JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE FALL Advocate. jesuit physician Jon Fuller Forming Deacons for the church New school with IgnatiAn Values

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1 JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE FALL 2007 Advocate jesuit physician Jon Fuller Forming Deacons for the church New school with IgnatiAn Values The formation of a Jesuit

2 I ask the Father to give me an intimate knowledge of the many gifts I have received that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty. FROM THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF ST. IGNATIUS LOYOLA

3 JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE FALL THE FORMATION OF A JESUIT The process of educating, training, and preparing Jesuits involves five distinct stages spanning 10 to 12 years. PAT LASSY The future Class of 2010 heads into Xavier College Preparatory. See A New Kind of School with Ignatian Values, page FORMING DEACONS FOR THE CHURCH Two Jesuit priests based in Santa Barbara are training laymen to serve as permanent deacons in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. IN EVERY ISSUE 2 FROM THE PROVINCIAL Forming ourselves for Ignatian life by John P. McGarry, S.J. 3 PROVINCE NEWS Three Jesuit priests ordained, Our Lady of the Oaks Villa remodeled 5 GOOD STEWARD Meet Ed Thrift 22 ON POINT Discovering the historical Jesus by Ron Hansen 14 A NEW KIND OF SCHOOL WITH IGNATIAN VALUES An educational oasis in the California Desert, Xavier College Preparatory is an Ignatian high school in the Jesuit tradition. 18 THE RISKS OF MERCY As a Jesuit priest and a practicing physician, Jon Fuller, S.J., draws on his spirituality and sense of social justice to be a compassionate advocate for HIV/AIDS patients. 24 MEDITATIONS Let us go together to the fire by Robert J. Glynn, S.J. ON THE COVER: Jesuit physician Jon Fuller treats patients at the Adult AIDS Clinic of the Boston University Medical Center. See The Risks of Mercy, page 18. PHOTOGRAPH BY LARRY MAGLOTT MISSION FALL

4 FORMING OURSELVES FOR IGNATIAN LIFE mission EDITOR Richards E. Bushnell EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Robert J. Glynn, S.J, Ron Hansen Charles J. Jackson, S.J. Dan Peterson, S.J. Colleen Smith Gail Tyson DESIGN Zehno Cross Media Communications ADVANCEMENT OFFICE William F. Masterson Assistant for Advancement Elizabeth L. Winer Associate Director of Annual Giving Richards E. Bushnell Associate Director of Communications Chelsea Boyer Advancement Assistant Mission is published three times a year by the Jesuits of the California Province P.O. Box 68 Los Gatos, CA, Phone: (408) advancement@calprov.org California Province of the Society of Jesus. All rights reserved. The comments and opinions expressed in Mission magazine are those of the authors and editors and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. The disciples of Jesus were formed by their experience of living with him, listening to him, following his examples, and learning to teach people as he did. Each of us is formed by our experience with our families, our relationships, our education, by the vocation we have chosen and the work we do. We are formed in our faith by our life in the Church. Throughout the centuries, the Society of Jesus has always devoted special care to the formation of Jesuits for apostolic mission. As you will see in this issue, formation of Jesuits is a progressive path which follows a succession of stages with specific points at which an individual s growth in relationship to God and his passion for following Jesus are measured and evaluated. The most central formative experience for a Jesuit is making the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. For the past three decades, the Society through its ministries, including Jesuit high schools, universities, parishes, and retreat centers, has sought ways to share the spirituality of St. Ignatius by offering the Spiritual Exercises in a variety of forms. Our goal is to welcome laypersons, religious, and clergy into the Ignatian way of life. As a result, there has been a growing partnership between Jesuits and others who pray and work together in a common spirit. In fact, Jesuit-lay partnership has become the essential dimension of the contemporary Jesuit way of proceeding. Consequently, formation for partnership has become a new emphasis for Jesuits and all those who serve in our apostolic works. In the Vision Statement I developed with provincial staff in 2005, we identified Ignatian formation as one of four main priorities. In my State of the Province address this past December, I stated: We Jesuits are more deeply committed to what has become the era of partnership in the Society and its works. I seek to nurture and care for that partnership and for our partners. To nurture our Ignatian partners, our ministries provide opportunities for laypersons, including parishioners and retreatants, to have outstanding experiences in which to form their lives as Christians. For example, many of our high schools and universities, offer immersion experiences in which students, faculty, and staff can meet and work with marginalized people. Many other resources are available for formation in Ignatian spirituality, including our website where we have a page devoted to Pastoral Formation Resources. This past June, I joined a delegation from the California Province in visiting two Jesuit provinces in South America. We visited the Province of Uruguay with whom we have been twinned, or partnered, for 20 years and the Province of Argentina with whom we are establishing a formal twinning relationship. This was a formational experience for our Province. Our Jesuits, who themselves are constantly being formed, have developed a certain knack for forming others, including permanent deacons. Please see Forming deacons for the Church on page 8. Finally, I invite you to continue to deepen your own experience of Christ through the Ignatian partnership you share in supporting the California Province. May the Lord continue to bless us all as we strive to love and serve Him. Gratefully in the Lord, Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J. Provincial 2 MISSION FALL 2007

5 POSTCARDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ABOVE: In Calcutta, Fr. Bob Fabing, S.J., gave retreats for the Missionaries of Charity led by Sr. Nirmala, M.C. (front right). RIGHT: In El Salvador, Fr. Provincial John McGarry, S.J. (center) and Fr. Michael Kennedy, S.J. (left) lead a procession on Holy Thursday. During Holy Week, Father Provincial John P. McGarry, S.J., and Father Michael E. Kennedy, S.J., journeyed to El Salvador and Honduras to visit with Jesuit missionaries, former Jesuits, and Central American Catholics. In Gaurjila, El Salvador, Fr. Provincial McGarry (below) elevated the monstrance as he and Fr. Kennedy led a procession of the Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday. Earlier this year, Father Bob Fabing, S.J. (top left) traveled to Calcutta, India, where he gave retreats for novices of the Missionaries of Charity, the Catholic religious order founded in 1950 by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Nearly 500 sisters sang Fr. Fabing s new composition Mass for Teresa of Calcutta. Sister Nirmala, M.C., succeeded Mother Teresa as general superior in REMODELING SPRUCES UP OUR LADY OF THE OAKS VILLA Located in Applegate, Calif., about 40 miles northeast of Sacramento, Our Lady of the Oaks Villa provides a tranquil environment for rest, reflection, and spiritual renewal in the Sierra foothills. The California Province purchased this property of more than 300 acres in 1955 to serve as a vacation site for Jesuit priests, brothers, and scholastics. Formerly known as The Oaks, the property had served as a resort for San Francisco Bay Area vacationers since the 1890s. By 1967, a chapel, dining room, lodge with 17 bedrooms and recreation space, and a swimming pool had been added to the site. Several generations of Jesuits vacationed here from the 1950s through the 1980s. In the 1980s, Father Phil Callaghan, S.J., then director of the Villa, saw that the New lodging unit (left) and recreation room (right) are part of remodel at Our Lady of the Oaks Villa. THOMAS P. RAUSCH. S.J. property could be a resource for religious retreats and conferences. With the Provincial s approval, use of the property was offered on an occasional basis to Jesuit schools and parishes for retreats. Today, from September through May each year, the Villa hosts retreats for the University of San Francisco, Catholic high schools in Sacramento, parishes and groups from the Diocese of Sacramento, as well as Protestant churches and civic groups when space is available. During the summer, the Villa hosts the annual conference of PICO, a summer camp for Sacred Heart Nativity School and Our Lady of Grace Nativity School from San Jose, and vacationing Jesuits during a six-week period. Earlier this year, extensive remodeling of the chapel and dining room was completed. The 1890s lodge building was demolished and replaced by a new meeting and conference center. With these improvements, the Villa can better accommodate the Province s Jesuit ministries and Catholic institutions in California s Central Valley. Father Gerald H. Robinson, S.J. For information on reserving the Villa, contact Ron Weingart, resident manager: call (530) , appvilla@pacbell.net or write to P.O. Box 128, Applegate, CA JOIN US ON THE INTERNET Listen to lively podcasts by Jesuits and laypersons, hear Jesuit songs on the Music Box, and watch the Video Theater, all on our website: MISSION FALL

