The Southern Jesuit - Fall 2011 by Jesuits Central and Southern

The Fall 2011

Jesuit southern

From Our Provincial

“Viva Cristo Rey!”

A wondrous discovery was made in our Province archives – a first-hand account of one of our Jesuits, Fr. John Druhan, S.J., with Blessed Miguel Pro. As a historian, I am intrigued by Fr. Druhan’s chronicle of his time with Fr. Pro which offers a glimpse into how God uses all of us for His good intent. Frs. Pro and Druhan were roommates in a Belgium hospital during Christmas of 1925 – a little less than two years before Fr. Pro’s martyrdom. What struck me from Fr. Druhan’s reflection is simply how two Jesuits were alive in the Lord – ready to set the world afire as Ignatius urged his followers. Fr. Pro boldly obliged this call, even disguising himself to carry out his ministry in Mexico at a time when the practice of faith was illegal. He was even daring enough to dress as a prison guard, sneaking into the prisons to

minister to those on death row. All this was done with a wink and a nod. Fr. Druhan shares that within this international hospital someone as saintly as Blessed Pro had a joyous relationship with the Lord. “Truth to tell, Father Pro’s quips and pranks and infectious good humor spoke all languages with equal fluency.” And his inner joy made him desirous to do the Lord’s work with equal joy. As cited by Fr. Druhan, Fr. Pro insisted via jokes and playful prodding that he be able to celebrate Mass against the orders of the Mother Superior who ran the hospital. She finally yielded to his joyous desire to offer the Holy Sacrifice. During the upcoming Advent Season let us ask ourselves, “How are we called to serve the Lord with joy, fully utilizing our gifts?” As we sing the

Blessed Miguel Pro

praises of our saving Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the Word made flesh, let us look to someone like Blessed Miguel Pro to show us how we are to respond to God’s invitation into the kingdom. While his martyrdom is striking in its courage and devotion, it is the example of how Fr. Pro approached his relationship with Jesus and how he served with great joy and humor that is inspiring. What a great gift of God we have in Blessed Miguel Pro so that we, too, can proclaim “Viva Cristo Rey!” with confidence and joy. Yours in Christ,

Mark Lewis, S.J.

staff

The Southern Jesuit is a publication of the Jesuits of the New Orleans Province. Mark A. Lewis, S.J., Provincial Michael D. Dooley, S.J., Socius John F. Armstrong, S.J., Assistant for Formation Mary Baudouin, Assistant for the Social Ministries Michael S. Bourg, Executive Director for Advancement

Michael A. Bouzigard, S.J., Assistant for the International Ministries Warren J. Broussard, S.J., Assistant for Pastoral and Retreat Ministry Paul Deutsch, S.J., Director of Vocations Lawrence J. Lundin, S.J., Treasurer Anthony F. McGinn, S.J., Assistant for Secondary Education

Send inquiries and article submissions to: The Southern Jesuit Attn: Editor 710 Baronne Street, Suite B New Orleans, LA 70113-1064 phone: 1.800.788.1719 fax: 504.571.1744 email: Jesuits@norprov.org Brooke A. Iglesias, Editor

2 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

For donations, bequests, wills and trusts our legal title is Jesuit Seminary and Mission Fund, New Orleans.

Jesuit

connections

What do De Niro, Fr. Thibodeaux and the Jesuit Reductions have in common? Soon after its founding in 1534, the newly created Society of Jesus was already promoting its missionary spirit by sending Jesuits to faraway lands. It took a mere six years for St. Ignatius to send men to south Asia and India, and only 15 before he sent seven companions to Brazil. By 1567 they had expanded to Peru, and twenty years later the first three Jesuits had arrived in Paraguay for what they deemed to be an “experiment” with the region’s native Guaraní tribes. The Guaraní proved very receptive to Christianity, likely due to the fact that missionaries worked to first familiarize themselves with the indigenous ways, and only then to make an effort at conversion. There was also no expectation that they adopt European culture as with so many other missions. No sooner had the missionaries begun

to make real progress, however, than they were forced to abandon their work due to a general lack of support from the Jesuits in Rome. Then, through a serendipitous turn of events, Martín Ignacio de Loyola, the grand-nephew of St. Ignatius, was named the Bishop of Asunción, Paraguay, in 1601. Through his influence the Jesuits were able to return to Paraguay, and by 1607 the provincial general had established the new Province of Paraguay, which spanned modern-day Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and the southernmost parts of Brazil. Their progress was constantly challenged, however, by the simple nomadic nature of the Guaraní tribes and the nefarious activities of European colonists and slave hunters, – continued on page 19

Jesuit

cont ents The

southern

From Our Provincial

Jesuit Connections

Formation: Coming Full Circle

Ministries: Firm in the Faith

FORMATION: Where y’at?

Heeding the Call to Serve Him

Ministries: Jesuit Jubilee 2011

Contemplatives In Action

ARCHIVES: Face to Face with a Martyr

MISSIONS: In the Company of Disciples

Senior Jesuits: Standing Under the Cross

VOCATION EVENTs:

RENEWING A SACRED PlACE: St. Charles College Celebrates 100 Years with Renovation Groundbreaking

In Memoriam: Celebrating the Eternal Life

DONOR PROFILE A Southern Servant: Edward N. Morris, Jr

From the Executive Director

IN GRATITUDE Jesuit Companions

The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 3

Formation

Front row: 2011 Vow Class; Matthew Stewart, Louis Hotop, David Lugo, Penn Dawson, and Mathew Kappadakunnel. Back row: Fr. Dan White, S.J., assistant to the novice director; Fr. Mark Thibodeaux, S.J., novice director.

Two years ago, and for the first time in its long history, the novitiate at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, welcomed novices from the Missouri Province as well as those from the New Orleans Province. This joint novitiate took on a new name – the Novitiate of St. Stanislaus Kostka at St. Charles College – and this unification is part of the process leading to the eventual merger of the two provinces. On August 13, 2011, five members of this first joint novice class – two from the Missouri Province and three from the New Orleans Province – pronounced their first vows as Jesuits during a Mass celebrated in the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Grand Coteau. Fr. Mark Lewis, S.J., provincial of the New Orleans Province, and Fr. Doug Marcouiller, S.J., provincial of the Missouri Province, received the vows of their men, and this historic moment marked the completion of a cycle in the formation program of the new joint novitiate. Pronouncing their vows were Penn Dawson, Louis Hotop, Mathew Kappadakunnel, David Lugo and Matthew Stewart. Each Jesuit was presented with a crucifix, a longstanding tradition on the occasion of vows, and it has become customary to give each man the crucifix of a deceased Jesuit. In many cases, the Jesuit may have been known to and have had an influence on the younger Jesuit receiving his crucifix. Having completed the two years of novitiate training and having pronounced their vows, these five men will now begin a period of academic formation known as first studies. Louie Hotop and Matt Stewart will be studying at Saint 4 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

Louis University and Fordham University, respectively. Penn Dawson will study at Loyola University Chicago, Matt Kappadakunnel at Fordham in the Bronx and David Lugo at Saint Louis University. God’s blessing on our two provinces is evident in the response to His invitation to Jesuit life. On August 12, 2011, fourteen new novices – the largest entrance class in recent history – arrived at St. Charles College to begin their two-year journey to discern more fully the call they have answered to become a Jesuit priest or brother. After a Mass of welcome and dinner, Fr. Mark Thibodeaux, S.J., the director of novices, and his assistant, Fr. Dan White, S.J., met with the new novices and their families for “freshman orientation” to explain what they should expect during the two years of the novitiate experience. The 14 new novices bring a variety of personalities and gifts to the Society of Jesus: Brock Anderson, a convert to Catholicism, graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in agriculture and applied economics. He taught English as a second language in China, designed sustainable rainwater harvesting systems in Costa Rica and worked with a company in New Mexico to instruct on how to build with natural materials. Christopher Backes graduated from DeSmet Jesuit High School in St. Louis and studied at Loyola University New Orleans, majoring in philosophy. He played hockey, was active in student liturgies and wrote for the university newspaper.

