spirit - Jesuits

JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE SPRING 2009
spirit
dreams come true in san jose
ignatian spirit in hollywood
beatitudes for the workplace
reflections on world youth day
CALIFORNIA PROVINCE
CENTENNIAL PRAYER
19 0 9 -2 0 0 9
Loving God, with Ignatius of Loyola we give you thanks
for the abundant blessings received through your mercy and
grace during this past century of the California Province.
We give thanks for Jesuits and apostolic partners who have
led the way in their witness of faith and service.
We give thanks for all who have brought
your Word to the world.
We give thanks for benefactors and friends who labor
with us in building the reign of God.
May our hearts always be filled with gratitude as
we remember this graced history.
Saint Ignatius, continue to intercede for us so that we
may proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, serve generously
and enter into solidarity with the poor.
As ministers of the Gospel may we co-create with Jesus
through the Church the community of all creation.
May all our apostolic works deepen their commitment to the
compassionate vision of the truth, justice and love of Jesus.
May our future guided by the hand of Jesus be
distinguished by faith and justice.
May our service patterned after the passion, death and
resurrection of Jesus be our response to His call.
As Jesuits and apostolic partners together,
we ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
BY JOhN P. MOssI, s.J.
JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE SPRINg 2009
8
dreams come
true in san jose
At-risk students from low-income families
are receiving a quality Catholic education at
Sacred Heart Nativity Schools, thanks to a
diocesan priest whose dream came true.
14
America Ortiz, a sixth-grade student at Our Lady of grace
Nativity School for girls, listens attentively in class.
See “Dreams Come True in San Jose,” page 8.
in eVery issue
2
From ThE ProVINCIAL
3
ProVINCE NEWS
7
22
Responding to the Call of Christ
by John P. Mcgarry, S.J.
Jesuit artist sculpts St. Clare, Superior
general visits the California Province,
seven men enter the novitiate
GooD STEWArD
Meet Rae Yang
by Dick Bushnell
four men on
a mission in fresno
A community of senior California
Province Jesuits is assisting the
Diocese of Fresno by providing
pastoral services to farm workers,
inmates, and other seniors.
18
ignatian spirit
in hollywood
Since 1914, Jesuits have been serving
Blessed Sacrament Parish, the shining star
of an ever-changing community.
oN PoINT
Beatitudes for the Workplace
by Max Oliva, S.J.
24 mEDITATIoNS
Reflections on World Youth Day 2008
by Manh Tran, S.J.
oN ThE CoVEr: Araceley Aguilar (left) and Nancy Romo walk to class past a mural of the
Holy Mother and the infant Jesus painted by students of Sacred Heart Nativity Schools.
See “Dreams Come True in San Jose,” page 8. PHOTO BY ANNE HAMERSKY
rESPoNDING To ThE CALL oF ChrIST
W
mission
editor
Richards E. Bushnell
editorial contributors
Peter Lemieux
Max Oliva, S.J.
Dan Peterson, S.J.
Manh Tran, S.J.
Susan Wampler
design
Zehno Cross Media Communications
adVancement office
William F. Masterson
Provincial Assistant for Advancement
Elizabeth L. Winer
Associate Director of Annual Giving
Richards E. Bushnell
Associate Director of Communications
John P. Mossi, S.J.
Associate Director for Benefactor Relations
Chelsea Boyer
Advancement Assistant
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
©2009 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.
2 mission spring 2009
hen I am not visiting
around the California
Province or traveling to
meetings and other events, I work out
of our provincial offices in Los Gatos,
California, on the same property as
Sacred Heart Jesuit Center (SHJC). SHJC
has a long history in our province and it
is now home to a large Jesuit community
of around 75 men, many of whom are
retired or in need of assisted living or
nursing care in our infirmary.
I sometimes join the men of SHJC in
the early morning for breakfast. I always
appreciate the opportunity to sit at table
with Jesuits I admire and respect, men
who have “born the heat of the day”
and have given themselves generously
over the years to the service of God and
God’s people. Indeed, they are the living
history of the California Province.
After lunch in the SHJC dining room, I
stop by the infirmary dining room to say
hello to my brother Jesuits there who are
under the care of our excellent nursing
staff. These good Jesuits, many of whom
struggle mightily with health problems
and aging related difficulties, also move
me very much by their perseverance
and love for the Lord, the Society of
Jesus, and Church. For many of them,
their “mission” now as Jesuits is a very
important one: “to pray for the Church
and for the Society of Jesus.” We truly
need and count on their prayers!
2009 marks the centennial year of the
California Province. For the last hundred
years, we Jesuits have been striving to
do our best to respond to the call of
Christ in our lives, to live and preach the
Gospel, and to serve the needs of the
Church through our Jesuit charism based
in the heart of our spirituality—the
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola.
As I move around our province to
visit our 27 Jesuit communities; our 41
sponsored, co-sponsored, or endorsed
apostolic works or ministries; and the
thousands of apostolic partners who
work with us, I am always grateful
to God for his many blessings. It is a
great privilege for me to witness how
God is made known and people are
transformed through the work of our
secondary and pre-secondary schools,
universities, parishes, retreat and spirituality centers, and counseling, social
justice, and international ministries.
I am likewise amazed at the work beyond our province by Jesuits worldwide.
I have had the opportunity to visit with
California Jesuit missionaries in Taiwan
and China, Central and South America,
and Jesuits who work or study in Europe
and the Middle East. In my remaining
years as Provincial, I will also visit Jesuits
in Africa and other parts of Asia.
Wherever the Lord has called us over
the last 100 years, where He calls us
now, and wherever He may lead us in
the future, it is all for the greater glory
of God and the good of the people we
are sent to serve. Talking with our young
Jesuits in formation about their hopes
and desires for following Christ gives me
confidence in our future as an apostolic
religious community.
Let us rejoice and be glad for all that
has been throughout these 100 years.
God bless you for your generosity for
supporting the California Province in
responding to the call of Christ, 100 years
and beyond.
Gratefully in the Lord,
Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J.
Provincial
Jesuit artist sculpts st. clare
statue for santa clara university
PHOTOgRAPH BY CHARLES BARRY
F
ounded in 1851 by Jesuits, Santa Clara University (SCU)
in recent years planted a lovely garden dedicated to
St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253). Yet until last fall, SCU
lacked a formal statue of its patron saint. On October 19, St.
Clare Memorial garden was graced with a cast-bronze statue
of St. Clare, thanks to the efforts of a young Jesuit artist and
generous alumni. Created by Trung H. Pham, S.J., a scholastic
of the California Province, the statue is a gift of the SCU Class
of 1957.
“The statue is a modern symbol of the religious and spiritual history of St. Clare. Mission Santa Clara was founded by
Franciscan monks, and the original mission church and our
university are dedicated to St. Clare, a close friend of St. Francis
and founder of the Poor Clares. Throughout her life, she actively
fought for her order’s right to own nothing, not even the buildings that sheltered them, and to rely solely on god’s mercy,”
said Father Paul Locatelli, S.J., chancellor of SCU, who encouraged Trung to create the statue.