6 ORDINATIONS Three California Province Jesuits ordained as priests In June, the California Province celebrated the ordination of three new Jesuit priests. Most Rev. Carlos A. Sevilla, S.J., Bishop of Yakima and himself a California Province Jesuit, presided at the ordination Mass held in Sacred Heart Chapel at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Following are brief biographies of each new Jesuit priest and his assignment. From left to right: Fr. Joseph Spieler, S.J., Fr. Chu Van Ngo, S.J., Fr. Jerome Hayes, S.J., Bishop Carlos Sevilla, S.J., Fr. Robert Ballecer, S.J., Fr. Provincial John McGarry, S.J. Father Robert R. Ballecer, S.J., was born on May 28, 1974, in Hayward, Calif. After graduating from Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, he attended Santa Clara University for two years before entering the Jesuit novitiate in August He earned a B.A. in philosophy at Loyola University in Chicago, then taught computer programming at Loyola High School in Los Angeles. He did his theology studies at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, receiving a Master of Divinity degree. He will serve at Holy Spirit Parish and the Catholic Campus Ministry/Newman Center at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Father Jerome T. Hayes, S.J., was born on August 14, 1964, in Anaheim, Calif. After attending California State University-Sacramento for three years, he entered the Jesuit novitiate in August He earned a B.A. in philosophy at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., then taught theology and served as assistant campus minister at Loyola High School in Los Angeles. He did his theology studies at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, receiving an M.Div. He will return to Loyola High School to serve as director of campus ministry. Father Chu Van Ngo, S.J., was born on June 29, 1958, in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in August 1993 as a brother. After earning his B.A. in philosophy at St. Louis University, he taught catechism at Most Holy Trinity Parish in San Jose. He did his theology studies at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, receiving an M.Div. He will return to Vietnam to minister to the Vietnamese people. IN REMEMBR ANCE Father Clinton E. Albertson, S.J., 88 May 3, 2007 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los Gatos. A graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, he entered the Jesuits in 1936, earned a degree in English literature at Oxford, and taught for 50 years at Loyola Marymount University where he founded and guided the honors program. He was an excellent teacher with a clear and precise manner; his slide lectures on art and architecture were popular components of the art and continuing education departments. After retiring from the classroom, he moderated a faculty Christian Life Community group and gave retreats. Father Martin L. Brewer, 86 March 22, 2007 in Santa Barbara. A native of Oakland, he grew up in Yuba City, Calif., and entered the Jesuits in Except for a three-year stint as a counselor at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose ( ), he spent his priestly life in parish ministry at St. Ignatius Parish in Sacramento ( , ), St. Clare Parish in Santa Clara, Calif. ( ), and Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Santa Barbara (pastor ; associate pastor ; pastor emeritus ). He was an effective and highly respected pastor who showed great wisdom and tact. Father Thomas P. Higgins, S.J., 75 June 9, 2007 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. Born in Santa Monica, he graduated from Loyola High School and entered the Jesuits in He taught at Bellarmine and was a popular teacher and counselor at Loyola Marymount University ( ). Possessed of great energy, humor, and creativity, he set up a sidewalk booth on campus advertised by a sign Spiritual Giant Advice 5 which attracted countless students. He also served as the university golf coach for 31 years. He was a born entertainer and a professionally trained blackjack dealer. Father James E. Morse, S.J., 87 March 27, 2007 at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. A native of San Diego, he entered the Jesuits in 1937 and was ordained a priest in His served as treasurer at Bellarmine ( , ), Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix ( ), and in other administrative roles. A precise and efficient financial officer, he excelled in demanding and responsible positions, demonstrating his faith and dedication in a vital behind-the-scenes role. Father Ronald D. Wolf, S.J., 64 March 6, 2007 in San Jose. Born in Maywood, Calif., he entered the Jesuits in 1960 and was ordained in He taught at Jesuit High School in Sacramento and did community organizing work in Chicago and Oakland. He combined a keen sense of social justice with the mind of an activist, employing his energies in anti-poverty work and inspiring his students and confreres. He became a respected counselor and spiritual guide to recovering alcoholics. 4 MISSION FALL 2007

7 GOOD STEWARD Meet Ed Thrift When people step back and plot the course they have followed through life, instead of finding a straight one, they usually trace a winding path with more than a few twists and turns. When Edgar M. Thrift, Jr., describes his formative years, his zigzagging path more closely resembles that of a roller coaster. Born in 1943 in San Jose, Ed is the son of the late Ed and Evelyn Thrift, a hardworking couple who raised three other children. My parents gave us everything we needed, but not everything we wanted, Ed recalls. He speaks fondly of his mother, a businesswoman who served as a bookkeeper for five companies and became the first female stockbroker in Santa Clara County. My mother taught me multitasking. Ed says he learned from his father, an IRS agent who disliked his work, not to take a job because you think you can make money, but to do something you love and the money will come. Having served in the military during World War II, Ed s father developed a friendship with the late Father Edward M. Stretch, S.J., who had served as an Army chaplain. Fr. Stretch was always at our house, Ed recalls. Ed attended St. Leo the Great School in San Jose. But from the time I can remember, I knew I was going to Bellarmine College Preparatory. The Jesuits there confirmed Ed s view of the black robes, as he sometimes calls them. There was always something different about these men. Besides being excellent teachers, you could turn to them if you had a problem. When he was attending Bellarmine ( ), Ed says he had a tendency to get into trouble I couldn t keep my mouth shut. But he appreciated the way the Jesuits treated you like an adult human being. Ed credits the late Father Joseph M. Costa, S.J., who was then vice-principal, for helping steer him on a course that led to graduation. Along the way, Ed says, there were two credos at Bellarmine that still mean everything to me: Justice under God and Men for others. That s why I m a part of the Bellarmine family and the Jesuit family, he adds. After graduating from Bellarmine, Ed enrolled at Santa Clara University. I proceeded to party and flunked out after my first year. Then I went and dug ditches for PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric). Undaunted, he went to San Jose City College but flunked I learned so much by watching Jesuits in action, watching what they do, not just what they say. out again and wound up on a survey chain gang at Lake Tahoe. After another stint at City College, he was finally readmitted to SCU, thanks in part to Fr. Stretch. This time he hit the books: I was motivated I was scared. In 1966, Ed graduated with a B.S. in management and went on to graduate school, earning an M.B.A. in While attending business school, Ed started selling houses. After graduation, he went into commercial real estate, landing a job with Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company LPC. Eventually, Ed and his partners bought out that firm s western business and renamed it Legacy Partners LPC. After many years of success, Ed stepped down as Legacy s president in Today, Ed and his wife, Gail, and their English bulldog, Sir Humphrey, live in Santa Cruz. Though he is still involved in real-estate development, Ed devotes time to charitable work. He founded Our House, a shelter and outreach program for runaway and throwaway youths in San Jose which is now part of EHC LifeBuilders (call or visit In addition, Ed serves on Bellarmine s Board of Regents and is a member of the Advancement Leadership Council of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Reflecting on his relationship with the Jesuits, Ed says, I learned so much by watching Jesuits in action, watching what they do, not just what they say. They lead from the front. I see Jesuits in front of me throwing spiritual spears and I am one of the spear carriers. As lay people get deeper into Ignatian spirituality, they need access to the Spiritual Exercises. I think the Jesuits have one of the few keys that can unlock the spiritual door of the next millennium. Dick Bushnell MISSION FALL

