JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE WINTER 2011

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1 JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE WINTER 2011 Gratitude from the Provincial ST. FRANCIS XAVIER SCHOOL SETS THE WORLD ON FIRE A GREAT FRIEND OF CHINA, THE MALATESTA PROGRAM LEADERSHIP AS VISION, MISSION AND IMAGINATION

2 Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing I do your will. Prayer for Generosity by St. Ignatius Loyola ( ), Founder and First Superior General of the Society of Jesus

3 JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE WINTER THE GRATITUDE OF A Provincial An interview with Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J. Provincial of the California Province. He talks about what is most important to him in his role as a leader and the gratitude he feels to those who have partnered with him in mission. Sixth grade students create Jesuit board games to integrate their knowledge of Jesuit history and tradition. In every issue 2 From ThE Provincial Leadership: Graces & Challenges by John P. McGarry, S.J. 3 PROVINCE NEWS A new Provincial for California; Diaconate Ordinations; Social Ministries Gathering on Ecology; LMU selects new President; and more 10 GOOD STEWARD Meet Rob and Mike Smith 11 Jesuit PRofile Fr. Andrew F. Maginnis, S.J. 26 ON POINT God Impossible by William Muller, S.J. 28 MEDITATIONS Graced to Lead by Michael Weiler, S.J. 18 Go, Set the World On Fire The ingenuity and drive of families, students, and volunteers at St. Francis Xavier Parish and School in Phoenix, Arizona, continue to uphold the dream of a community through the call to leadership. 22 A GREAT FRIEND OF CHINA An initiative of the California Province of the Society of Jesus, the Malatesta Program seeks to support the development of religious studies programs in China. On the cover California Provincial Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J., and staff of Provincial Assistants: (from bottom, right to left) Joe Naylor, Fr. Al Naucke, S.J., Fr. Ted Gabrielli, S.J., Fr. Tri Dinh, S.J., Fr. Chi Ngo, S.J., Fr. Ed Harris, S.J., Sheila Yrure, Br. Jim Siwicki, S.J., Fr. Sonny Manuel, S.J., Fr. Chuck Tilley, S.J., Mark Potter, Mary Eden, Fr. Dennis Parnell, S.J., Fr. Bill Kelley, S.J. photo by Fr. Thomas Rausch, S.J. Environmental Benefits Statement Since 2010, California Province of the Society of Jesus has saved the following resources by using paper made with 55% recycled fiber and 30% postconsumer waste: 87 fully grown trees / 40,186 gallons of water / 27 million BTU of energy / 2,440 lbs of solid waste / 8,344 lbs of greenhouse gases Calculations based on research by Environmental Defense Fund and other members of the Paper Task Force.

