Franciscan Focus

SEEKING TRUTH WITH HUMILITY

When you walk across the campus of Quincy University, we hope you are aware of the Catholic and Franciscan heritage of the university. The names of the buildings, the statues of St. Francis and St. Clare, and the central location of St. Francis Solanus Chapel are there to remind visitors of that heritage.

by Chris Brennemann, PhD

Beyond what you see, we hope you sense that this place has purpose and direction. Great men and women leaders have lived and studied on these grounds. The campus atmosphere speaks not only to pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, but to the importance of service to others and the value of diversity in students, faculty and staff. Peace and nonviolence are foundational values in the University community. Those values are why Fr. Joseph Zimmerman, OFM came to Quincy and why he remains committed to Quincy University. Fr. Joe has served at Quincy University since 1970. He was a professor of sociology until 2003. He combined teaching with various administrative roles until his retirement in 2008. He now helps with weekend services in parishes in the Quincy area and has been involved in efforts toward racial justice at the diocesan level and in the Quincy community. In recent years he has become involved in a group trying to improve living conditions for people living in substandard rental housing in Quincy. “Our Franciscan Order has continually urged us friars to be involved with the poor in places where we live. We have tried to do this here in Quincy,” Fr. Joe said. For example, Fr. Melvin Grunloh, OFM, who began the MBA degree program at the University, once team-taught a course with Fr. Joe on social justice issues. The field of sociology led him to a sustained interest in such issues.

Fr. Joe was born in Decatur, Illinois, attended six years of high school and junior college in the Franciscan seminary in Westmont, Illinois, entered the Franciscan Order in 1955, studied philosophy for three years at Our Lady of Angels Seminary in Cleveland, and theology for four years at the Franciscan seminary in Teutopolis, Illinois. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1962, and earned a doctorate in sociology at Harvard University in 1973. Along with Pope Francis, Fr. Joe is concerned that we are losing the willingness to discuss concepts and beliefs that society has deemed controversial. People’s unwillingness to dialog about important issues has damaged both the Church and our local, state, and federal governments. “The issue of abortion is polarizing our country and making political life impossible. Whether we are ‘pro-life’ or ‘pro-choice’, we need to approach people on the opposite side with respect, vulnerability, and willingness to keep the conversation going,” Fr. Joe said.

MAKE FRANCISCAN VALUES TAKE SHAPE IN REALITY

Fr. Joe also encourages us to make Franciscan values take shape in reality. For example, terms such as diversity, servant leadership, pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, and of justice and peace, need to be incorporated into our daily lives and occupations. Fr. Joe contends: “Our modern societies are rushing here and there without any sense of direction. We need to reconnect with our traditions of seeking truth with humility, shaping our life goals with the help of our religious traditions, and appreciating what art, music, philosophy, theology, and history can do to give us all a sense of purpose and enthusiasm in our lives together.”

TAKE A STAND AND LIVE BY TRUTH

When it comes to taking a stand on an issue, Fr. Zimmerman lives by a quote from one of his former professors. Fr. Sylvester Saller, OFM had spent his life doing archeology in Jerusalem, including work on the Dead Sea Scrolls. One of his Protestant colleagues asked him,