Trung, who was born in Vietnam in 1974, came to California in
1990 with his father, Hoang Pham, and mother, Xe Tran, as part
of a U.S. government-sponsored program for political refugees.
After graduating from U.C.L.A. in 1998 with a B.S. in chemical
engineering, Trung entered the Society of Jesus. Having found
his religious vocation, Trung would discover his artistic talents
which he now employs in abstract and figurative paintings.
During his regency, he taught art classes at SCU. Currently, he is
studying theology at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.
He has revisited Vietnam three times as a Jesuit. “I work with
indigenous people in the highlands, helping with the catechism
and teaching seminarians English,” said Trung.
Trung Pham, S.J., poses with St. Clare at the statue’s dedication.
St. Francis of Assisi. The sculpture depicts St. Clare standing as
she yearns toward god. One hand opens to receive god’s grace,
and the other touches her heart as a sign of humility. Her gesture
carries the movement of a spiritual journey as she prepares to
devote her entire life to the sacred call.”
“St. Clare’s dedication to a
life of poverty and a desire to
follow Christ is an inspiration to
“ST. CLArE’S DEDICATIoN To A LIFE oF PoVErTy AND A DESIRE TO
us all, and Trung’s creativity and
FOLLOW CHRIST IS AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL, AND TRUNg’S CREATIVITY AND INSPIRATION
inspiration provides us with an
PROVIDES US WITH AN IMAgE TO rEmIND uS oF ThE rIChNESS oF A LIFE
image to “remind us of the richoF SImPLICITy. –father paul locatelli, s.J.
ness of a life of simplicity,” said
Fr. Locatelli.
The statue was blessed by
SCU’s new president, Father Michael Engh, S.J., who prayed,
As Trung began his research for the statue, he visited the origi“Bless this statue of St. Clare, conceived and designed through
nal convent of the Poor Clares in Italy, where he heard the stories
your divine wisdom, and constructed by human hands…We pray
of St. Clare and her life from a member of the order, Fr. Locatelli
you bless us and bless all who will come to this place…that in the
explained. “Touched and inspired by her stories, he came up with
spirit of St. Clare, they will increase their love for each other and
the statue that “portrays ‘the Poor Clare’ in a moment of prayer
for you, our god.”—Dick Bushnell
as she listens to god’s will. It is at this moment that she decides
to renounce worldly desires to follow god and the example of
mission spring 2009
3
SUpERIOR GENERAL OF THE JESUITS
vISITS THE CALIFORNIA pROvINCE
PHOTO BY TOM BRACCO, S.J.
V
Father general Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., censes the altar during Mass at Most Holy
Trinity Parish in San Jose. He is wearing a lei given to him by the Samoan
community. Deacon Vicente Perez stands at left.
ery Rev. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., Superior general of the Society
of Jesus, made a historic visit to the California Province from
Jan. 30 through Feb. 7, 2009. On a tour spanning 9 days,
11 cities, and 30 different sites, Fr. Nicolás met many of the nearly
390 Jesuits of the California Province, hundreds of their lay partners,
and still more parishioners, students, volunteers, and benefactors
associated with Jesuit parishes, schools, and ministries.
Rev. John P. Mcgarry, S.J., Provincial, summarized the importance
of Fr. general’s visit in his opening remarks at a press conference
held at the University of San Francisco on Feb. 4: “Father general has
lifted our spirit, broadened our vision, and deepened our faith and our
commitment to Christ and to the Society of Jesus in our service to the
Church and the world.”
“Fr. general told me that he was deeply impressed and greatly
moved by the apostolic vitality of the Province and our commitment
to one another as friends in the Lord and companions with our many
generous and dedicated apostolic partners in each of our ministries,”
said Fr. Mcgarry.
To view images from the Father general’s tour, visit the Photo
gallery on the home page of our website: www.jesuitscalifornia.org
in rememBr ance
Father Robert I. Burns, S.J., 87 November
22, 2008 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los
Gatos. Born in San Francisco on August 16,
1921, he was a renowned history professor
at the University of San Francisco and the
University of California at Los Angeles.
He was the premier historian of medieval
Spain and the Christian frontier with Islam.
He wrote extensively and at the time of
his death was preparing another scholarly
collection of documents for publication.
In addition to his two Ph.D. degrees, he
received eight honorary doctorates and
numerous national book awards.
Father John Hubert (Hugh) Gray, S.J., 84
January 11, 2009 at Sacred Heart Jesuit
Center, Los Gatos. Born in Cupertino,
Calif., on January 27, 1924, he entered the
Society of Jesus at Los Gatos in 1942. He
was ordained to the priesthood in Belgium
in 1955 and received a doctorate in English
4 mission spring 2009
in London in 1961. He served as a teacher
and administrator at Santa Clara University
(1961-79), Saint Louis University (1979-88),
the SLU campus in Spain (1988-92), and
Loyola College in Maryland at Baltimore
(1992-2001).
Father Frederick J. Heney, S.J., 82 September
13, 2008 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. He
was born in Montpelier, Vt., on March 2,
1926. After serving in the U.S. Navy in World
War II, he attended Santa Clara University
and entered the Jesuits in 1948. He went
to Japan in 1956, was ordained to the
priesthood in 1963, and taught high school
English in Yokasuka and Hiroshima, where
his students consistently took top prizes in
national competitions. After returning to the
U.S. for health reasons in 1978, he served as
Jesuit community administrator in all three
Jesuit universities in California, did parish
work in West Hollywood, and gave spiritual
direction to priests.
October
12, 2008 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center.
Born in Glendale, Calif. on Sept. 24, 1927,
he graduated from Loyola High School
in Los Angeles and entered the novitiate
in 1945. Ordained to the priesthood
in 1959, his primary ministry was as
a mathematics teacher at Bellarmine
College Preparatory in San Jose, Brophy
College Preparatory in Phoenix, and
Loyola High School. He also taught and
tutored mathematics at Loyola Marymount
University in Los Angeles. After retiring
to Los Gatos, he volunteered his tutoring
services at a local community college. He
was a licensed pilot and an avid amateur
astronomer.
Father George E. Krivanek, S.J., 81
WWW.JESUITSCALIFORNIA.ORG
Province News and more information .
“Your light must shine before others, that
they may see your good deeds and glorify
your Heavenly father.” Matthew 5:16
I
n parishes and prisons, schools and soup kitchens, retreat and
detention centers, the Jesuits of the California Province of the
Society of Jesus bring Christ’s light into the lives of more than
one million people worldwide.
With lay partners and volunteers, our Jesuits’ good deeds light the
way to faith, education, comfort, and spiritual insight. At the same
time, they are busy training new brothers and priests, including
seven young men who recently entered the novitiate, and caring
for elderly and infirm Jesuits at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center.
Let Your Light Shine
So many good deeds require substantial funds. We rely on the
generosity of donors like you, especially in these challenging times,
and we consider each one of you a shining angel of support.
So let your good deeds shine. Help light the way
by making a contribution. Use the enclosed envelope or, to make a
credit card gift, use our website’s secure Online Giving Form. Donors
who give at least $25 receive Mission magazine. Jesuits remember all
benefactors in prayers and Masses. Thank you for your support.