Thomas Croteau hails government and was a residence from Commerce City, Colorado, hall assistant. For the past two years, and graduated from Ave Maria Jonathon has been living in Rome University with a double major in assisting the director of the UD Rome the classics, early Christian literature program. and philosophy. While in college, Tucker Redding was raised Thomas met his first Jesuit priest on a ranch in Texas. He graduated who introduced him to Ignatian from Texas A&M with a major in spirituality. political science and a minor in Scott Delatte graduated from communications. He was active in the Jesuit High New Orleans and recently campus ministry program at A&M, earned a degree in theology from and after graduation he became the Belmont Abbey College. In addition youth minister at St. Justin Martyr to reading and serving at student Parish in Houston. (above and below) Entering novices are greeted by the novice director and their “guardian Masses, he was active in the ProJuan Ruiz attended Christian angel”at St. Charles College. Life Club and the Christian Life Brothers High School in Memphis Community. and graduated from Saint Louis James Erler, who is a graduate University with a degree in business of Saint Louis University High and administration and information the University of Chicago where he technology. For one semester he was a history major, lived in China attended SLU’s Madrid campus. for several months and has a good His uncle is a Jesuit priest in the knowledge of the language. For two Dominican Republic. years he taught history and religion in Brian Strassburger graduated Jesuit high schools. from Regis Jesuit High School in Christopher Farrell is a native Denver and then from Saint Louis of New Orleans but, because of University with a degree in math and Hurricane Katrina, attended DeSmet High School in St. Louis in 2005. After graduating from Washington and Lee with a degree in French, he worked for a wine distributor in New Orleans. Chris Gattis attended high school at Subiaco Academy with the Benedictines and just recently graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in theology. He spent a summer teaching English in the Ukraine. Aaron Heisohn just graduated from Saint Louis University High School where he was a member of the national champion varsity racquetball team and led a number of youth retreats. Being the youngest member of this novice class, he is known as “The Holy Innocent.” Chris Kellerman attended high school in Arlington, Novice Entrance Class of 2011 Texas, and graduated from Texas Tech University with business administration. Afterward, he served for two years degrees in music and political science. He recently completed in the Augustinian Volunteers, first in the Bronx and then with a graduate degree in theology from the University of Dallas. AIDS patients in South Africa. David Kiblinger has a bachelor’s degree in math and The entrance of these new novices and the profession of science from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, first vows by the first joint novitiate class were truly blessed and he just earned his master’s degree in theology at and joyous occasions. Many Jesuits, both young and old, Villanova University. He played varsity soccer in high school as well as many family members and friends gathered to and spent a semester of college in Budapest. celebrate with, and pray for, these men who have responded Jonathon Polce graduated from the University of Dallas so generously to God’s graces in their lives. with a major in history, where he was also involved in student The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 5

Ministry

World Youth Day 2011

Firm in the Faith

World Youth Day 2011 was no less impressive. There On August 16, an estimated two million youth were plenty of events, talks, prayers and chat sessions representing 193 countries gathered in Madrid, Spain, for purposefully designed to enliven the faith of the youth World Youth Day 2011. In addition to catechism sessions, gathered in Spain. Of course, Frisbees and guitars still acted cultural activities and concerts, the pilgrims along with as an attraction for the events but, at times, were an obstacle 14,000 priests and bishops joined Pope Benedict XVI at to making the Catholic faith more central in the lives of the Cuatro Vientos Airport for an adoration vigil and Mass. young gathered there. His welcome address echoed this year’s theme, urging Still, we remain patient, just as in other ministries of the pilgrims to, “Make trust in Christ’s word the foundation of Church, and we are content to expect the best fruit of our labor your lives! Planted and built up in Him, firm in the faith and to come a little further down the road. For now, working with open to the power of the Spirit, you will find your place in God’s plan and enrich the Church with your youth is a frontier ministry. As our Holy gifts.” Father describes, youth are immersed in “those Several New Orleans Province Jesuits physical and spiritual places which others do accompanied pilgrims to Madrid, including not reach or have difficulty reaching.” But, it newly-ordained Jesuits Rev. John Brown and is our business to be there. Rev. Aaron Pidel who share their personal I was certainly on that frontier myself experiences of WYD with us: as a youth in need of solid examples of what s a young man in high school, I was a vibrant Catholic culture could look like. I invited by my youth group leaders to needed to see our faith as something more attend World Youth Day in Denver, than a ghost from centuries past. This year, Colorado. I was impressed by the two million Catholic youth, camped out in remarkable crowd: so young and energetic, Madrid’s scorching heat during the day and peaceful and united in the faith despite vast pouring rain at night, and the adults willing to differences in language and culture. I can’t accompany them on their journey, give witness remember praying incessantly with all of that our faith is vibrant. And, when this harvest Fr. David Brown, S.J., astronomer the Frisbees and guitar playing serving as a is ready, all of us who envision ourselves as at the Vatican Observatory in Rome, constant distraction, but the image of that sea of met up with his brother Jesuits and ministers must seize this great opportunity to young people remained in my prayers for years. pilgrims. labor in the field for God our Lord. Rev. John Brown, S.J.

6 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

Fr. Richard Hermes, S.J., president of Jesuit High School Tampa, with Tampa pilgrims at World Youth Day

fter my first experience accompanying young people to World Youth Day 2011 and the Jesuit MAGIS program leading up to it, I have learned that the keys to youth ministry are timeless: proclaiming Christ in the Church, presenting a plausible counter-culture, and simply being present. Benedict XVI models best the preaching of Christ in the Church. Though an intellectual fluent in philosophy and theology, his mode of speaking to young people is appealingly unvarnished. At the Mass for over one million people at Cuatro Vientos Airfield, without gimmicks or grandstanding, the Holy Father challenged his congregation directly: “Make Christ, the Son of God, the center of your life. But let me also remind you that following Jesus in faith means walking at His side in the communion of the Church.” Strengthening this connection between enthusiasm for Christ and enthusiasm for His Church—even in all her human failings—is a necessity in ministering to young people who are culturally

conditioned to esteem individual self-expression above all other values and to view the Church as a purely human construct. The second key to ministry among young people, the presentation of a plausible counter-culture, is embodied in World Youth Day itself. WYD can be characterized as “plausible” as it does not condemn youth culture in root or branch. On the contrary, it takes up a contemporary form Jesuits John Brown above, Randy Gibbens below and of youth culture – the festival pilgrims enjoy World Youth Day festivities. atmosphere – and gives it new content: a celebration of the faith and an encounter with the universal Church. At the same time, any festival represents a sort of alternative, an alternative to the workaday world, and in the case of WYD, it represents an alternative to the flatness of a secular age and the shallowness of pop culture. Though young people appreciate a tailored message, a voice that speaks to them only of what they already know and in cadences already familiar, it quickly grows redundant. time and opportunities for conversations At WYD the Church struck a balance, about theology, prayer, vocation and swaying gently between a pep rally and life. I discovered that young people academic catechesis, between guitarare hungry for such conversations, and driven praise and Gregorian chant. though there are many priests, religious The third key, of course, is the and catechists who would gladly engage presence of the Church through people. them, there are few walking alongside During MAGIS, a Jesuit pastoral them, few inserted in their daily routine program that preceeds WYD, it fell to and few available when they are ready. me to accompany a group of young And it is here that followers of St. people on a week’s walking pilgrimage Ignatius, himself so skilled in the art of from Loyola, the birthplace of St. spiritual conversation and so zealous for Ignatius, to Xavier, the birthplace of St. souls, need to be. Francis. Each day began with prayer Rev. Aaron Pidel, S.J. and ended with Mass, but in between there were long stretches of road with

World Youth Day 2011 August 16-21, MadridThe, Southern: Jesuit Spain

Fall 2011 7

Formation

I was asked to write a little bit about myself for Where Y’at? With the editor’s permission, I have modified the usual format to include three other people. I do this because no one gets through Jesuit formation by his own steam alone, and these three relationships have had an exceptional impact on my Jesuit life. I hope that by the end you’ll see that these other personages were worth mentioning!

where

y’at? with Jay Hooks, S.J.

8 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

n the spring of 1996, I was a high school senior and played guitar in the 5:30 p.m. Mass at my home parish, Christ the King, in Tampa. Rev. Joseph Carola, S.J., was then working at Jesuit High School, and on this particular Sunday he had volunteered to say Mass. As he left the sacristy, I left for my car, guitar in hand. We crossed paths just in front of the sanctuary, where for no particular reason we both stopped to say hello. I’d call it a providential encounter. Given that I had been at a public high school and that I was bound for a state university, I don’t know how else I would have met the Jesuits. In the next few years, Fr. Carola became a good friend and spiritual guide. And in 2001, thanks to this relationship – the first that I want to mention – I began my Jesuit life as a novice of the New Orleans Province in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. Ten years later I find myself close to priesthood and in the period of formation that centers on the theological coursework required for ministry. I have spent the past two years in Rome, studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University and living at the International College of the Gesù. There in Rome, a second important encounter occurred. The Gesù College was quite literally built around the rooms where St. Ignatius himself lived as the first superior general of the Society of Jesus. My bedroom, in fact, was just two flights above his. This closeness to Ignatius’ own surroundings in those years was a real treasure. Once a week, we scholastics had Mass in his quarters – the Camerette, as we call them – where Ignatius said Mass and

departed earthly life. We were also called upon to give tours of the rooms to visitors from out of town. I can’t recall how many I gave – dozens, at least – but I know that I benefited from the endeavor. The more I taught about Ignatius, the more I learned about the man and his vision. In addition to the activities involving the Camerette, as part of the Gesù College program I spent a month in Spain visiting sites that were important to Ignatius: his birthplace at Loyola, the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat, the cave at Manresa, the site where he fell from a cannonball wound in Pamplona and the streets where he walked and begged in Barcelona. My time in Spain helped me to fill in the portrait of the man who went from selfserving provincial noble to God-seeking pilgrim and founder of the Society of Jesus. I felt a sense of closeness to Ignatius in those four weeks, a closeness that was genuine, irrespective of the wide cultural and chronological distances that separated us.