4 Leadership: Graces and Challenges mission EDITORIAL BOARD John P. McGarry, S.J. Joseph B. Naylor Tam Patane John P. Mossi, S.J. Editorial Contributors Thomas Bracco, S.J. Thomas Buckley, S.J. Kim Cavner George Greiner, S.J. Jerry Martinson, S.J. William Muller, S.J. Thomas Rausch, S.J. Michael Weiler, S.J. DESIGN Mixed Palette Advancement Office Joseph B. Naylor Provincial Assistant for Advancement and Communications John P. Mossi, S.J. Manager and Benefactor Relations Tam Patane Associate Director of Communications Samuel P. Bellino, S.J. Director of Planned Giving Grace Melendrez Associate Director of Database and Gifts William C. Farrington, S.J. Advancement Associate Andrew F. Maginnis, S.J. Benefactor Relations Julie Han Jesuit Mass Cards Administrator 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. As I come to the end of my six-year term of service as Provincial, my heart is filled with gratitude to God; to all my fellow Jesuits; and to our colleagues, friends and benefactors of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. As I recently wrote in a letter to our Superior General, Very Reverend Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., serving the Lord, the Society of Jesus, and the Church in this unique leadership role as Provincial has made me a better person, a better Jesuit, and a better priest for people. It has been a privileged and humbling experience for me to accompany my brother Jesuits in the journey of our vowed life and in their great desires to walk with Jesus in our mission for the Church. It has been an equally privileged and humbling experience to come to know and serve with so many wonderful and dedicated lay colleagues. Our Jesuit life and the ministries of the Society of Jesus are greatly enriched by the incredible gifts and faith of our Ignatian Partners. Without our mutual collaboration, our contributions to the life of the Church and world would be so much less. I have enjoyed this ministry of service and leadership most of the time! Like any worthwhile endeavor, these six years have been filled with many graces and blessings, as well as many challenges. Through it all, I have never doubted the presence and love of our God of life and light, and our companionship and good spirit in the Province has encouraged me daily. I can certainly say that the work of Provincial has fully engaged me, tapped into all of my gifts and pushed me to develop some new skills! On any given day during my term, I have felt at once confident in my ability to handle what was placed before me and completely stretched by the demands of the job. In this issue of Mission, we highlight the theme of leadership. Leadership in the Church is never easy, but it can be fulfilling, and I have found it to be so. I have been asked many times what qualities and skills I try to employ in carrying out this mission of leadership as Provincial. I share some of them with you here: Listen well to people and be attentive to their experience. Remember what they share with me. In the Society of Jesus, we speak of the ministry of presence. I always try to show up, be supportive and express gratitude. Collaboration at the heart of mission: It is important to recognize and call upon the gifts of others, and to work together to fulfill the mission of Christ in the world. Empower: The Church is at its best when people feel empowered to live their baptismal call to serve. I have been blessed with the help of many people, especially staff and consultors, without whom I never could have done this work. Communication is key. It is best to keep people informed and included so that they know what is going on. This goes a long way. Consult: I cannot imagine making decisions day after day without seeking input, advice and help! Make decisions! My experience has been that if you listen, are present, collaborate, empower, communicate and consult, people are comfortable with decisiveness. In fact, they prefer it. 2 MISSION WINTER 2011

5 Diaconate Ordinations Articulate a vision, be passionate about it and invite others to embrace the vision and work to realize it. Most of all, pray: I am very aware that it is God and God s grace that has enabled me to meet the challenges of leadership. I cherish my early morning time alone with the Lord. It keeps me grounded in my primary relationship with Jesus. As I look back over these six years, I see that God has been generous with grace and present through the challenges. God is with us in all the wonderful works of the California Province and in all the good people. Our retreat and spirituality centers, parishes, schools, universities, social and international ministries, and other works do so much to help people discover and develop their God-given gifts and to find encouragement to use them to make the world a better and more just place. Thank you for your support of the California Province. We appreciate your prayers and your generosity. Please continue to pray with all of us that the Holy Spirit will guide more young men to join the Society and that our Ignatian spirituality will continue to be shared in partnership with others. On October 23, the California Province celebrated the ordination of two new Jesuit deacons, Radmar A. Jao, S.J., and Trung H. Pham, S.J. Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone, Bishop of Oakland, presided at the ordination Mass held in The Cathedral of Christ the Light Church in Oakland, California. For a Jesuit in formation, ordination to the Diaconate is the final step in preparation for priesthood. Deacons Jao and Pham are currently students at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley where they continue studies for a Master of Divinity degree. Radmar Jao, S.J., is originally from Northwest Indiana and comes from a family of nine children. Before joining the Jesuits in 2001, Radmar was a professional actor in Los Angeles working in film, television and stage. He earned a Master s in Philosophy from Loyola University Radmar A. Jao, S.J. of Chicago and completed his two-year regency assignment at the University of San Francisco. He taught acting and theatre appreciation as well as worked with the University Ministry team leading CLC groups and coordinating retreats. Currently in his third year of theological studies, he serves as a campus minister at the Cal Berkeley Newman Center, chaplain for the Children s Hospital of Oakland, and as deacon at St. Agnes Parish in San Francisco. Trung Pham, S.J., comes from Orange County and is the son of a Vietnamese artist. After graduating from UCLA with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, he entered the Society of Jesus in He took his vows in Trung H. Pham, S.J. 2000, and then went on to study philosophy at Loyola University of Chicago. Inspired by the Spiritual Exercises and the Jesuit tradition for arts, he earned a Master s of Fine Arts at the Pratt Institute in New York and taught drawing and painting at Santa Clara University for his regency. Besides his love for arts, he also enjoys giving spiritual direction and guiding retreats. Gratefully in the Lord, John P. McGarry, S.J. Provincial Photo credit Jesuits ordained Deacons at the Cathedral of Christ the Light on October 23, 2010 with Bishop Salvatore Cordileone. MISSION WINTER

