
Early edition of the Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius Loyola.
Most important among these experiments is the Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. The Exercises are a thirtyday series of prayer experiences or “exercises” that one
prays. To express it simply, the Exercises are an instrument
by which a person is able to meet God and to discern
what might be God’s will for the individual. The Exercises
are an opportunity for one to begin to establish a deeper
and more sincere relationship with God. The making of
the Spiritual Exercises is the key experiment of the Jesuit
novitiate, for it sets the tone or context for every other
novitiate experiment that follows.
Formation
My First Day
by Mr. Mario M. Powell, SJ
“They will run and not grow weary”
~Isaiah 40:31
I
The next morning when my
homeroom class came through my
door, I decided that I would be me. I
met 17 very young, very short and very
timid freshmen and laughed out loud.
I broke rule number one. In response
to a question in my next class, I
responded sarcastically. I broke rule
number two. In my last class, I began
telling the students about myself.
There went rule number three. At the
end of the day I realized that I was
becoming the very Jesuits who taught
me at my Jesuit high school. They
by Mr. Christopher J. Ryan, SJ
Photo: Dr. Gary Neilsen
6
never really thought about my first day as a
teacher. When I arrived at Cheverus High
School, Portland, Maine, to begin my regency,
I went to the obligatory faculty meetings. I had
lesson plans, but none of them included first-time
introductions. I had a syllabus, but I had no idea
what I wanted for my 123 students. I went online
in a feeble attempt to see what other teachers do.
I was told not to laugh until Christmas, not to
be sarcastic and not to reveal too much of my
personal life. None of it seemed practical, nor
did it sound like too much fun. That was not the
teacher that I wanted to be.
were all honest and true to themselves.
They were confident, tough, fair and
honest. They were silly and told awful
jokes. They were real.
My greatest teachers were the ones
who had an unparalleled ability to
tell a great story, and they worked
tirelessly to get their students to tell a
great story as well. The story is me—
us. I have learned in my second year
of regency that while teaching history
and theology are important, getting
my students to access their innermost
selves and to express that story is just
A
fter training for four months and over 500 miles, braving all the caprices of a
New England winter, I met two friends in Boston on Marathon Monday for the
bus ride to Hopkinton.
as important! At the same time, I
work to gain the attention and respect
of unruly, indifferent or typical
adolescents. I am a Jesuit scholastic, a
young teacher, a young man finding
God in my students and praying that
they can find God in me.
Mario Powell, SJ, is a Jesuit scholastic
in his second year of regency, a time for
Jesuits in formation to be fully involved
in the apostolic work and community
life of their province.
Teacher and Musician
Mr. Thomas M. Simisky, SJ, second-year regent and teacher of theology at
Cheverus High School, plays the violin with the school’s string ensemble.
Thousands gathered there for the
start of the annual event and traded
stories of training, past experiences
of running Boston and their reasons
for toeing the line this year.
I’m ordinarily very serious about
my racing, and I have approached
past marathons rather methodically.
Yet the magic of Boston opened me to unprecedented joys,
and it reminded me that ultimately I run to revel in the life
it gives me.
Coming through Hopkinton, Ashland and Framingham
in the early miles, I lost count of how many high-fives I
shared with kids lining the course. After enthusiastic cheers
in Natick from my school’s president—and the women of
Wellesley College—I was elated and smiling, something I
had never experienced at the halfway point of a marathon.
As I neared mile 17, anticipating the Newton hills, I was
lifted up by more than just the rising topography. For four
tough miles, one long hill each, we were carried by the
cheers, screams, signs and enthusiasm of crowds four to six
deep on both sides of Commonwealth Avenue. Just beyond
the final summit, the spires of Boston College came into
view, followed by hundreds of the school’s students whose
supportive cheers and infectious enthusiasm sped my
descent into the city itself.
The grueling miles along Beacon Street saw my focus
narrow to the simple tasks of maintaining my pace
and resisting temptations to yield to pain and fatigue
—a microcosm of my struggles to maintain hope and
confidence amid a difficult first year as a middle school
teacher.
Digging deep physically as I ran through the deafening
roar of the crowd in Kenmore Square, I felt a new surge
of spiritual energy, and the words of St. Ignatius’ prayer
“Take, Lord, and receive…” became my mantra through
the final blocks down Boylston Street.
These vignettes of the 26.2-mile pilgrimage from
Hopkinton to Boston continue to gladden my heart. On a
deeper level, I remember and appreciate the support and
companionship of my Jesuit community, the numerous
runners I met over the weekend, and the presence of two
longtime friends.
Amid my journey as a Jesuit in formation, training
for and completing the Boston Marathon is a consoling
reminder of my capacity to walk some longer roads, to
strive for deeper companionship and to maintain steadfast
devotion. Whether the weariness I encounter along the way
is physical, mental or spiritual, I continually hear the words
of Isaiah echoing with the footfalls of my stride: “They who
hope in the Lord shall renew their strength… they will run
and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.”
Congratulations to Chris Ryan, SJ, for
completing the Boston Marathon on April 19 in
under three hours. Chris is teaching at Nativity
School of Worcester during his regency.
7
Formation
Ordination Celebrations
“Carry out the ministry of Christ the Priest with constant joy and
genuine love, attending not to your own concerns but to those of
Jesus Christ.” ~ Rite of Ordination.
New England
Jamaica
O
n December 30, 2009, Michael
F. Davidson, SJ, and Rohan
Tulloch, SJ, were ordained to the
priesthood at the Cathedral of the
Most Holy Trinity, Kingston, Jamaica
by the Most Reverend Lawrence A.
Burke, SJ, Archbishop Emeritus of
Kingston, Jamaica. Also presiding was
the present Archbishop of Kingston,
Donald J. Reece. Family, friends and
brother Jesuits from near and far
attended the ceremony.
Fr. Davidson is studying for a master
of education degree at Boston College.
Fr. Tulloch is studying theology at
Regis College, Toronto, Canada.
Editor’s note: Archbishop Burke died on
January 24. May he rest in peace.
Photos: Wayne M. Chin
Photos: Justin Knight
8
Provincial Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ, Fr. George Collins, SJ, Bishop Boles, Fr. Charles Gallagher, SJ, and Provincial Assistant for Formation, Fr. Richard Deshaies, SJ.
O
Bishop Boles presents Fr. Collins with bread and
wine used at Mass.