Meeting my founder on his own territory also helped me to appreciate his dreams for the Society. I couldn’t possibly claim to know them all, nor is this the place to expound on my many hunches. In the space that remains, though, I can at least bring to light that Ignatius’ dreams are most certainly rooted in the third relationship that I wanted to mention. It’s not a rapport that I can claim exclusively for myself – and thankfully so, because it is the essential ingredient in every Jesuit vocation. For every member of the Society, the central project and animating force of his Jesuit life must be his relationship with Jesus Christ. Given the developments of these past 10 years, I can say that I have come to know Jesus in a real way and that this has changed my life. Like my hunches about Ignatius’ aspirations, this rapport would

take far too much space to discuss in detail. In short, I’m steadily learning the importance and payoff of the grace asked for in the second week of the Spiritual Exercises: to be given “an intimate knowledge of our Lord, who has become man for me, that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely.” This grace doesn’t always come easily. Nor have I always been the most faithful companion. Thankfully, I’ve found that Jesus is much better at faithfulness than I am. What’s more, he never holds grudges. I suppose I could be faulted for

Jay Hooks, S.J., enjoys the “Pines and Fountains” of Rome.

mentioning this relationship with Jesus as the last of a series of three. At any rate, I hope you understand it is “third” only rhetorically. For as you by now know, each Jesuit should do the very best he can to make his relationship with Jesus “first” in every aspect of his life. Please pray, friends, that my Jesuit brothers and I will find success in this life-long and very rewarding project: becoming an ever more faithful Companion of Jesus. To find out more about the vocation journey or to help support the training of Jesuits, please go to www.norprov.org.

Fr. Joseph Carola, S.J., Jay’s first Jesuit friend, is currently professor of patristic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 9

Formation

Heeding the

10 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

Out west, Fr. Hough has begun his priestly ministry in Albuquerque at the Jesuit parish of the Immaculate Conception. Moving eastward, Fr. Brown is ministering in one of the most impoverished yet vibrant parishes in the United States at Sacred Heart in El Paso. Fr. Johnson is serving in one of our most urban parishes, Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church in New Orleans, and farthest east Fr. Pidel who is in GesĂš Parish in Miami. The New Orleans Province is truly blessed by God to welcome these gifted, dedicated and devout young men as new Jesuit priests. Below are excerpts from their personal reflections just prior to ordination.

Johnathan Brown, S.J. My heart is grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of God in this very special way as a priest. From the beginning I know that God has been calling me deeper and deeper into a life that requires me to give Him all of my liberty â&#x20AC;&#x201C; my memory, understanding and will. Nothing makes me happier. My hope is that God will use it to His glory and continue to shape me in His obedient service. Along the way I have found so much support from so many people that I cannot help but persevere in hope, knowing Christ as the model for all that I want to imitate. The closer I get to ministering as a priest, the less my own concerns seem to matter. I find myself each day looking outward, along with Christ, at the love

to Him all erve C S

PHOTO: Mike Trahan

With praise and thanksgiving to the triune God, the Jesuits of the New Orleans Province celebrated the ordination of four men to the priesthood on Saturday, June 4, 2011: Fr. Jonathan Brown, S.J., Fr. Patrick Hough, S.J., Fr. Jeff Johnson, S.J., and Fr. Aaron D. Pidel, S.J. The Most Reverend Roger P. Morin, Bishop of Biloxi, served graciously in the role of the ordaining bishop and presided over Mass at the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in New Orleans. These newly-ordained priests bring varied backgrounds along with years of formation, training and education to their new ministries across the New Orleans Province.

in the world, the desire, the hope, the pleasure and joy. I also see the hatred, aversion, sadness and anger. My job as a priest will be to help shine the light of Christ on all of these things, drawing everyone into His infinite goodness – and to be swept up in Christ along the way myself. This is defending and spreading the faith. I am overjoyed that, through the Church and my life consecrated to God in the Society of Jesus, I can preach and educate, console and inspire, bond and forgive – all finding Christ’s Body and Blood at the heart of any act of charity and worship. Patrick Hough, S.J. Ever since I was a young boy I have thought about the priesthood and about following the path of those men who I later found out were Jesuits. Being born into an amazing Catholic cultural life in the north of England in the shadow of the ancient Jesuit school of Stonyhurst College was fertile ground for my vocation to grow. The farm that I grew up on had once been run by the Jesuit brothers. Gerard Manley Hopkins had visited it and written poetry about the farm buildings. Jesuits were everywhere. Stories of saints and martyrs were made visible in the yearly round of feasts and processions when their relics were brought out for all to see – ropes that tied martyrs to stakes, corporals that once held the host of the final Mass of these courageous English Jesuits – and were frequent reminders to me to seek for some greater glory. So, yes, I have long desired to be a Jesuit and a priest. Edmund Campion has been a favorite of mine and his simple statement before death – that he had simply tried to preach the Gospel freely, minister the sacraments, educate, reform and confound the errors of the time – has always rung in my ears as a mission statement for my priestly life. I love the liturgical life of the

Church in all its history, richness and power to bring solace and strength to people wherever they may be, and the tradition of the Jesuits has encouraged and allowed me to bring the perennial message of Christ and His Church into people’s lives. Personally this has been through music, athletics, teaching and traveling, and I have felt that these long years of formation have born great fruit for others and for me. Yes, the long years of formation peel off the layers that hinder you from being the man you were created to be. That is why I have come with confidence to this moment of ordination to trust that the deepest exchange that goes on between Jesus and me, a relationship developed in prayer, will bear fruit for others as a Catholic priest in the world today. Jeff Johnson, S.J. Priesthood, for me, means assisting people in their relationships with God. I can best be of service when helping people to discover how they can deepen that relationship and come to rely upon God through Jesus. I am most grateful for my ten years of Jesuit formation. I have been placed in many different situations with many people who all have a similar question, namely, “how do I deepen my relationship with God and how do I live my life out of that relationship?” Last summer I did a chaplaincy training program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Many times I was called upon to enter the hospital room of a person in critical condition. At moments like these, the big questions of faith, religion and God came up. I was there not as the answer-man, but as a minister. There is a big difference between the two: The answer-man comes in with answers to all the questions that rightfully belong to God to answer. The minister helps the person find how God is answering their deepest, most intimate questions. As a priest, I hope to be a good and faithful minister for God, not the guy who has

all of the answers. Not all of ministry is done in such grave circumstances. While working at St. Ignatius Church in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, I’ve had the opportunity to preside at several baptisms of children. This is a joyous time in the lives of the parents, godparents and families. The parents clearly see this as a beginning of something truly extraordinary, and the church is filled with happiness and joy. These are wonderful responses to the initiation of a relationship with God. Most often, being a minister for God means accompanying people in their everyday experiences. I have been privileged to accompany two people this year as they make their way through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in a year-long retreat in the midst of their everyday lives. Here, God shows up in a quieter more subtle way than He does at the deathbed or the baptismal font. In all that I have done and look forward to doing, I hope I am a priest who helps people find God. Aaron Pidel, S.J. My path to the priesthood began at home in Augusta, Georgia. My parents had moved there from Rochester, New York – without job prospects – in order to join an ecumenical, charismatic community. The conviction that God comes first, that He provides for those who do His will, permeated my family as well as the families of my childhood friends. I also remember well the interest our circle showed in the priests who passed through Augusta: our hope that they would be close to God and close to us, that they would teach us how to pray and that they would preach the Gospel undiluted. As I came to know more families and friends, both before entrance (while studying at Franciscan University) and after entrance (while teaching at Jesuit High School New Orleans), I came – continued on page 27 The Southern Jesuit Spring 2011 11

Ministries

A Celebration of Service Jesuits of the New Orleans Province and guests gathered in New Orleans on Sunday, July 31, 2011, the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, to honor 22 Jesuits celebrating milestones of service to the Society of Jesus and the Church with the long-standing tradition of the Jesuit Jubilee. Festivities began with a special Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. Father Provincial Mark Lewis, S.J., presided over Mass and thanked guests for their prayers and support of the Jesuits, and Fr. John Edwards, S.J., offered a memorable homily in which he creatively wove Jesuit formation with a children’s story. Afterward, Jubilarians and guests enjoyed a reception in the ballroom of The Roosevelt New Orleans where honorees were fêted with the music of Joe Simon’s Jazz Quartet and a menu of favorite New Orleans dishes. This year’s Jubilarians have given a combined total of 1,170 years of service to the Church and the Society of Jesus. Jubilarians honored this year were: 12 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

75â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Years in the Society Rev. Jacques L. Weber, S.J.

70â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Years in the Society Rev. John H. Edwards, S.J. Bro. George A. Murphy, S.J. Rev. John F. Schroder, S.J.

Bro. Walter Eckler, S.J., celebrated 60 years as a Jesuit with family and friends.

60 Years in the Society Rev. A. Ferdinand Derrera, S.J. Bro. Walter A. Eckler, S.J. Rev. Roland J. Lesseps, S.J. Rev. Gregory F. Lucey, S.J. Rev. Thomas J. Tierney, S.J. Rev. Andrew P. Whitman, S.J.

50 Years in the Society Rev. Edward B. Arroyo, S.J. Bro. Alexander Gussio, S.J. Rev. Paul B. Patin, S.J. Rev. Stephen C. Rowntree, S.J.

Bro. George Murphy enjoyed chatting with guests.

25 Years in the Society Rev. R. Bentley Anderson, S.J. Rev. Steven E. Kimmons, S.J.

50 Years in the Priesthood Rev. Francis R. Brou, S.J. Rev. Kenneth A. Buddendorff, S.J. Rev. A. Ferdinand Derrera, S.J. Rev. Francis V. Ferrier, S.J. Rev. Leo A. Nicoll, S.J. Rev. Robert J. Ratchford, S.J.