P.O. Box 68 • Los gatos, CA 95031-9900 • Phone: 408-884-1630
Visit our website at www.jesuitscalifornia.org
seven Men enter
the novitiate of
the california
province of Jesuits
Brendan Busse
curtis leighton
Justin Mungal
S
even men entered the Jesuit
novitiate of the California
Province of the Society of Jesus
on Aug. 24, 2008, it was announced by
Brother James C. Siwicki, S.J., Director
of Vocations. All are candidates for the
priesthood. The novitiate is located at
Ignatius House in Culver City, Calif.
Brendan Busse, 30, from Los Angeles, Calif.,
has a B.A. in English from Loyola Marymount
University. He taught religion at a high school
in greater Los Angeles and served for two
years with Jesuit Volunteers International
Belize. Most recently, he has been working
in Campus Ministry at LMU as Director of
Community Service and Social Justice. He
enjoys reading, writing, film, playing the
guitar, and travel.
andrew laguna, 21, from Chino Hills, Calif.,
has a B.S. in biological sciences from the
University of California, Irvine. He has helped
as a retreat leader with the confirmation
program at his parish and has worked as
a barista for a well-known coffee seller.
Andrew enjoys running, soccer, and reading.
6 mission spring 2009
andrew laguna
alex llanera
travis russell
robert van alstyne
curtis leighton, 24, from Seattle, Wash., has
a B.A. in English from the University of Notre
Dame. After graduation, he worked for the
past two years as a teacher at a grade school
in gilroy, Calif., for the “Teach for America”
program. Curtis enjoys hiking and other
outdoor activities, cooking, and American
Literature.
travis russell, 23, from Roseburg, Ore.,
has a B.S. in global security and intelligence
studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University in Prescott, Ariz. He has done
volunteer work in his parish. Travis is
interested in aviation and Islamic culture.
He enjoys biking, hiking, scuba diving,
and golf.
alex llanera, 20, from Sacramento, Calif.,
robert van alstyne, 22, from San Carlos,
went to Jesuit High School in Sacramento
and Loyola Marymount University earning
a bachelor’s degree with majors in political
science and theological studies. He organized
a service trip for LMU students to the
Philippines. His interests include politics,
recreational reading, and working out.
Calif., has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy
from Boston College. He has worked as a
lifeguard and swim instructor, as a counselor
at a summer youth camp, and as a volunteer
tutor for middle-school students. He enjoys
playing acoustic guitar, singing, listening to
classical music, swimming, hiking, camping,
and reading.
Justin Mungal, 23, from Santa Clara, Calif.,
has a B.A. in statistics from the University
of California, Berkeley. He worked briefly as
a high school math teacher in El Paso, Tex.,
for the “Teach for America” program. He
enjoys traveling and spent two months on
a backpacking trip through Australia. Justin
also enjoys swimming and playing the drums
and is learning to play the guitar.
good steward
Meet Rae Yang
A
s a Catholic woman and benefactor of Jesuit ministries,
Rae R. Yang displays an attitude of gratitude. “I consider
the Church my home. Does our home have any needs?
Every one of the family members should help out and contribute
what we can. When I was very poor, I remember our priest
taught us, it doesn’t matter how much you offer. The amount
doesn’t matter, but your heart counts.”
In 1949, Rae’s parents came to Taiwan from mainland China.
Rae’s father, Denwha Pai, a physician in the military of Chiang
Kai-shek’s government, was married to Moonming. They lived in
a military dormitory with 60 families. In 1950, Rae was born in
Hsingchu, the first of five children. Rae credits her mother, Moonming, as being a major influence on her life. “She taught me how
to share, how to love, and how to care.” On Christmas Eve 1955,
when Rae was five, her mother took her and a younger sister to
be baptized at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Afterward, they attended Holy Family Church, a 20-minute walk from their home.
“My childhood revolved around home, school, and church.
A lot of the evenings, we went to church to say the Rosary
or for the Exposition of the Eucharist.” On Sunday, the
family spent much of the day in church for Mass,
catechism, and slide shows given by Father
Franz Xavier Perrez, S.J. (1899-1970), a Swiss
Jesuit who had been imprisoned by the
Chinese Communists for many years.
Rae remembers Fr. Perrez as “like
(St.) Ignatius, very strict.” After
attending public elementary school,
Rae went to Shukung girls Middle School
which was run by Catholic sisters. When Rae
was in high school, Father François Jarry, S.J.
(1898-1969), a French Jesuit, became the parish
pastor, and she remembers him as “kind and gentle.”
Today, she considers both Jesuit priests “like my
own father.”
Throughout those years, Rae was being formed in Ignatian
spirituality. “From a very young age, I started going on silent
retreats that were held in the church during winter break from
school.” Meanwhile, her faith kept growing, and as she neared
graduation from public high school, Rae faced a vocational choice.
Fr. Jarry asked Rae’s mother to let her go to a convent to continue
her education. Instead, Rae decided to take the college entrance
exam and in 1968 began studying at National Chengchi University
in Taipei. She graduated in 1972 with a major in education and a
minor in Chinese language.
While she
was in college,
she met Jack,
a Taiwanese
student, in a
Catholicstudent
council group.
Rae Yang and sons Beda (left) and Peter on a volunteer
Rae and Jack
homebuilding mission in Tijuana.
married in
Taipei in 1975 and returned Hsingchu where Rae taught the
Chinese language in Shukung girls Middle School. In 1977,
they immigrated to the United States, arriving in guam
where they lived briefly before settling in San Jose. The
couple was blessed with two sons—Peter (1975)
and Beda (1988)—and two daughters—Kimberly
(1977) and Frances (1981). Rae decided
that Peter and Beda, who is named after
Father Beda Liu Chia-Cheng, S.J., of
the China Province, would attend
Bellarmine College Preparatory in
San Jose. Peter, Kimberly, and Frances
all attended the University of California,
Berkeley, while Beda is a junior at the
University of California, San Diego.
For the past 30 years, Rae has worked in the
semiconductor industry of the Silicon Valley where she
currently does Integrated Circuit Mask Layout design for
Xilinx, Inc., a worldwide leader of programmable logic solutions. A member of the San Jose Chinese Catholic Community,
Rae regularly visits Father Francis X. Wang, S.J., who served that
community before retiring to the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in
Los gatos.
As a member of the Loyola Council of the California Province,
Rae says, “I’m so grateful for what Jesuits have done in my life.”
Recently, she became a supporter of the Taiwan-based evangelization program led by Father Louis g. Aldrich, S.J., a California
Province missionary. She also contributes to Casa Ricci Social
Services, a Macao-based program for Chinese leprosy patients
led by Father Luis Ruiz, S.J. —Dick Bushnell
“I’m so
grateful for
what Jesuits
have done
in my life.”
mission spring 2009
7
8 MISSION SprINg 2009
DREAMS
come true in
At SAcred HeArt NAtivity ScHoolS, At-riSk
StudeNtS Are leArNiNg to Succeed
by Dick bus h n el l
P h oto s by A n n e h A m er s k y
W
hen the Loma Prieta Earthquake struck the
San Francisco Bay Area in 1989, it damaged
Sacred Heart Church in San Jose but led
its pastor onto a creative path that took 12 years to journey from
dream to reality.