Fr. Gallagher blesses Bishop Boles.
n Saturday, June 12, 2010, the Most
Reverend John P. Boles, Auxiliary Bishop
Emeritus of Boston, presided at the ordination
to the priesthood of George E. Collins, SJ, and
Charles R. Gallagher, SJ. Rev. Robert T. Kickham,
Secretary to Cardinal O’Malley, served as master
of ceremonies. Family and friends attended the
ordination liturgy at the Church of St. Ignatius
Loyola, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and
celebrated at a luncheon reception held at Boston
College.
Fr. Collins will spend his first summer as a priest
working at St. Ignatius Church. In the fall of 2010,
he will return to the Jesuit School of Theology in
Berkeley to complete his STL degree in Christian
spirituality. Fr. Gallagher will teach in the
Department of History at Boston College.
Archbishop Reece presents Fr. Davidson and Fr. Tulloch to the congregration.
Archbishop Burke invokes the Holy Spirit on
Fr. Davidson.
Fr. Tulloch promises obedience and respect to
Archbishop Burke.
9
Education
Milestones
Nativity Boston Celebrates 20 Years
“Nativity gave the structure and taught what
T
we should do. Nativity provided some gentle
his spring, friends, family, staff, students, alumni and
benefactors gathered at Boston College High School
to celebrate Nativity Prep’s 20 years of providing a tuitionfree Jesuit education to middle school boys from Boston’s
toughest inner-city neighborhoods.
The evening inspired lively discussions of Nativity Prep’s
past, present and future. Guests recalled that in 1990, the
red door at 30 Raynor Circle opened to welcome Nativity
Prep’s first class of students. There to greet them was the
school’s founder, Barry Hynes, his staff of bright-eyed
volunteer teachers and Jesuits like Fr. Bill Cullen, SJ,
and Fr. Perard Monestime, SJ. Nativity Prep’s first Board
Chair, John McNeice, and a host of generous benefactors
and volunteers contributed their time, talent and treasure
to nurture the fledgling school. Nativity’s rigorous
curriculum, small classes, family involvement, graduate
support program, extended day and extended year, kept the
boys away from the violence of the streets and helped them
gain entrance into the region’s finest private high schools
and colleges. Guests recalled Nativity Prep’s
move to its permanent home in Jamaica Plain after a
successful capital campaign under the leadership of
Executive Director Fr. Bill Campbell, SJ, and Principal
Fr. Al Hicks, SJ.
As Nativity Prep celebrates its 20th year, under the
leadership of Executive Director Fr. John Wronski, SJ,
Principal Bisi Oyedele and Board Chair Beth Segers, there’s
no telling how many new, exciting ways it will continue
to grow and flourish. Nativity Prep is a place that evolves
with each new year, each new staff of teachers and each new
class of students. Nativity Prep is well on its way to another
20 years of inspiring boys from Boston to become men for
others.
supports, massaging us into doing the right thing
repeatedly. Hard work, being accountable, fulfilling
responsibilities when people are counting on you—
it’s what being a Nativity man is all about.”
~ Claudio deBarros, Nativity class of 1998, returned as a
volunteer teacher after graduating from Roxbury Latin and Duke
University. He is currently a student at UMass Medical School.
“As a student, you are very aware of the
commitment and dedication of the faculty and it
serves as an example of the Jesuit motto, ‘Men for
Others.’ Nativity provided the tools that have opened
a lot of doors for me, and I wanted to encourage
young men like myself to fulfill their potential and
to become positive members of their communities.
What I didn’t anticipate was how my relationships
with the students and other faculty would enrich my
life; the flow of education went both directions in my
experience. I will always cherish the time that I spent
as a volunteer teacher at Nativity.”
~ Hudson Evei, Nativity class of 1996, returned as a volunteer
teacher after graduating from Georgetown University. He serves
on Nativity’s Board of Trustees, and will attend Dartmouth’s
Tuck School of Business in the fall.
First College Acceptances at Nativity Worcester
I
n a recent issue of JESUITS
magazine, Melissa Zangari, director
of advancement, wrote about Nativity
School of Worcester’s move into its
new facility at 67 Lincoln Street. Since
then the school has had much to
celebrate.
On January 2, Nativity celebrated
another landmark moment: the
school’s first college acceptances! Jake
Kelley, Daniel Dompreh and Gunlee
Segrain (members of Nativity’s first
class of graduates, the Ignatius Class of
2006) opened up large white envelopes
from Providence College and found
acceptances waiting for them. Better
still, Jake, Daniel and Gunlee were
the recipients of four-year, full
scholarships through Providence
College’s Martin Luther King Jr.
Scholarship Program. A “middle
school for life,” Nativity School
of Worcester’s Graduate Support
Program shepherded its graduates
through every part of the college
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10
Ignatius Class of 2006
application process, from writing
college essays to filling out financial
aid forms. Nativity graduates were
also accepted at Anna Maria College,
Assumption College, Becker College,
College of the Holy Cross, Curry
College, Drew University, Emmanuel
College, Merrimack College,
Morehouse College, Newbury College,
Quinsigamond Community College,
Regis College and Suffolk University.
Melisssa says, “We could not be more
proud of our high school seniors who
all will be matriculating at prestigious
institutions this fall.”
Nativity schools are tuition-free, Jesuit middle schools for boys living in vulnerable neighborhoods. In
a structured learning environment—including an 11-hour school day, individual attention and small
classes—students develop the character, skills and disciplines to become men for others.
Visit: www.nativityworcester.org or www.nativityboston.org for more information.
11
Ministries
Parishes – Working in the vineyard
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Pastoring in New England
and Jordan
Jesuit Fathers Robert VerEecke, J. Allan Loftus, and
Kenneth Loftus serve at St. Ignatius Church, Chestnut
Hill, Massachusetts.
Fr. Gerald Finnegan, SJ, is the pastor at St. Charles
Borromeo, Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Fr. Joseph Bruce, SJ, is the coordinator for the
Apostolate for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing who
celebrates Mass in several churches weekly in the
Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island.
In Maine, Jesuit Fathers James Lafontaine, John
d’Anjou and Robert Regan minister at St. Pius X and
St. Patrick parishes in Portland, Maine; Fr. Richard
Bertrand, SJ, provides liturgical ministry at Sacred
Heart/St. Dominic Church.