8 THE FORMATION NOVITIATE > FIRST STUDIES > REGENCY > The novitiate is the first stage of a Jesuit s formation as a religious and a minister. The California Province novitiate, called Ignatius House, is located in Culver City near Los Angeles. Over two years, novices learn the Jesuit way of proceeding by entering into the life of the Society, study the history and foundational documents of the Jesuits, make the Spiritual Exercises in a silent 30-day retreat, and serve the Church in a variety of apostolic placements. FIRST VOWS The novitiate concludes with the novice pronouncing his First Vows perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. This period, lasting two to three years, integrates intellectual and spiritual growth. Scholastics, as Jesuit seminarians are known, may enroll in Fordham University (Bronx, N.Y.), Loyola University Chicago, or Saint Louis University; some study abroad. Some men may finish work on a bachelor s degree, while others work on a master s degree in philosophy, and all begin theology study. While study is their principal apostolate, scholastics also serve the ministry needs of the local church, perhaps assisting in prison chaplaincy or staffing a homeless shelter. During this two- to three-year period, Jesuit scholastics work in ministries while living in community. Typically, Jesuits are assigned to teach at high schools or universities, but some might work in parishes or other ministries. Regency is all about finding fulfillment in the life and work of the Jesuit community. 6 MISSION FALL 2007

9 The training, education, and preparation of Jesuit brothers and priests is a rigorous process involving a number of stages spanning 10 to 12 years. Currently, about 60 Jesuits in the California Province are at various stages of their formative journey. OF A JESUIT THEOLOGY STUDIES > TERTIANSHIP > Jesuits usually spend four years studying theology. Those who pursue a Master of Divinity degree enroll at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley or Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., or go abroad to study. ORDINATION OF PRIESTS Candidates for the priesthood are first ordained as transitional deacons for a period of one year. After ordination as priests, Jesuits are missioned to serve in parishes, schools, or other ministries; some may pursue advanced study. After three to five years in active ministry, a Jesuit spends a period of time ranging from nine weeks over two summers to nine months in a tertianship program in preparation for his Final Vows. Tertianship may take place anywhere in the world. The tertian, as he is called, makes the Spiritual Exercises again in another 30-day retreat, studies the Constitutions of the Society, and spends some time in a ministry different than his typical work. He also spends time, often with a spiritual director, in seeking a deeper understanding of his life as a Jesuit. FINAL VOWS After tertianship, the Superior General of the Society invites men to pronounce their Final Vows. In addition to pronouncing perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, Jesuits make a fourth vow of obedience to go wherever the pope finds them needed. Final Vows bring the Jesuit into full membership in the Society of Jesus and conclude the formal process of formation. In another sense, though, their formation never ends since Jesuits commit themselves to continual education and spiritual renewal. Fr. Michael Weiler, S.J., and Dick Bushnell MISSION FALL

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11 Forming deacons for the Church JESUITS PREPARE CATHOLIC LAITY FOR MINISTRY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA by Colleen Smith photography by Manuello Paganelli Every other Saturday for four and a half years, a diverse group of 60 Catholic men, often accompanied by wives, assembled at the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Santa Barbara, a parish served by Jesuits since Ranging in age from their mid- 30s to late 60s, the Anglo, Asian, and Hispanic men are members of parishes in Southern California. Many of them are married, some are widowed and single. They work in jobs ranging from attorney to gardener; others are retired from careers in firefighting, police work, and the military. One is a former seminarian who, after being robbed and shot, doesn t consider a wheelchair any barrier to his latest vocation. What drew them together was a common desire to become permanent deacons in the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, on June 16, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, ordained the men into the Order of Deacons. The cardinal presided at a liturgy held outdoors at a stadium in order to accommodate all of the ordinands, wives, and friends. (For a discussion of the role of deacons in the Church, see Who are deacons, what do they do on page 13.) Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, imposes his hands on each candidate during the ordination of permanent deacons. MISSION FALL