Father Mateo Sheedy, a diocesan priest, initially set out to
raise funds to repair the church. “While he was walking the
streets asking for donations, he found that a lot of kids in the
community were dropping out of school and the gangs were
taking control of our neighborhood. He felt there was a need
to have a school nearby,” says Rose Jimenez, who lived in the
parish and knew Fr. Sheedy.
“So then he started asking for money for the school,” says
Rose, adding that his Spanish was impeccable. “People would
do anything for Mateo—you couldn’t say no to him.”
Eventually, Fr. Sheedy’s dream of opening a school gained
the support of Bishop Patrick McGrath of the Diocese of
San Jose and then-Provincial Thomas H. Smolich, S.J., of the
California Province of the Society of Jesus. Even as he fell
gravely ill with cancer, Fr. Sheedy signed the school’s foundational documents along with Bishop McGrath and Fr. Smolich.
In October 2000, Fr. Sheedy died.
When Sacred Heart Nativity School for Boys opened in
August 2001, Rose Jimenez began as the school secretary.
Today, Sacred Heart Nativity and Our Lady of Grace Nativity
School for Girls, which opened in 2006, are a joint venture
of Sacred Heart Parish, the Diocese of San Jose Department
of Education, and the California Province.
Far left: Esmeralda Garcia and Dalia Jeronimo
investigate volume in eighth-grade science class at
Our Lady of Grace Nativity School. Inset: Father Mateo
Sheedy, one of the founders of Sacred Heart Nativity
School for Boys, died in October 2000, less than a year
before it opened.
MISSION SprINg 2009
9
We have to commit ourselves to get our
kids up to speed with college-prep kids who’ve
spoken english their whole lives.
A
At lunch, student Stefhanie Blancas (left) and Bridgit
McGarry, vice-principal of Our Lady of Grace Nativity,
exchange high fives.
The schools are part of the NativityMiguel Network whose
65 member schools are educating more than 4,400 students in
27 states, says Father Peter Pabst, S.J., president of Sacred
Heart Nativity Schools. Members are guided by nine standards,
including an explicitly faith-based mission, and offering a
holistic education to students from low-income families.
As middle schools, Sacred Heart Nativity and Our Lady of
Grace Nativity serve a total of 123 students (59 boys, 64 girls)
in grades 6, 7, and 8. “We have fun doing what we’re doing.
We have great kids and we have a committed faculty and staff,”
says Kevin Eagleson, principal of Sacred Heart Nativity Schools
since 2003. “There’s a lot of structure here. We expect great
courtesy and mutual respect. We say grace, we say thanks. We
live by a schedule.”
That schedule starts at 7:10 a.m. on weekdays when teachers
greet each of their arriving students with a firm handshake and
eye contact. “We’re a family,” says Kevin. And this family is together for 10½ hours on Mondays through Thursdays, a 3 p.m.
dismissal on Fridays, and two Saturdays a month. In addition,
10 MISSION SprINg 2009
–kevin eagleson
students attend a four-week summer school held at Bellarmine
College Preparatory, plus a two-week summer leadership
training camp held at the Jesuit Retreat Center of the Sierra in
Applegate, California.
The schools’ expected student outcomes are painted on
the walls for all eyes to see: “We want to be academically
successful, spiritually active, personally respectful, consistently
responsible.”
The academic programs are aimed at helping at-risk students
who need more “time over target” because they are behind
academically, Fr. Pabst explains. “We have to commit ourselves
to get our kids up to speed with college-prep kids who’ve
spoken English their whole lives,” adds Kevin. Consequently,
students take seven English literature and five writing classes
each week.
In addition to academics, religion is an integral part of
education here. Students attend religion class four times a
week and “Everywhere you go in this building, God’s part of
it,” notes Kevin. Along the halls and on classroom walls, signs,
paintings, and prayers remind everyone that this is a Catholic
school with an Ignatian flavor. Phrases encourage students to
be “Men and women for others” and to pray “Lord, help me do
the right thing.”
While the schools share the same building, boys and girls
attend separate classes. “When you look at research studies,
you will find that adolescent girls benefit dramatically and
significantly from single-sex education,” says Bridgit McGarry,
vice-principal of Our Lady of Grace since August 2008. She’s
looking forward to June 2009, when Our Lady of Grace will
celebrate its first graduating class of 18 girls. Hopefully, the girls
will go on to attend Archbishop Mitty, Notre Dame, or Presentation high schools, while the boys aim for Bellarmine, Mitty, or
Downtown College Prep.
Students wear a uniform consisting of a white polo shirt and
green sweatshirt both emblazoned with the school logo. Boys
may wear khaki pants or shorts; girls a plaid skirt or khaki or
black shorts. The dress code serves several purposes. As Kevin
explains, “You don’t have kids worrying about what they’re going to wear and pursuing their parents to buy more expensive
clothes.” The green and khaki hues also avoid any connection
with “gang colors,” he says. The uniforms offer yet another practical plus: “It’s easier to get dressed in the morning,” adds Bridgit.
O
Out in the school yard at snack time, Father Peter Pabst, S.J., president of Sacred Heart Nativity Schools, chats with
students Ricardo Cervantes (far left), Ramon Gonzalez, Alejandro Gonzalez, Jose Rodriguez, and Oscar Ramirez.
Below: Sixth-grade teacher Kasey Caillat offers encouragement to Lupe Rojas (center) and Oscar Martinez.
Both Sacred Heart Nativity Schools are guided by a
common motto: “Breaking the cycle of poverty through education.” Of the 123 students enrolled in both schools in late
2008, 99 percent were Latino; all met federal requirements
for free or reduced-cost lunches. In addition to lunch, many
students receive a nutritious free breakfast served at 7:30 a.m.
next door at Martha’s Kitchen, a private nonprofit charity.
On average, the boys and girls come from families of four
to five persons with annual household incomes ranging from
$27,000 to $29,000. Each family is asked to pay $45 per month
toward the schools’ yearly tuition of $15,000 per pupil. The
difference has to be made up by private funding, grants, and
benefit fundraisers including an auction and golf tournament.
The students also benefit from the time and experience
of volunteers, including six retired Sisters of Notre Dame de
Namur who work as librarians and tutors. Sister Yvonne
Bondi, S.N.D. de N., who serves in the library, grew up
across the street from the school when this part of San Jose
was an Italian neighborhood.
MISSION SprINg 2009
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12 MISSION SprINg 2009
we have fun doing what
we’re doing…we’re a
familY here.
–kevin eagleson
Today, the student population of Sacred Heart Nativity
Schools reflects the same demographic shift that has taken
place in Sacred Heart Parish and the surrounding neighborhood
where signs advise “Se habla Español” and taquerias line the
street. Fr. Sheedy would feel right at home—and the school he
dreamed of is throbbing with life.