6 Fr. Michael weiler, s.j., named next Provincial Fr. Michael F. Weiler, S.J., has been appointed by Fr. General Adolfo Nicolás, S.J, as the next Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Fr. Weiler succeeds Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J., who has served as Provincial of the California Province since Fr. Weiler will take office at the end of Fr. McGarry s term on the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola, July 31, Fr. Weiler currently serves as Director of Novices and Superior of Ignatius House, a position he has held since Fr. Weiler is a graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory, Loyola Marymount University, Gonzaga University, Jesuit School of Theology, and the California School of Professional Psychology. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1975, was ordained in 1988 and received final vows in Following ordination, Fr. Weiler served as an associate pastor at Dolores Mission in Los Angeles and then as an instructor in counseling psychology and a psychologist at Santa Clara University. Photo by Tam Patane Fr. Michael F. Weiler, S.J. LMU Selects David W. Burcham as President Yolanda Scott Brown appointed parish life director The Loyola Marymount University Board of Trustees elected David W. Burcham as the 15th president of the university on October 4, Burcham, a native of Los Angeles, is now the first lay president in the university s 99-year history. Burcham s association with LMU began in He graduated from Loyola Law School, first in his class, and, after seven years in David W. Burcham practice, he returned to the law school. Burcham is a recognized authority on Constitutional law and clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He was appointed senior vice president and dean of the law school in 2000, and served in that capacity until 2008 when he was named LMU s executive vice president and provost. Burcham took over leadership as interim president of the university when Fr. Robert B. Lawton, S.J., resigned for health reasons. Fr. John McGarry, S.J., Provincial of the California Province, added his endorsement of the new Loyola Marymount University president. I fully support Dave Burcham, said Fr. McGarry. I m very impressed by his dedication to LMU and his commitment to the Catholic identity and the Jesuit and Marymount traditions of the university. On July 1, 2011 Ms. Yolanda Scott Brown will become the Parish Life Director at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Hollywood. Yolanda joined the staff at Blessed Sacrament as Pastoral Associate on January 1, The Parish Life Director, appointed by the Archbishop, is entrusted with the leadership of the parish. She is Yolanda Scott Brown responsible for the overall pastoral care and administration of the Parish. The California Province, which has administered the Parish since 1914, will continue to provide at least one or two priests, more if they are available, to assist Yolanda in meeting the pastoral needs of Blessed Sacrament s parishioners. Yolanda served for seven years as Pastoral Associate at Los Angeles other Jesuit Parish, Dolores Mission. Prior to her career in ministry, she worked for several years in banking and finance. She holds an M.A. in Theology from Loyola Marymount University, an M.B.A. in Finance from Pace University, and Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic University of America. Her experience, education, and long and close relationship with both the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the California Province make her an ideal partner in ministry. 4 MISSION WINTER 2011

7 Leadership an affair of the heart The California Province relies on the generosity of its donors. Your leadership and financial support provide the foundation for the vital ministries of the Society of Jesus. As a tribute to the efforts of our Provincial, Fr. John McGarry, S.J., a gift can be made by designating one of the following three ministries that began during his term. The Kino Border Initiative. This ministry serves the spiritual and physical needs of immigrants who are deported on the border in Mexico and Arizona. This initiative provides three levels of outreach: a soup kitchen and safe shelter for women and children; advocacy by working for comprehensive immigration reform; and education. Photo by phil schermeister The Malatesta Initiative for China. This program is based on the method of enculturating Christianity first promoted by Fr. Matteo Ricci, S.J., in the sixteen Century. The Initiative establishes friendship and understanding among Chinese and American scholars by providing intellectual and cultural exchanges in three Jesuit Universities in California: University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University. The Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative. The JRJI is a pastoral ministry of restorative justice that strives to heal broken relationships with those who are incarcerated, their families and victims. This faith and healing ministry uses prayer, prison Masses, retreats, education and advocacy in order to break the cycle of violence. To Give Use the enclosed envelope or to make a credit card gift, use our website s secure Online Giving Form at

