Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (Berkeley campus) Volume 9, Number 1, Spring 2014 Bridging Theology and the Cultures of the World
The Future of the Church
ALSO INSIDE:
The Papacy & This Pope
Mystic-Prophetic Dimension of Religious Life
Ministry of Theological Education
Asian Women of Wisdom & Action at JST
Diverse Jesuit Communit y
Reforming Church Structure
Bridge Vol. 9, No. 1, Spring 2014
Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (Berkeley campus) Bridging Theology and the Cultures of the World
Contents FEATURES
Lorna McKeown to Retire . . . . . . . . 5 The Papacy & This Pope . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ministry of Theological Education . . . 8 Diverse Jesuit Community . . . . . . . 10 Mystic-Prophetic Religious Life . . . 12 Women of Wisdom & Action . . . . . 15 Reforming Church Structure . . . . . 16 New Faces on Campus . . . . . . . . . 19 New Deacons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Dean’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Profile in Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letter to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Faculty News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Alumni Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Bridge is the semi-annual magazine of the Jesuit School of Theology. The Jesuit School is a theological school faithful to the intellectual tradition and the apostolic priority of the Society of Jesus: reverent and critical service of the faith that does justice. The Jesuit School achieves its mission through the academic, pastoral and personal formation of Jesuits and other candidates for ministry, ordained and lay, in the Roman Catholic Church. The Development Department produces the Bridge. Editor: Catherine M. Kelly DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Molly McCoy BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mr. William J. Barkett Mr. Thomas E. Bertelsen, Jr. Ms. Betsy L. Bliss Mr. Louis M. Castruccio Rev. Allan F. Deck, S.J. Ms. Jacqueline Doud Rev. Virgilio P. Elizondo Rev. Michael E. Engh, S.J. Mrs. Katherine R. Enright Sr. Maureen A. Fay, O.P. Mr. John D. Feerick Mr. Leo Hindery, Jr. Mrs. Loretta Holstein Rev. Mark Lewis, S.J.
Most Rev. Robert W. McElroy Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J. Dr. Edison H. Miyawaki, M.D. Mr. John Nicolai Mr. Stanley Raggio Mr. D. Paul Regan Mr. J. David Schemel Hon. Peter J. Siggins Mr. Martin J. Skrip Rev. Thomas H. Smolich, S.J. Rev. Michael Tyrrell, S.J. Very Rev. Michael F. Weiler, S.J.
Jesuit School of Theology 1735 LeRoy Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709 Tel: 510-549-5000, www.scu.edu/jst
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E d i t o r’ s N o t e We are called, we are chosen. We are Christ for one another… Who are justice for the poor. Who are rage against the night. Who are hope for peaceful people. Who are light! — “Anthem” by Tom Conry These lyrics capture the feeling and mission of so many at the Jesuit School of Theology, from the dean to the students, and offer us hope for the future of the church and the world. This issue examines the future of the church from several perspectives: four students, Natalie Terry (M.Div. 2014), Quang Tran, S.J. (M.Div. 2014), Sr. Daniella Dung Nguyen (S.T.L. 2015), and Sr. Anna Pham Thi Phuc (S.T.L. 2015); President of the U.S. Jesuit Conference, Thomas Smolich, S.J. (M.Div. 1986); coordinator of the Women of Wisdom and Action Initiative, Sr. Julia Prinz, V.D.M.F. (S.T.L. 2004, GTU Ph.D. 2006); former professor emeritus, T. Howland (Hal) Sanks, S.J.; and special assistant to the president at Santa Clara University, James Purcell. We are also delighted to introduce the new director of ministerial formation, Dr. Deborah Ross, and new board member, Hon. Peter J. Siggins. Speaking of the future and environmental sustainability, would you like to receive the Bridge in electronic form? If so, please complete the opt-out form at www.scu.edu/jst/news/ bridge. We would be happy to email the online version to you. I have been privileged to edit almost every issue of the Bridge since June 2006. I have really enjoyed promoting the mission and the vision of the Jesuit School of Theology through the magazine and staying in touch with and getting to know our alumni and friends around the world. I am grateful for our readers, the creative collaboration of Molly McCoy on graphic design and past co-editors Rob McChesney, S.J. and Meredith MacDonald (M.Div. 2008), and the support of then-JSTB’s president’s office, and JST’s dean’s office and development department over the years. This issue is my last Bridge. You may continue to submit alumni updates, letters to the editor, and suggestions for future content via editor@jstb.edu. Farewell, dear readers. Catherine M. Kelly (M.Div. 2006) Editor editor@jstb.edu
COVER: Madonna and Child, composed of rice, at the chapel at the Institute of Formation and Religious Studies in Manila. Photo by Julia Prinz, V.D.M.F.
d e a n ’ S M E SSA G E Emperors, queens, presidents, captains of industry, saints, revolutionaries, popes…..
Charles Barry, SCU
Top leaders make a big difference in world events. One school of historical thought claims that great leaders determine almost everything. I consider such sweeping claims overblown. As important as great leaders can be, many factors — including the aggregate activities of ordinary people like you and me — shape the course of history. In the long run, no one person determines the future of any enterprise or institution, large or small. Here at Jesuit School of Theology ( JST), faculty and students spend much time and effort pondering the future of one particular institution: the church. Thus, we chose this topic as the theme of this Bridge. As averse as I am to attributing too much influence to any one leader, it seems impossible to consider the future of the church without highlighting Pope Francis and his efforts to shape a stronger church — one fully equipped to meet the challenges of our complex age. As Francis moves into the second year of his papacy, his compelling leadership has moved beyond the level of symbolic actions and encouraging gestures into the realm of substantive measures and serious policy reforms. There is nothing easy about strengthening one of the world’s oldest continuous institutions — one established by Jesus himself. But with broad consultation and heartening resolve, our pope continues to draw inspiration from his Jesuit spirituality to effect positive change and to set the world aflame with acts of compassion and reconciliation. Yet the true vitality of the church will always find its center on the most local of levels. Even if believers lose track of Vatican proceedings, they know and love the community of their home parish, and appreciate the contributions of local Catholic Charities agencies, for example, and the intellectual life available at nearby Catholic schools and colleges. These are some of the apostolates for which JST prepares future ministers, and the theological education we offer in Berkeley ripples outward to serve the church and the world in thousands of locations. In the end, our appreciation for the leadership of Pope Francis and for the work of JST graduates is a great example of that distinctively Catholic “both/and.” If we are to walk the true path of Christian discipleship in the fullest of ways, we clearly need both great church leaders like Francis and creative ministerial activity at the grassroots. Speaking of creative ministry, I want to express the gratitude of everyone at JST for the outstanding work of Catherine M. Kelly (M.Div. 2006) as JST grant writer and Bridge editor. Although she concludes her successful grant writing and editorship with this issue, she will remain a part of the JST family as a friend and an alumna whom we are proud to call our own. A motto attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, the namesake our pope chose, continues to encourage me: “All the darkness of the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” Whether that candle is located in the Eternal City of Rome or in the prisons, hospitals and parishes of the Bay Area, where so many JST students serve in ministerial placements, we can be confident that its illumination will dispel the darkness of doubt and distress. Thomas Massaro, S.J. Dean
BRIDGE spring 2014
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Profile
in Ministry
Ignatian Solidarity Network: Illuminating the Horizon of Hope Natalie Terry (M.Div. 2014) ...amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! —Pope Francis, St. Peter’s Square, March 19, 2013 Over the past three years of the Master of Divinity program, I have collaborated with the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN), a lay-led nonprofit inspired by St. Ignatius of Loyola. ISN connects Jesuit schools, parishes and organizations (the Ignatian Family) through social justice initiatives to build leaders for change. ISN breaks open the Word for young people by calling upon the Ignatian Family to act for justice. Annually ISN hosts a Teach-In for Justice, where participants learn about social justice issues, pray, and participate in a vigil of remembrance. In 2010, the Teach-In began convening in Washington, DC and includes an advocacy day on Capitol Hill. ISN’s mission is rooted in the hope that all may know their own dignity and the dignity of others. Pope Francis proclaims this same hope. Through the collaborative ministry of organizations like ISN, the horizon of hope will illuminate our world. I first encountered ISN in November 2006 when I found myself standing at the gates of Fort Benning U.S. Army Post near Columbus, GA. Over 22,000
people had gathered to remember those killed due to political repression in Latin America and to protest the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC, formerly the School of the Americas [SOA]). I had never been to a protest before nor did I know much about political repression in Latin America or the role of SOA/WHINSEC. I learned that SOA/ WHINSEC is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers. In 1989 at the University of Central America in El Salvador, these soldiers murdered six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter. The Salvadoran martyrs knew that because of their prophetic cries on behalf of the poor and vulnerable, they were prime targets for the military regime that terrorized El Salvador in the 1980s. They knew their mission — to stand up with and for the oppressed and silenced — was dangerous. Yet, they had the courage and hope to remain with their community. This Gospel hope roots me in the ministry to which God calls me. This experience transformed me. I have become increasingly awe-struck by the martyrs’ courage. Their witness has inspired me to act amidst a broken church and world, serving as an intern chaplain at the Federal Correction Institute in Dublin, CA and as a graduate assistant for immersion programs in the Ignatian Center at Santa Clara University. The memory of the Salvadoran martyrs invites us to have courage even though we are fearful and to illuminate the horizon of hope even when we barely see the Light. JST 2012 Teach-In delegation: (back row, left to right) Nathan Halloran, S.J., Brent Otto, S.J., Billy Robb, Patrick Gilday, Nick Hren; (front row) Joan Denton, Maureen Beckman, Natalie Terry, Beth Mueller, Luisely MelecioZambrano.