Sacred Heart Schools seek ongoing financial support to meet a
variety of needs. For example, a gift of $750 covers the cost of
sending one child to summer camp. For more information and
to view the video Hope Starts Here: The Nativity Schools of San
Jose, go to www.shnativity.org
T
Top: At dismissal time, Kevin Eagleson (center), principal
of Sacred Heart Nativity Schools, and Bridgit McGarry
shake hands with homebound students Brianna Borrajo
(left) and Esmeralda Garcia. Above: Mrs. Nora Gutierrez
has a hug for Loren and Salvador Gutierrez. Opposite page: A social
studies project absorbs Erick Sandoval (far left), Sergio Escamilla,
Chris Blancas, and Alejandro Cadena.
MISSION SprINg 2009
13
Men mission
in fresno
on a
Meet the Jesuit coMMunity as it serves the diverse needs of
farM workers, retirees, prisoners, and others
T e x T a n d p h o T o e s s ay b y p e T e r L e m i e u x
I
Members of the Fresno Jesuit Community, from left to right: Fathers Camille Prat, S.J., Jim Torrens,
S.J., Jim Rude, S.J., and Jim Gallas, S.J.
14 MISSION SprINg 2009
t is 6:25 a.m. and dawn is still a
rumor when Father Jim Torrens, S.J.,
grabs a windbreaker, slips on a San
Francisco Giants cap, and folds an alb
neatly over his forearm. Outside, the
crisp fall air of California’s Central Valley
greets Fr. Torrens as swiftly as he greets
it. Legs churning, he marches out the
front gate of the Jesuits’ residence on
the Diocese of Fresno’s campus and
onto North Fresno Street. The concrete
landscape ahead has seen better days:
boarded up homes, abandoned storefronts, vacant lots of bare dirt.
A mile away, at Nazareth House, a
senior living facility managed by the
Sisters of Nazareth, residents await
Fr. Torrens’ arrival to celebrate daily Mass.
The supercharged 78-year-old Jesuit,
who entered the Society of Jesus in 1948,
keeps moving. One long stride after
another, he rounds the corner and zips
past a car wash. Above him, a billboard
proclaims: For 60 Years —People You Can
Count On. Such poetry in motion is the
kind that Fr. Torrens, longtime poetry
editor of America magazine, might pause
to ponder if his friends at Nazareth House
were not counting on him this morning.
In September 2005, the California
Province offered the services of three
of its senior Jesuits —Fathers Jim Gallas,
S.J., Camille Prat, S.J., and Jim Rude, S.J.
— to the Diocese of Fresno at the invitation of Bishop John T. Steinbock. The
assignment brought “the Province’s
service to the Diocese of Fresno full
circle. From 1952 until it closed in 1969,
the Society staffed Ryan Preparatory, a
minor seminary for the Diocese,” wrote
then Provincial Thomas H. Smolich, S.J.
“Their mission is to assist the Diocese
Father Jim Torrens, S.J., with alb in hand, sets out at sunrise on a brisk walk through Fresno to
Nazareth House where he will celebrate Mass, then breakfast with retired seniors.
“THeiR Mission iS To assist the diocese pastorally iN
wayS MoST Needed.” –FaTHeR THoMaS SMoliCH, S.J.
Father Jim Gallas, S.J., shops for fresh organic produce at the Vineyard Farmer’s Market in Fresno.
The health-conscious priest follows a mostly vegetarian diet, except for some occasional dairy.
pastorally in ways most needed,” be it
sacramental ministry in prisons and jails,
ministry to migrant farm workers, parish
supply, adult education, or spiritual
direction.
“With more parishioners and fewer
choosing the vocation [of priesthood],
the bishop was open to whatever we
wanted to do here,” says Fr. Torrens,
who arrived in July 2008 to serve as
superior of the Fresno community.
“We were told to come here to bring
Jesuit presence to the Diocese,” recalls
Fr. Rude, director of Social Action Ministry
for the diocese. “When we arrived, the
bishop called us in and told us his priorities. We all had a place to go on Sunday to
help out with Mass, but we would not be
given full-time jobs, assigned to a parish,
or given administrative work. So from
there, things developed.”
MISSION SprINg 2009
15
Father Jim Rude, S.J., celebrates the eucharist for inmates at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga,
Calif. during his visits, Fr. Rude also listens to confessions and leads retreats.
The opportunities to serve marginalized people in the Diocese of Fresno are
nearly unlimited. Within its boundaries
there are 50 detention centers housing
thousands of inmates. Almost 30 percent
of the local population ekes out a living
doing seasonal farm work, and the median annual income is less than $17,000.
Unlike other Jesuit houses, the Fresno
community is not based around a common institution, school, or parish. As
Fr. Torrens explains, “It’s a community
of diverse apostolates, ministries of dispersion without a central focus.” And the
Jesuits disperse themselves accordingly.
During harvest season from March
to October, Fr. Gallas, a soft-spoken,
Spanish-speaking 77-year-old, can
most often be found out in the fields
ministering to the migrant farmworkers,
or campesinos. These seasonal laborers
are Catholics who have no churches in
their camps where they can celebrate
Mass. However, they have Fr. Gallas
who makes a sacred space outdoors in
a backyard, parking lot, or open field.
A potluck supper usually follows Mass,
and Fr. Gallas often stays until late in
the night to hear confession and share
his company. For their part, the farm
workers shower Fr. Gallas, a vegetarian,
with organic fruits and veggies to take
back home.
Fr. Rude, who at 75 is the youngest Jesuit in Fresno, has little interest
in wheatgrass or high-fiber diets. His
bedroom office sprouts with computer
paraphernalia, theology books, and
magazines. On his desktop, a CD player
croons Doris Day’s “Sentimental Journey”
as Fr. Rude sings animatedly along. He
hones in on a mound of papers and
pulls out a prize: a handmade birthday
card signed by some 70 inmates at
Pleasant Valley State Prison, one of the
two prisons he visits twice weekly. He
reads a few of the comments written on
the card:
“Thank you for being a brother in
Christ. We love you. But Jesus loves you
more. –George R.”
UNlike oTHeR JeSUiT HoUSeS, the fresno coMMunity iS NoT baSed
aRoUNd a CoMMoN iNSTiTUTioN, SCHool, oR PaRiSH. … aNd THe
Jesuits disperse theMselves aCCoRdiNGly.
16 MISSION SprINg 2009
“we HaVe a spirituality THaT links us aNd forMs an
extraordinary unity.” –FaTHeR CaMille PRaT, S.J.
“Dear Father, I want to thank you for
showing us love and kindness. You are
very special to us over here in Da Yard.
Love & Respect. – Joe P.”
“Happy Birthday Father Jim and
thank you for reminding me that God
is always present everywhere no matter
what! – Mike M.”
Then, with tears welling in his eyes,
Fr. Rude’s jolly spirit turns serious: “I feel
compassion for these guys … Regardless
of guilt or innocence, they’re God’s
creation. They’re human beings created
with dignity and deserving of dignity. I
care for them.”