Jesuit Fathers John Michalowski, Thomas Fitzpatrick
and Arthur Paré serve at St. Joseph Parish and at Mary
Queen of Peace in Salem, New Hampshire.
Fr. John Keegan, SJ, is the pastor at St. Patrick Church
in Milford, New Hampshire.
Fr. Lawrence Smith, SJ, is the Catholic pastor at
Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Fr. Kevin O’Connell, SJ, is the pastor of Sacred Heart
parish in Amman, Jordan.
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any people know the Jesuits from
educational experiences at middle
schools, high schools, colleges and
universities; others have met Jesuits on
retreat at one of the many retreat houses
throughout the country. Still others experience the Jesuits
in parishes as inspirational celebrants and homilists or at
days of prayer or parish missions.
In the New England Province, Jesuits serve as fulltime pastors and assistants at a number of parishes in the
Archdiocese of Boston, the Dioceses of Manchester, New
Hampshire, Fall River, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode
Island, and Portland, Maine (see sidebar).
Other Jesuits who have “day jobs” as teachers,
administrators or pastoral ministers also celebrate Mass on
weekends at parishes, convents, nursing homes, hospitals
and even on Catholic TV.
Here at the provincial offices, Jesuits serve Monday to
Friday as assistants to the provincial in administration,
finance and advancement, but on weekends they can be
found in parishes assisting with Masses:
Fr. John Higgins, SJ, is the socius, assisting the provincial
as executive assistant. On weekends, you might meet him
at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Cohasset, Massachusetts.
Fr. Higgins also offers spiritual direction during the week.
Fr. Dennis Yesalonia, SJ, is the treasurer of the New
England Province. He celebrates Mass at St. Edward the
Confessor Parish in Medfield, Massachusetts, nearly every
weekend and has served in various parishes since his
ordination to the priesthood 25 years ago.
Fr. Michael Linden, SJ, is the provincial assistant for
pastoral, social and international ministries. Fr. Linden
celebrates Mass for the students at Emerson College in
Boston, Massachusetts and at churches around the greater
Boston area.
Fr. Charles Connolly, SJ, associate director of advancement,
celebrates Mass at many convents, parishes and on Catholic
TV. (See article on page 22 for more about Fr. Connolly.)
Information about Jesuit parishes in New
England is available on www.sjnen.org/Pastoral
Ministries
Life as Rector at Campion Center
O
ver the summer, a transition will take place at
Campion Center, home to the retired and infirm Jesuits.
Fr. Robert Levens, SJ, will become the new superior, and
Fr. Paul Holland, SJ, who has been rector of the Campion
Jesuit Community and administrator of Campion Health
Center since January 2005, will become the rector of the
Fairfield Jesuit Community. The Campion staff and residents
honored Fr. Holland at a luncheon celebration on June 3.
His reflection is below.
I have many vivid memories of the last five years as rector
of the Jesuit community at Campion.
On my first day, a beloved Jesuit died; within a week two
more followed. My first month, I had to remove driving
privileges from one man and end the public ministry of
another because of health concerns.
My first summer, a man wandered off. When he was
found early the next morning, I anxiously met him in the
hospital emergency room. Bewildered by all the fuss, the
man looked up from the stretcher and asked me, “How did
the Red Sox do?”
On a more serious note, most of ministry is presence
and accompaniment. I’ve spent thousands of hours at
the hospital and in doctors’ offices, sitting with the men,
listening to their pain and their anxiety, their hope and
faith, as they embraced their final mission of dying in the
Lord. Being rector has also carried considerable challenges
with it: the administrative burdens of managing two
corporations, a $9.5 million annual budget, 100 employees,
50 acres of land and a 221,000-square-foot building. The
more important challenge has been to show cura personalis
to some who would prefer autonomy, to offer welcome for
some who desperately want to be anywhere else, to provide
a safe place for those whose cognitive deficits prevent
them from making good judgments about their needs and
limitations.
Most of all, being rector here has been an amazing grace.
As I sat in chapel next to men who were close to death, I
experienced that in some sense they had already passed
over and were seated at the Supper of the Lamb, and
through them I glimpsed it too. Each was for me a kind of
icon, what Henri Nouwen called “a window looking out
upon eternity.”
13
The Campion Jesuit community and staff thanked
Fr. Holland for his service with a luncheon celebration
in June. Pictured above are Fr. Holland with the
Campion staff.
I leave here confident that the 83
men I buried since January 1, 2005,
are praying for us and rejoicing with
us. They have joined the ranks of
Jesuit Saints and Blessed, especially
Edmund Campion, whose final prayer gives us all hope and
healing: “that Almighty God, the Searcher of hearts, will
set us at accord...so that we may at last be friends in heaven
where all injuries shall be forgotten.”
During Fr. Holland’s tenure, Campion Health Center was
named to the US News & World Report’s Honor Roll for
America’s Best nursing homes.
Kudos and Honors
Fr. Robert F. Taft, SJ, has been named to
the new advisory board of the Pontifical
University (Athenaeum) Saint Anselmo in
Rome.
Fr. Francis X. Clooney, SJ,
leading scholar of comparative theology, is the new
director of the Center for the Study of World
Religions at Harvard Divinity School.
6
5
2
7
15
1
4
Annual Jesuit GALA 2010
3
I
n talking about the 10th anniversary Jesuit GALA
on April 15, 2010, Tom Reilly of Hingham in
typically wry fashion explained that “the evening just
wasn’t long enough. It felt a bit like an episode of This
Is Your Life. I saw all of these fantastic people I knew
and really wanted to connect with across the room.
I was having so much fun, then suddenly the evening
was over and I didn’t get to touch base with most of
those folks.” Tom is referring to the magical GALA
evening where Fr. Myles N. Sheehan, SJ, provincial,
had the distinct honor of bestowing Dick and Ann
Marie Connolly with the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Award—for the greater glory of God. More than 1200
guests joined the celebration honoring the Jesuits
and all that they do in their daily ministries and to
pay tribute to the Connollys for teaching us what it
means to live one’s life not for oneself but for others.
With an extraordinarily dedicated committee and
outpouring of support led by John and Mary Power
of Wellesley the New England Province was able to
announce a record-breaking $1.3 million was raised at
the Jesuit GALA for the Province. Proceeds from the
event fund Jesuit education and formation, the care of
the elderly and infirm, the mission of Jesuit teachers
to educational institutions and the assignment of
chaplains for special ministries.