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Registrar Lorna McKeown to Retire
Maria dePedraza
It is with a great sense of sadness that I write to tell you that I plan to retire as of June 30, 2014, the end of the 2013–2014 school year, my 39th year at the Jesuit School of Theology. After spending almost 60 percent of my waking life within this community, a community that I think of as an extension of my family, it is difficult to break these ties. I have been fortunate to work with people for whom being a good human being is a high priority. Our students genuinely intend to be good people, and we are fortunate to be part of the process of their formation. The school’s commitment to justice is not only written into its mission statement, it is implicit every day in the priorities we set, the immersions we encourage, the experiences we value. I have been glad to be part of the enterprise that is the Jesuit School of Theology. Please be assured of my profound gratitude, love and continuing commitment to this school and the people who make up this community I have called home for so long. I will miss you all.
Lorna
Lorna Wallace McKeown Assistant Academic Dean
L e t t e r t o t h e E dit or October 2, 2013 I received my issue of the Bridge yesterday and was pleased to see the feature on JST(B) graduates involved in educational leadership. I was especially happy to see my colleague, friend, and M.Div. classmate Rita Cutarelli represented…. However…Rita was the only woman, and, incredibly, the only layperson and the only non-Jesuit. This is deeply disturbing and does not accurately reflect the reality of leadership in Catholic elementary, secondary, and higher education. There are numerous, non-Jesuit, JST(B) alums who are serving in various leadership capacities in Catholic education. To name but a few: Gary Cannon (M.Div. 1996), Principal, and Kate McFadden (M.T.S. 1999), Director of Studies, both at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco; and Heidi Harrison (M.T.S. 2002), Vice Principal for Curriculum and Instruction at Justin-Siena High School, Napa. …I’m sure that a systematic search of the JST(B) alumnae/i rolls would yield many more. …I pursued a career in education following my M.Div. (1997) because schools are one of the few ecclesial venues in which women can exercise legitimate leadership…. It is unfortunate that the Bridge…has painted a very different picture….
Editor’s Response Dear Carrie, Thank you for your email. I requested interviews with other lay graduates and religious alumnae, however, Rita was the only one who responded before the deadline and who was still working in a school leadership position. We knew our list was illustrative and not comprehensive and included that caveat. Unfortunately, not all alumni keep in touch with the school and update their placements so even a systematic search of our database would not yield the results we would hope for. We are increasing our efforts to reconnect with alumni and keep our information about everyone current. Already, the responses to our alumni e-mails have been most helpful and we plan to use more frequent digital communication to help build the alumni network and stay in touch. The Jesuit School of Theology is very proud of how our lay graduates and religious alumnae serve as leaders in education, the church and society. We did not intend to send a different message.
Carrie J. Schroeder, M.Div., Ed.D. Religious Studies Teacher, Campus Ministry Staff Mercy High School BRIDGE spring 2014
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The Papacy and This Pope Rev. T. Howland Sanks, S.J., Ph.D. Assistant Rector and Visiting Professor Loyola University Maryland
Perhaps the most enduring legacy of
Pope Benedict XVI to the church was his resignation. In one bold and courageous move he demystified the papacy as we have known it in recent times. The office of pope developed over several centuries, long after the ministries of bishop, priest, and deacon had become widely accepted in the church. For most of its history, the pope was a temporal ruler over much of present-day Italy as well as the Bishop of Rome. The office assumed the trappings of the Byzantine Empire in the West and later of Renaissance princes. For the first millennium, as John O’Malley has pointed out, the average Christian was unaware of the very existence of popes and they had no impact on the daily lives of most people. Only with the Protestant Reformation and, later, the rise of modern means of transportation and communication in the 19th century did the papacy become a major factor in Roman Catholic identity and self-understanding. Popes became sacred personages, chosen by the Holy Spirit, removed from ordinary life, whom believers held in awe and reverence.
Benedict’s resignation changed all of that. Many who had idolized the pope greeted the news with shock and disbelief. We realized that the Petrine ministry required some human abilities — physical, psychological, and intellectual as well as the grace of office. The multiple demands and expectations of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church are immense and Benedict was honest and gracious enough to recognize his own increasing limitations. The resignation immediately impacted the cardinal electors who could now envision the office as no longer for life. Consequently, how long a candidate might live was not an issue.
A Series of Surprises
We were all surprised that the conclave was so short — barely 24 hours. We were surprised that the new pope was from Argentina, even more surprised that he was a Jesuit, and that he chose the name Francis. We were surprised again when he asked the people to pray for him before he gave his own blessing. And on and on — paid his
PHOTO: Pope Francis with Father General Adolfo Nicolás, S.J.