8 IN REMEMBR ANCE Father Richard T. Coz, S.J., 86 December 31, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Born in Fresno, California, on August 24, 1924, he entered Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos on August 14, 1947 and was ordained in In 1963 he began a 32 year association with Santa Clara University as professor of economics and Director of the Studies Abroad program. Due to his popularity as a teacher at SCU, alumni established a scholarship fund in his honor. He also taught theology and business ethics at Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, followed by a nine year association with De La Salle High School in Concord. Father Stephen G. Olivo, S.J., 75 December 5, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. He was born in Chicago on December 26, 1934, entered the Society of Jesus in 1956 and was ordained in After ordination he went to Santa Clara University for two years as Dean of Students and taught Italian and Spanish literature for another five years. He then moved to USF where he served in a number of administrative and pastoral positions until Father William F. Lester, S.J., 89 October 17, 2010, in San Jose. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 4, 1921, Bill entered the Society of Jesus in He taught high school, did hospital chaplaincy, served in various parishes in the Santa Clara Valley, and for several years was a syndicated columnist and radio commentator. In 1978 he founded Moral Dimensions, a non-profit educational organization. Brother Edmund Wallace Ryan, S.J., 83 September 30, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. He was born June 4, 1927 in Sioux City, Iowa, and was accepted as a Brother postulant in He began a long association with Bellarmine College Preparatory in 1958, remaining there for forty seven years. He managed the school s store, oversaw the athletic equipment and served as dorm prefect. Baseball was his passion. He was a highly successful coach, working with the freshmen and junior varsity teams. A Bellarmine icon, he was esteemed by students and admired by faculty and coaches. Father Donald J. Duggan, S.J., 86 September 27, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco on May 12, 1924, he entered Sacred Heart Novitiate in After serving as librarian at Sacred Heart Novitiate, he was appointed in 1962 as Assistant Librarian at Santa Clara University, a post he held until He then administered the Jesuit Community library at Santa Clara University. In 1994, he transferred to Via de Lestonnac Retreat Center in Temecula, California, where he ministered as chaplain to the Sisters, gave spiritual direction and guided individually directed retreats. 6 MISSION WINTER 2011

9 Father Ernest S. Sweeney, S.J., 78 June 18, 2010, in San Jose. Born in New York on November 5, 1932, he entered the Society of Jesus at St. Andrew-on-Hudson in Poughkeepsie, New York, in He was ordained in 1963 and as a Fulbright Hays Fellow earned his doctorate at the University of Texas, Austin. In 1970 he was appointed professor of history and Academic Vice President at the Catholic University of Salta, Argentina. From 1972 to 2009 he taught at Loyola Marymount University as professor of history. Due to his strong interest in Argentina, he produced several books and a number of articles, in Spanish and English, centered on church-state issues in Latin America. Father Paul Locatelli, S.J., 71 July 12, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Born in Santa Cruz, California, on September 16, 1938, he grew up in Boulder Creek. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1962 and was ordained to the priesthood at St. Mary s Cathedral, San Francisco, in He headed to Santa Clara University (SCU) as assistant professor of accounting and also served as Associate Dean of the School of Business and as Academic Vice President. In 1986, he was named Rector of the Loyola Marymount Jesuit Community. Two years later he returned to SCU as the 27th President of the University. He led the SCU as President for 20 years and most recently was Chancellor. He also served the international Society of Jesus, headquartered in Rome, as Secretary of Higher Education. Reflections Paul Locatelli was a great Jesuit, full of life and energy, and very generous in his service to the Society of Jesus, the Church and the world. We, his fellow Jesuits, loved him dearly and will miss him very much. First and foremost, Paul loved the God who called him to the vocation which he lived so well for his whole life. Paul s life was anchored in his faith in God and his desire to model his Jesuit life upon the life of Jesus. Paul was a wonderful priest. In recent months, he talked with me often about how much he valued pastoral ministry with people and sharing the gift of his priesthood through the celebration of the sacraments and being with people at important moments in their lives baptisms, weddings, funerals. Paul loved people and recognized the God of life in each person he encountered. Of course, Paul was also very successful in his Jesuit life, especially as President of Santa Clara University and Secretary (to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus) for Higher Education. The legacy of Paul s dedication and passion for Jesuit education and his impact on the lives of so many students, faculty, staff, board members, and alumni of Santa Clara University will never be forgotten. Paul loved Santa Clara and took great joy in devoting so much of his life to making Santa Clara University the outstanding Jesuit school that it is. Personally, I will never forget the honor of serving with Paul in Rome as delegates to the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, and I will hold dear the moments by his bedside in the last two months when I was able to pray with him. Though Paul s physical condition weakened rapidly, his faith and trust in God only grew stronger and he was at peace even in his suffering. Paul now enjoys the fullness of the life he lived so well, eternal life with God whom he loved and served with all his being. The sadness of death gives way to the bright promise of immortality, and we celebrate the life of Fr. Paul Locatelli, S.J. Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J., California Provincial To GIVE For more information on how you can contribute to a memorial fund in the name of the deceased Jesuit please go to MISSION WINTER