12 The deacons represent the first class of graduates from a formation program conducted by two California Province Jesuits: Fathers Luis Quihuis, S.J., and Thomas McCormick, S.J., pastor and associate pastor, respectively, of Our Lady of Sorrows. Both Jesuits hold pontifical licentiates in theology, qualifying them to direct the formation program. Father Tom is the Abraham of this deaconate program, says Maggie Moon, wife of newly ordained Deacon Ron Moon. The fact that he would say Yes to a commitment of this magnitude is a sign of his servanthood. Love drives his engine. Father Tom is as humble and kind as any man I ve ever met, adds Deacon Kevin Mauch. He s a great leader and the spiritual soul of the English-speaking group of deacons. He came to class on crutches two weeks after surgery, even though he had orders for bed rest. He s given so much of his time and love to this class and it s reciprocated. Father Quihuis is held in equal esteem, especially by the Spanish-speaking deacons. He works with passion for Hispanics in this country, not just Santa Barbara. He has the ability to intermingle with Church hierarchy and city government and common people, says Deacon Jorge Rodriquez. Smiles break out as Father Luis Quihuis, S.J. (left) and Father Thomas McCormick, S.J., arrive for the ordination of the permanent deacons. A SEED IDEA GROWS INTO REALITY The Santa Barbara-based formation program grew out of an after-dinner chat between Fathers McCormick and Quihuis in Pondering the signs of the times, the two priests speculated on how they could best serve the local Church. They considered several key factors: California s growing Hispanic population, the dwindling number of priests, the dearth of Spanish-speaking deacons in their pastoral region, and the fact that the existing formation program was based in Los Angeles, a 2-hour drive to the south. Frs. McCormick and Quihuis thought of a way to address the challenges. They proposed the idea of a formation program for Spanish-speaking deacons to Most Rev. Thomas J. Curry, Bishop of the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region. He received the idea enthusiastically and asked if the program could also offer a parallel track for English-speaking deacons. In turn, Bishop Curry conveyed the idea to Cardinal Mahony. Recognizing that permanent deacons could help bridge the ministerial gap between California s growing Catholic population and its decreasing ranks of priests, Cardinal Mahony quickly approved the concept. LAY PARTICIPATION, JESUIT COLLABORATION From the first meeting for candidates in March 2004, the formation program attracted interest among Catholics. As Fr. Quihuis explains, We asked pastors to bring their prospective candidates for the diaconate. We set up chairs for 30 people; we had more than 100 people show up. We were blown away by the sheer interest. Initially, 32 Spanish-speaking and 42 English-speaking men committed themselves to the program. Frs. McCormick and Quihuis created a curriculum to form these men spiritually, theologically, and academically, says Fr. McCormick. In their first year, the candidates made a 19th Annotation retreat to ground them in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Frs. McCormick and Quihuis also recruited brother Jesuits to speak on their areas of expertise, including James Bretzke, S.J.; Thomas Buckley, S.J.; John Coleman, S.J.; John McGarry, S.J.; Michael Moodie, S.J.; Thomas Rausch, S.J.; Dennis Smolarski, S.J; and Thomas Weston, S.J. One Saturday, Father Martin Connell, S.J., a professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, spoke on Catholic education, while first acknowledging the deacons service orientation. Deacons are the Border Collies of the Church, always asking, What can I do? How can I help? You re very good at anticipating the needs of others. Speaking of the candidates, Fr. McCormick says, I ve never had more fun with a group of students. They re very generous people and they re doing a good thing for the Church. The candidates, in turn, sensed the Jesuits were doing something good for them. We ve had a unique experience because of the Jesuits, says Deacon Mauch, a retired policeman. The Jesuit approach emphasized not just learning and understanding the material, but how it affects you and everyone else around you. I hope our classmates will be brothers the rest of our lives, understanding each other s strengths and weaknesses and that while we have a common calling we don t have to be in lockstep. The Jesuits also invited the wives of married candidates to attend formation classes on an optional basis, recognizing that many are mothers with young children while others work full-time jobs. 10 MISSION FALL 2007

13 Deacon Jorge Rodriguez was educated at a Jesuit university in El Salvador where his professors were among the six Jesuit priests martyred in WE CARRY THIS ON IN THEIR NAMES, he says. Virginia Rodriguez, for example, participated with her husband, Jorge. Both were educated at a Jesuit university in their native El Salvador, where several of their professors were among the six Jesuit priests martyred in We carry this on in their names, says Jorge. FORMATION LEADS TO TRANSFORMATION The long path to ordination was not an easy one for the candidates. The academics have been daunting. I d been away from school for a long time, says Mauch. He and his wife, Anita, belong to Holy Cross Parish in Moorpark. Mauch s pastor suggested that he investigate the permanent diaconate. I put in an application to appease him and I fell in love with the camaraderie and reestablished my faith, he explains. As a former policeman, Mauch was no stranger to adversity, yet approaching situations wearing an alb and a stole rather than a badge and a bulletproof vest proved humbling. It s very challenging, especially visiting prisoners and the sick and dying, he says. Mauch believes that deacons can deeply empathize with the average Catholic. There s some benefit in knowing what it is to have a family crisis. Most of us have raised kids, he adds. The program not only formed the men to be deacons, but shaped them as husbands and fathers and their wives as well. Eleanor Manalo, who emigrated from the Philippines, and her husband, Dante, belong to Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Oxnard. The Manalos have three grown children. They have seen a change in Dante. He s transformed. He s more open and understanding as a father and a husband. He has learned to listen more and not lose his temper, she says. Learning together and having a common goal of serving the Lord has enhanced our relationship with God and with each other, adds Eleanor. This has improved our family togetherness and also has helped me a whole lot with my profession as a nurse. Arnold and Anne Marie Reyes are active at Padre Serra Parish in Camarillo. Anne Marie says she brings what she learned in the formation program to her job at a corrections facility. Chris Sandner and his wife, Diana, are parishioners at Our Lady of Sorrows. Chris, who is a business consultant, sees the MISSION FALL

14 Maggie and Ron Moon, married 36 years and parents to three young adults, belong to St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Camarillo. Maggie, a retired educator and former youth minister, appreciated the Jesuits flexibility The program allowed me to be the woman I am and allows my husband to be who he wants to be before God, she says. Deacon Chris Sandner and his wife, Diana, greet well-wishers on his ordination day. I saw a CALMNESS about him. He has more patience. His SPIRITUAL HEART is so strong. I am trying very hard to be more like him. DIANA SANDNER permanent diaconate from a pragmatic point of view. We walked into the program wanting to know what they wanted from us. They never told us. It s the Jesuits thinking to let the process develop you as a person and as a couple; and out of that effort you will find the place you need to be. Making sacrifices is also part of the process. If you think this is going to just fit into your life, it s not, he explains. You end up making real solid choices some things are off the plate. We ve been married 37 years and I thought we d spend our retirement years just having fun, but more travel and leisure doesn t make for a full life. This is something of substance I feel good about. Asked who sustained them through the program, Deacons Sandner and Kingsley point to their wives. This whole program has always included the two of us, says Deacon Kingsley nodding toward his wife, Pam. Our first ministry is to family, says Pam, but this was an opportunity for us to grow together. Diana Sandner noticed a transformation in her husband and herself. I saw a calmness about him. He has more patience. His spiritual heart is so strong. I am trying very hard to be more like him. CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THE DIACONATE At the ordination, the deacons received liturgical stoles designed especially for their class (see the box at bottom right). Having been ordained, the deacons will now embrace the challenges of ministry. Deacon Sandner, for example, hopes to further his involvement with Respect Life ministry. Deacon Mauch hopes to serve as a chaplain to police officers: These guys are frequently away from their family during normal times of liturgy, and they can drift away from faith. They often see the worst in people and can become very negative on society. They experience horrific things and have nobody to offer guidance or a shoulder to cry on. My goal is to offer a spiritual side from somebody who has been in their situation. For Deacon Kingsley, the retired fireman, The fire service is a big family. I feel a calling to go back to that group. He spent the later part of his career debriefing firefighters suffering from critical incident stress. Sometimes, it s just being there, he says. I went out on a suicide but I didn t say ten words; I just listened for an hour and a half. The deacons have not only received the sacrament of Holy Orders, but the reward of ministry. As Deacon Mauch says, I come away stronger in my faith when I teach the faith, stronger in my inner strength when I m ministering to people who are suffering. The reward to me is as great as anything I give. For its part, Our Lady of Sorrows parish, which hosted the formation program, has gained eight new deacons who will ease the ministerial demands upon Frs. McCormick and Quihuis. But the Jesuit priests won t be left with idle hands: We re starting another class here in September, says Fr. Quihuis, and Cardinal Mahony asked that the Jesuits develop this program in other regions. 12 MISSION FALL 2007