Fr. Rude is not alone in his prison
mission work. Fr. Prat was making
a monthly 500-mile round-trip drive
south to the California Correctional
Institution at Tehachapi until recent
illnesses prompted him to stay closer
to home. With a walking stick in each
hand, he proceeds at his own certain
pace and leaves plenty of time to get to
his appointments — visiting the sick or
celebrating Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart
Church. Besides his pastoral work,
Fr. Prat is a shortwave radio aficionado
who tunes in for two-way conversations
with people around the globe from
Australia to Europe to Cuba. “I find it
more interesting to hear the world talk
than to hear someone report on the
world,” says Fr. Prat.
While the four Jesuits have varied
ministries, personalities, and diets, “We
have a spirituality that links us and forms
an extraordinary unity,” says Fr. Prat.
“For Ignatius, it was essential that
brotherhood and ministry work together,”
explains Fr. Rude. “So when Fr. Torrens
came along as a possibility, we got excited.
‘Make him our superior,’ we said.”
Father Camille Prat, S.J., uses a hand-held shortwave radio to talk to another buff. a licensed radio
operator, he became interested in radio communications as a youngster after helping transmit
messages in French during the indochina war.
Fr. Torrens, the newly appointed superior, was assigned to Fresno to formalize
the Jesuit community, improve the flow
of communications with the Provincial
and Rome, and help bring the group
together. Already, his contributions have
been felt. The Fresno Jesuit community
meets Monday mornings for Scripture
reflection, Thursday evenings for a
discussion on scheduling and provincial
matters, weekly for Mass together, and
even an occasional group dinner.
For his part, Fr. Torrens is writing a
book about commitment and will soon
take on duties as sacramental priest for
a local Spanish-speaking parish.
“We’re busy people,” says Fr. Torrens
of the Fresno Jesuits. And it goes without
saying that many people are counting
on them.
MISSION SprINg 2009
17
Ignatian
spirit in
Hollywood
left to right: Oscar-winning actress loretta Young was a regular parishioner. luz Noches (left) and Zoe Perez volunteer at a food booth
at a recent parish carnival. Crooner Bing Crosby was married to Dixie lee at Blessed Sacrament Church in 1930. A client at the Social
Services Center (see “Helping Hollywood’s Neediest Folks,” page 21).
Founded in 1904 as the first Catholic church in Hollywood,
Blessed Sacrament Parish grew alongside the fledgling motion
picture industry. In Hollywood’s heyday, stars such as Loretta
Young and Irene Dunne were regular parishioners and helped
fund many of Blessed Sacrament’s buildings. Jesuits of the
California Province have been serving the parish since 1914.
18 MISSION SprINg 2009
T
Blessed sacramenT ParisH:
THe SHInIng STar oF an
ever-CHangIng CommunITY
BY SuSan WamPLer
oday, after years of decline, Hollywood is in the
midst of a major resurgence and gentrification.
While the Academy Awards ceremony is held a
few blocks away from the church, Hollywood
simultaneously has one of Los Angeles’ highest homeless
populations and overall poverty rates.
“Over the last 10 years, there has been a huge monetary investment in Hollywood. Land prices and housing
costs are skyrocketing,” says Father Michael Mandala, S.J.,
Blessed Sacrament’s pastor since 1998. “Our parishioners
can’t afford to live here anymore, but the vast majority still
come every Sunday because this is their parish,” he adds.
“The people we serve today aren’t the movie stars as much
as they are the domestics of the stars.”
Throughout its history, Blessed Sacrament has been
a steadfast community of faith in Tinseltown even as
Hollywood experienced sweeping demographic change.
“The blessing of this parish is that everyone seems to be
able to find a home here,” says Father Wayne Negrete,
S.J., associate pastor and superior of the parish-based
Jesuit community. “There’s a thirst for spirituality out there.
Hollywood attracts people from around the world. They
need a home, a place to feel connected. That’s what they
find here.”
Hollywood is a microcosm of
the rapid and dramatic population shifts that are transforming
Southern California. At Hollywood
High School, just two blocks from
Blessed Sacrament, more than 50 languages are spoken.
“If people want to experience a multicultural, multiethnic
community, they’re thrilled by Blessed Sacrament,” says
Fr. Mandala. “There are probably parishes with liturgies in
more languages, but in terms of ethnic groups it would be
hard to be more diverse than Blessed Sacrament.”
Parishioners at Blessed Sacrament today are primarily
immigrant and mostly Latino, but represent a vast range
of Latin and South American countries of origin. About
15 percent of the congregation is Filipino—the fastestgrowing group—with a smattering of African Americans
and other Asians. In addition, the parish serves a large gay
constituency. The congregation reflects broad socioeconomic
diversity as well. “In five years, we may have a different
population,” Fr. Mandala adds. “We need to continue to
adapt and evolve as the community evolves.”
BuILDIng
THe kingdom
oF goD In
LoS angeLeS
PHoTo CreDITS, Far LeFT To rIgHT aBove: © BeTTmann/CorBIS, IgnaCIo FregoSo,
© JoHn SPrInger CoLLeCTIon/CorBIS, anne HamerSkY
MISSION SprINg 2009
19
PHoTo BY anne HamerSkY
Volunteers Michael Bates (left), Eric Anderson, and Paul Kwon stock food baskets at the Social Service Center
for distribution to Hollywood’s poor and homeless.
Over the past three to four years,
Fr. Negrete, who heads the parish’s
Ignatian Spirituality Program, has guided
approximately 30 individuals through
the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
of Loyola. “One of the challenges was
learning to deliver the exercises to
people whose first language may be
Italian, Vietnamese, Spanish or Tagalog,”
he explains. Although Fr. Negrete works
with retreatants in English, he was able
to locate resources, such as prayers, in
their native language. “When they’re
praying in their primary language, they
reach greater depths of understanding
and often get deep breakthroughs.”
In addition to meeting the liturgical and
sacramental needs of
the diverse parish, Fr.
Mandala’s priority is
outreach to the greater community. “You
know the saying? ‘Give a man a fish and
feed him for a day. Teach him to fish
ServIng
a DIverSe
faiTH
CommunITY
20 MISSION SprINg 2009
and feed him for a lifetime.’ We feel we
need to do both,” he explains. The parish provides direct services to the homeless and working poor through its Social
Services Center (see sidebar). Blessed
Sacrament was among the founding
churches that established L.A. Voice, an
affiliate of the PICO National Network
of faith-based community organizations.
L.A. Voice works to secure more affordable housing, decrease gang violence
and crime, increase voter registration,
and obtain health care for the people of
the state.
Fr. Mandala is also involved with
the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
and serves on the board of the Central
Hollywood Coalition for the Business
Improvement District.
“Even though I’m not a businessman
in the traditional sense, those men and
women are glad I sit at the table,” he
says. “They’ve given money and support
to our Social Services Center. Some board
members are Catholic but most are not.
They are just good neighbors working for
the betterment of Hollywood for people
of all faiths and no faiths.”
In addition to Frs. Mandala and
Negrete, Blessed Sacrament is the home
base of Father James A. Doogan, S.J.,
associate pastor; Father Louis A. Peinado,
S.J., retreat director; Father Ronald E.