10 California Province Hosts Capacity Building Conference Well over one hundred colleagues from thirty-eight of the California Province s ministries participated in a Capacity Building Conference Collaboration at the Heart of Mission, held February 7 to 9, 2011 at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose. The Capacity Building Conference, sponsored by the Jesuits of the California Province, provided each of the participating Jesuit organizations with high quality and up-to-date skills and techniques that will assist them to effectively raise more funds for their ministries. The participants included Executive Directors (including presidents and pastors), Directors of Development/Advancement, and Board Members. Three renowned consultants from The Fund Raising School at Indiana University offered full-day presentations on annual sustainability, developing powerful and purposeful boards, and cultivating major gifts, with a special discussion on the dynamics of women s giving. A special feature was fundraising champions from within the ministries of the California Province who presented six workshops based upon their unique experiences and expertise. One of the highlights was a special closing Mass celebrated by the Provincial Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J., at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos followed by a dinner at the historic Testarossa Winery. Joe Naylor, Provincial Assistant for Advancement and Communications, shared, This conference was an extraordinary opportunity for ministries to network while learning effective fundraising techniques. The participants left with a renewed commitment to share resources and explore purposeful collaboration. As a follow-up to this conference the California Province will host four more sessions, two in Southern California and two in Northern California. At these meetings, participants will gather to reflect back on the conference and share with each other the various successes and challenges they experienced in cultivating the skills and techniques they learned. Visit us online at to access a full range of content including recent news and upcoming events! A New Director of Planned Giving for the California Province The California Province announces that Father Samuel P. Bellino, S.J., Executive Director of Central Washington Catholic Foundation (CWCF) as its new Director of Planned Giving in the California Province Advancement Office. This new position assists individuals and families with their estate planning. Fr. Bellino has been a member of the Fr. Samuel P. Bellino, S.J. California Province for 32 years. Prior to his work in Washington he served as the Director of Community Service at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. Fr. Bellino has been CWCF s executive director since its inception in Along with three laymen, he was a founding member of the CWCF and helped the foundation raise over five million dollars during a nine year period. Jesuits leave Newman Center After 40 Years Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J., the Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus, announced the decision that the Jesuits will leave the Newman Center/Holy Spirit Parish at the University of Hawaii-Manoa on June 30, The responsibility for the administration and staffing of Newman Center/Holy Spirit Parish will revert to the Diocese of Honolulu. The order has staffed the campus ministry hub for 40 years, creating a rich intellectual and spiritual resource for which the Society of Jesus is well-known, not only for university students but also for Hawaii s entire Catholic community. Fr. McGarry, S.J., wrote that the decision came after long and careful discernment and consultation that included dialogue with Bishop Silva. The Jesuits California province runs ten parishes in seven dioceses and it is no longer possible to maintain so many commitments. The exit is the consequence of an increasingly limited supply of priests and brothers, and other resources. Nineteen Jesuit priests have worked at the Newman Center/ Holy Spirit Parish over the past four decades. Eight more have been chaplains for the St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii. Others have served here as spiritual directors and retreat directors. The Jesuit priests now at Newman, Fr. Russell Roide, S.J., and Fr. Chandler, S.J., will remain until June. Fr. Joseph Specht, S.J., will continue as chaplain at St. Francis until the departure date. Patrick Downes and Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz 8 MISSION WINTER 2011