15 WHO ARE DEACONS, WHAT DO THEY DO? The word deacon is derived from the Greek diakonos meaning servant; the derivative diaconia means service. Deacons carry out service to the Church and the People of God. The diaconate dates to the Apostolic age. St. Paul addresses deacons in his letter to the Philippians and deacons are mentioned in the first letter of Timothy. The Acts of the Apostles chronicles the institution of the order of deacons, describing the ordination of seven men from the Christian community in Jerusalem. The original deacons distributed provisions to widows of Greek-speaking Jews. The permanent diaconate faded in the Latin Church, evolving into the transitional diaconate, a stage for deacons studying for the priesthood. In 1964, the Second Vatican Council ratified the restoration of the permanent diaconate to the Latin Church. Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, called the diaconate a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy and described the duties of permanent deacons as so very necessary for the life of the church. In 1967, the Holy See issued the apostolic letter Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem which established the norms for the permanent diaconate. The Order of Deacons includes both married and single men. The Vatican stipulates that unmarried candidates observe clerical celibacy; if the wife of a married deacon dies, he is prohibited from remarrying. Permanent deacons live in fidelity to Jesus Christ, act with moral integrity, and remain obedient to the bishop. As clerics, permanent deacons can proclaim the Gospel, preach homilies, assist priests celebrating Mass, administer the sacrament of baptism, distribute Holy Communion, preside at funeral and burial services, witness the sacrament of matrimony, and exercise other ecclesiastical offices, including functioning as administrators in priestless parishes Liturgical stole: The IHS stands for Christ. A sunburst seal of the Jesuit order and gold-and-red chevrons from the Loyola family honor the Society of Jesus. Angel wings derive from the logo of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The rose is an icon of the Blessed Mother. The shield with a castle evokes the emblem of Saint Barbara. Embroidered at the bottom of the stole is the Spanish phrase Siempre adalante, or always forward, the motto of Blessed Junípero Serra, the Franciscan who founded the old missions of California. MISSION FALL

16 14 MISSION FALL 2007 A NEW KIND OF SCHOOL WITH IGNATIAN

17 IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT, A COMMUNITY BUILDS A CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN THE JESUIT TRADITION VALUES BY GAIL TYSON Residents of the Coachella Valley in Southern California had long yearned for a Catholic high school, but the nearest one was 90 miles away. Then in 1999, a pair of Catholic mothers, Lori Tiedeman and Kim McNulty, began organizing. Our first meeting drew 75 people. There was so much passion; we ended up with a huge following, recalls Lori. Seven years of hard work would follow before Xavier College Preparatory High School would be officially endorsed by the California Province of the Society of Jesus as an Ignatian school in the Jesuit tradition. In fall 2006, Xavier s first class of nearly 50 students enrolled. MISSION FALL

18 THE STORY OF THE COMMUNITY S LONG seems almost biblical and the school s setting reinforces that PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAT LASSY avier s campus in Palm Desert rests on 96 acres of arid land. Just south of the campus lie lush golf courses and palm-lined boulevards named after Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and other famous residents of the Palm Springs area. In the distance, the ruddy peaks of the Little San Bernardino Mountains loom over Xavier s modern Mission-style buildings. Indeed, Xavier stands out as an educational oasis designed to serve a diverse group of students. We wanted an environment for our kids that prepared them to do better for the world, says Susan St. Louis of Rancho Mirage. To be world changers, they have to be trained. Here, more is expected. Her daughter, Mei Lê, became a member of Xavier s first class. The parents and supporters who made Xavier happen learned that changing their part of the world was not an easy task Many times we didn t know where we were heading, Kim recalls. Although many communities have diocesan high schools, that wasn t an option in this case. As Lori explains, Most Rev. Gerald Barnes, Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, welcomed the project but the diocese couldn t promise financial support. He asked the organizers not to make this an elitist school. So we spent a lot of time connecting with churches in poorer communities, says Lori. BUILDING AN IGNATIAN COMMUNITY In 2003, the supporters reached what Lori calls a make-or-break period and we were hitting a lot of walls. At that point, the group got to know Ed Hearn, then principal of Brophy College Preparatory, a Jesuit high school in Phoenix, Ariz. He helped them imagine a new possibility: a school endorsed by the California Province and led by committed laypersons. The partnership between Jesuits and laity was a breakthrough for us, says Kim. Ed invited the group leaders to visit Brophy. We saw those students getting an education and formation, says Lori. Inspired by their experience at Brophy, the group formed a board and began raising money. Among the initial gifts were 96 acres of property valued at $14.4 million from the H.N. and Frances Berger Foundation, the school s first scholarship fund from Jack and Judy Perry, and one million dollars from Dolores Hope, wife of the late Bob Hope. In spring 2005, the board hired Brophy s vice-principal, Christopher Alling, as Xavier s principal. A year later, he persuaded Mark Granger, a Brophy faculty member and basketball coach, to serve as assistant principal and dean of students. For Chris and Mark, moving away from jobs and old friends in Arizona required soul-searching. Something was happening 16 MISSION FALL 2007