25 Years in the Priesthood

Fr. John Edwards, S.J., (center) celebrated 70 years as a Jesuit with Michael Earsing and Thomas Garrison, president and principal of Jesuit College Prep of Dallas, respectively.

Rev. Kevin W. Wildes, S.J.

Fr. Andrew Whitman, S.J., celebrating 60 years as a Jesuit, enjoyed time with his guests.

Fr. R. Bentley Anderson, S.J., visited with family and friends. The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 13

Ministry

n Act on

The Lord’s Ranch in Vado, New Mexico

By Rev. Jack Vessels, S.J. wo years ago, because of my fluency in Spanish and my experience in the formation of ecclesial communities in Brazil, I was assigned to Sacred Heart Parish in El Paso to assist in the work of Our Lady’s Youth Center and at The Lord’s Ranch which is in Vado, New Mexico, just across the state line from El Paso. It serves as residence for several volunteers who have dedicated their lives to feeding and serving the poor on the border. It also serves as a guest house for volunteers who occasionally return to assist in the community’s ministries or to spend time in restful reflection. Truly ecclesial and international, the Our Lady’s Youth Center (OLYC) community – now known as Las Alas or “The Wings” – is a community of contemplatives in action: by faith, united in prayer and action; no prayer without action, and no action without prayer! Through service to the poor, both volunteer residents and visitors contribute to the life of the universal Church in the three particular churches where it serves: El Paso, Texas; Juarez, Mexico; and Las Cruces, New Mexico. It all began under the charismatic leadership of two Jesuits, Frs. Harold Rahm and Richard Thomas. Fr. Rahm founded OLYC in 1952 during his first assignment as a priest at Sacred Heart Parish in downtown El Paso, in the poorest part of the city just across the bridge from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. But in 1964, he was assigned to Brazil to begin the New Orleans Province mission there – where at 92, he is still active – and Fr. Thomas was sent to El Paso to replace him at OLYC. Fr. Thomas was 37 when he took over OLYC. “Go to the poor,” Christ told the OLYC community in its group discernment of scripture. It was across the Rio Grande in Juarez that the cry of the poor was most demanding, where well over a million people lived in poverty worse than any experienced in El Paso. Many of the members of the community were bi-lingual, with friends and relatives living in Juarez. They went “to see,” confident the Holy Spirit would enlighten their vision. Visiting the city’s municipal garbage dump, they found the poorest of the poor, feeding themselves and their children, sleeping in shelters made from trash, collecting whatever might be usable and sellable on the streets. Praying and discerning Christ’s words, “…when you have a banquet, invite the poor…,” (Luke 14:13) the community did just that at the dump on Christmas Day of 14 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

Volunteers deliver groceries weekly to this family.

1972, often remembered as “the miracle of Juarez” because of the inexplicable multiplication of food that day, and they have been going back weekly ever since. For years at The Lord’s Ranch, crops were grown and livestock were raised to provide food for the poor of Juarez, but eventually it was discerned in prayer by its resident volunteers that such was not as practical as accepting contributions from local wholesalers and purchasing whatever else was needed at the markets in Juarez for weekly distribution. In this way the volunteers living at the ranch are available for ministries that were developing in both El Paso and Juarez. Over the years, four centers have developed for the weekly food distribution and other services to meet the spiritual and material needs in different areas of Juarez. The first began at the garbage dump itself. When the dump was moved to another site, the people of the neighborhood began to build on the old site, concrete block by concrete block, a center for the services

Top left, Fr. Jack Vessels Middle left, a victim of Juarez gang violence pictured with his family. Left, volunteers visit a local family.

Local children celebrate their First Holy Eucharist.

provided: not just food distribution, but volunteer medical and dental care, a pharmacy, nursery for the children, and religious and spiritual formation for those of all ages. Volunteers now come from both Juarez and El Paso, and no service is rendered or received without prayer and the desire to fulfill God’s will. Misión Espíritu Santo is the fitting name of the old dump, with true new life abundantly available. As the Misión matured with its own volunteers and patrons, a new center called The Lord’s Food Bank was opened in the expanding western periphery of Juarez. A large vacant area was made available, and the now-experienced community of volunteers shifted their time and energies to this new challenge, where storehouse, clinic, pharmacy, chapel, classroom, nursery and prayer now provide for the spiritual and urgent needs of the poorest. Another newer center, Las Alitas, has recently been initiated on the southeastern extension of Juarez in an area where electricity has arrived, but not yet water – only the Living Water of the Word, with Love. And, the fourth location for prayer and food distribution has been established at a parish church, Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles. Las Alas – still officially OLYC – is a prayer center with its own weekly schedule of spiritual training, prayer

for healing, occasional workshops, seminars and conferences. It also serves as home base for the volunteers’ almost daily visit to Juarez, the storage area for supplies, and the offices coordinating the ever-expanding number of ministries. Of particular importance is the pro-life prayer at the abortion clinics, where useful alternative information is offered to concerned women. This includes the offer of prenatal care and housing for women waiting to give birth, assistance with the adoption process for unexpected children, as well as post-abortion counseling. My own work as a member of this faith community is saying Mass weekly with all the Juarez communities served, hearing confessions before and after Mass, visiting the sick and incarcerated prisoners with the volunteers and doing all I can to encourage, strengthen and console the volunteers themselves. The most enriching part of my experience is being immersed in the goodness and faith of simple, poor people who draw their strength purely from their love of God and His for them. All they have is their faith, and because the Word of God congregates people around it, we don’t “give out” to the poor. We share with them. And, it is good to think that, God willing, I will spend the rest of my priestly ministry among them. The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 15

Archives

his prison guard and once the house, opened my in the courtyard, he knelt vest as if I were showing for a brief prayer and them a badge, and said blessed his executioners. significantly, ‘There’s Without a blindfold and a cat bagged here,’” with a crucifix in one insinuating that he was hand and his rosary in on the case of busting up the other, he outstretched the Mass. His clever ruse his arms and exclaimed, earned a military salute “Viva Cristo Rey!” from the policemen and (Long Live Christ the entrance into the guarded King!) He was 36 years house. Once inside, he old. tried to ease the fears of The same fate his Mass participants, awaited Pro’s brother informing them that, “We Humberto and their couldn’t be any safer brother in Christ Louis than we are now, for the Segura Vilchis. Later, at police themselves are the vigil held in the Pro guarding the door for us.” Fr. Miguel Pro knelt in prayer just before his execution. home, countless people It did not relieve their The three men were arrested on fears, and they urged him to leave. “I paid respects to their courageous friends. November 17, 1927, and charged with left by the way I entered,” he wrote, but The following afternoon, thousands the attempted assassination of former “not without receiving two magnificent flooded the streets in anticipation of president General Álvaro Obregón, who Pro’s funeral, and when the remains of military salutes from the police.” days earlier was injured when a bomb They caught him on several the Pro brothers were carried out of their was tossed into his vehicle. The attempt father’s house to Delores Cemetery, occasions, however, and Pro was was linked to a car formerly owned by imprisoned for short stints which had it was to tremendous shouts of “Viva the Pros. Obregón himself suspected the unintended consequence of greatly Cristo Rey!” someone else in the assassination aiding his prison ministry. By his own Shortly after Pro’s death, relics were attempt, and at his request an appeal was reported to have worked miracles, and account he witnessed the conversion made to the chief of police to begin the of many hearts, which inspired him his intercession has been credited with judicial process immediately. He was to continue his work despite great curing terminal illnesses and conquering peril, and he pressed on to promote the assured by the chief’s secretary that a addictions. But his ministry itself was trial would be held the following day. faith. As “chief of the lecturers” for a miracle – a single year of priestly The next morning in the courtyard the Catholic Association of Mexican ministry that encouraged countless Youth, Pro organized over 100 men to of police headquarters, however, a firing squad give religious instruction in the absence awaited the Pro brothers and of the many exiled priests and to help Vilchis. The deception was combat anti-Catholic sentiment. His carefully orchestrated at the brother Humberto Pro was a member of the group, as was Louis Segura request of President Calles Vilchis, an engineer who was among the who had made the execution association’s best speakers. “The first to request to the chief of suffer will be those who have put their police six months prior. Professional photographers hands into the religious question, and I were on hand to document have put mine in up to the elbows,” Pro the executions. No time wrote. “God grant that I may be among was spared for the men to the first, or, for that matter, among the last; but at least one of the number. If see their families, and Fr. Various relics of Blessed Miguel Pro, courtesy of the New Miguel Pro was summoned that happens, get ready to make your first. He forgave and blessed Orleans Province Archive. petitions to me in Heaven.” 18 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

Mexican Catholics to persevere in their faith. Fr. Pro’s ministry and martyrdom occurred at the height of the Cristiada, and the effects of Calles’ ruthless pursuit of Catholics were devastating to the Church. It is estimated that as many as 4,000 priests were exiled or killed during his term. And after a so-called truce with countrymen, the Calles regime is alleged to have executed thousands more for their defense and practice of the faith. Fr. Miguel Pro was beatified on September 25, 1988, by Pope John Paul II who said, “Neither suffering nor serious illness, neither the exhausting ministerial activity, frequently carried out in difficult and dangerous circumstances, could stifle the radiating and contagious joy which he brought to his life for Christ and which nothing could take away. Indeed, the deepest root of self-sacrificing surrender for the lowly was his passionate love for Jesus Christ and his ardent desire to be conformed to him, even unto death.” Blessed Miguel Pro is most remembered as a martyr, but his inspiring life was that of an amiable man for others, a Jesuit confirmed in his vocation, armed only with his gift of humor and a courageous heart. Ending his reflection on Fr. Pro’s admirable life and death, Fr. Druhan penned, “And if in the course of this article undue stress appears to have been placed on the purely human and natural traits of the man and the priest, it is because we have wished to show that a heroic life is not infrequently hidden behind a smiling countenance.” The full text of Fr. John Druhan’s reflection can be viewed at www. norprov.org.