11 Social Ministries Gathering on Ecology Fifty Jesuits and lay colleagues from throughout the province gathered at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos in late October for the annual Social Ministries Gathering, entitled Eat, Pray, Love Exploring the Implications of Consumption, Spirituality and Action on the Integration of Ecology, Sustainability and Ignatian Social Ministries. This year s theme enabled the participants to reflect upon the challenge of a right relationship with creation (GC 35, Decree 3), in light of the best practices that are developing at Jesuit ministries to explore issues of ecological justice in the context of our Ignatian mission. This year s gathering was significant in that it was a collaborative effort between the California and Oregon Provinces, including rich reflections and provocative presentations by Bill Wood, S.J. (CFN), Bill Watson, S.J. (ORE), and Joseph Carver, S.J. (ORE). As Bill Watson explained, the Oregon Province has long been a leader within the U.S. on the integration of Ignatian spirituality and Students at Bellarmine College Preparatory spend time maintaining the Bell garden. The garden contributes to the theme of sustainability for the Botany class project. a commitment to ecological justice and sustainability partly due to the cultural milieu of the Northwest, but more directly due to what they have learned from their international partnership with the Jesuits of Colombia, where there has been a longstanding commitment, especially among the rural projects, to the integration of sustainable consumption and Ignatian spirituality. One of the most dynamic sessions of the gathering involved the sharing of best practices from the schools, parishes, and social ministries that were present from both the California and Oregon Provinces, and touched on everything from strategies for promoting recycling, conducting school wide trash audits, incentivizing carpools, and hiring kitchen and facilities managers that are committed to sustainable practices. As a followup, Mark Potter, Provincial Assistant for Social Ministries, will be reaching out to Jesuit communities and works to explore ways to promote ecological and sustainable practices. The Colloquium on the ministry of teaching The Colloquium is one of the programs sponsored by the California Province of the Society of Jesus to promote the Ignatian Mission and Identity in the schools and to assist in partnership formation between the Jesuits and the many lay colleagues who work for the students in our schools. This conference was held in January, 2011, for coaches and athletic directors in the California Province of the Society of Jesus secondary schools. Presentations by Mark Granger, basketball coach from Xavier College Preparatory, Fr. Mike Gilson, S.J., Jesuit Superior from Jesuit High and Bob Ladouceiur, football coach at De La Salle High School, covered Ignatius understanding of the human person and how coaching is part of the Ministry of Teaching in our schools. Andrew Phillips, a student and an athlete on this year s championship football team at Stanford University, spoke to the group on being a student and an athlete at a Jesuit school and what that has meant to him during college. There were small group discussions around case studies that presented potential conflicts that can arise in athletic programs where the participants were asked to reflect and share their experiences. All participants had the chance to re-invigorate themselves with the Ignatian vision, to engage in conversation with colleagues, and to pray. Jesuit High School Names New President The Rev. David J. Suwalsky, S.J. has been unanimously elected to serve as Jesuit High School s 12th president by the school s board of trustees, school officials have announced. Jesuit s current president, the Rev. Gregory R. Bonfiglio, S.J., announced he will complete his service at Carmichael s all-boys Roman Catholic preparatory school Rev. David J. Suwalsky, S.J. in June after nine years of service. Suwalsky s appointment will be effective July 1, but he and Bonfiglio will begin working together on a smooth transition, officials said. Suwalsky will relocate to Sacramento from St. Louis where he currently serves as the treasurer and chief legal officer of the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus and Minister of the Bellarmine House of Studies. Suwalsky is a member of the board of trustees and chairman of the finance committee at De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, the board of trustees at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, the Board of Members of Loyola Academy in St. Louis and the Board of Directors of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley. MISSION WINTER