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own bill, chose to live in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Surely ultra-conservative and traditionalist groups in answers letters with personal phone calls, prefers simple the Vatican will oppose such attempts (we already hear dress, shortened ceremonies, and enjoys being with rumblings), so whether he will succeed remains to be regular folks. Along with many others, I have found his seen. The real test will be the appointments of bishops style and these symbolic gestures very appealing. And and curial officials (the appointment of Archbishop in Rome and the Vatican, symbols are very important. Pietro Parolin as secretary of state seems hopeful). Sometimes symbols are substance (never say “Only a The person who is now Pope Francis was not always symbol!”). The pope chose the name Francis because seen as a reformer, however. Reports from Argentina (I the saint of Assisi symbolized have no insider information, only love of the poor, of creation, what I have read) when he was and of peace. That, remarks novice master, provincial, and John O’Malley, sounds like an rector of the theologate describe The pope chose agenda for his pontificate! Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J. as Beyond symbolic gestures, strict, conservative, hostile to the name Francis what he has said explicitly liberation theology, and divisive. is also very encouraging. He But his experience as a bishop in wants a poor church for the Buenos Aires beginning in 1992 because the poor; he speaks frequently seems to have converted him. about God’s mercy and He encountered the poor in the saint of Assisi forgiveness, about humility, slums, listened to their stories about the church going outside and learned from them. He itself and not being focused began to see things differently. symbolized inwardly; he has expressed He came to see that their poverty compassion and being nonwas the result of an unjust love of the poor, judgmental to those on the economic and political system. periphery. He is trying to Traveling outside of Argentina refocus the church’s priorities and participating in the Council of creation, away from an “obsession” of Bishops’ Conferences of Latin with abortion, contraception, America and the Caribbean and of peace. and homosexuality, and towards (CELAM) gave him a broader concern for the poor, for view of the situation in Latin immigrants, for unbelievers. America and a first-hand That…sounds He identified two major experience of collegial governance. problems facing the world: His fellow bishops chose him like an agenda the unemployment of youth, to edit the final document from and the loneliness and neglect CELAM V in Aparecida, 2007, of the elderly. a document which reaffirmed for his With regard to the church most of the earlier CELAM itself, he has already encouraged proceedings. pontificate! ecumenism and meetings It is much too early in his with Jewish and Muslim pontificate to discern any trajecleaders. He has signaled a tories for the future. If Bergoglio more collegial approach in meetings with cardinals has changed in the past, he can change again. He is a and bishops. Perhaps, most significantly, he appointed work in progress. Will the pressures of the office and eight cardinals to assist him in church governance and Vatican protocols circumscribe his desires and inclinations the reform of the curia. Some observers think this is a for reform? Will he be boxed in by the curial bureaucracy? real step away from the top-down, overly-centralized As pope, can he stay in touch with the poor and ordinary governance of his recent predecessors. In interviews, people or will he, too, be isolated from reality? But, that he has mentioned Cardinal Carlo Martini’s suggestion he has already changed the climate within the church and that we review the place of synods and councils in the the perception of the church outside it cannot be denied. church. He is aware that such reforms come only slowly This article is current as of November 1, 2013. but must be pursued “gently, firmly, and tenaciously.” BRIDGE spring 2014
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Don Doll, S. J.
Worldwide Impact of Ministry of Theological Education Rev. Thomas Smolich, S.J. (M.Div. 1986) President of the U.S. Jesuit Conference
In April 2013, I had the opportunity to visit
Jesuit communities in Africa where Jesuit scholastics and brothers study to prepare for ministry. In each of these communities — Harare, Zimbabwe; Antananarivo, Madagascar; Nairobi, Kenya; and Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire — I met professors who had studied at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University ( JST) over the years. To a man, every one of them was grateful for the education he had received. In particular, I remember one professor told me “Doing my doctorate in Berkeley taught me how to think creatively. It gave me the tools to do theology in my own context.” Moments like that affirm the importance of JST’s ministry of theological education. Through my 30-plus years of association with JST (I studied for my M.Div. from 1983–86, and have been on the board of directors more or less continuously since 1991), I have watched JST’s vitality develop, and I can attest to the importance of its theological education in Jesuit ministries around the world. What does JST distinctly offer its students? Three qualities have grown and deepened over the years: Culturally-contextualized theology: This method of doing theology — training students to understand the cultural dimensions of their own faith and learning, so that they can appreciate and engage the contributions and challenges of other cultures as they express and live their faith — is JST’s forté. JST’s home in the Graduate Theological Union, an ecumenical and interfaith context without compare for theological reflection, has always demanded that its students go deeper to express and understand their Catholic faith. The growing awareness of the role of culture in our expression of faith inspired JST to make sure those students could evangelize in the world as it is, and could contribute
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to a deeper faith in Jesus Christ wherever they go. I see this through JST grads working in universities and high schools, in Native American ministries, in Spanish- and Vietnamese-speaking parishes, and in international settings around the world. Their theological education gives them the tools to engage Christ in any culture, and to take seriously the gifts that any culture can bring to Christian faith and experience. Service of faith and promotion of justice: This summary of the mission of the Society of Jesus was one of the graces of General Congregation 32, a meeting of over 200 international Jesuits in 1975. Led by then-Superior General of the Jesuits, Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the congregation proclaimed work for justice as a constitutive part of the Society’s preaching of the good news. This vision of evangelization has formed the JST experience. Students cannot finish any program without deepening the interplay of faith and justice in their lives and ministries. The justice dimension has evolved over the years in response to the needs of the times. In the 1970s, one would find JST students and graduates serving as community organizers; the 1980s saw them engaging the AIDS crisis through service and advocacy. Over the last 20 years, educational opportunities for the marginalized have grown throughout the United States. JST grads are leaders in creative efforts such as Cristo Rey high schools and Nativity middle schools. As JST’s student body has become more international, its understanding of work for justice broadened and deepened. Many recent graduates have studied peacemaking and reconciliation in countries and cultures torn by civil war and religious differences. These women and men, lay and religious, are making a difference in such efforts around the world.
Opposite page, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, CA. This page clockwise: Sr. Margaret Aringo, F.S.J. (S.T.D. 2008), chair of the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa. In Madagascar, Jean de Dieu Randrianaivo, S.J. (S.T.L. 2003), provincial delegate for education and vice rector (principal) of College Saint Michel, Thomas Smolich, S.J., and Fulgence Ratsimbazafy, S.J. (S.T.L. 2007, S.T.D. 2011), director of formation for the Province of Madagascar and the rector of St. Paul’s Philosophy in Antananarivo. In Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with the cathedral behind him, Mathieu Ndomba, S.J. (S.T.L. 2004, S.T.D. 2008), professor of social ethics and treasurer for Institute de Théologie de la Compagnie de Jésus.
Partnership in ministry: 1969 marked the end of the era of Jesuit training in isolation. Alma College, the Jesuit theologate for the West Coast, moved from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Berkeley, and became the Jesuit School of Theology. Berkeley was (and is) anything but isolated! JST’s programs began to reach out to others involved in church ministry: religious sisters, lay men and women, and priesthood candidates from other communities. A spirit of shared partnership in ministry quickly emerged, and has been a hallmark of JST’s educational philosophy ever since. This focus is a critical contribution to the life of the church. At JST, those preparing for ordination learn to work with lay colleagues as peers, and they support and challenge one another as colleagues in ministerial formation. For JST graduates, service in the church means working with others in any and every context. Many JST graduates — female and male, lay and religious — pursue further theological studies, and incorporate this vision of church in their research and teaching. Other JST alumnae/i work in a number of church settings — education, parishes, social service ministries — and bring this experience of partnership with them. Let me close with a story that shows JST’s vision knows no bounds. The JST board meeting in spring
2008 happened to overlap with the doctoral dissertation defense of Sister Margaret Aringo, a Kenyan member of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph. That afternoon, countless people told me about her dissertation: how she looked at the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage in Mark 5:25–34 through the lens of the blood taboos in African culture which continue to marginalize and isolate women. I heard her dissertation was excellent and her defense was moving to the point of tears. Everyone at JST rejoiced with her. Sr. Margaret was the first woman in her tribe ever to achieve a doctorate in sacred theology. She returned to Kenya to teach scripture at Hekima College, the Jesuit seminary in Nairobi. Soon after, she was elected superior general of her order. Now she is the chairperson of an organization of more than 20,000 African women religious that spans eight eastern and central African nations, Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA). She is fostering leadership skills, promoting human rights and social justice, and building partnerships there. Her story is but one of many that demonstrates how JST prepares students to impact the future of the church around the world.