Jesuit Connections continued from page 3

known as Paolistas due to their origins in São Paolo, who treated the locals as a source of slave labor. The Jesuit response to these challenges? Protect the natives by concentrating the tribes into settlements known as Reductions. The name derives from the Spanish “reducir” which literally means “to reduce,” but also carries the connotation of “to gather.” Within the Reductions, two or three priests would guide and administer to two or three thousand Indians. Each settlement had its own internal government headed by chiefs and included an elected Cabildo, or chief magistrate. There were elementary schools with Guaraní teachers who had been educated by the Jesuits, as well as schools to teach crafts and trades. And, of course, there were churches to minister to the spiritual needs of the residents and to teach them Christian values. These self-sufficient Reductions were very successful and were even called a “model theocratic commonwealth” at the time. By 1772 there were at least 30 Reductions with more than 80,000 residents which became known as the Guaraní Republic. Unfortunately, progress would slow and eventually come to a halt after the Jesuits were expelled from Spain and all her colonies in 1767. Modern theory holds that this was the result of a series of political and economic conflicts, as well as the assertion of nation-state independence against the Catholic Church. It would take nearly 160 years for Jesuits to return to the region, and in 1928 Msgr. Juan Sinforiano Bogarín led the way to “continue building the dream of a better country” with the Paraguayans. The building of this dream goes on today through the work of the nearly 830 Jesuits who reside in the regions of the original Province of Paraguay. For the New Orleans Province, this work began in earnest in 1980 when Fr. General Pedro Arrupe called on U.S. Jesuits to aid the Province of Paraguay which was struggling under the dictatorship of Alfred Stroessner. Frs. Charles Thibodeaux, Don Bahlinger, Frank Renfroe, and C.J. McNaspy would heed the call and set out for Latin America where they would spend years in evangelization and community-building efforts. Fr. Thibodeaux remains to this day. And even after his mission work concluded, Fr. McNaspy returned to the region. He was accompanied by Fr. Bobby McCown, as a consultant for the 1984 movie The Mission starring Robert De Niro, which is loosely based on McNaspy’s historical book Lost Cities of Paraguay. In our turn, the New Orleans Province has been blessed by the presence and work of Fr. Carlos de la Cruz. A member of the Province of Paraguay, Fr. de la Cruz has been a retreat director at the Jesuit Spirituality Center at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau since 2007. So, though they may have waned hundreds of years ago, the spirit and influence of the Reductions live on through the work of modern Jesuit missionaries and those who support them. The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 19

Missions

In the Company of Disciples By Rev. Carlos de la Cruz, S.J.

ometime around 1980 the late Rev. Pedro I must admit that I went with some trepidation because Arrupe, S.J., then the General Superior the dictatorship of Stroessner viewed any attempt to build of the Jesuits, asked the Jesuits of the Christian communities among the peasants as a purely United States to give a hand to the Jesuit Communist activity. I and three sisters from the Company Province of Paraguay. Then under the brutal of Mary worked very slowly and very carefully. After the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner, more coup d’état in 1989 when Paraguay ousted Stroessner, we than 15 Jesuits had been expelled from the began in earnest to form the small Christian communities. country and numerous innocent peasants or campesinos had However, we had not wasted time, for since 1986 – the year been killed. I was named pastor of Santa María de Fe, a Jesuit Parish that Rev. Thomas Stahel, S.J., then provincial of the New had been a Jesuit Reduction in the 1600s – the sisters and I Orleans Province, took the challenge and sent Frs. C. J. had selected the possible leaders or animadores of the future McNaspy, Donald Bahlinger, Charles Thibodeaux and comunidades and spent a great amount of our time in their Frank Renfroe to Paraguay. Each of these Jesuits brought evangelization. This process involved instructing them in the their individual gifts and graces from their amazing work in new ecclesial models brought about by Vatican II while at the different apostolates. same time teaching them to become familiar with Scripture – In 1985, the Paraguayan provincial visited the New the history of the People of God – and teaching them how to Orleans Province and was looking for someone who had pray with the Word of God. In addition, they began to learn experience in forming small Christian communities. The how to make themes for the reunions of the comunidades Jesuits in Paraguay already had formed these comunidades based on Scripture and adapted to the life situation of the de base among the campesinos which suffered persecution campesinos. The animadores eagerly and with great joy became involved in this evangelization during the expulsion of some process, and by 1989 more than 40 of the Jesuits of the Paraguayan animadores were ready to tackle their Province and now, were in a mission in Santa María de Fe: forming state of disarray. My provincial, comunidades in 4 neighborhoods or Rev. Edmundo Rodriguez, barrios and 15 villages that in Paraguay S.J., singled me out. I had were called compañías. worked in the formation of such We determined that the starting point communities in San Francisco, of our comunidades movement was going San Antonio and El Paso. Thus, to be to form and offer a viable context I was missioned to Paraguay to for discipleship of Jesus. An intimate, join my Jesuit predecessors that An animadora (left) with her children\ personal encounter with the Lord that same year.

20 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

would allow the animadores and the members of the comunidades to grow in knowledge, love and service of the Lord was non-negotiable. We did not want the comunidades to become a socio-political movement. We knew that discipleship of the Lord would face head-on the evangelization of the culture and would enter into the political fray, but with a marked evangelical perspective. The Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola became our good ally. They were an

one of the new parishes. By that time, we had grown in number from three sisters and me to more than 30 sisters and about 10 Jesuits in their formation years. I left Paraguay in 2006 for health reasons; now fully recovered, though not as sprite as in 1985, I will return to Paraguay this year. I will leave, for now, the work in the countryside to my younger colleagues. It is very demanding work physically and psychologically because we live in solidarity with the

Fr. Carlos de la Cruz, S.J., (bottom left) with his Jesuit, religious and lay colleagues

invaluable instrument in the basic process of conversion as an intimate disciple of Christ. They also provided the spiritual world view of St. Ignatius which allowed the animadores to see involvement with the world as an encounter with God, active in all of man’s endeavors. We began by giving three-day preached retreats, then five days, and, in addition to the talks, the animadores had personal interviews with the sisters in order to help them in their spiritual process. This approach was well received in the campesinos hungry for a demanding evangelization. Our bishop became very interested in our pastoral approach and asked us to help the other parishes of the diocese, and in 1992 the Paraguayan provincial asked me to take on the responsibility of two more Jesuit parishes and a Jesuit high school associated with

communities in those parishes, and they have delved in a Gospel fashion into participating in and evangelizing politics, culture, work, education and especially the youth that keep sprouting in the comunidades. All of this, certainly, is and has been the work of the Lord that chose to make use of us in this great enterprise.

Jesuit parish and former Reduction: Santa Maria de Fe

poor and work intensively to keep the bonds of friendship with the members of the comunidades. You cannot do this sitting in the rectory. Thus, now much older than when I first began this work – in November of this year I turn 69 – I will return to Paraguay to help in the spiritual formation of the agentes multiplicadores. This is a term widely used in Latin America to refer to the pastoral agents that have personal contact with quite a few of the people active in the Church ministry. I have been assigned by the Paraguayan provincial to be part of the Centro de Espiritualidad Santos Mártires which is the main spirituality center of the Paraguayan province. During my absence, however, the comunidades remained strong in their Christian commitment. Now there are more than 100 small Christian

Medicinal herbs are cultivated in the comunidades because most medicines are not affordable for the campesinos.

The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 21

Senior Jesuits

Standing

Under the Cross By Rev. Joseph Tetlow, S.J. I really began listening to what people need when I was ordained in 1960. I was sent to the Cenacle Retreat House in New Orleans to give a weekend retreat. When I got there, Sr. Margaret Byrne, r.c., asked me what I wanted to do. Actually, she knew what needed to be done a lot better than I did, and she patiently helped me learn. What I learned is this: my need of grace and yearning for God are gifts to be shared; they are not for me, alone. The prayers and desires given to me are not just for me. They are also for all to whom God sends me. Realizing that gave me an insight into the Spiritual Exercises. They were created by St. Ignatius because he needed them. During his recovery from a battle wound, he began to experience “spirits” – joy when he thought about God, misery when he thought about being famous and powerful. How was he to understand these “spirits?” He needed order and method in his praying and desiring that would give him a sense of making progress. His needs, in God’s design, are also felt by all of Christ’s followers. We all feel, in a vague sort of way, the need for order and progress, and we are helped as Ignatius was by learning about discernment. Guided by the Holy Spirit, he organized the prayers and desires into Spiritual Exercises, and as the Holy Spirit brought him clarity of mind and heart, the Spirit also opened his eyes to other people’s need for the same things. 22 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

Rev. Joseph Tetlow, S.J.