19 STRUGGLE IN THE DESERT impression. inside me, Mark recalls. Having made the Spiritual Exercises, I knew I needed to pray. I felt God was pushing me [toward Xavier] and I found it really hard to say no to God. In California, they soon realized that Xavier would break the mold in other ways. Chris arrived thinking he was hired to build Brophy West but a trip down the Valley convinced him that I had to cut all that loose. He drove to the Salton Sea to Cesar Chavez country. There, he found many migrant families living in poverty. I had it backwards, Chris recalls. I was overly focused on content and hadn t paid attention to context. That was a moment of grace, when God opened my eyes. I loosened my grip and let the identity of the school set its own roots. The inaugural class of students came from all economic backgrounds, but 41% received financial assistance to defray tuition, which amounted to $9,000 per student in What they all shared was a pioneering spirit. The school is a reflection of us, says Laura Granillo, 14. We get to start new clubs and delve into our religion more deeply. Students occasionally travel 20 miles west to Mecca to help distribute donated food to needy folks. I m happy that I m helping people, she says. Most of the men and women speak Spanish, but they know how to say Thank you. IGNATIAN FORMATION FOR LAY EDUCATORS Xavier has no Jesuits on staff, so lay leaders cultivate the Jesuit way of proceeding. Faculty formation is key. We re not only trying to build buildings, but a faculty that understands Ignatian education, says Chris. Of Xavier s seven teachers, only Mark and Chris had previous experience in Jesuit schools. Through a weekly prayer group, some teachers and staff are being introduced to fundamental Jesuit values such as cura personalis, meaning care of the whole person including their physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health. Some Ignatian concepts are new to social studies teacher Richard Probasco. All of the people who have influenced me, I see the Jesuit in them the intellectual drive, yet the acceptance of the mystery of what we are doing, he says. Now, I m in the right spot to help students pay attention to what it means to be human and more self-reflective. The people who worked to establish Xavier remain inspired. As Lori explains, Our children s spirits are under attack and they need the tools to fight that. How does Xavier help them? Three times a day they pause to pray for the earth, the school, and the less privileged. Every time they do, these students learn to rely on their inner spirit and their faith. FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE In September 2006, Xavier s first classes were held in temporary quarters at the local branch of California State University, San Bernardino. In March 2007, students and faculty occupied Xavier s first two buildings. The core facilities, each 45,000 square feet, include classrooms, science labs, a lecture hall, and a gleaming gymnasium. A chapel is the next priority. The ongoing fundraising process was given a boost by a $2-million construction grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. As the school embarks on its second academic year, its founders are focused on more than facilities. The Valley s population of 400,000 is projected to grow to 1 million in 20 years, says Kim. This is an opportunity to vision our values and [decide] how we want to grow. DoeDee Rover, president of Xavier s board of directors, concurs: If our students can look back in 20 years and say, I wouldn t be the person I am today without Xavier, that s a win for God and all of us. To learn more about Xavier s programs or to donate to its annual Angels Among Us campaign, go to or call (760) NEW MODELS FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS In order to deploy Jesuits effectively and support lay colleagues in sustaining its educational mission, the California Province has embraced new educational models. Xavier College Preparatory is endorsed by the Province as an Ignatian school in the Jesuit tradition. Although it receives no financial support from the Province, Xavier actively participates in conferences and other professional development programs sponsored by the Province and the Jesuit Secondary Education Association. The Province co-sponsors Cristo Rey High School, Sacramento, with the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, as well as Verbum Dei High School with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In addition, the Province sponsors five high schools and one co-institutional Nativity middle school. For more information on these and other educational ministries of the California Province, go to and click on Ministries & Communities, then scroll down to Education and click again. MISSION FALL

20 AS A JESUIT PHYSICIAN, FATHER JON FULLER PRACTICES MEDICINE AS A MEANS TOWARD 18 MISSION FALL 2007

21 SOCIAL JUSTICE. ercy THE RISKS OF PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARRY MAGLOTT by Gail Tyson LIKE THE ROAD TO KUWAIT WAS LINED WITH BURNED-OUT TANKS, THE ROAD OF AIDS CARE IS LITTERED WITH BURNOUT, says Jon Fuller, S.J., M.D. At the time of the Gulf War, he had begun his own battle to heal AIDS patients and to cope with the stress. I began to cry at the most minor provocation, and I realized it was all about grief I hadn t been able to get out, he recalls. Twenty-four years later, this Jesuit physician has learned to work with the grief while he cares for patients, writes moral theology, teaches caregivers, and helps shape global policy. In each case, he says, My work is about mercy. Infinite mercy will be needed to address this global scourge. In late 2006, UNAIDS reported that 39.5 million adults and children worldwide were living with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and its cause, the MISSION fall

22 FR. FULLER SEES ABOUT 150 PATIENTS IN THE INNER-CITY HOSPITAL S ADULT AIDS CLINIC. TO MAKE THE 20 MINUTES HE HAS WITH EACH PATIENT AS PERSONAL AS POSSIBLE, HE SPENDS HOURS AT NIGHT STUDYING THE DATA ON THEIR CHARTS. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). That number includes 1.4 million in North America, 7.8 million in South/Southeast Asia, and 24.7 million in Sub-Saharan Africa. Those most at risk of HIV infection are 15- to 24-year-old married women in Sub-Saharan Africa who practice abstinence and fidelity but whose husbands often do not. Their plight indicates the many issues from gender inequality to poverty that contribute to the spread of the disease. Fr. Fuller is a member of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. After completing the novitiate, he studied philosophy and taught high school before attending medical school at the University of California at San Diego. He has worked in AIDS scientific and moral trenches since 1983, when at the age of 30 he began a three-year residency at San Francisco General Hospital. His arrival there coincided with the opening of the world s first in-patient AIDS unit. I realized this work would involve me scientifically, pastorally, and ecclesially the last because, at that time, the Church couldn t face two populations: gay men or addicts. During his residency, he saw how patients, mostly young gay men, suffered spiritually when chaplains met them with judgment. Thinking we need to be merciful, he asked fellow Jesuits to visit the sick and began to see medicine as a way to practice social justice. AN OFFERING OF MEDICINE AND CARING In 1986, Fr. Fuller moved to Boston to attend the Weston Jesuit School of Theology and to work at the newly opened AIDS clinic at Boston City Hospital, now part of Boston University Medical Center. In San Francisco I d been seeing mostly white, gay men who were educated, employed, and had insurance. Fighting this disease was the number-one item on their agenda, says Fr. Fuller. In Boston the population was very different; we had to deal with housing, addiction, and hunger before they could focus on their illness. Today, women and minorities dominate his caseload, reflecting the frightening pattern of the disease. Worldwide 17.7 million women over the age of 15 were living with HIV/ AIDS by 2005, while in the United States 50% of new AIDS diagnoses occurred among African Americans. Although his titles are attending physician and associate professor, Fr. Fuller sees himself as his patients guardian. He asks what kinds of care they need beyond prescriptions: What are their personal issues, how are they coping with relationships, are they dealing with addictions? I try to see myself in the person. That practice reflects the definition of the Aramaic word for mercy, chesed, which goes beyond sympathy or pity to the ability to get right inside the other person s skin. It s the word, scholars say, Jesus would have used in his Sermon on the Mount. Such keen attentiveness requires acute self-knowledge. When Fr. Fuller teaches a Harvard Divinity School course in Pastoral Care to Persons Affected by HIV/AIDS, his key question to students is Why do you want to be a helper? Therapeutically, caregivers must understand why they choose this work. Addicts can sniff out your vulnerabilities, because they ve learned to survive any system, says Fr. Fuller, who estimates 25% to 30% of his patients are still using drugs. Despite such harsh realities, Every time a person walks through that door, I get to encounter whole new worlds. The most difficult patients for me are not addicts, but the ones who won t take care of themselves. All Fr. Fuller can do, he says, is to make an offering of medicine and caring. 20 MISSION FALL 2007