12 good steward Rob and Mike Smith Two Brothers Serving the Community For Rob and Mike Smith, Jesuit service has always been a household word. They were introduced to it by their parents, who grew up in San Francisco and later raised their family in Los Angeles. Their father, Robert Smith, Jr., attended Saint Ignatius High and the University of San Francisco. At these Jesuit schools he learned the Ignatian way. Mom and Dad were great role models, Mike says. Rob is the oldest of six children, and Mike, a middle child, is the third son. Both Mike and Rob say they relied on each other through the years for encouragement and guidance. At the Smith s home, Jesuits were invited regularly to Sunday night dinners. They taught the Smith brothers about life in ministry, how the Jesuits took care of others and connected them to religious life. It was at these dinners that the Jesuits taught us to reach out to people, Mike says. After graduating from Loyola High School, Rob went to UCLA and Mike went to Loyola University. In Rob s fourth year of college, he married his wife Joanne. Mike married his wife Patty within one year after meeting her at a Valentine s Day party. Mike and Rob are in the automotive sales business, which has become part of the legacy that their father and grandfather set up. Rob is owner of Sierra Leasing, and Mike, with his son Pete, owns Bob Smith Toyota. Their remarkable closeness is found in other areas. They live within four blocks of one another, sent their children to the same Catholic schools, coached baseball together and have shared the same weekly prayer group for over thirty years. Both have taught their children the Ignatian values of generosity and being men and women for others. Today, Rob is involved in many Jesuit causes. Rob serves as a trustee of Loyola High School, Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission Church and Homeboys in East Los Angeles. He and his wife Ignatian spirituality is a wonderful opportunity for us all. Within the stories shared there is an opportunity to better understand the world through the eyes of Ignatius, and I want to know more. Rob Smith Enjoying an evening together. Rob Smith and Joanne are pictured next to Patty and Mike Smith. serve on the advisory board of the Dominican Sisters Vision of Hope which staffs seven Catholic elementary schools in the poorest communities of Los Angeles. Mike serves as Minister to the Sick at his parish and supports the work of Dolores Mission, Homeboys and the PICO Initiative. I will do anything for Jesuit causes, he says. Mike and his wife Patty are strong supporters of Verbum Dei High School. Patty is on the Board of Directors and Mike sponsors Verbum Dei High School students in a work-study program so that they can obtain a first-hand experience of the business world using this as an incentive to obtain a college education. In addition, for more than 14 years, both Rob and Mike, as co-chairs, have been instrumental in the Jesuit Charities Golf Tournament, which raises tuition for students at Dolores Mission School and the Jesuit Missions. Rob and Mike have been honored numerous times for their involvement in the community. Rob recently received the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award from the National Catholic Education Association. In November 2010, Rob was honored by the Catholic Education Foundation for his seven year affiliation with the organization. That same evening, Mike was recognized by the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce and then drove across town just in time to enjoy a toast to his brother, Rob. Rob and Mike say that they have been enlightened by the communities they serve. Seeing the world through others eyes, they recognize where life s challenges and triumphs are. When asked how he thinks his leadership impacts the people he serves, Rob stated, I don t see myself as a decision maker. I try to let people know that these ministries are available to all, despite any economic boundaries, because when we come together there is a broadness of understanding. Tam Patane 10 MISSION WINTER 2011