BRIDGE spring 2014
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Engaged
Diversity
UNITY: as a Way to
a Profile of the Jesuit Community in Berkeley
Rev. Mr. Quang D. Tran, S.J. (M.Div. 2014) Friends and family often ask me: what is
“seminary life” like? At the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University ( JST) in Berkeley, seminary life is an experience in diversity that challenges and promotes unity in faith. For example, I can take a course in Christology with other Jesuits from all over the world, Dominican and Franciscan friars, lay men and women, Protestants, Buddhists, and self-proclaimed “pagans.” After class, I can munch on fried kale chips and wash it down with a glass of vegan “milk”-shake. To describe training for Jesuit priesthood in Berkeley, I paraphrase Fr. Michael Buckley, S.J., theologian and former rector: “If you want to test your faith and find out how much you really know about it, you should come to Berkeley.” Living in a university setting with others from different cultures and backgrounds helps develop intellectual rigor and expand the heart’s capacity to love. You cannot believe in what you do not love. Diversity is that raging, restless fire that puts faith, in whatever and whomever, to the test. For the past 45 years
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or so, Jesuits have been coming to Berkeley to try their faith with this fire. Indeed, Jesuits here experience this fire within our own international community, in our school, and in the surrounding environment. Thus, diversity is a God-given gift and challenge that can promote unity in faith. Coming from 24 different countries with backgrounds ranging from astrophysics to parasitology to flight attending to bread baking, currently 88 Jesuits live on “Holy Hill” in Berkeley. Such diversity might offer a proof or two of God’s existence or even sitcom material. For the majority of the Jesuits — scholastics, brothers, and priests — in Berkeley, our primary mission is theological studies. Many are pursing the Master of Divinity in preparation for ordination. Some are working on a master’s, licentiate, or doctorate in sacred theology while others are studying for advanced degrees in other disciplines such as counseling and education. Some serve as administrators, professors, visiting scholars, and spiritual directors to the Jesuits and lay students at the school. Jesuits on sabbatical contribute their insights after many years of service.
The 15 Jesuits of the permanent community, September 28, 2013: Jesuit Fathers (front row, left to right) Bill O’Neill, Tom Massaro, George Murphy, David Gill; (second row) George Quickley, Anh Tran, Paul Janowiak; (back row) John McGarry, Steve Dillard, Kevin Burke, John Endres, Eddie Fernandez, George Williams, Hung Pham, George Greiner, Rob McChesney. Photo by George Quickley, S.J.
With such a motley group, kitchen conversations can quickly head in a number of directions — from Origen’s isochristocism to African witchcraft, exorcisms, beer brewing, Lady Gaga and the Muppets. No topic that comes up in our community is too big or small for aimless musing and potentially heady and heated arguments. Expressing an opinion is sometimes like tossing a bone to the dogs. Do not expect it to return intact. The fire of a diverse community leaves no opinion or conviction untested. For example, this past Halloween, as a few Midwestern and Southern Jesuits were carving a pumpkin, a Nigerian Jesuit commented on how they were wasting food, and an Eastern European added that it would be better to focus on the saints instead of carving demonic faces. Staring at the “demonic face,” a Croatian Jesuit said nothing and laughed the whole time. The pumpkin carvers compromised by roasting the pumpkin seeds and reciting evening prayer after proudly displaying their jack-o-lantern on the front porch. For each of those Jesuits, Halloween and pumpkin carving will never be the same. Diversity engaged and not merely displayed broadens our perspectives and keeps us honest. But if this engagement does not go deeper and remains solely in the mind, the fire of diversity burns out and the heart goes cold. We often have discussions and arguments about the most mundane things, such as the role of gourds in culture, but a warm and attentive heart, a loving heart, knows when to quit and when to fight to the bitter end. The risk of diversity is fixating on the differences, eclipsing the heart’s efforts to discover how the differences are complementary. A spirit of gratitude and service helps assimilate the differences and aids in the integration of the head and heart, a grace that our community’s rector, Fr. John
McGarry, S.J, has emphasized since the beginning of his appointment. Drawing from our spirituality, we pray daily to see ourselves as the persons of the Trinity see us — broken and diverse, but filled with potential for communion and unity. We are reminded of this profound mystery in community prayer, especially in our daily Eucharist. Besides our primary mission to JST, the Jesuits serve as preachers, teachers, priests and deacons at over 20 parishes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of us offer spiritual direction to diocesan priests, men and women religious, lay ecclesial ministers, parishioners, students from the University of California-Berkeley, and inmates at San Quentin State Prison and the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA. Other Jesuits teach students with autism, work in the field of suicide prevention, and engage faith and pop culture on one of our online mission territories — thejesuitpost.org. Enriched from our experience of diversity in the Jesuit community and the classroom, we leave Holy Hill to serve other communities. The people we serve fill our hearts with their love and gratitude. They give flesh to our theological studies and orient us toward the convictions that are worth keeping and deter us from those worth letting go. Returning from our different ministerial experiences, we are better equipped to engage once again with our brothers. We listen a little better. What we preach carries more weight because we start to believe more boldly in what we are preaching. The integration of heart and mind allows diversity to affirm our faith in Jesuit community life as a God-given gift that binds rather than separates.
A spirit of JST Jesuit student community with Rector John McGarry, S.J. at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos. Photo by Martin Silva, S.J.
gratitude
AND
service
h e l p s i n t e g r at e
head and heart. BRIDGE spring 2014
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the Mystic-Prophetic
DimensioN
o f R e l i g i o u s Li f e :
2 013 A s ia/Oceani a M eet i ng o f Rel i g i o us Wom en Sr. Julia Prinz, V.D.M.F. (S.T.L. 2004, GTU Ph.D. 2006) Coordinator, Women of Wisdom & Action Initiative Lecturer in Christian Spirituality
Manila. Shortly after 4 a.m. on November 8, 2013, we gathered around the television. The heavy rain and wind outside had awakened me. I joined the witnesses around the screen, which revealed the unbelievable destruction taking place just 500 miles away. What touched me most was the silent wake: the worried cook, the hairdresser, so many had family in the affected areas around the Visayan Sea. Many feared for their loved ones especially in Guiuan and Tacloban. I had come to the Philippines to connect with partners of the Women of Wisdom and Action initiative of the Jesuit School of Theology at the conference of the Asia/ Oceania Meeting of Religious Women (AMOR). Little did I know that I would be a bystander to one of the most destructive typhoons in recorded history or that I would witness the truly extraordinary faith and hope of the women religious who resist such destruction and tragedy. The island nation of the Philippines lives on natural disaster alert. The typhoons have been becoming stronger every year and in 2013 were paired with earthquakes in
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the same area. The patience of the people has been tested to the breaking point and under their gentle smiles, deep questions arose. AMOR XVI took place in this context in Tagaytay City, Philippines, under the title, “The MysticProphetic Dimension of Religious Life.” Ninety women from 17 countries gathered to ponder and plan for the future of religious life and the church in Asia. The circumstances of such terrible suffering gave a powerful depth to this title. AMOR was founded in 1972 with the aim of supporting the emerging identity of the Asian Catholic Church after Vatican II. The same year the Federation of Asian Bishops (FABC) came into existence. One of AMOR’s founding members, Sr. Rose Bernadette Gallagher, M.M. (aged 92) was outspoken at the conference. She reminded the attendees of the importance of this voluntary association that offers women religious and their diverse ministries across Asia and Oceania the possibility to network and join forces. Like FABC, whose “purpose is to foster among its members solidarity
and co-responsibility for the welfare of church and society in Asia,” AMOR provides women religious with a common platform. Typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Typhoon Yolanda, profoundly impacted this year’s conference. Attendees received up-to-the-minute reports about the destruction from members of their congregations who had already been dispatched to the area for the earlier earthquake relief or other ministries. In the midst of celebrating the cultural diversity of 27 different languages, the supplication and lament arose in image and song. I remember the simple repetition of the sung petition, “Heal our land, oh, heal our broken land!” The solitude and solidarity of prayer was very powerful. It provided the conference participants with an experience of oneness and community that was very important in the aftershock of such a tragedy. The sisters expressed themselves in prayer and in conversation. They articulated their anger. They engaged in focused dialogue. In the foyer, where the internet was located, we watched the news, exchanged information, updated each other. On the short walks during the break in the rain or during the opportunities between sessions, the sisters voiced not only lament but critical analysis. “Why does the government sell the rights to mine black sand on the fragile coastlands of the Visayas?” Sr. Corazon Demetillo, R.G.S. asked. She is the president of the Institute of Formation and Religious Studies (IFRS) in Manila that has grown out of the initiative of Vatican II to educate sisters theologically all around the world. Sr. Helen Graham, M.M., Ph.D. (S.T.M. 1983), an Old Testament professor for 46 years, is a long-standing member of the faculty at IFRS. She gave a keynote address
Opposite page: Candles during the Thanksgiving Eucharist at the Women of Wisdom and Action Initiative home, Berkeley, CA. This page: (left to right) Religious sisters on the street in Manila. Sisters from the Southern Philippines. Thai sisters.