Schmidt, S.J., media producer; and Father
Augusto Berrio, S.J., who is on sabbatical. The parish also engages regularly
with other Jesuit institutions around Los
Angeles, including Loyola High School,
Verbum Dei High School, and Loyola
Marymount University.
At another level, the parish is involved
with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and
its deaneries. “We’re not Jesuits living in
our own ecclesiastical world,” explains
Fr. Mandala. “We’re part of the Catholic
Church and are working to build the
kingdom of God in Los Angeles hand in
hand with other religious orders and laypeople in the archdiocese.” Fr. Negrete
has led retreats on the Spiritual Exercises
for permanent deacon candidates for the
archdiocese and he supervises other spiritual directors through his work with the
Ignatian Volunteer Corps. “If we are going
to be truly Ignatian, we can’t live on an
island of our own,” adds Fr. Mandala. “We
have to be good citizens to the greater
community and partner with other people
of good will in fulfilling our vision.”
One of the parish’s
biggest challenges,
says Fr. Mandala, is
to revitalize its K-8
elementary school
at a time when
enrollment has fallen as lower- and middle-income families with children have
left Hollywood in large numbers. “There
are enough quality schools for people
who have money,” he says. “We’ve
got to reposition ourselves so we can
continue to offer education in the Jesuit
tradition to working- and middle-class
families that see a value in not sheltering
their kids from the rest of humanity, who
want their kids to grow up able to relate
to a cross-section of Los Angeles and not
some small, rarified cohort.”
Fr. Negrete’s goals for the Ignatian
Spirituality Program also center on education. “People are hungry for spiritual
direction,” he says. “There aren’t enough
trained spiritual directors out there,
especially in the Ignatian tradition. The
Spiritual Exercises are so important in
our Jesuit ministry, but we haven’t fully
explored or developed ways to make
them available to more people.”
Fr. Mandala adds, “Our best promotion of Ignatian spirituality is through
liturgy in action. People bring their real
concerns — personal, family, and community issues — to prayer and liturgy. We
help parishioners find the Lord present
in their day-to-day lives. That’s what
we’re about.”
For more information about Blessed
Sacrament Parish, call (323) 462-6311 or
visit its website: www.blessedsacrament
hollywood.org
PHoTo BY FaTHer roBerT DoLan, S.J.
FaCIng
eDuCaTIonaL
anD
SPIrITuaL
cHallenges
Amerika Gillett (left) and Jennifer Torrez put their talent to work on an
art project at Blessed Sacrament School.
HeLPIng HoLLYWooD’S
neediesT folks
as lower-income families are leaving the
community for more affordable places,
more homeless people are moving into
Hollywood. “We’re this little jewel in the
midst of a serious homeless problem,”
says Fr. michael mandala, S.J. (shown
above).
In 1999, as Blessed Sacrament
approached its centennial, the parish
sought to strengthen its longstanding
community service program. Sister
margaret mary (Peg) Dolan, r.S.H.m.,
of Loyola marymount university headed
a volunteer group of alumni from Lmu,
university of San Francisco, and Santa
Clara university. They transformed a
vacated convent on parish property into
a new Social Services Center to serve
the community’s poor and homeless.
volunteers continue to provide most of
the services offered, which include fresh
clothing, breakfast and lunch service,
and a place to shower. most of the
center’s original furniture and fixtures
were donated by parishioners and
Hollywood residents. The center is now
an independent nonprofit with separate
tax-exempt status. The Community
redevelopment agency/Los angeles
is investing $1 million to remodel the
center.
at some point during the year, an
estimated 10,000 people live on the
streets of Hollywood, and the center
annually provides 10,000 meals, 6,500
showers, and nearly 1,000 haircuts to
the homeless. a nurse offers health
education and blood pressure and blood
sugar screening once a week, and makes
home visits when needed. Clients also
receive referrals to shelter programs,
medical and legal services, employment
resources, and emergency assistance
with rent, utilities, and transportation.
MISSION SprINg 2009
21
Beatitudes
for the Workplace
By Max Oliva, S.J.
M
Since beginning this ministry to people in business, I have
met many men and women who strive to live their spiritual
and ethical values with integrity and courage both personally
and professionally. I asked eighteen of them to participate in
the writing of Beatitudes for the Workplace. Their stories,
along with others I gathered as well as my own, are found
throughout the book.
Eight virtues which I call beatitudes in the book are explained
and applied in a practical way to the working world: Wisdom,
Integrity, Honesty, Compassion, Justice for the earth, Forgiveness, Generosity, and Courage.
I chose the format of beatitude for two reasons: the
Beatitudes that Jesus taught (see especially Matthew 5) are
what might be called both his mission and vision statements.
These sayings contain many gems of wisdom; they affirm and
challenge us at the same time. The ethical scandals that have
rocked the financial foundations of both Canada and the
United States since the 1990s point to a loss of moral compass
for some significant people in the corporate world.
The literary form of beatitude blesses the good people
Eight virtues which I call beatitudes are applied in a
are doing and gives us a clear direction on how to live
practical way to the working world:
our basic values.
In the book, I also devote attention to the parable of
• Wisdom
• Honesty
• Justice for the earth
• Generosity
the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) which is told by
• Integrity
• Compassion
• Forgiveness
• Courage
Jesus to a lawyer who asks him, “What must I do to
inherit everlasting life?” This parable delivers important
y recently published book Beatitudes for the Workplace
is one branch of a tree I call “Spirituality at Work.”
The seed for this ministry was planted in my mind
by the Holy Spirit through an article that appeared in the June
2001 issue of Fortune magazine. In the piece, titled “God in
Business,” the author describes two Christian organizations
in the United States that reach out to men and women in the
corporate world in a pastoral way. As I read the article, I began
to wonder if I might help people in the business world to more
deeply integrate their faith with their work.
My background is in business. Before joining the Jesuits, I
received my undergraduate degree in marketing, then worked
as a salesman for a food cannery. Later, as a Jesuit, I earned
an M.B.A. in Organizational Behavior. I was living in Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, when I embarked on this new ministry. The
first thing I did was to ask two business friends what they
thought of this possible project. One exclaimed, “Father Max,
it’s a moral desert out there—we need you!”
22 MISSION SprINg 2009
lessons that effect how we live our personal and professional
lives. Four of the beatitudes from my book are evident in the
story: wisdom, courage, compassion, and generosity. The parable concerns a man who lies on the road from Jerusalem to
Jericho bleeding after being beaten and robbed. Three people
see him in his misery: two religious personages—a priest and
a Levite — and a Samaritan (Samaritans were despised by the
Israelite people). Presumably, the Samaritan is a business man
since he is carrying plenty of wine and oil—expensive commodities in those days. The priest and the Levite walk right by
the man whereas the Samaritan stops, tends to his wounds,
and takes him to a nearby inn for further help. The difference between the three is one of attitude. Jesus is
asking us through the parable to go beyond our
prejudices and reach out to others regardless
of their state in life.
Another branch of Spirituality at Work is
what I call, the Commuter Retreat. This is
an individually directed, six-day retreat for
working people. However, instead of going
to a retreat house, the person making the retreat does so while continuing to go to work.
