The following speech was delivered by Jessica Luszczyk (’12) at morning assembly on April 26, 2012. A Loyola Student is Becoming More Committed to Doing Justice
When Fr. Pellegrini, S.J. came to visit my Christian Service class a few weeks ago, he said something that resonated with me. He said, “Belonging is the greatest human need there is.” To me, being committed to doing justice simply means allowing others to belong. Whether we are preparing sandwiches to distribute to those who depend on that meal, tutoring a young student and helping her with her math homework, or simply engaging in conversation with others during our frees, we are inviting those with whom we interact to belong to a larger community. Allowing others to belong in our world is a crucial first step towards justice. If we all feel as if we belong, there is a sense of equality and solidarity brought forth. A Jesuit high school student at graduation who is committed to doing justice has begun to reflect on social justice implications of future careers. This past summer, when it was time to make a list of colleges to which I would apply in the fall, I found it to be a relatively easy task. I knew that I wanted to continue to grow and learn by means of a Jesuit education. The Ignatian themes of being “Men and Women for Others” and cura personalis or care for the whole person, are ideals that I still wanted to strive for everyday in and out of the classroom. The grad at grad characteristic of being “committed to doing justice” also played a significant role in my decision to attend a Jesuit college. While service trips are offered at most colleges and universities, I want more. I want to feel like I am attending a service trip for a greater reason than repairing someone’s home. I want to be able to grow, to learn, to live in community, to become closer to God through these experiences, and I know that can be possible through the reflective component of a Jesuit education and its faith-based service trips. A Jesuit high school student at graduation who is committed to doing justice is beginning to see that a Christian faith implies a commitment to a just society. During the homily at Holy Thursday mass in Camden this April, the priest noted that “the Eucharist is the symbol that takes us from the church and into the world to do service for one another.” As I listened to this homily, I began to think about the meaningful experiences I have had on the Ignatian Teach-In for Justice the past two years. While the event is focused around key social justice issues, with topics varying year to year, it is also an event that celebrates a faith that does justice. Whether is was
engaging in conversation over dinner with students from local Jesuit high schools, celebrating a lively mass with the Ignatian community, or a powerful vigil for the Jesuits who have died by their faith, I am grateful for the exepriences I have had while answering the call to strive for a more just society. A Jesuit high school student at graduation who is committed to doing justice is developing, from reflection on experiences with the marginalized, a sense of compassion and a growing understanding of those social changes which will assisst all in attaining their basic human rights. As some of you may know, Hope Works is a tutoring center for the inner-city Camden youth. On my first Camden trip during my sophomore year, Hope Works was the first placement I visited. They help assist students in finishing high school and allow them to have the option to go on to college. The heart of their program is technology training which provides teens who complete the program with the opportunity to be employed by creating websites. For those of you who may not know, Camden has a high school dropout rate of nearly 70%, so programs like Hope Works benefit the community in great ways. While I was at Hope Works that February, the director gave us a tour of a project they were just starting next door. They were creating a dorm-like living space for some of the students of Camden who were attending a nearby college. Construction was just beginning then, but it was easy to imagine how beautiful this completed project would be to the city of Camden. When I visited Camden again this April, I was so happy to learn that students have been living in the house for some time. One of the service placements offered to us on the April trip was helping to start their garden. A renovation of a house might seem like a small change, but because of this house and the Hope Works program, some teenagers in Camden are now able to sleep safely at night -- a basic human right -- and have the chance to attend college, creating a social change in the city. A Jesuit high school student at graduation is gaining, through experience, an understanding of solidarity with marginalized members of society. When we are in Camden and meet the people of that community, it is not hard to look past the statistics and feel taken aback by the strong compassion and urge for change that is present. I believe that there is so much that we, the fortunate members of this society, can learn from the marginalized of our community. One of the moments when I felt strong solidarity with the community of Camden was during the washing of the feet ceremony on Holy Thursday. When we are washing the feet of another person, we are serving that person. However, in the moment, there is no status difference or
differentiation between the two people interacting. We truly feel a sense of solidarity, and there is no longer the notion of supremacy that we are the fortunate coming to help the less fortunate for a weekend. In Christian Service class, we have learned that there are two components to social ministry: works of charity and works of justice. Works of charity are actions that help address people’s particular needs. These may include distributing sandwiches to homeless, tutoring a young student, or visiting a resident in a nursing home. While these services are beneficial and meaningful to those we encounter, they are only one part of the social mission of the Catholic Church. If we are truly committed to doing justice, we must strive to remove the cause of the social problem, to provide a long term effect. This can be achieved through works of justice such educating ourselves on social justice issues, becoming involved in long-term communitybased projects, or fighting to change unjust political policy. The key word in “being committed to doing justice� is committed.