on the call to the prophetic life in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets. Challenging and energetic, she reminded us that “language is power,” that prophetic language is endangering. She insisted: even poetry can get you in prison if you know what you are saying. She turned the understanding of the prophetic vocation against a superiority understanding. If you are called, you are not called to relax because you are chosen, but to figure out what you are chosen for. Sr. Helen highlighted the importance of advanced theological training for the sisters, because good theology leads to prophetic action and a prophetic future for their congregations and mission. But she also warned the audience: Amos was the first theologian in the Bible, but he drew conclusions that were different than anybody else’s and that got him into trouble. Theological studies are not to pacify but to qualify the sisters to build up a future for the Asian church. Sr. Helen’s talk set the stage for the official sharing of the congregations and their mission across Asia. The seminars were at the same time gruesome, joltingly awakening but steady in their presentation of a towering hope cutting through the darkness. Some spoke in the name of major superior conferences and some spoke as major superiors for their own congregations. All of them denounced political, social, economic and environmental situations in the countries in which they are working. The spectrum included Japanese women religious considering the spiritual consequences of the nuclear BRIDGE spring 2014
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aftereffects in Fukushima, Thai sisters presenting heartshattering data about human trafficking all around Asia enslaving one country to another, others discussed the political unrest in Sri Lanka, the natural catastrophe of deforestation in the Philippines and China, and the terrible poverty and misery in many parts of Asia, in which women religious are dedicated to giving their lives. Typhoon Yolanda united all these concerns. The environmental damage we are inflicting on the earth globally, such as unhindered mining in places like the Philippines, not only enslaves the miners to mostly subhuman conditions, but also exploits natural resources at the highest speed possible. Only a tiny fraction of the forest that once covered the Philippines remains. Had that forest been in place, it would have slowed down the 250-mile-per-hour typhoon. Instead the only barrier Yolanda met was some poor human dwellings. The religious sisters, who spoke with their bright minds and critical thoughts, know the danger in which they operate. Sr. Stella Matutina, O.S.B. described how she was arrested for the advocacy work she is doing on behalf of the miners and farmers in Mindanao. These sisters know that their mystical-prophetic vocation is at the heart of the future of the church in Asia. To paraphrase a famous saying of Karl Rahner, S.J.: the future of the church is mystical-prophetic or there is no future. The need for systemic reflection and action became obvious. The individual ministries of the sisters were so incredibly moving and so were their questions. We always go to the poorest, but we need to shout the question more The future of the church is
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(Left to right) Sisters in Taiwan. Indian postulants and novices who did the offertory in the opening Eucharist celebrated by the cardinal of Manila. Photos by Julia Prinz, V.D.M.F.
clearly: “Why are they poor?” Sr. Helen Graham asked the audience, “Have you ever prayed like a roaring lion? You should begin.” There are so many groups and religious sisters working against the sex trafficking of young girls in different countries, rescuing one woman at a time, with diligent dedication and risk. The sisters at AMOR were clear that we need to find a way to connect those groups so we can systemically resist the sex trafficking business. “How many of the richest members of our Philippine society are sitting in their country clubs, have not given a penny to the efforts to relieve the dire need caused by the typhoon, and actually reap profits from exploiting the poorest of the poor?” demanded Sr. Lissy Sebastian, R.N.D.M., provincial of her congregation in the Philippines. Relief from abroad is not enough. The intransigence of the those who neglect the needs of their neighbors in the Philippines and globally is the real typhoon. A typhoon we all need to resist. The AMOR conference statement concluded with the following inspiring directive: “Called to be mystics in action and prophets in contemplation, we go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit with our prayers, daring to speak the truth and responding with courage to challenges that require our action so we can be hope for the people of God.”
mystical-prophetic or there is no future.
The Future of the Church in Asia:
Women of Wisdom & Action at JST Catherine M. Kelly (M.Div. 2006), Editor At the Jesuit School of Theology, “going to the frontiers” in the spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the most recent general congregation of the Society of Jesus means, in part, preparing students to serve as leaders in the church in their own cultural context. The Bridge is delighted to introduce the first two women religious from Asia who are part of the school’s Women of Wisdom and Action Initiative, which educates and trains women leaders to serve as change agents within the church and society of their home countries.
Sr. Daniella Dung Nguyen, D.M.N.
I am Sr. Daniella Dung Nguyen, a member of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary of Nam Vang, Phu Cuong Diocese, Vietnam. Before coming to the Jesuit School of Theology ( JST), I was assigned to the post of formator and instructed junior sisters and novices in theology and spirituality for two years. After two years of working in the formation of the religious, I realized the need to deepen my knowledge of theology by engaging in a more systematic reflection of the personal and communal experience of God. With the generosity of Henry Luce Foundation and JST’s other donors, I had the opportunity to continue my study of theology at a higher level in the U.S. I am now pursuing the licentiate in sacred theology degree at JST. I desire to gain a good foundation in theology, especially in feminist and liberation theologies which I did not have access to in Vietnam for many reasons. As a religious sister, I realize that I am blessed among other Vietnamese women because the Women of Wisdom and Action program has opened up for me a new horizon to live and to study. I have come to realize the great responsibility I have to study, to search for knowledge, and to learn how to do theology in my own context. What I will learn in my studies is not only for me but also for my people, especially the women in Vietnam. My vision of the church in Asia is one that is more sensitive to the poor and oppressed, listening to their voices and supporting them to liberate themselves from bondage. I also hope the church will recognize the gifts of women, especially women leaders, in building up the church as a community of equals.
Sr. Anna Pham Thi Phuc, F.M.A.
My name is Sr. Anna Pham Thi Phuc, a member of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians Congregation (FMA), also known as the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco of Vietnam Province. Last fall, I came to the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley ( JST) from Thu Duc, Vietnam. After having completed my bachelor degree in philosophy and theology in the Philippines, I served as the advisor and the treasurer for the novitiate for two years. I taught fundamental theology and introduction to sacred scripture to our postulants and novices. Today, the Province of Vietnam is blessed with many vocations. Currently, there are 32 novices, 20 postulants and 50 junior sisters in the first period of formation. As a result, our province greatly needs to have our sisters trained in theology at the graduate level in order to form our younger sisters and prepare them for the mission of the church in Vietnam. For these reasons, my superior recommended that I apply to the Women of Wisdom and Action Initiative at JST. I am currently enrolled and pursuing a licentiate in sacred theology with a concentration in sacred scripture. I hope and desire to help our younger sisters grow in their theological knowledge and education through teaching and writing, most importantly through deepening and integrating the Word of God into our lives and our vocations. My congregation and I are profoundly grateful for this opportunity provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, JST’s donors, the Women of Wisdom and Action program, and the Jesuit School of Theology. I am deeply moved by the generous support and encouragement which I have received from the program, the director, and all of those who are involved. I hope and pray that the Women of Wisdom and Action program will continue to grow so that many religious sisters in Asia will have the opportunity like me to develop their potential gifts in order to serve the church in Asia.
(Left to right) JST students: Sr. Charisma Sulbise, V.D.M.F. (Philippines); Sr. Daniella Dung Nguyen, D.M.N. (Vietnam); Sr. Anna Pham Thi Phuc, F.M.A. (Vietnam); Sr. Evelyn Wong, V.D.M.F., student community coordinator (Malaysia). Photo by Kristin Aswell. BRIDGE spring 2014
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The Future of the Church:
Reforming Church Structure James M. Purcell, S.T.L., M.S.W. Special Assistant to the President
As I observe the first year of our new pope, Francis, I cannot help but wonder about the extent to which the Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco, John R. Quinn, may have influenced some of his thinking and actions.