Celebrating 10 Years
8
1. Dick Connolly, Mary Power, Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ,
Ann Marie Connolly and John Power
2. Mr. Mario Powell, SJ and Fr. George Williams, SJ
3. John and Cindy Fish, Cathy and Joe O’Donnell
4. Town Cryer
5. Nancy Gibson, Bishop Boles and Craig Gibson
6. Eileen and Jack Connors
7. Peter Lynch and Dick Connolly
8. Kara Kennedy, Dean Mazzone, Fr. Myles Sheehan, SJ,
Matt Brunell and Kathleen Celio
Photo 3 by Bill Brett; Photos 1, 2, 4–8 by Justin Knight
Faith in Action
Inspiration at Eastern Point
by Alice Poltorick
16
etreatants at Eastern Point Retreat
House find opportunities for
quiet time, reflection, prayer and
encountering the wonders of God’s
majesty in the physical world. Many
also find the creativity to paint, write,
photograph and compose while there.
Fr. Robert VerEecke, SJ, pastor at St.
Ignatius Church, wrote the words
to the song, You Will Know, while at
Eastern Point Retreat House. Paul
Melley, then pastoral musician and
coordinator of youth ministry at
St. Ignatius, set the words to music.
Q. I first heard the song You Will
Know while I was on retreat at Eastern
Point. It touched my heart and moved
me to tears. I heard that you wrote
the lyrics to the song while you were
there.
Fr. VerEecke: While on a parish
retreat at Eastern Point Retreat House, Paul Melley and Fr. Bob reunited at St. Ignatius Parish for an Easter evening of prayer, story, music and dance.
I began thinking about our parish
I’m glad I waited. Fr. Bob wanted the
played the song for me. I remember
Lenten theme “On Holy Ground.”
being very moved since it seemed as if piece ready by March 24, which turned
Because of the reference in the story
out to be within the week after my
the music was what I had heard in my
of Moses and the burning bush, “take
daughter’s birth. I remember having
mind when I was writing the words.
off your shoes, this is holy ground,”
I think the Holy Spirit was the major
Erin asleep in the bassinette next to
I began connecting this passage with
me as I sat down at the piano. I came
collaborator on this work since it was
the Lenten theme. I simply sat down
up with the introduction within the
pretty effortless and heartfelt.
and began writing. I was surprised at
very first minutes, and then came up
After the music was finished, I was
how the words flowed so easily. I had
with the melody for the opening line,
able to choreograph the piece for the
never done anything like this before.
Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble
“Take off your shoes. . .” After that,
it all kind of tumbled out. I feel that
and it was performed at my 25th
Q. Paul Melley wrote the music.
anniversary of ordination liturgy in
God essentially handed me the whole
What was the inspiration for that
piece, in its entirety as it now stands,
June 2003.
collaboration?
within an hour of first sitting down. I
Fr. VerEecke: I asked Paul, who was
Q. Paul, what was your inspiration for felt I just had to “listen” for the music.
working as pastoral musician and
It came together very quickly. I think
the music?
coordinator of youth ministry at St.
it was aided by the sense of awe I felt
Melley: I had held onto the words for
Ignatius at the time, if he would be
at having the grace of a brand-new life
a while. My wife was pregnant with
interested in seeing a text I had written our first child, so I had a lot on my
entwined with my own.
and possibly put it to music. About
mind, and I believe that the piece (or
a month or so later, he sat down and
rather I) wasn’t ready to be “received.”
Q. Are you collaborating on new
material?
VerEecke: Paul and I have collaborated on only one other piece. I wrote
the lyrics for Who Is My Neighbor
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R
Q. When did you first perform the
song?
Melley: I first performed it for Fr.
Bob who told me that this was the
melody he heard in his head when he
was writing the lyrics. I then played
it for the Boston Liturgical Dance
Ensemble. Then we used it for Holy
Week Evening Prayer and again at
my daughter’s Baptism. When I was
working on compiling the songs for
my CD, Humbled, You Will Know was
at the top of the list.
which Paul composed for the Nativity
Spirit Dinner in Boston last year.
Melley: I certainly hope so! Fr. Bob
is a person of great faith and has
the ability to articulate that faith
in a meaningful way. He has been a
longtime dear friend and mentor. I
think he has a lot more to say. It is
exciting to think of what we could
continue to do.
Fr. Robert VerEecke, SJ, is the pastor at
St. Ignatius Church in Chestnut Hill,
Massachusetts and artist-in-residence
at Boston College. Paul Melley is
director of liturgical music and assistant
chaplain at the College of the Holy
Cross.
Take off your shoes;
this is holy ground you
walk on. Open your eyes;
this is holy fire you see.
Show me your face,
a reflection of my glory,
and you will know
who I am …
You Will Know. on Paul Melley’s
Humbled CD available at
www.giamusic.com
To learn more about Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester, Massachusetts, visit www.easternpoint.org. For
more about retreat experiences, view the “What can happen on an Ignatian Retreat” videos on the Jesuits of New
England channel on www.youtube.com
17
Faith in Action
Jesuit Theologian
and Artist
In the early 1990s, St. Theresa’s
Parish needed handicap access. As
part of the renovation and restoration
Fr. Ray Helmick designed and built a
new tabernacle and is creating mosaic
murals for the pavilion between the
church and chapel.
In preparation, he studied the
history of tabernacles. Tabernacles,
or “reservation places,” originated in
the Jewish tradition. They served as
movable sanctuaries symbolizing the
residence of the Divine Presence and
the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the
Covenant. For Christians, a tabernacle
is traditionally a sacred place,
decorated in a dignified, beautiful
style, in which to keep consecrated
elements of the Eucharist. Early
tabernacles were designed as doves 2
that hung from the ceiling and were
lowered down to put hosts in after
consecration. Over time, tabernacles
became more elaborate towers. “For
many years, we were accustomed to
seeing the tabernacle on the altar but
since the restoration of the Eucharist,
tabernacles tend to be placed
elsewhere. During the renovation
process I suggested the idea of a tower
structure, which was the custom in
pre-Reformation days.