So Ignatius began sharing his spiritual experiences. At first, he went too far: the illiterate people of Manresa were not helped by tales of mystical experiences of the Trinity. So Ignatius had to listen. And like him, I had to learn about others’ needs. Some need solid instruction. Some need a way to reform a life that has gone bad. Some need to hear what God wants with their whole lives. You find, when you listen to enough men and women today, that we all feel this same broad range of needs. Very commonly, retreatants report a mild depression. They know that they are getting nowhere, sunk in consumerism. People find the same help that Ignatius found in feeling a sense of moving along, of getting somewhere. Ignatius organized the Exercises for that purpose, “to make progress.” Before all else, Ignatius found that he needed Jesus Christ. He needed to know Jesus of Nazareth more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him

more nearly. So the Spiritual Exercises begin, continue and end in Christ Jesus. The Principle and Foundation, we are learning, tell us to “praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord Jesus Christ.” Think what it means that the first colloquy in the whole thirty day retreat has us stand beneath the Cross and ask Jesus how He came to be there instead of us. We ask ourselves what we have done for Him, are doing, and will do, for Him. Listening to people, you find out that we need that focus today. Our fussing about conservative and liberal, about liturgy and others’ sins, fades into hot air and fog when we stand under His Cross. That is what I had to learn and that is what the Exercises free us to feel. We struggled with this for a while after Vatican II. We got serious about studying the text of the Spiritual Exercises and had to sort out what was authentic and what was not. We forgot that, at the beginning, there was no text. Ignatius and his companions, and a lot of lay people whom they helped, were giving Exercises for two decades before Ignatius ever published his text. And all this while, wave after wave of retreatants passed on the Exercises with nothing but their own guided experiences and whatever notes they had kept. We had to learn this: the Spiritual Exercises are first of all an orderly, disciplined way of coming to know what God intends in and through us. They are a specific kind of experience of God in Christ. They are the living spirit of every Jesuit and now of many, many lay colleagues as well. They are the way we follow and pass on – a way to Jesus Christ, to know Him more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly – and each person to whom we pass that on makes the Reign of Christ stronger and deeper in this secular world. Fr. Tetlow is currently a writer, lecturer and retreat director in St. Louis, Missouri.

vocation events vocation events ocation vocation vocation events events even vocation events Jesuit Vocation Offices of the Missouri & New Orleans Provinces

Jesuit Vocation Offices of the the Missouri & New New Orleans Provinces t Vocation Jesuit Jesuit Offices Vocation Vocation of the Jesuit Offices Missouri Offices Vocation of & ofNew Missouri the Offices Missouri Orleans & of the & Provinces New Missouri Orleans Orleans Provinces & New Provinces Orleans Jesuit Vocation Offices of the Missouri & New Orleans Provinces

Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2011 Come & See Weekend Sept 30 --MO Oct 2, 2011 Sept 30 - OctSt. Sept 2,Louis, 2011 Sept 30 Oct 30 -2, Oct 2011 Sept 2, 2011 30 - Oct 2, 20 Come &See SeeWeekend Weekend Come & SeeDec Come Weekend Come & SeeCome Weekend & See Week 16 - 20,&2011 St. Louis, MO St. Louis, MODiscernment St. Louis, St. Louis, MO Retreat MOSt. Louis, MO Sept 30 Oct 2, 2011 Dec 16 20, 2011 Grand Coteau, LA Dec 16 - 20, Dec 201116 Dec 20, 16 -2011 20, Dec 201116 - 20, 2011 Come &- See Weekend Discernment Retreat DiscernmentJan Discernment Retreat Discernment Retreat Retre 2Discernment - 6, MO 2012Retreat St. Louis, Grand Coteau, LA Grand Coteau, Grand LAGrand Coteau, Coteau, LAGrand LA Coteau, LA Discernment Retreat Dec 16 20, 2011 Jan 22Jan 6,22012 2012 Grand LAJan 2 - 6, 2012 Jan 2 - 6, 2012 Jan --Coteau, 6, - 6,Retreat 2012 Discernment Discernment Retreat DiscernmentApr Discernment Retreat Discernment Retreat Discernment Retreat Retre 13 15, 2012 Grand Coteau, LA Grand Coteau, LAGrand Grand Coteau, Grand LAGrand Coteau, LA LA Coteau, LA Come & SeeCoteau, Weekend Jan 2 6, 2012 AprLouis, 13 15, 2012 St. MO Apr 13 - 15, 2012 Apr 13 Apr -- 15, 13 -2012 15, 2012 Apr 13 - 15, 2012 Discernment Retreat Come & See Weekend Come & Seefor Come Weekend Come & See &Weekend See Weekend & See Week Grand Coteau, LACome more information St. Louis, MO St. Louis, MOSt. Louis, St. Louis, MO MOSt. Louis, MO Apr 13 - 15, 2012 formore more information Come & Province See Weekend for more information for for more information information for more inform Missouri Rev. Louis J. McCabe, SJ St. Louis, MO Email: vocation@jesuits-mis.org

Missouri Province Missouri Province Missouri Missouri Province New Orleans Province Rev. Louis J.Province McCabe, SJ Missouri Province for more information

Rev. Louis J. McCabe, SJPaul Louis Rev. J.Louis McCabe, J.SJ McCabe, SJ Rev. SJLouis J. McCabe, SJ Rev. Deutsch, Email: vocation@jesuits-mis.org Email: vocation@jesuits-mis.org Email: vocation@jesuits-mis.org Email: vocation@jesuits-mis.org Email: vocation@jesuits-mis.o vocations@norprov.org

New Orleans Province New Orleans Province New Orleans New Orleans Province Province New Orleans Provinc Missouri Province Rev. Paul Deutsch, SJ

Rev. Paul Deutsch, Rev. SJ Paul Rev. Deutsch, Deutsch, SJ SJ SJ Rev. Paul Deutsch, SJ Rev. Louis J.Paul McCabe, Email: vocations@norprov.org Email: vocations@norprov.org Email: Email: vocations@norprov.org Email: vocations@norprov.org Email: vocations@norprov.org vocation@jesuits-mis.org

www.beajesuit.org www.beajesuit.org www.beajesuit.org www.beajesuit.org www.beajesuit.o New Orleans Province Rev. Paul Deutsch, SJ Email: vocations@norprov.org

The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 23

Renewing a Sacred Place

Renewing a S St. Charles College Celebrates 100 Years with Renovation Groundbreaking Jesuits of the New Orleans Province, friends, and supporters gathered at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, on Friday, August 12, 2011, to celebrate groundbreaking for renovations of the one hundred year old architectural gem. Rev. Mark A. Lewis, S.J., provincial of the New Orleans Province; Mrs. Evangeline Vavrick, chair of fundraising efforts; and Bro. Larry Huck, S.J., project manager of renovations, were pleased to “break wall” for these improvements which symbolically initiate the renewal of the college for a second century of service to the Catholic Church.

This spiritual home will continue to house the formation center for novice Jesuits as well as the Jesuit Spirituality Center for directed retreats, and it will also become home to elder Jesuits in need of special healthcare and living assistance. This celebration was

Evangeline Vavrick, campaign chair, appealed to guests for their support of the renovations.

Shaterral Johnson, acting Grand Coteau mayor, and Bro. Larry Huck 24 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

particularly timely, as that same day the Jesuits also welcomed a new entrance class of novices. Fourteen men were welcomed in a special ceremony with the hopes of further discerning a call to a religious vocation and beginning a life of service to the Church.

Sacred Place (Above) Danielle Belson, Grand Coteau Councilperson, Vangie Vavrick, Fr. Mark Lewis and (right) Yvonne and Red Adams join in the wall breaking.

To support the renovation and renewal of St. Charles College, please visit www.norprov.org/thejesuits/campaign. To learn more about our 14 new Novices, please visit www.norprov.org/news/novicebios2011.pdf

The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 25

In Memoriam

Celebrating the

Eternal Life

Fr. Donald Louis Gelpi, S.J.

Father Donald Louis Gelpi, S.J., a member of the New Orleans Province, died peacefully at 10:50 a.m. on Friday, May 6th, in St. Louis, Missouri, after a long illness. Don was 76 years old; he was a Jesuit for 59 years and a priest for 46 years. He was interred on Tuesday, May 10th, at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis. Fr. Gelpi was born in New Orleans on May 30, 1934. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1951, completing his novitiate and juniorate at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, between 1951 and 1955. He studied philosophy at St. Louis University from 1955 to 1958. In 1957 he received a B.A. in Philosophy and Letters, magna cum laude, and in 1958 he received a master’s degree in Philosophy and Ph.L., magna cum laude. He taught at Jesuit High School in New Orleans from 1958 to 1961. He then studied theology for two years at College St. Albert in Louvain, Belgium, and two years at St. Marys College, in Kansas, where he received a Th.L. in 1965. He completed his residency for a doctoral degree in philosophy

26 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

at Fordham University between 1966 and 1968 and received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Fordham University in 1971. Fr. Gelpi taught philosophy at Loyola University New Orleans between 1969 and 1973. In the fall of 1973, he joined the faculty of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in Berkeley where he helped found and coordinate the Institute for Spirituality and Worship, a one-year theological renewal program. He was voted an Outstanding Educator of America in 1974. In 1979, he co-founded the John Courtney Murray Group, a postdoctoral research seminar in theological inculturation. He delivered the Bellarmine lecture at Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1979; the GormanGarrett lecture at the University of Dallas in 1988; and the Ignatian Year Lecture at Loyola University New Orleans in 1991. He was a Luce Fellow at the Graduate Theological Union during the academic year 1993-1994, when he also studied the problem of inculturation in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. He became an Emeritus Professor at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara in Berkeley in 1999, but continued both teaching and publication. In the spring of 2001, he held the Beckman Chair in Theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

At Berkeley, Fr. Gelpi frequently led Saturday hikes in the parks of the Bay Area. In the fall, winter and spring of every school year he sponsored wilderness weekend trips for J.S.T.B. students. In addition to his passion for hiking and backpacking, Don played the ukulele, did needlepoint and sketched with oil pastels. Over his life, Fr. Gelpi authored more than 20 books, among them Life and Light: A Guide to the Theology of Karl Rahner; Functional Asceticism, A Guideline for American Religious; Discerning the Spirit, Foundations and Futures of Religious Life; and most recently Closer Walk: Confessions of a U.S. Jesuit Yat. His many articles appeared in America, The Current, Modern Schoolman, Theological Studies, Thought and other publications.