Archbishop Emeritus John Quinn
Archbishop Quinn was appointed archbishop of San Francisco in 1977 and served in that capacity until 1995. He also was the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1977 to 1980. Archbishop Quinn has always remained close to the Jesuits, the order under whom he studied at the Gregorian University in Rome during his years of preparation for the priesthood. He has been a great friend of Jesuit School of Theology and Santa Clara University, as well as other Jesuit institutions in California and beyond. Quinn displayed his theological acumen in frequent writing projects. Perhaps the most significant was the breakthrough volume, Reform of the Papacy: The Costly Call to Christian Unity (Crossroad Publishing), published in 1999. The book is a direct response to Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Ut Unum Sint, which included a generous invitation to a frank and open discussion regarding how reform in the exercise of the papal office could occur and what shape it might take. In this eminently readable volume, Quinn addresses topics such as the principle of collegiality, the appointment of bishops, and the reform of the college of cardinals and the curia.
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Quinn ended this book with a stark challenge: “Now the question is: When will the Catholic bishops of the world and their conferences take up the dialogue about the exercise of the primacy raised in Ut Unum Sint with the honesty and seriousness it deserves?” (181). The response to his question and John Paul II’s invitation has been a deafening silence! Archbishop Quinn’s most recent book, Ever Ancient, Ever New: Structures of Communion in the Church (NY: Paulist Press, 2013) reminds us that the church was structured as a “communion” from its earliest beginnings (1–7). Investigating the problem of excessive centralization in the Roman Catholic Church, Quinn suggests a return to truly traditional structures, including deliberative synods and an expansion of the patriarchate structure. Quinn also highlights the role of ecumenical councils and refers to them as “preeminent structures of communion.” Shortly after Quinn’s book appeared in early 2013, the newly-elected Pope Francis invited “real consultations,” dialogue, and discernment on change in the church. Looking below the surface to glimpse the underlying theologies which Quinn and Pope Francis embrace, we begin to notice the images of God and models of church evident in their public statements.
Who is God? Who are we?
The New Testament contains many images and stories describing who God is. For Jesus, God is the merciful Father who loves us and the Spirit is God’s gift of himself to those who believe in Jesus Christ. In the first letter of John, God is Love. As the early Christian communities of faith struggled to unpack the meaning of the revelation
Discernment takes time… is always done in the presence of the Lord, looking at the signs,
that happen, the feeling of the people… Paulist Press
The Crossroad Publishing Company, Inc.
listening to the things
of God, they developed another dimension of understanding: God is a community of love, God is Trinity. The image of God one adopts exerts direct pull on one’s ecclesiology, or understanding of church. A communitybased view of God’s inner life is correlated with what might be called a “communion ecclesiology” which is impatient with needless centralization and excessive authoritarianism. We are, in the words of Vatican II, the People of God, “a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Lumen Gentium, no. 4, referencing St. Cyprian, St. Augustine and St. John Damascene). We as church are called to be a community of love.
Quinn’s Suggestions for Reform
To support his ideas for reform, Archbishop Quinn presents the case study of how the church behaved when it faced its first major crisis. “The Church as we see it in the New Testament, had a clear consciousness that it was a communion…not a group of isolated, independent communities.” (Ever Ancient, Ever New, 1–3). Quinn tells the New Testament story that “dramatically tested ecclesial communion but at the same time revealed its nature.” He identifies three factors that were critical for settling the problem: pastoral experience, the appeal to scripture, and the meeting of the first generation of leaders in Jerusalem. In the crises we face today, we, too, must cherish the spirit of discernment given to God’s faithful people. For the gifts of the Holy Spirit make the faithful of every rank “fit and ready to undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church,
as it is written, ‘the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit’ (I Cor. 12:7)… The judgment as to the genuineness and proper use of these gifts belongs to those who are appointed leaders in the church, to whose special competence it belongs, not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good (Cf. 1 Th. 5:12 and 19–21)” (Lumen Gentium, no. 12).
Pope Francis’ Invitations
Pope Francis’ famous interview (published by America magazine in September 2013) includes this strong but encouraging admonition: “I do not want token consultations, but real consultations.” For me, the most hopeful sign of potential reform for the church is Pope Francis’ emphasis on practicing what the Jesuits call “discernment.” Francis says: This discernment takes time. . . Discernment is always done in the presence of the Lord, looking at the signs, listening to the things that happen, the feeling of the people, especially the poor. . . The wisdom of discernment redeems the necessary ambiguity of life and helps us find the most appropriate means, which do not always coincide with what looks great and strong. What structural reforms might we consider that will foster and strengthen this practice of discernment in the church? Archbishop Quinn has already offered some very sound suggestions regarding the structure of the highest levels of organization in the church (the papacy, the curia, synods, the appointment of bishops, etc.) BRIDGE spring 2014
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Suggested Readings Pope Francis strikes a similar note:
Repair My House by Michael H. Crosby
We must walk together: the people, the bishops and the pope. Synodality should be lived at various levels. Maybe it is time to change the methods of the Synod of Bishops, because it seems to me that the current method is not dynamic. This will also have ecumenical value, especially with our Orthodox brethren. From them we can learn more about the meaning of episcopal collegiality and the tradition of synodality. The joint effort of reflection, looking at how the church was governed in the early centuries, before the breakup between East and West, will bear fruit in due time.
Receiving the Council by Ladislas Orsy
As I write this, Pope Francis has just concluded his first meeting with the eight cardinals and he has already suggested some changes for the synodal process that will include the involvement of the presidents of episcopal conferences. Pope Francis appears to be an example of the old adage from strategic planning: “Sometimes you have to go slow to go fast!” I would add to Quinn’s list: the church needs to foster theological discernment that includes dialogue and interaction among theologians, bishops and the faithful. It is encouraging to recall the dynamic interaction between theologians and bishops in previous eras, especially just before, during and just after the Second Vatican Council. Such genuine theological discernment must include the wisdom and experience of women. “I dream of a church,” says Pope Francis, “that is a mother and shepherdess.” He goes on to remind us that the “feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions. The challenge today is this: to think about the specific place of women also in those places where the authority of the church is exercised for various areas of the church.” A challenge indeed!
Change at the Local Level
At the diocesan and parish levels, bishops and pastors need to seek and provide “real consultations.” There are already certain structures available at the diocesan level to provide real consultations: priests’ councils, pastoral councils, finance committees, personnel boards, consultors, etc. Some (though not all) parishes have participative structures such as parish councils and pastoral teams, as well as vibrant programs like Renew and Marriage Encounter. But are these structures places of real dialogue and discernment? Do they foster the meaningful participation of women and other underrepresented groups? And do they include a mechanism to insure the integration and coordination of dialogue that promotes “communion?” Too often they do not.
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Church Leadership: Training in the Ethical Use of Power by George B. Wilson, S.J. What Happened at Vatican II by John W. O’Malley The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook by Peter M. Senge
Every bishop needs to dialogue with theologians. To his credit, Archbishop Quinn is known for his frequent meetings with theologians over the years. Bishops also need to find ways to connect more directly with their people (not just the annual parish visit for administering the sacrament of confirmation!). As Pope Francis said at his Chrism Mass, “I want [bishops] to smell like their sheep.” At the parish level, pastors and lay ministers need to walk with their people. Parish leaders must make real the words of Gaudium et Spes, no. 1: “The joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ as well.” Church structures must (1) support and strengthen the church’s sacramentality as a sign of God’s loving presence in the world; and (2) support and strengthen the pilgrimage of the faith community as it strives to preach and realize God’s kingdom on earth. In thinking about structures, we need to remember two things: first, the discussion/discernment must begin with a process that explores and develops a shared vision of the church and its mission, and is grounded in the Gospel values of love and justice for all. Second, structures are only as good as the people who work in them. Selecting and training faithful at all levels and in all structures to embrace the shared vision of the church as articulated in scripture and the ecclesiology of Vatican II are essential. By preparing lay, religious and ordained leaders to serve the faith that does justice today and into the future, the Jesuit School of Theology is an exceptional environment which is helping the church meet this need. How important it is to continue this crucial work! Contact the author at jpurcell@scu.edu. This article is current as of November 1, 2013.
new director of ministerial formation, Dr. Deborah Ross, and to new board member, Hon. Peter J. Siggins.