23 PRACTICING SPIRITUALITY, PURSUING TRUTH Fr. Fuller sees about 150 patients in the inner-city hospital s Adult AIDS Clinic. Since highly active antiretroviral therapy was developed in 1996, more people can live longer with HIV if they don t come into care too late and they take their medications properly, Fr. Fuller says. To make the 20 minutes he has with each patient as personal as possible, he spends hours at night studying the data on their charts. To help manage the physical and emotional stress, he runs 20 miles a week and gardens at a friend s place in Rhode Island. Daily prayer sustains him: If I didn t spend that half-hour in the morning, I wouldn t know why I m here, he says. What does he carry with him? I carry the call, my relationship with Jesus, and companionship with other Jesuits. I don t feel like I m a lone ranger, he points out. I ve been missioned by the California Province to do this work and I feel their support, even on the dicey issues I write about: needle exchange [for drug addicts], condoms, homosexuality. Fr. Fuller s articles in favor of needle-exchange programs to prevent HIV transmission among drug users have appeared in America and other journals, sometimes attracting rebukes and challenges from officials in the Roman Catholic Church. He has learned to be careful. But, as he and Father James F. Keenan, S.J., a professor of theology at Boston College, have written: the vocation to pursue moral truth takes us into the world precisely where there is suffering. He calls his work with Fr. Keenan the most important professional collaboration I m engaged in. Our joint intervention with the Society of Christian Ethics led to their espousal of a position that needle-exchange programs are moral. The Society, an association of professors of Christian ethics from seminaries in the U.S. and Europe, wanted to go on record because there was a dearth of voices on this subject from those concerned with moral values. In May 2007, Frs. Fuller and Keenan wrote to the Texas Legislature in support of a bill providing for needle-exchange programs that would neither support nor condone drug addiction, but keep addicted clients (and their sexual partners and children) alive. Both chambers voted in favor of the bill. Silence and fear can push those who suffer farther out on the margins, and Fr. Fuller has seen that operate within the I carry the call, my relationship with Jesus and companionship with other Jesuits. I don t feel like I m a lone ranger. religious community. In 1989, at the first conference on the topic of priests living with HIV, the men who testified wore paper bags over their heads. He has cared for priests living with HIV/AIDS, counseled superiors, vocation directors, and bishops grappling with the impact of the disease on individuals and communities, and written guidelines for developing admissions policies regarding HIV testing. In recent years, he and Fr. Keenan have published Catholic Ethicists on HIV/AIDS Prevention, which received a National Jesuit Book Award. They believe that poverty, political instability, and gender inequality are breeding grounds for the disease, while nutrition, hygiene, clean water and education are the real tools of HIV prevention. Or, as one person living with HIV put it, What good does it do me to have HIV drugs, when I don t have enough to eat? MULTIPLYING KNOWLEDGE, SEEKING MAGIS Since 1989, Fr. Fuller has circled the globe, consulting with such agencies as the AIDS Funding Network Group. One of the most thrilling experiences in his life occurred in Durban, South Africa, in 2000 at the first international AIDS conference held in a developing country. Opening with an electrifying ceremony of native drummers pouring into the stadium, the conference was filled with African energy, he recalls. That energy propelled the move from talk to targets, he says, and led to the passage of the World Health Organization s 3 by 5 initiative which proposed treating 3 million people by Fr. Fuller views his own response in terms of the multiplier effect, a phrase used by St. Ignatius to describe where there is the greatest need. For Fr. Fuller that means multiplying the knowledge I ve developed on a 1:1 level and taking it to a global level. He also serves as a trustee for the University of San Francisco. USF President Stephen Privett, S.J., says, Jon is one of first people I invited on the board, because he s smart, thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the Society, and he has devoted his life to the service of a very marginalized population. The pace and volume of Fr. Fuller s work takes a toll, yet he is committed to risking grief, controversy, and red-eye weariness to be an advocate of mercy. Ignatius let people find their genius and use it to find Christ in the world, he says. Where do I see Jesus in this? Until every person in the Body of Christ is made whole, none of us are. MISSION fall

24 Discovering the Historical Jesus By Ron Hansen, Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. Professor in the Arts and Humanities at Santa Clara University L ast fall, I taught a course on the historical Jesus for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Santa Clara University. Working from points developed by Bart D. Ehrman in The Historical Jesus, I began the first session with the biography of a man who lived some 2,000 years ago. His mother was told by an angel that she was pregnant with a son who would be divine; signs and wonders signaled his birth; for a while he was an itinerant preacher, collected disciples, performed miracles, and confronted Roman authorities; and his followers claimed that he ascended to Heaven after his death and they wrote books about his life. I was talking, of course, of the first-century pagan philosopher Apollonius of Tyana, whose life and teachings were recorded by his follower Philostratus. The first problem with historical Jesus studies is that many of the events in the life of Jesus of Nazareth have at least some parallels with other prominent men in the ancient world, for the concept of biography was far different then, when hyperbole was incorporated in writing about a life in order to emphasize the eminence of a person and faithfulness to the facts was of secondary importance. Another problem is that none of our Gospels were written by evangelists who actually knew Jesus; the first, by Mark, appeared at least 30 years after Jesus died. Indeed, the first writing about Jesus was by Paul, who was not a disciple and who seemed to have little interest in the earthly life of the man he called the Christ. Encountering these difficulties, historians have developed three basic methodological principles in evaluating the veracity of documents concerning our mysterious Jesus. Historical sources closest to an event have a greater likelihood of accuracy than those written much later. We should be alert to later developments, such as new theological articulations, that may have affected the text. But we must also acknowledge that startling perspectives need time in order to be fully comprehended. We should be aware of the prejudices and assumptions influencing each author of a text. Elements may have been subtracted or included for evangelical reasons. Historians have also developed three specific criteria in determining the reliability of traditions about Jesus. The criterion of independent attestation. Like a prosecuting attorney establishing a case, historians seek out as many separate perspectives as possible that little by little will reconstruct what actually happened. The criterion of dissimilarity. Especially if a particular witness s testimony runs counter to his or her vested interest, that testimony is more likely to be true. Consider the fact that two of the Gospels say Jesus was baptized by John; that all four contradict ancient Jewish expectations in proclaiming that the Messiah was crucified; or that Peter, one of the greatest leaders of the early Church, denied Jesus in his hours of judgment. Each of these would be sources of embarrassment for the evangelizers. The facts are somewhat dissimilar from the underlying claims. Thus their inclusion in the sources may only be justified by their fidelity to the record. The criterion of contextual credibility. The tradition in the Gospel of Peter that it was the Jewish King Herod who had Jesus executed, rather than Pontius Pilate, does not conform to our information about administrative rule in Judea. Applying these three methodological principles and three specific criteria, my class examined four crucial elements of the Gospel accounts: the nativity, the miracles, the crucifixion, and the resurrection. THE NATIVITY. The conception and birth of Jesus are so exceptional, of course, that the historian can only be highly skeptical. Mary is alone of all her sex, as an old Catholic 22 MISSION FALL 2007