“My design for the new tabernacle
as a hexagonal tower is based on two
tabernacles in Louvain, Belgium,
which were built 40 years apart
during the 15th century. I used wood
and marble from the communion
rail as a base. It is carved from
mahogany with gold leaf applied,”
said Fr. Helmick. The paintings on
the tower feature the Passion, the
Last Supper, the multiplication of the
loaves, the supper at Emmaus, the
miracle at Cana and the adoration
of the mystical lamb, based on the
painting by Van Eyck. With a smile,
Fr. Helmick mentions incorporating
parishioners of St. Theresa’s into
some of his art. The statues mounted
on the tiers feature scenes of the
Annunciation and the Visitation, the
three prefiguring sacrifices mentioned
in the First Eucharistic Prayer — Abel,
Abraham and Melchizedek. The four
evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John, are sitting on the shoulders of
prophets of the Old Testament.
In describing his interest in mosaics,
Fr. Helmick said, “My inspiration
comes from religious art from Europe,
the Middle East and around the world.
During my travels to Rome, Istanbul
and Venice, I learned about the history
of mosaics and how they were made.
“For the large (15’x15’) walls in
19
Fr. Ray Helmick, SJ, and his brother, Msgr. William Helmick, pose in front of the
70-page template Fr. Ray created to illustrate the mosaic that is now in place.
Detail from mosaic.
the new pavilion, the architect, Tony de Castro, suggested
tapestries. I recommended mosaics,” Fr. Helmick said.
“Since a wheelchair ramp ran along one of them, the
healing miracles of Christ were the inspiration.” It is
estimated that it will take another year to complete all of
the 15 panels.
It is often said that Jesuits have many callings and
responsibilities. In his life as a Jesuit, recorded as part of
the New England Province’s Jesuits Oral History project,
Fr. Helmick mentions that as a student at BC High,
architecture was one of his interests. During his 59 years
as a Jesuit he has been involved in many academic and
theological endeavors. It is nice to see one of his early
interests blossom into his artistic talent.
i
To read more about Fr. Helmick,
visit: www.jesuitoralhistory.org
Artist Fr. Ray Helmick, SJ, working on
a mosaic.
Photos: Judith Sargeant
Tabernacle Tower in St. Theresa’s Church.
ou always have time for what you really want to do,” said
Fr. Raymond Helmick, SJ, when we talked about his talent and
artistry with mosaics. Fr. Helmick is a professor of theology at Boston
College and served for several years as a senior associate at the Center
for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. He is also
a multi-talented artist with a particular interest in mosaics. He was
recently interviewed on This Is The Day on Catholic TV about his
role in the renovations at St. Theresa of Avila Parish in West Roxbury,
Massachusetts, where his younger brother, Msgr. William M. Helmick,
is pastor.
▼
“Y
18
Ignatian Spirituality
In the Media
20
Fr. Charles J. Healey, SJ, has written a new
book, The Ignatian Way, Key Aspects of
Jesuit Spirituality, available from Paulist
Press. Fr. Healey was the assistant novice
director at the Jesuit notiviate in Syracuse,
New York.
Spiritual • Social • Service
W
e hope you will visit, explore and enjoy our online
presence at www.sjnen.org. We designed it for you
— to stay connected with and support the Jesuit mission,
provide networking, linking, programming and event
information. We look forward to hearing your suggestions.
Please contact Alice Poltorick, director of communications,
apoltorick@sjnen.org
Prayers
Reflect with seasonal prayers and resources for
spirituality
Jesuit Fathers William Barry, George
Aschenbrenner, Walter Farrell,
Howard Gray, Dominic Maruca,
John O’Malley, John Padberg and
Joseph Tetlow are featured in a new
DVD series The Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius Loyola: Renewal and
Dynamics, produced by Georgetown
University. The two-disk set is available from the Institute
of Jesuit Sources, www.jesuitsources.com
Jesuits are favorite guests on Catholic
TV. Provincial Fr. Myles Sheehan,
SJ, appeared on Going My Way on
January 11 and on This Is The Day on
April 27. Fr. John Butler, SJ, director of
vocations, was interviewed on This Is
The Day on January 8. Fr. Raymond Helmick, SJ, professor
of theology at Boston College, appeared on This Is The
Day on February 16. Fr. Thomas Stegman, SJ, professor of
New Testament in the School of Theology and Ministry
at Boston College, discussed his new book, Catholic
Commentary on Sacred Scripture: 2nd Corinthians, on April
9. The shows can be viewed on www.catholictv.com
The Jesuit Connection is an organization of young adults
who have either graduated from Jesuit institutions or
have had other experiences in Jesuit teachings and values.
The group plans for liturgy, service, social networking programs
and events for all those interested. Newcomers are always welcome!
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A new book by Fr. James Martin, SJ,
The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything:
A Spirituality for Real Life is available
on Amazon. His book, My Life with the
Saints, achieved the milestone of selling
over 100,000 copies. Fr. Martin, culture
editor at America magazine, is a frequent
commentator in the media.
For more information visit: www.sjnen.org/JesuitConnection
In the News
Keep up-to-date with news about the province
and Jesuits throughout the world
Events
Click on Upcoming Events to view the province
event calendar.
Principle Centered Leadership Mission
More Ways to Connect
To establish a program to support and nurture business leaders in their
ongoing growth through Ignatian programming and opportunities
Follow @JesuitNE on Twitter
for discourse and dialogue. Programming will focus on business,
ethics, leadership, spirituality, a “faith that does justice,” altruism and
Become a fan of Jesuits New England and the
Jesuit Connection on Facebook
Visit the Jesuits of New England channel on
YouTube
philanthropy. To learn more about Principle Centered Leadership, please
contact Grace Regan at gregan@sjnen.org
21
Advancement
Mass Cards and Enrollments
I
f you have made a donation
to the New England Province
of Jesuits in the past few years,
you have certainly received a
“thank you letter” signed with the
Palmer-method penmanship of
Fr. Charles B. Connolly, SJ. And
if you are a regular contributor,
you know that these letters change
each month.
Fr. Charles B. Connolly, SJ
Fr. Connolly is the author of these
“thank you letters,” and as each new
month approaches, he knows that it
is time to compose another letter. He
struggles, sometimes for days, to come
up with a fresh idea, a novel approach,
and he usually succeeds. Very often
he finds inspiration in the Scriptures;
at other times, there is a seasonal
theme or a particular snippet of Jesuit
tradition to include in the letter.
Judging from the comments we
received, your favorite letter was the
one that included this prayer:
“Dear God: So far today, I’ve done
alright. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t
lost my temper, haven’t been greedy,
grumpy, nasty, selfish or overindulgent. I’m very thankful for that.