Dr. Deborah Ross What attracted you to the director of ministerial formation position and to JST? I am passionate about pastoral ministry and theological reflection, so naturally I was greatly interested in the role of director of ministerial formation at the Jesuit School of Theology. I am delighted to be in a position to create opportunities for students to bring their lived experience of ministry, and elements of their spiritual and personal formation, into reflective dialogue with their theological studies. I am honored to serve JST, a school dedicated to the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Ignatian spirituality has greatly influenced my personal spiritual journey and supported my academic and pastoral work, and teaching practice. What strengths/past experiences do you bring to this position? My experience includes both pastoral ministry and academic study. I spent 16 years serving the church in various lay ministry and academic research positions in London and the United Kingdom. I acted as a director of religious education, a university minister, a sixth-form college chaplain, and co-led academic projects exploring evangelization and mission within the Catholic Church. These positions required collaborating with individuals from varied cultural backgrounds, and ministering to communities in inner-city London. My theological studies have provided a foundation for my pastoral work. I received a B.A. Honors in theology and religious studies and English from St. Mary’s College, Twickenham, in the U.K., and my M.Th. in pastoral theology and Ph.D. in theology are from Heythrop College, the Jesuit College of the University of London. My doctoral research explored faithformation and the spiritual transformation of participants in the R.C.I.A. process. While pursuing my Ph.D., I helped establish and co-lead a theological research project at Heythrop College which worked with 12 diverse church groups and non-profit agencies in the U.K. The project facilitated theological reflection upon evangelization and mission, empowering individuals in faith-based organizations to become more skilled practitioners. Most recently, I served as an adjunct professor at the Santa Clara University Religious Studies Department and Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries, and the Saint Ignatius Institute at the University of San Francisco. What is your vision for your role as director? I envisage the role of director of ministerial formation as a privileged form of ministry that involves accompanying students on their academic and spiritual journey as they continue to grow in pastoral and theological wisdom. This will involve encouraging students to engage in theological reflection upon their lived ministerial experience. I appreciate that the process of theological reflection has the capacity to empower students by highlighting moments of graced insight within their respective ministries while enhancing their pastoral theological fluency. I am very much looking forward to creatively collaborating with faculty, staff, and students, and contributing to the ministerial formation of future priests, and religious and lay ministers.
New Faces on Campus
The Bridge is pleased to introduce our readers to the
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Hon. Peter J. Siggins JST welcomes Hon. Peter J. Siggins to the board of directors. He is an associate justice at the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco. A native San Franciscan, he is a graduate of St. Ignatius High School (1973), Loyola Marymount University (B.A. 1977), and Hastings College of the Law ( J.D. 1980). He and his wife Veronique Laband Siggins (1981) live in Marin County and have two sons and two daughters. Prior to his appointment, he served as the governor’s legal affairs secretary and interim chief of staff. Earlier, Justice Siggins worked in the Attorney General’s Office of the California Department of Justice from 1988 until 2003. Justice Siggins began his career in the Attorney General’s Office as a deputy attorney general in the correctional law section where he defended correctional officials and agencies in trials and appeals challenging
NEW DEACONS Newly ordained deacons at Santa Clara Mission Church, Santa Clara University: (front row, left to right) Joseph Vu Dao, S.J., Quang Tran, S.J., Vincent Duong, S.J., Joseph Stanislaus Okoye, S.J. and John Shea, S.J.; (middle row) Eric Sundrup, S.J., Brent Otto, S.J., Christopher Shroeder, S.J., Derek Vo, S.J., and Nathan Halloran, S.J.; (back row) Michael Engh, S.J., Thomas Massaro, S.J., Most Rev. Robert W. McElroy, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco, John McGarry, S.J., Steven Dillard, S.J. Photo by Charles Barry, SCU.
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state correctional policies, practices and conditions of confinement. In 1995, he became senior assistant attorney general in charge of the correctional law section statewide. In 1999, Justice Siggins was named chief deputy attorney general for legal affairs and was responsible for the oversight and operation of the California Attorney General’s Office. He left the Department of Justice to join the Governor’s Office in 2003. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Justice Siggins practiced general civil litigation and maritime law in San Francisco with the firm of Acret & Perrochet (1980–1983), as a sole practitioner (1983–1985), and in the two-lawyer firm of German & Siggins (1985–1988).
FACULTY Sacred Scripture (Old Testament) published “Scriptural Authority in the Book of Jubilees,” in Scriptural Authority in Early Judaism and Ancient Christianity (Berlin/ Boston: Walter de Gruyter, 2013), and “Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha,” in Anselm Academic Study Bible: New American Bible Revised Edition, (Winona, MN: Anselm Academic, Christian Brothers’ Publications, 2013). He is the JST liaison and spiritual director for the Institute for Catholic Spirituality and Spiritual Direction, in the Diocese of Stockton, working with Pamela Prime (M.A. 1984), a wonderful JST graduate. In December he concluded his third (three-year) term as one of the associate editors of the Journal of Biblical Literature. At the annual meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association, at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, he delivered a research report on August 4, 2013, titled “Noah’s Division of the Earth in Genesis, Genesis Apocryphon, and Jubilees: Biblical Cartography, the medieval mappa mundi, and the Antwerp Polyglot Bible.” The next day he boarded a flight to Africa, to participate in the ordination of Philippe Habada, S.J. (M.Div. 2013), in Lome, Togo; there he met with a number of wonderful grads of JST. In June he preached at the Mass for his 45th reunion at the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Massachusetts (where another JST grad, Fr. Phil Boroughs, S.J. (S.T.L. 1986) is currently the president of the college).
Rev. Thomas Massaro, S.J.,
Dean & Professor of Moral Theology, presented “Becoming an Instrument of Your Peace,” keynote for the Parish Social Ministries Institute of the annual convention of Catholic Charities, USA, held
at the Hilton San Francisco, September 14, 2013; “Catholics in the Public Square, the ‘Francis Effect’ and the Social Justice Agenda Today,” Catholic Conference Communication Directors National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, October 10, 2013; and “Liturgy and the Commitment to Social Justice: Vatican II to Today,” at the “Legacy of Vatican II Conference” sponsored by the Center for Catholic Thought, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, November 7, 2013. He published “Hope for a More Just Future: Wisdom from Catholic Social Teaching,” Hope: Promise, Possibility and Fulfillment, eds. Richard Lennan and Nancy Pineda-Madrid, Paulist Press (October 2013), 155–67. Rev. William O’Neill, S.J.,
Associate Professor of Social Ethics, in October, offered papers on Ignatian spirituality and restorative justice at the Bellarmine Forum at Loyola Marymount University, and on Catholic social teaching and refugee policy at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco. He likewise participated in the Anglican Catholic Dialogue (ARC) and the Jesuit Studies board meeting in Detroit. In November, he spoke on the politics of memory in the Rwandan genocide at the annual African Studies Convention in Baltimore. He continues his ministry as Catholic chaplain with Jesuits John Endres, George Murphy, and Joseph Nguyen at the Federal Women’s Prison in Dublin, CA.
Dr. Jean-Francois Racine,
Associate Professor of New Testament, co-edited with Richard Bautch Beauty and the Bible. Toward a Hermeneutics of Biblical Aesthetics. Semeia Series 73. (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, November 2013.)