During the six days, the retreatant meets with
his or her director once a day, at a time of their
choosing, for an hour. A week prior to the retreat,
I e-mail some questions to the person and ask them to
send me their responses or bring them to our first meeting:
• What are you seeking at this time of your life: personally,
spiritually, professionally?
• What are your basic core or faith values?
• What are the challenges you face to living them, both in
your work situation and in your personal life? What helps
you/what hinders you?
• What are the primary ethical issues that you face in your
profession, in your company? How do you deal with them?
• How do you pray? Who do you pray to? When do you
normally pray?
• Do you experience yourself as loved by God? In what way(s)?
The answers to these questions give me enough information
about the person’s life to get them started on the retreat.
The Commuter Retreat really is a school of prayer. When I lead
the retreat, I teach the person different methods of prayer. For
example, at the end of each hour, we practice what is known as
Centering Prayer, an exercise in silence, in which we just try to be
in the present moment and let God speak to our heart.
Depending on the retreatant’s faith journey, I use various meditations from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of
Loyola, including, for example, “Principle and Foundation”
which considers the ultimate goal of our life and how to live
in a spiritually healthy way; “Christ the King and His Call” in
which we consider his values in relation to those of the world;
and meditations on the life of Christ, getting to know him as a
friend and companion. These meditations are described in
the book accompanied by personal stories that address such
topics as these:
• Balancing work and family
• Being more like Jesus when you encounter street people
on your way to work
• Dealing with moral and ethical temptations
• Finding the courage to speak out about an unethical
practice in your workplace
• Dealing with “moral loneliness” when you discover you are
the only one in your company willing to speak out on an
ethical issue
• Being kinder to difficult personalities where
you work
• Forgiving someone in your workplace
whom you feel betrayed you
• Learning to leave job stresses at work and
not bring them home to your family
One retreatant, whom I call Kevin, was
dealing with a conflict of interest at his company. Conflict of interest refers to a situation
when someone has competing professional or
personal obligations that would make it difficult
to fulfill his or her duties fairly to either party.
In Kevin’s case, his boss had asked him to handle a
transaction with a client that Kevin had dealt with in the past.
The circumstances were such that Kevin felt he had to turn down
the assignment. However, he was afraid to do so as it might
jeopardize his job or, at the least, put him in an unfavorable light
with his boss.
I suggested to Kevin that he bring his fears to God in prayer.
This issue dominated Kevin’s retreat as he prayed reflectively
over different Gospel passages where Jesus faced his fears and
helped his disciples to do the same. By the time the retreat
ended, Kevin found himself at peace. With newfound courage,
he approached his boss and explained his dilemma to her.
Because he had worked through his fears and anxieties in a
prayerful way, he was able to present his concerns in a nonthreatening manner. His boss, for her part, heard what Kevin
was saying and excused him from the situation with no negative
repercussions.
It is my hope that the lessons I learned from this ministry and
share in the book will be helpful to others, especially in the
present economic climate.
Finding
the courage
to speak out
about an unethical
practice in your
workplace
Editor’s Note:
Father Max Oliva, S.J., a member of the California Province, is
currently a visiting scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
at Santa Clara University. For information on ordering Beatitudes
for the Workplace in the U.S., go to www.twentythirdpublications.com.
In Canada, go to www.novalis.ca
MISSION SprINg 2009
23
reflectIONS ON
WOrld YOuth daY 2008
Encounters with the Holy Spirit in Australia
by Manh Tran, S.J., Director of Christian Life Community, Loyola Marymount University
“The Church especially needs the gifts of young people, all young people. She needs to grow
in the power of the Spirit who even now gives joy to your youth and inspires you to serve
the Lord with gladness. Open your hearts to that power!”
—from a homily by His Holiness Benedict XVI at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, July 20, 2008
I
magine 400,000 people from more than 170 nations gathered together in one place to celebrate Sunday Mass. Last
July, nineteen of us from Loyola Marymount University
were blessed to be part of the celebration of the 23rd World
Youth Day (WYD) with our beloved Pope Benedict XVI. For
me, it was an occasion to receive the power of the Holy Spirit,
which manifested itself on three
different occasions.
Our group chose to join
with the Magis program, which
brought youths from Jesuit
schools and parishes around the
world. During the catechesis sessions, we were blessed to have
different bishops come to teach
us about the Catholic faith and
take questions. Many questions
related to the roles of youth
in the church and society, life
direction, and human sexuality. These questions triggered
more conversations later among
ourselves. The conversations stirred in my heart and moved us
to pursue the Spirit of Truth. As one student commented, “The
bishop really helps me to understand that love is not equal to
sex as the media portrays it. I am really glad to hear that.”
I experienced the Spirit again during the pilgrimage walk. We
joined with thousands of youth from all over the world to walk
down the street for four hours to Randwick Racecourse, where
we camped out the night before the closing Mass. I have never
seen so many youth alive with the Spirit. We walked together,
sang songs in our own languages, and prayed at different stations on the way. One station was dedicated to Our Lady of
Australia. I felt she was with us on our journey and inviting us
24 MISSION SprINg 2009
to see the life of the Church. When I stopped walking, I saw
waves of youth and the presence of the Holy Spirit moving in
them. I saw the Spirit moving the Church forward in the midst
of conflict in the world.
WYD concluded with the celebration of the final Mass, which
I call the “Pentecostal Mass” because it captured the theme of
WYD and sums up our experience: “You will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you will be my
witnesses” (Acts 1: 8). When
Pope Benedict XVI arrived, the
Spirit danced. Four hundred
thousand people waved their
hands or their countries’ flags,
applauding and screaming, “We
love you, Papa!”
During his homily, Pope
Benedict challenged the youth:
“What will you leave to the next
generation?...How are you using
the gifts you have been given,
the ‘power’ which the Holy Spirit is even now prepared to
release within you?” The Pope recalled the Pentecostal experience in the early Church and how people received the power
of the Spirit, overcame their fears, and went forth to set the
world on fire with the message of Christ. We, too, have a
mission to use our gifts to build the Body of Christ and to
draw every heart to Christ.
WYD gave me a glimpse of how the Holy Spirit is active and
present. I came away from WYD full of hope and proud to be
Catholic. We eagerly await the next WYD three years from now
in Madrid, Spain.
Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Santa Barbar a
1925
(left),
1929
(right)
Starting at 6:42 a.m. on June 29, 1925, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook Santa Barbara for
19 seconds, destroying Our Lady of Sorrows Church and a good part of the city. At that time, the
1867-vintage church was located on the corner of State and Figueroa streets. The city engineer
pronounced the structure a complete loss. Soldiers were posted throughout the town to prevent
looting and to keep people from entering the damaged buildings. The church was razed, the
property sold, and a new church was erected in 1929 at the corner of Anacapa and Sola streets.
Today, Our Lady of Sorrows is one of 12 parishes served by Jesuits of the California Province.
CALIFORNIA PROVINCE OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS
Advancement Office
P.O. Box 68
Los Gatos, CA 95031-0068
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
California Province of
the Society of Jesus
R e spo nd i n g
to the call of Christ
100 Years & Beyond
1909-2009
jesuits california province