But in a few minutes, I’m going to
get out of bed, and from then on, I’m
going to need a lot more help. Amen!”
However, processing the mail entails
more than writing letters. The route
that the mail takes—from your house
to our office and back to you—is a
circuitous one, and Fr. Connolly works
very closely with another Jesuit of our
office staff, Br. Donald J. Murray, SJ.
Each morning, mail is delivered
to the Treasurer’s Office, where it is
opened and the checks and cash are
copied and deposited. Depending on
the season and the recent mailings we
have sent out, there could be anywhere
from 20 to 100 pieces of mail each day.
Once the mail reaches the
Advancement Office, Br. Murray
goes through each piece of mail to
make sure that it is coded correctly
(see sidebar): a Mass stipend, an
enrollment offering, a monthly or
quarterly donor, an annual fund gift,
etc. He sees that names and addresses
are correct, and he merges all the
information into the monthly letter,
which is then printed with your name,
address, salutation and gift amount.
Fr. Connolly signs each letter
personally and individually, and he
often adds a handwritten note. Br.
Murray completes the process by
stuffing the envelopes and, if you have
used a Mass card or enrollment, he
will include a replacement card for
your future use.
It is inspiring to see Fr. Connolly
and Br. Murray at work: This is
their ministry, and they take it very
seriously. They have great concern and
affection for our benefactors, and they
want to make sure that you and your
intentions are remembered regularly
in the grateful prayers of their brother
Jesuits. When they say that the Jesuits
are praying for you, they mean it!
Br. Donald J. Murray, SJ
Fr. Charles B. Connolly, SJ, entered the Jesuits in 1963 and
was ordained a priest in 1974. He has served primarily in
administrative positions in the community and at Cheverus
and Boston College High Schools, at the College of the
Holy Cross, and at the Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley,
California.
Br. Donald J. Murray, SJ, began his Jesuit formation in 1956
and, after various community assignments, he spent 38 years
at Boston College High School. For 32 of those years, he served
as registrar. He was also involved with the athletic programs
transporting the students all over Massachusetts.
In today’s language, people seem to use the phrase
“Mass card” for any religious remembrance that they
send. It can be confusing at times, so the following is
the common practice for cards at the New England
Province of Jesuits: A Mass card, for the deceased or
living, states that
“the Eucharist will
be celebrated” for a
particular person
or intention. It
means that a Mass
will be said by one
of the Jesuits for
that person (or
intention), for that
person alone, and
for no one else. We
send that name to one of the Jesuits each month, and he
will celebrate the Mass for that person.
An Enrollment (or Memorial), for the deceased or
living, states that “a gift has been made to the Jesuits” in
the name of a particular person. That person, together
with the names of all the others sent to us, will be
remembered in the prayers of the New England Jesuits.
Our cards no longer designate “one year, five years, ten
years.”
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22
Photos: John Gillooly
Men Behind the Mail
Cards can be ordered online at: www.sjnen.org/
Cards. If you have questions about this, you may
contact Fr. Connolly by email: cconnolly@sjnen.
org or by phone: 617-607-2897.
As we closed the fiscal year on June 30, the Annual Fund reached a new level
with total giving of over $300,000, and for that we are very grateful to you, our
loyal and generous friends. With your help, we are able to help with the support
of the 300 members of the New England Province. Whether the Jesuits are in
the early stages of their formation, the twilight years of their vocation, or the
active lives as priests and brothers, we depend on your goodness for the ordinary
expenses of everyday living. The Annual Fund is our bread and butter, our heat
and lights, and for our part, we promise a daily remembrance in our Masses and
prayers for you and for all of your special intentions. Thank you very much for
allowing us to do God’s work!
23
Advancement
Crista’s Journey
An Unexpected Legacy
by Suzanne Heffernan
I
24
Coming from a nurturing but independent-thinking and
loving home environment, Crista came to Catholicism on
her own terms. She chose to attend Catholic school in her
early teens but said “no” to the sacrament of Confirmation
at the time, feeling that she wasn’t ready. Introduced to
the concepts of justice and help early in life at both school
and home, Crista was drawn closer to Church in her high
school and college years. She found meaning in the “family
feel” and hospitable nature that the shared communal
experience afforded. “Someone handed me a Bible in these
years and that is when I began to read nightly. I also felt
ready and was confirmed by Fr. Jim Hayes, SJ.”
The Jesuit Connection Retreat.
Crista found that
the Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius and
the experiences
of community,
spirituality, simplicity and social justice encountered both
at the College of the Holy Cross and during her time in
the Jesuit Volunteer Corp in Montana were transformative
experiences. “My faith journey took a leap. I found that
the Jesuits worked to form people in body, mind and spirit,
something I am very drawn to!” It has been a natural fit for
Crista to provide service outreach and to teach in both the
Jesuit and Cristo Rey schools.
Crista has become fully aware that her talents as a
retreat leader enliven Scripture for contemporaries in
their everyday lives. She has spent the last number of years
honing this skill both through her master’s program and
through her leadership involvement in the Province of New
England’s Jesuit Connection. “I have found a forum to use
the language of theology and make it accessible to others to
use.”
Crista Mahoney has been given a gift to share with others
and we can only imagine, with gratitude, where her path
will lead her from here.
A 2002 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, with a
theology degree from Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Crista,
along with her husband, Michael Mahoney, and Kelly O’Neil,
were the founding members of the Jesuit Connection. She is
on the campus ministry staff at Emmanuel College.
25
The Dowds were married in 1929, and in 1962 moved
from Connecticut to Great Barrington, where Leo died
in February 1985. The Dowmel Foundation was formed
after Catherine’s death in 1995, and the foundation funded
an annual lecture series as an expression of the Dowds’
gratitude for the years they enjoyed living in the Berkshires.
According to Catherine’s final wishes, the Dowmel
Foundation was liquidated after 15 years and its assets
divided, as provided by her will. In February 2010, the
Society of Jesus of New England was the grateful recipient
of a substantial gift from her estate, all due to the silent and
unknown effect of the Jesuits on the Dowds.
Some of the ways you may consider supporting us include:
Bequests/Wills. Donors can honor and thank those Jesuits who have made a
difference in their lives by remembering the Province in their wills.
Charitable Gift Annuities. A charitable gift annuity provides the donor with a
dependable income for life, while also earmarking a future gift for the Jesuits.
Insurance. Donors can designate the New England Province as a beneficiary of
life insurance policies, IRAs and other assets.