Sr. Sandra Schneiders, I.H.M.,
Professor Emerita of New Testament Studies and Christian Spirituality, on November 18, 2013 Liturgical Press released Jesus Risen In Our Midst: Essays on the Resurrection of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press: 2013). She delivered a three-part public lecture series in JST’s Theology Outreach Program, “Reading the New Testament as the Word of God” on September 17, 24, and October 1, 2013. She delivered a public lecture “Religious Life in Mission to the World” at the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL on October 3; she delivered the Mooney Lecture at Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT on November 19; and offered a presentation at the Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic Community Retreat from January 11–12, 2014. She received the Yves Congar Award and offered a lecture at Barry University, Miami, FL on January 16, 2014. She delivered the keynote address at the Religious Formation Conference at the Oblate Renewal Center in San Antonio, TX on January 28, 2014.
NEWS
John Endres, S.J., Professor of
Rev. Anh Tran, S.J., Associate
Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, has represented JST at two recent gatherings of “young” (untenured) theology faculty from various theological schools and seminaries across the U.S. The first event, organized by the USCCB, was “The Intellectual Tasks of the New Evangelization”, September 12–14, 2013 in Washington, DC, where bishops and Catholic theologians converse about the role of theology in catechesis. The second event, organized by the Association of Theological Studies (ATS), was “2013 Roundtable Seminar”, Oct. 25–27, 2013 in Chicago where the newly-appointed faculty across Christian denominations converse about the vocation of theological BRIDGE spring 2014
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faculty NEWS …continued
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education. In both events, Anh’s participation presents a voice from the West Coast, since most theological schools and seminaries are in the Midwest and Eastern US. In summer 2013, he published a
Vietnamese translation of William Barry and William Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction, (2nd edition), (HarperCollins, 2009) in Vietnam. The Jesuit St. Joseph Scholasticate in Hochiminh
UPDATES 1970s
Rev. Peter Filice, S.J. (S.T.L. 1971, Th.M. 1972), died October 1, 2013 in Los Gatos, CA. He was 73. Born in San Jose, CA, Peter entered the Society of Jesus at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos in 1958. He was ordained at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco in 1971, and pronounced final vows at Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1977. Peter worked at Santa Clara University from 1993–2004, serving in campus ministry and as minister of the Jesuit community. He was well-known for his pastoral presence and warm heart. Dr. Paul Giurlanda (M.A. 1978 and GTU Ph.D. 1985) St. Mary’s College of CA recently honored Paul for 35 years of teaching there. The annual faculty award for service to LGBT students was recently named after him. His memoir, Vistas: A Theologian in Past Life Therapy has just been published.
the handbook is the most comprehensive post-Vatican II work of its kind available in English. Sr. Mary Southard, C.S.J.
(I.S.W. 1980–81) and Rev. John Surette, S.J. (I.S.W. 1980–81) within the context of the everincreasing environmental crisis or more precisely the fate of planet Earth in our 21st century, Mary and John are working at nurturing the interfaces of cosmology, art, and the emerging planetary consciousness. Rev. C. Kevin Gillespie, S.J., Ph.D.
(M.Div. 1986, S.T.M. 1989) became president of St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA in 2012.
1980s
jesuit school of theology
Georgetown University Press
Rev. James T. Bretzke, S.J. (S.T.M. 1982, S.T.L. 1986), former JSTB Associate Professor of Fundamental Moral Theology, published Handbook of Roman Catholic Moral Terms (Georgetown University Press, fall 2013). Designed to serve as a vital reference work for libraries, students and scholars of theology, priests and pastoral ministers, as well as all adults interested in theological enrichment or continuing education,
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City, Vietnam will use the book for spirituality and spiritual direction courses.
Please send your news (e.g., new ministry, publication, promotion, celebration of marriage or significant anniversary of ordination, vows or entering religious life, birth of child, retirement, travels, etc.) for publication in the Bridge to editor@jstb.edu. Thank you!
1990s Monika Rodman Montanaro
(M.Div. 1995) is the site coordinator for the Rachel’s Vineyard Italy Mission, which embodies Pope Francis’ charge to “go to the peripheries, not only in the geographical sense but also to go to the existential peripheries: those of the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and of religious indifference, of thought, of all misery.” After 3 years of activity, we remain Italy’s first and only Catholic-Christian post-abortion healing ministry. In November 2013, we offered our 9th retreat with 11 participants ranging in age from 20 to 73. We see ourselves as ambassadors for the Divine Physician who desires to heal the wounds left by abortion in the hearts and minds, souls and relationships of those we serve. Pray with and for us! Before all else, it is through prayer that the Italy Mission is already producing a harvest of lives renewed, marriages healed, and families restored. www.vignarachele.org
Dominican University
Dr. Claire Noonan, D.Min.
(M.Div. 1997) was appointed Vice President for Mission and Ministry at Dominican University, River Forest, IL on October 1, 2013. She is the first lay person to serve in this position. 2000s Rev. Jose Minaku-Lukoli, S.J.
(S.T.L. 2003) was appointed as provincial of the Jesuits in the Central African Province.
Br. Methodius Kuusoru, F.I.C.
Sr. Celine Songsat, I.J.S. (N.D.
Spring 2004) writing from Thailand to say “Thank you!” for the fall Bridge. Our school is K.G. Our mission is small. It is not a big school. We have 700 children with 34 teachers and 12 workers. Each one of us is hardworking. We live in the city but we are not among Catholics. We try our best to make Jesus Christ known and loved. We live simply and set a good example. Please remember us in your prayers. Erin M. Brigham (M.A. 2005, GTU Ph.D. 2010) is adjunct professor of theology and religious studies and faculty coordinator of the Joan & Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought at the University of San Francisco. She published See, Judge, Act: Catholic Social Teaching and Service Learning (Anselm Academic Press, 2013) and Sustaining the Hope for Unity: Ecumenical Dialogue in a Post-Modern World (Liturgical Press, 2012). Catherine M. Kelly (M.Div. 2006) is the secretary of the Jesuit Spirituality Apostolate of Vancouver in British Columbia, offering St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises in daily life, and facilitating monthly
gatherings for alumni of the Exercises. If you know anyone interested in doing the Exercises in the Vancouver area, contact me at JSAVancouver@gmail.com. Sr. Maryann Cantlon, C.S.J.
(M.T.S. 2008) is Coordinator for Restorative Justice for the Diocese of San Jose. On November 19, 2013, The Valley Catholic interviewed her regarding her 35 years of experience ministering in prisons as a teacher and Catholic chaplain. She also trains and supports volunteers in their ministry to the incarcerated. Jeff Gottlieb (M.A. 2008) I’m
currently in a doctoral program in religion, ethics, and philosophy at Florida State University. I’ve had the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses in religious ethics and moral problems, and human rights. I am a copy editor for the Journal of Religious Ethics. My research focuses on religion, law, and human rights, and my dissertation is entitled, “Conscience and the Free Exercise of Religion: a Historical and Philosophical Reexamination”. I hope to finish in the spring of 2015.
Anselm Academic Press
(M.T.S. 2004). I assumed a new mission as a volunteer to South Sudan on the ticket of the UISG/ USG project called Solidarity with South Sudan. I am a Ghanaian religious brother of the Brothers of the Immaculate Conception popularly known as Brothers FIC. After my graduation from JSTB I taught Christian religious education in a high school in Ghana. Within two years I was elected a member of the General Council of our religious order for six years. I was based in The Netherlands but frequently went to visit the brothers in Indonesia, Chile, Malawi, and Ghana. My term of office on the General Council ended in August 2012. I went back to Ghana in October 2012 and
in May 2013 I found myself in this new mission. I have been on this project just a few months and it looks like I have been here for years. One has to be prepared day in and day out for surprises. I am teaching Christian religious education to a group of teacher trainees. These are students who by virtue of their long-standing experience of teaching without qualification are now being offered skills in teaching. Their command of English is limited. So, one has to teach language alongside professional skills. I hope some of my JSTB classmates might want to reach me at mkuusoru@yahoo.com.
BRIDGE spring 2014
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