25 prayer has it, in staying a virgin through conception, pregnancy, and thereafter. Without earthly precedent, and with confused reporting of the circumstances Emperor Augustus seems not to have ordered a census of the whole world as Luke claims, and another Bethlehem was recently discovered near Nazareth rather than in Judea the historian, whether Christian or not, has no other option than to suspect the nativity stories as we know them are pious fictions. But fiction, it must be remembered, is far different from a lie for it is concerned with a superior truth. Matthew and Luke could be mostly right in their retelling of what happened, for all things are possible with God, but neither Mark, John, nor Paul seem to have been intrigued enough by the anomaly of Christ s birth to report it. There is no independent attestation of Christmas day, the star over Bethlehem, the wise men, nor Herod s slaughter of the innocents. THE MIRACLES. We have one independent attestation of the miracles. Flavius Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, mentions Jesus primarily as a miracle worker who attracted a cult and was crucified by Pontius Pilate. Each of the four Gospels says exactly the same thing, but in the slightly differing ways that are typical of recollected memories. Apollonius of Tyana, whom I initially compared to Jesus, supposedly also performed miracles, but in mumbo-jumbo ways that immediately strike the modern reader as ludicrous. Yet in the Gospel accounts there is an affective reality that is so touching it cannot be other than plausible. Consider the Shakespearean genius a first-century author would have to possess in order to invent an incompletely healed man who reports to the miracle worker: I see men, but they are like trees walking. (Mark 8: 24) Some recorded miracles do seem to be only metaphorical, but many seem too peculiar to be other than fairly accurate depictions of real events. Also, recall that Jesus sought out for his ministrations those who were unclean or ostracized, which matches up with our criterion of embarrassment or dissimilarity. Some scholars maintain that the healings were faith events that had less to do with Christ s deeds of power than with a mindover-matter function like that seen with placebo pills. Others have pointed out that there were hundreds of charlatans and snake-oil salesmen operating in Palestine then and healings were claimed by them, too. But whatever the judgment on the miracles, the historian would be hard-pressed to say nothing at all happened. We know with great certainty that an execution of an apocalyptic prophet named Jesus of Nazareth took place in Jerusalem, on a Friday during Passover. THE CRUCIFIXION. About the crucifixion there is a general unanimity of opinion concerning its real occurrence, its locale, and how it took place. We know with great certainty that an execution of an apocalyptic prophet named Jesus of Nazareth took place in Jerusalem, on a Friday during Passover, under the orders of Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, sometime between the years 29 and 34. In accounts of commoners in the ancient world that amount of detail is unique in its precision. John P. Meier, whose three-volume work A Marginal Jew is probably the most rigorous, recent academic study of the historical Jesus, is so convinced by the accuracy of the passion narrative of John s Gospel that he follows its hints and situates the execution on the cross on April 7 in the year 30. Arguments have been raised about the shuttling of Jesus from trial to trial in the wee hours after the Last Supper, for scholars have no evidence of the Sanhedrin and Rome cooperating in that way. And John Dominic Crossan, one of the most prolific writers on the historical Jesus, also finds the post-mortem burial hard to believe since the vast majority of those who died by crucifixion became carrion for scouring animals. Again and again in historical Jesus studies one runs up against the same problem: history considers what usually happened, but our faith tells us Jesus was extraordinary. We agree to disagree then, for with no grounds to think otherwise the historian is forced to say the unlikely is just that: unlikely. THE RESURRECTION. And so historians are generally at a loss when the subject of the resurrection comes up. All the methodological principles and criteria come into play, for there are simply too many ancient authorities who corroborate the disciples faith in it a faith that would lead many to their deaths. A hallucination or a hoax cannot be reconciled with the historically remarkable movement that, within 25 years after Jesus s execution, and under the most murderous conditions, created Christian communities across the Mediterranean world. Are we changed for the worse by the iconoclastic study of the Jesus of history? Is our faith weakened? I think not. I have an overlay of both the historical Jesus and the Jesus of scripture when I pray, but generally the Christ who answers my prayers is not them but the transcendent Jesus who speaks English and is wise, succinct, magnificently loving, and humorous. He tolerates our historical investigations into who he was just as we tolerate a sniffing dog, and he gives us back, like a hand on a head, affection. Editor s note: Author Ron Hansen was ordained as a permanent deacon for the Diocese of San Jose earlier this year. MISSION FALL

26 LET US GO TOGETHER TO THE FIRE By Robert J. Glynn, S.J. A shudder still passes through me as I sense the depth of Christ s love alive in St. Charles Lwanga and St. Kizito. A s a Jesuit missionary in Africa for six and a half years between 1998 and 2007, I served as a senior lecturer in English and chaplain at Charles Lwanga Teachers Training College at Chikuni Mission in Zambia. Last year, the college s Catholic choir recorded a song whose lyrics proclaim: Saint Charles Lwanga ayabele Kizito ati witina tuleya boonse kumulilo. Those words didn t make much of an impact on me until months after I had returned to the United States. One day while playing a video game, I slipped the album into a CD player and heard those lyrics again: Saint Charles Lwanga ayabele Kizito ati witina tuleya boonse kumulilo. This time, they made a dent in my consciousness, distracting my play until the Game Over sign flashed on. In Nyanja, a Zambian language, the words can be translated as Saint Charles Lwanga said to Kizito, Do not fear; we shall go together to the fire. During my first year at the college, I learned that Charles Lwanga, 21 other Roman Catholics, and 21 Anglicans were killed during a reign of terror in instigated by the royal court of Kabaka Mwanga who ruled a kingdom in what is now modern Uganda. Their crime? They would not condone the immorality of Mwanga, a selfish and evil ruler, and they held firm to their faith in one God and a love of Jesus Christ. Mwanga ordered the executions of royal pages, local chiefs, and others. Some died by spear, others by machete, but most in a bonfire fed by their own reed-wrapped bodies. When I hear the song, I do not imagine the gruesome immolation. Instead, I picture 23-year-old Charles Lwanga, head of the royal pages and catechist for the Catholic catechumens, turning to his 13-year-old student Kizito (who refused to deny his desire to be a Christian in order to save his own life) to assure him that nothing could separate them even in death. On the way to martyrdom, Charles Lwanga baptized a number of those who would share his fate. A shudder still passes through me as I sense the depth of Christ s love alive in St. Charles Lwanga and St. Kizito. They both identified as Christian love something which had only been named as such in Uganda seven years earlier with the arrival of the White Fathers, a missionary society. As I reflect on the faith of Charles Lwanga and Kizito, I recall the impressive love for Jesus Christ which I encountered among the many catechumens and young Christians I came to know at the college. Many of those I taught and baptized were about the same age as Charles Lwanga and Kizito. In their eagerness for the sacraments and to belong to the Catholic community, I caught a glimpse of the same African Catholic faith which had deeply impressed the White Fathers. Many of these young men and women will be sent by Zambia s teaching service Painting by Charles Mwanambala to areas where no priest is able to minister and to communities which may prove virulently anti-catholic. Many of them will know death at a young age, the victims of the illness which ravages southern Africa. I, their 21st-century Jesuit missionary, remain confident that those to whom the faith was preached will be even better missionaries. And in their mission, we are united, not just with each other but with Charles Lwanga, Kizito, and the Church that believes no flames can ever destroy the love of Jesus Christ alive in our hearts. Hear a Zambian choir sing In Praise of the Ugandan Martyrs, Saints Charles Lwanga and Kizito on the Music Box page of our website: 24 mission FALL 2007

27 Science class at USF, circa 1927 Focusing a microscope, Joseph M. Clark, S.J., conducts a science class at the University of San Francisco. Born in 1900, Clark was a Jesuit scholastic at the time this photo was taken. He served as a chaplain at Alcatraz prison (Al Capone attended his Mass) and in the Army during World War II. Fr. Clark also served as pastor of St. Henry s Church in Brigham City, Utah. He died in 1980.