Charitable Remainder Trusts. A trust can be established to ensure the donor’s
financial security while providing for the future needs of the Province.
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C
rista Carrick Mahoney is one busy lady. At any
particular point in the workweek, she is either coming
from a retreat, planning one, or on her way to a service trip
with students as a campus minister. She would tell you that
it is her mission to inspire people to give of their God-given
talents.
n 1962, when J. Leo Dowd and his wife, Catherine,
moved to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, the
Jesuits were a vibrant presence in the area. “Shadowbrook,”
our Jesuit novitiate and juniorate, was home to 140 Jesuits:
115 seminarians studying Ignatian spirituality and the
classics over a four-year program, with 25 fathers and
brothers serving on the faculty and house staff. Just a few
miles away, located on the sprawling Cranwell Estate, was
Cranwell Preparatory School, a Jesuit boarding school
for over 200 boys and 20 Jesuit faculty members. Imagine
160 Jesuits in the 21 square miles of the town of Lenox,
Massachusetts!
Were the Dowds friendly with any of the Jesuits in
Lenox? We don’t know, but Leo and Catherine certainly
would have come across the Jesuits in town, perhaps in
their parish where the Jesuits would help, or when the
scholastics took long walks in the area.
J. Leo Dowd was born in Utica, New York, in 1901.
He was affiliated with the International Silver Co. of
Connecticut. Later, he became vice president of the
Shanango China Corp. in Pennsylvania. In 1960 he became
owner-manager of the radio station WSBS-AM in Great
Barrington, Massachusetts, retiring in 1972.
Catherine Mellon Dowd was born in Utica, and after
graduating from Oneonta Normal School, she taught
elementary school in the Utica school system.
For more information visit: www.sjnen.org/PlannedGiving
Conversations
Falling in Love
Nothing is more practical than
finding God, than
falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
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A Conversation with
Fr. Jim Shaughnessy, SJ
F
r. James M. Shaughnessy, SJ,
serves as chaplain at Tufts Medical
Center and I had the opportunity to
get a sense of his work and vocation.
Fr. Shaughnessy is a Jesuit priest and
a chaplain, but his world is comprised
of concentric circles on many levels:
He is an organizer, advisor, mentor,
coach, ethicist, counselor and friend.
It’s 3:00 a.m. and the phone rings in
his room at Loyola House, the Jesuit
residence in downtown Boston. For
this chaplain, his night’s sleep is likely
over as he heads for the hospital . . . to
bring the strength of the sacraments
but also to bring his comfort, care and
concern to a family, a patient and the
doctors and nurses.
“With you always” is a Jesuit
motto and he believes his work is
to journey with his companions:
hospital administrators, physicians,
nurses, interns, residents, patients and
their families, as well as the folks on
the street who find their way to the
emergency room. As he describes it,
“There is a dignity in all care—and
justice is critical to the journey. I cry
at my job daily and I don’t apologize
about it.”
Fr. Jim Shaughnessy has spent over
25 years in this work. He consults on
medical ethics, facilitates monthly
support groups and works
by Grace Cotter Regan
with colleague Patricia Aye, RN, BSN,
on the Kenneth Schwartz Public
Dialogue, a multidisciplinary forum
where caregivers discuss difficult
emotional and social issues. Over
37,000 clinicians at 195 sites in 31
states across the country participate
and share their experiences and
feelings. It allows physicians to talk
about why they were called to their
medical vocation and the real work
they do.
Province friend and infectious
disease specialist Helen Boucher, MD,
works as a colleague and partner with
the Ethics Commission and has shared
her work in Haiti as part of the
Schwartz Grand Rounds.
Fr. Shaughnessy explains that the
medical world has been challenged
to a new accountability by the public.
Physicians are not always able to tell
their story. . . there can be a sense
of public distrust or scrutiny and
physicians are hesitant to talk about
what they do. Fr. Shaughnessy’s charge
is to restore people’s trust—to enable
physicians to do what they do well.
The role of the chaplain is to use
every means possible to bring together the patient, family members
and the medical team in the best
interests of the patient and good
medicine. This often results in a
conversation helping to understand
that it is time to let nature take its
course with end of life.
How does Fr. Shaughnessy feed his
soul? Prison chaplaincy at Fort Devens
has been a powerful experience for
him. Surrounded by smart, successful
people who made bad choices, he calls
on Ignatian prayer and imagination,
helping prisoners to discover their
faith and to resolve their bad choices.
He loves the shore and the city,
so biking to the hospital along the
Charles River helps him to be alone
and focused. I asked Fr. Shaughnessy,
at age 60, what is important? He
stopped and reflected and quoted
Pedro Arrupe’s poem, Falling in Love.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out
of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
27
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy
and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.
Attributed to Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ (1907–1991)
Photos by John Gilloo
A graduate of Boston College High School
and the College of the Holy Cross, Fr. James
M. Shaughnessy, SJ, entered the Jesuits in
1971 and was ordained a priest in 1979. In
addition to his work at Tufts Medical Center and the federal
prison at Fort Devens, he frequently celebrates weekday and
weekend Masses at St. Cecilia Parish, Boston.
ly
In Memoriam
In Gratitude
“Love consists in sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves.
Love ought to show itself in deeds more than in words.” — Ignatius of Loyola
We give thanks to God for the following Jesuits
from the New England Province who have gone
home to God in the last eight months. Each one
led a life of selfless service and taught us how to
live the words of St. Ignatius, “to give and not
count the cost.”
Fr. Stephen F. Dawber, SJ, born November 26, 1938, entered
Society August 14, 1956, died on April 29, 2010. Fr. Dawber
taught at BC High and Cheverus High.
Fr. William C. McInnes, SJ, born January 20, 1923, entered
Society September 7, 1946, died on December 8, 2009. Fr.
McInnes was a professor and alumni chaplain at Boston College.
Fr. Joseph F. X. Flanagan, SJ, born July 4, 1925, entered Society
August 14, 1948, died on May 14, 2010. Fr. Flanagan was a
professor at Boston College.
Fr. Edward J. Small, SJ, born November 12, 1939, entered Society
July 30, 1957, died on January 18, 2010. Fr. Small was associate
pastor at Holy Family Church in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Fr. Charles G. Crowley, SJ, born February 12, 1920, entered
Society September 7, 1938, died on May 22, 2010. Fr. Crowley was
a missionary in Baghdad.