Fr. Walter C. McCauley, S.J.

Fr. Walter C. McCauley, S.J., departed this life on April 28, 2011, at 1 a.m. at University Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. He was 84 years of age, a Jesuit for 67 years and a priest for 54 years. Burial was on Tuesday, May 3rd, at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis. Fr. McCauley was born on May 30, 1926, in Toledo, Ohio. He was much inspired by the example of his uncle, John O’Connor, S.J., who was one of the first New Orleans Province Jesuits sent to the Ceylon Mission, dying in 1937 during his first year of theology studies in India. With the idea of offering himself to replace the vocation the province lost when his uncle died, Walt entered the Jesuit novitiate on September 7, 1943, at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau. He

pronounced his first vows on September 8, 1945, first continuing the course of studies at Grand Coteau, then later at Spring Hill College in Mobile, earning a B.A. in English there in 1949. He would later attend Fordham University in order to earn an M.A. in English in 1954. Theology studies at St. Marys College in Kansas brought him the S.T.L. in 1958. He later received the doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1965 at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Fr. McCauley served in most of the apostolates of the province: secondary education, higher education, pastoral ministry and retreat work. He was assistant principal at Jesuit High School in New Orleans for one year, then principal at Jesuit High School in Dallas from 1959-1963. He taught dogmatic theology at St. Marys College for nearly four years, then from 1967-1970 he served in various roles at St. Louis University School of Divinity, including acting dean. At Spring Hill College

Ordinations –

May perpetual light shine upon them, O Lord… (1971-75) he was head of the Humanities Division, professor of Theology and chairman of the Department of Theology. He also taught at Loyola College in Baltimore (1976-80). Walt was very much respected for his work at three retreat houses of the province. He was associate director at Montserrat Retreat House in Lake Dallas, Texas (1975-76), and at Ignatius House in Atlanta (1980-82). After serving as pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish (1982-85), he returned to retreat work at Manresa Retreat House in Convent, Louisiana, where he was an

associate director until 1990. Then, back at Montserrat, he was associate director until 2009, when he was missioned to pray for the Church and the Society at the Fusz Pavilion in St. Louis. Fr. Walter McCauley was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Mary Ellen McCauley and his brother, John McCauley. He is survived by his brothers, Gerard B. McCauley, Martin J. McCauley and many nieces and nephews.

continued from page 11

to realize that this hope, though oft unexpressed, is everywhere. My own sense of priestly calling grew very much out of these “domestic churches” and remains, in many ways, directed toward them. Given my background, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that I felt drawn specifically to be a priest in the Society of Jesus. According to the Jesuit ideal, a priest leaves the comfort of the familiar in order to follow Christ on mission; he enjoys great intimacy with God and draws others into this intimacy; he renounces worldly ambition and is, therefore, free to speak with Christ’s own boldness. This image continues to motivate me today. Now that the day has arrived, I find myself sincerely grateful to God for the gift of a priestly vocation in the Society of Jesus. Though aware of my own unworthiness, I also feel the joy of being placed with Christ in this special way, the privilege of being called to bring Christ to others, and the simplicity of a life that knows but a single purpose. Deo gratias.

If you woud like to read the reflections in full or if you would like to help support the education of more young men to be trained as Jesuits for the priesthood, please visit www. norprov.org.

The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011 27

Donor Profile

A Southern Servant:

Edward N. Morris, Jr. Edward N. Morris, Jr., or “Skeeter” as he is affectionately known, has been a friend of the Jesuits since childhood, though he admits, “The Jesuit influence has been a consistent though not uniformly appreciated force in my life.” His earliest memories of it are that of his First Communion at St. Joseph Church in Mobile, Alabama. “Streams of wafting incense, hypnotic cadences of Gregorian chant and the unending Ora Pro Nobis,” he recalls. Jesuit novices later coached him through high school Latin at McGill Institute before seeing him off to Spring Hill College, where he befriended Rev. Billy Rimes, S.J. But if truth be told, his relationship with the Jesuits was cemented when he married his wife, Stephanie. His Spring Hill connections grew to include his father-in-law who was an economics professor and his mother-in-law who was the librarian. Very naturally, Skeeter and Stephanie were married on campus in St. Joseph Chapel, a spiritual home that remains sacred to them. And although “the graces and sanctuary afforded by an occasional noon excursion to the midday Mass while a student were quite welcomed,” he reveals, “I must also acknowledge a non-Jesuit influence, that of my spiritual director – though unbeknownst to her – my long-time companion Stephanie,” he warmly adds. His faith deepened through reading America, the national Jesuit publication that applies faith to everyday issues. “In

28 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

the chorus are Jesuit voices that have brought song to my heart,” he says of the magazine. “Gerard Manley Hopkins, de Chardin, Avery Dulles and, closer to home, Tom Stahel,” he adds. Mr. Morris credits Spring Hill College and the Jesuits for turning his life “into a life of service.” It began with his vocation to Stephanie and their

Fr. Mark Lewis, S.J., provincial, honored Mr. Morris with the Homines Pro Aliis award.

has worked to preserve Mobile Bay as a member of Mobile Bay Watch. Mr. Morris also helped to establish and lead Legatus, a Catholic organization which seeks to form business executives in the light of the Gospel. And for decades, he has led the annual retreat at the Visitation Monastery for which he has appealed to many Spring Hill Jesuits to lead. He has returned the favor, serving on the province’s Forging a Future Full of Hope campaign committee for which he gained and gave support of seminarians, elder Jesuits, missionaries and many social apostolates. “Skeeter has listened to God’s word and God’s call, and he has responded by becoming a person for others,” says Rev. Mark Lewis, S.J., provincial of the New Orleans Province. For his service, Edward Morris and wife, Stephanie Morris Mr. Morris was recently awarded the province’s Homines Pro Aliis, or People six children, but later his family grew for Others, distinction. His family to include Vietnam War refugees who and friends attended the special Mass fled to America. He felt the despair of and brunch at Spring Hill College villagers during his service in Vietnam, in celebration of his honor. Before and he worked to bring the needed resources to sustain them in such perilous offering Mr. Morris the award, Fr. Lewis applauded him “as a selfless individual circumstances. who has had an impact on the people Closer to home, he has helped to of God by his care and concern for care for the least of Mobile’s people the other,” adding that Mr. Morris had as a board member for Catholic Social “taken the words of the prophet Isaiah’s Services. He is an active member and servant song to heart in his volunteerism former officer of Mobile Rotary, and he and servant leadership.”

Lord, teach me not to hold on to life too tightly. Teach me to take it as a gift…The gift is great, but the giver is greater still.

- Ted Ferris

From the Executive Director Friends, There are times when my work with the Jesuits of the New Orleans Province humbles me. Firstly, in reacquainting myself with the incredible story of Blessed Miguel Pro, I discovered a man who would not let armies or governments keep him from living his vocation as a Jesuit priest as he brought the sacraments to whomever would need them. What has always struck me is the great joy with which he pursued his ministry; and, through that great joy in his virtuous life, our Lord gave him so many graces in that ministry. Put simply, Blessed Miguel Pro reminds us that it is in giving freely of ourselves for the sake of the Gospel that we receive so much more in return. It sounds easy enough; but for me, it has proven to be rather humbling as I struggle to meet that goal. Secondly, I see the herculean efforts of all those involved in the Renewing a Sacred Place Campaign – the staff at St. Charles College making countless adjustments to their daily lives, Bro. Larry Huck, S.J., tirelessly trying to keep us on schedule and budget and Mrs. Evangeline Vavrick keeping the many volunteers and my staff on task to reach our goals. As

I see their incredible efforts on behalf of retreatants, novices and senior Jesuits, I come to know God’s great grace. And finally, I was recently with a gentleman who is well into his nineties who literally donated many of his last worldly possessions to our young novices – bedding, clothing, furniture and kitchenware. He was moving from assisted living to a nursing facility and could not bring much with him. As we went through his possessions, he told stories and shared memories, and in the end, he kept a basket of artificial flowers, some photos and about half of his clothing. Through it all he was smiling because the things he was giving to the Jesuits were going to be used by others who needed it. This gentleman gave without reservation and from his heart, and as I left him, he was settling down to pray the rosary in thanksgiving for what God had given him. To say the least, I walked away humbled. Thanks be to God. In the Peace of Christ,

Michael Bourg Executive Director for Advancement

Give the Gift of Prayer this Christmas Season with a Christmas Enrollment Card Enroll a loved one this Christmas Season with the Jesuits of the New Orleans Province. Your honoree will participate in the Masses, prayers, and apostolic labors of the Jesuits.

Please contact Pam Meldrum at 1-800-788-1719

Jesuit Companions

Every year we make a special appeal to our friends in Christ for support of our Jesuit seminarians, our senior Jesuits and our missionaries. The generosity of these Companions reaches far beyond the novitiate, our assisted living residence or our international chapels. Companions’ gifts make possible the proclamation of the Good News where it is so greatly needed, and it sustains the centuries-old Jesuit tradition of Ignatian spirituality. On these pages, we recognize our friends who have sustained the Companions Circle from August 2010 through July 2011. With a heart full of gratitude, we say thank you to each of you who has given so selflessly to help proclaim the Gospel and to share God’s great love with others. Gratefully Yours, Brooke A. Iglesias Assistant Executive Director for Advancement Mrs. Irene A. Adolph Mr. and Mrs. Raymond P. Albrecht, Jr. Mrs. Marie T. Anlage Dr. and Mrs. Stuart F. Ball Mrs. Catherine Banos Schneider Mr. Juan M. Barona Dr. Robert P. Blereau Mr. Thomas R. Blum Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Borey Dr. and Mrs. Ray J. Bouzigard Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Brandt Mr. Salvatore H. Brocato Mr. and Mrs. John J. Broders Ms. Musette G. Buckley Mr. and Mrs. Hugh C. Burton Mr. and Mrs. John C. Caron Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Carty, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Charles P. Cavaretta Dr. and Mrs. Francis T. Cazayoux, Sr. Mrs. Clayton J. Charbonnet Mrs. Harry N. Charbonnet, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Chavez, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. R. Preston Cifreo Mrs. Loretta C. Clark Mr. John S. Coleman, Jr. Miss Cecilia E. Concha Mr. and Mrs. Michael Coney Mr. David B. Conner Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Coyle Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Creagan Mr. Edmond L. Daigle, Sr. Ms. Katherine L. de Montluzin Mrs. Jane E. Deas Mr. Hubert P. DeBroeck, Sr. Mr. Ronald J. Deck Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Delaney Mr. and Mrs. Ines DeLira Mr. Jacob E. Dominick Mr. Kerry M. Dooley Mr. and Mrs. Don C. Dorsey Mr. and Mrs. James L. Doskey Mr. David M. Emond Mrs. Julia E. Enriquez Mr. and Mrs. Donald H. Espenan Mr. and Mrs. Jack V. Eumont, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Ferro

30 The Southern Jesuit Fall 2011

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Finan, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. William F. Finegan Mr. and Mrs. Emmett M. Fitzpatrick Mrs. Lurlyn G. Fitzpatrick Mrs. Grace M. Flanagan Dr. and Mrs. Michael A. Flusche Mrs. Nancy S. Fontenot Mr. Peter J. Ford Mrs. Antoinette Galarneau Mr. and Mrs. James M. Gallo Mr. Emilio F. Garcia Dr. and Mrs. Wilson T. Gautreaux, Jr. Ms. Ellen Isabel Geheeb Ms. Julia H. Geheeb Mr. and Mrs. William E. Gorton Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Gunn Mr. and Mrs. Anthony L. Halsema Mr. and Mrs. William H. Harris, III Dr. and Mrs. Frank L. Herbert Mr. J. Ronald Hinze Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Hosemann Mr. and Mrs. James P. Hotop Mr. and Mrs. Roberto J. Iglesias Dr. and Mrs. Frank P. Incaprera Mrs. Lucia E. Jackson Mr. and Mrs. John K. Jackson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Keefner Mr. James G. Kelley Dr. John E. Kidwell Mr. and Mrs. Norman L. King Hon. Thomas H. Kingsmill, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Owen J. LaCour, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Larose Mrs. Thyra M. Layden Mr. and Mrs. William D. Leach Mrs. Eileen M. Light Mr. and Mrs. Howard S. Linzy Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Lion Mrs. Mary M. Liuzza Mrs. Narcille C. Lorio Mrs. Mary M. Lundy Mr. and Mrs. Patrick M. Lynch Mr. Robert H. Mace, Jr. Mrs. Irene E. Mackenroth Dr. Jeffery M. Maestri Dr. and Mrs. Richard C. Manthey

Michael Bourg Executive Director for Advancement

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Masset, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Gerald R. McCaffery Mrs. Margaret R. McGinn Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. McKay, Jr. and Family Capt. and Mrs. Richard McNeely Mr. and Mrs. Frank D. McVay Mr. Rene P. Meric, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Henry F. Mestayer Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Meyer, IV Mr. and Mrs. Timothy W. Miciotto Mr. and Mrs. Octave P. Montagnet Dr. and Mrs. Frank C. Morrone Mr. and Mrs. Eugene A. Mossa Mr. Wiley L. Mossy, Jr. Dr. Leonard A. Mueninghoff Hon. and Mrs. Salvadore T. Mule Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Murphy, Jr. Ms. Charlene A. Mutz Mr. and Mrs. William E. Nicholson Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Nielsen Mr. and Mrs. Gary B. Nunemacher Dr. and Mrs. William O. Oldson Mr. and Mrs. John L. Olivier Dr. and Mrs. Nicholas J. Olivier Miss Wilna M. Oncale Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Park Mrs. Vicki C. Patterson Mrs. Gertrude L. Pavur Mrs. Mildred C. Peiffer Mrs. Bonnie Pereida Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Perez Dr. and Mrs. William J. Perret Mr. and Mrs. Theodore J. Pfister, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. Poché Mrs. Carol M. Porter Mr. and Mrs. Albert A. Prats Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore Provenza Mr. and Mrs. G. Frank Purvis, Jr. Mr. Mitchell J. Radycki Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Rayer, Sr. Dr. Andrew J. Reck Mr. Randy E. Redmond Mr. Edward Rice, III Mr. Charles B. Richard Mr. and Mrs. Randall S. Riepe

Miss Marie R. Rinaudo Mr. and Mrs. George A. Rizzo, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Leonard J. Rolfes Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Roussel, III Mr. and Mrs. Gavin Ryan Mrs. Rosemary G. Ryan Mr. Jules G. Sabrier, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Gary E. Sander Dr. and Mrs. John B. Sardisco Mr. and Mrs. Edgar B. Saunders, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Donald B. Schell Mr. and Mrs. Mark E. Schonhoff Mr. and Mrs. Louis G. Schott Judge and Mrs. Patrick M. Schott Mr. and Mrs. James E. Schuster Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Schutte, Sr. Mrs. Maureen M. Seabury Mr. and Mrs. Carl J. Sicard Ms. Catherine M. Simoneaux Mr. and Mrs. John M. Sivula Miss Irma M. Stiegler Dr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Terry Ms. Patricia A. Thiele Mrs. Charlotte L. Todd Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Tomich Mrs. Marjorie S. Tonsmeire Mr. and Mrs. Horace E. Trepagnier Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Trochta Miss Barbara A. Tureaud Mrs. Graciela Vela-Cuellar Mr. and Mrs. Pedro Villalva Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm H. Villarrubia, Jr. Mrs. and Mr. Henrietta R. Waguespack Dr. and Mrs. William P. Walsh Mrs. Lindsay Ward Mr. David P. White Mrs. Jane T. Wicker Mrs. Helen E. Williamson Mr. and Mrs. Roland J. Wiltz Mrs. Mary B. Witte Mr. and Mrs. Alan C. Wolf Mr. and Mrs. Ronald A. Zagone

How Can Your Gift to the Jesuits Give YOU a Life Income in Return? A safe, tax-wise investment in the Jesuit

One Life

Your Age Rate of Return* Your Age Rate of Return*

65 Fund gives you and your 70 75 spouse a life-long income 80 at rates double or triple 85 current CD yields. 90+

Seminary and Mission

A gift in exchange for a Jesuit Charitable Gift Annuity allows your generosity to continually work for you for the rest of your life by paying a fixed annual annuity at rates up to 9.6%, depending on your age.

TWO LiVES

5.3% 5.8% 6.5% 7.5% 8.4% 9.6%

65/70 70/75 75/80 80/85 85/90 90/95+

4.8% 5.4% 5.9% 6.7% 7.9% 9.4%

*Rates effective September 8, 2011. Rates subject to change. Rate of return is slightly lower for two lives because the period of payment is typically longer.

Your Jesuit Gift Annuity is: SAFE—Your annuity is secured by all the assets of the Jesuit Seminary and Mission Fund. TAX-EFFICIENT—You receive a substantial federal income tax deduction when you make your gift, and your annual annuity income may be partially tax free. A FIXED AMOUNT—Your annual income will never change. SATISFYING—You get the satisfaction of supporting the Jesuits without losing income. For more information about our annuity offerings, contact Michael Bourg, Executive Director for Advancement, at 1-800-788-1719 or mbourg@norprov.org.

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What do De Niro, Fr. Thibodeaux and the Jesuit Reductions have in common? Turn to page 3…