Abp. Lawrence A. Burke, SJ, born October 27, 1932, entered
Society August 14, 1951, died in Kingston on January 24, 2010.
He served as the Archbishop of Kingston, Jamaica.
Fr. William J. Cullen, SJ, born June 30, 1932, entered Society July
30, 1954, died on May 25, 2010. Fr. Cullen was active in campus
ministry at both Fairfield Prep. and Fairfield University.
Fr. Martin F. McCarthy, SJ, born July 10, 1923, entered Society
September 7, 1940, died on February 5, 2010. Fr. McCarthy
served at the Vatican Observatory in Rome, Italy and Tucson,
Arizona.
Fr. Dudley R.C. Adams, SJ, born October 25, 1939, entered
Society February 2, 1963, died on May 30, 2010. Fr. Adams
ministered in Jamaica.
Fr. Alfred R. Desautels, SJ, born March 23, 1917, entered Society
August 14, 1937, died on February 22, 2010. Fr. Desautels was a
professor at the College of the Holy Cross.
In Memoriam
Fr. William G. Devine, SJ, born June 23, 1927, entered Society
August 28, 1944, died on June 20, 2010. Fr. Devine was a
professor at Fairfield University.
Please remember in your prayers these benefactors and special friends
of the Society of Jesus who have gone to God.
Ms. Margie Tangney, who was the receptionist and assistant in
the province Advancement Office, died on November 18, 2009.
Mr. Donald Brown, who worked in the kitchen and laundry at
Campion Center for 40 years, died on January 7, 2010.
Mr. Richard E. Floor, who served the New England Province as a
member of the Finance Committee, died on February 18, 2010.
Mr. Leo Corcoran, who was a longtime benefactor of the Society
and brother of Joseph Corcoran, 2009 AMDG honoree, died on
April 12, 2010.
Mr. Edward Fish, father of John Fish, province benefactor, died
on June 15, 2010.
Letters From Our Readers
The nine years of Jesuit education, Baghdad
College (1953) and Al-Hikma University (1962),
that I received when I was a young man have
marked my life in a fantastic way; the spirit
of collaboration, the readiness to listen to the problems of less
fortunate people, the seriousness in exercising my duties and
confronting problems and difficulties that arise almost every day
are the result of having been with the Jesuit fathers in Baghdad.
Above all, I owe the Jesuits the strengthening of my belief in
God. As the director of an engineering firm in Milan (Italy),
I am sometimes called to help in resolving personal problems
or conflicts. I am glad that I succeed better in such situations
Words to Live By
words
Fr. William W. Meissner SJ, born February 13, 1931, entered
Society July 30, 1951, died on April 16, 2010. Fr. Meissner was a
professor at Boston College.
rather than in technical problems. These I leave to the younger
engineers. Many sincere thanks to the Jesuits. ~ Yuil Eprim
Fr. Paul T. Lucey, SJ, has influenced my life a great deal. He gave
me my first directed retreat and also introduced me to Creighton
University and encouraged me to go for a master degree in
Christian Spirituality and now I am doing spiritual direction
and retreat work. ~ Sr. Gladys Marhefka
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28
words
If you have a story to share about a Jesuit who influenced
your life, send along to: apoltorick@sjnen.org
“The Jesuits teach that our purpose in life is to give back.
That’s why I am part of the Jesuit Connection.”
M
y mother always says, for every nickel she gave
BC High, she got a dime back. I graduated from
Boston College High School in 1999. After BC
High, I went to a small liberal arts college. But this did not
last for too long. I came home, as I like to say, to Boston
College after a year away from the Jesuits and graduated
from BC in 2003. I went on to Boston College Law School,
where I earned my law degree in 2007. I am a proud “triple
eagle” today, although one of my friends likes to kid me
that I am not a true triple eagle because of that year away at
the liberal arts college!
I got involved in the Jesuit Connection after graduating
from BC Law. The Jesuit Connection is a program for
young adults—sponsored by the New England Province.
We have social, spiritual and service events. One
Connection activity that I have especially enjoyed has been
the Campion Companions program. The Connection
periodically visits Campion Center on Sunday mornings,
where we celebrate Mass with the Jesuit community and
visit with individual Jesuits. Over 100 Jesuits—some in
active ministries, some retired and some infirm—call
Campion Center home. It is a vibrant and dynamic Jesuit
community that also includes assisted living facilities
and a health care center. Campion is a place where the
accomplishment and brilliance of the Jesuits stand
out—where else can you find a world-class astronomer, a
business scholar and an expert artist living under one roof!
Thinking about the Jesuits at Campion reminds me
of why I got involved in the Connection. Being a part
of the Connection has been so fulfilling because I am
contributing, I hope, to the Jesuits themselves, and not
just to those institutions where they minister. Before I
joined Jesuit Connection, I knew very little, if anything,
about the New England Province of Jesuits. It had never
crossed my mind that the Jesuits had a whole professional
operation in place to support them and their work—I
John and Fr. Bob Lindsay, SJ, enjoy a conversation at Campion.
guess I just thought that the Jesuits’ respective schools
provided for them entirely. When I was lucky enough to
consider it during my years at BC, I had always marveled
at the ministry of the Jesuits. I could not believe that these
men had given themselves completely over to God and had
established the secondary school system, as we know it. If
it were not for the Jesuits, BC would never be. Flutie’s Hail
Mary pass, the BC-Notre Dame rivalry, the Heights—they
all, in some way, go back to the Jesuits.
That is what makes being a part of the Connection a
quite humbling experience—that I can give back to these
scholars, theologians, mathematicians, lawyers, social
workers, doctors, priests—these men who have sacrificed
enormously and dedicated themselves completely to
building the best Catholic colleges and universities in the
United States—the Jesuits. AMDG.
John Mulcahy is a member of the Jesuit Connection leadership
council. He is a judicial law clerk for the US District Court.
New England Province of Jesuits
P.O. Box 9199 | Watertown, MA 02471-9199
Non-Profit Org.
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Abington MA
Permit No. 6
A Prayer for Vocations
Father, in the name of Jesus,
through the power of your Spirit,
inspire men and women
to labor for your Kingdom.
We especially ask you
through the intercession
of Mary, our Mother,
St. Ignatius, and all the saints,
to help the Society of Jesus
continue its service of your church.
-Hearts on Fire,
Praying with Jesuits
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