13 Jesuit Profile PHOTO BY Tam Patane Imagine it is Monday morning and you are getting up at 3:00 a.m. to make a 60 mile commute by public transportation from St. Ignatius Preparatory in San Francisco to Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. This is the hour that Fr. Andrew F. Maginnis, S.J., rises so that he can celebrate Mass, pray the daily office and catch the 5:40 a.m. #29 Muni bus at Sunset. With Clipper transit card in hand, Fr. Andy transfers at Judah St. to the 6:10 a.m. N streetcar which makes it way to the 4th and King St., Caltrain depot. The #210 pulls out at 6:44 a.m. and arrives in Santa Clara at 8:05 a.m. Fr. John Mossi, S.J., is waiting at the depot and the fourth and last leg of the commute begins. Catching up on events of the week, Fr. Andy and Fr. John navigate highway 17 and arrive in the city of Los Gatos by 8:35 a.m. to begin work in the California Province Advancement Office. Not many make such a challenging commute by bus, streetcar, commuter train and car to get to work and not many do this at 87 years young. Fr. Andy, full of energy and quite spry as he enters his 72nd year as a Jesuit, tackles this challenging trek as another Jesuit opportunity to serve. No surprise at all! Over the years Fr. Andy has worn many berets. After ordination in 1952, Fr. Andy served as Assistant Superior at Alma College Theologate, tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains, for three years, and then was transferred as Assistant Superior to Loyola University in Los Angeles for two years. As his organizational and writing skills became noticed, Fr. Andy served as Socius/Executive Assistant for four Provincials over a nine year period. He also was acting Provincial for five months after Fr. John F. Connolly, S.J., unexpectedly died in office. In 1974, Archbishop Joseph Thomas McGucken of San Francisco requested that Fr. Andy serve as Vicar for Men and Women Religious, a demanding role of advisor and confessor that he administered for over 30 years. However, a number of our readers know Fr. Andy as the Director of Jesuit Seminary Association and Editor of Western Jesuit, a task that he filled from 1992 to During this twelve year stint, Fr. Andy published 48 issues of Western Jesuit, the predecessor to the current Mission magazine. With each approaching issue, he would lament, I don t have anything more to write. But it is through my brief one page columns that people have come to know me. Fr. Andy, who occasionally wears a shirt button with the inscription: I have been declared an historical landmark, was also renowned for his many personal and humorous letters written to donors and friends who use our Jesuit Mass Cards. Recently Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J., Provincial, asked Fr. Andy to return to this important ministry of strengthening relationships with our benefactors and supporters of Jesuit works. Thus far, Fr. Andy has written over 300 letters to our friends and is currently contacting others by phone. I want our donors to know how much their gifts are appreciated and to let them know that they are especially remembered in our Masses, prayers and apostolic intentions. Joe Naylor, Provincial Assistant for Advancement and Communications, is excited about the addition of Fr. Andy to the Advancement Team, Fr. Andy is an exceptional Jesuit who has a wealth of Jesuit benefactor history, a witty pen and a wonderful rapport over the phone. And as senior member of the team, he keeps us all hopping! Be on full alert. Expect to receive a communication by mail or a friendly phone call from Fr. Andy soon! Or, contact Fr. Andy directly on his office phone at (408) or by sending him an at amaginnis@calprov.org. John P. Mossi, S.J. Meet Father Andrew F. Maginnis, S.J. MISSION WINTER

14 The gratitude of a John has distinguished himself by his total dedication to the Province and to the individual Jesuits. Mario J. Prietto, S.J. PHOTO BY Tam Patane Rector, Loyola House Jesuit Community 12 MISSION winter 2011

15 Provincial An interview with Father McGarry Provincial Father John P. McGarry, S.J. grew up in Los Angeles and was part of a large traditional Irish-American, Roman-Catholic family. As a student at Loyola High School he was impacted by the dedication of the Jesuits especially by how they cared for the individual person, taking an interest in and helping each student develop his or her capacities and talents. He was also impressed with the esprit of the Jesuit community in the various ways they enjoyed one another and celebrated their life together. After a year at Gonzaga University in Spokane, a young John McGarry applied to the Society of Jesus and, on August 30, 1981, he entered the Jesuit Novitiate at Montecito, California. Fr. McGarry began his philosophy studies at Loyola University in New Orleans and completed his degree at Gonzaga University. From , he taught English, Spanish and theology, and served as Director of Campus Ministry at Brophy Prep in Phoenix, where he developed a penchant for high school work. Next, he attended the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, earning a Master of Divinity, while simultaneously completing an M.A. in Private School Administration at the University of San Francisco s Institute of Catholic Educational Leadership. On June 12, 1993, he was ordained a priest at Loyola Marymount University. Fr. McGarry returned to Loyola High School as a theology teacher and Director of Campus Ministry. In 1997, he transferred to Jesuit High School in Sacramento where he served as Associate Principal. In 1998 he was appointed Principal at Jesuit High School and served in that position until 2005, when he was appointed Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Left: Father McGarry, S.J., presiding at a staff meeting in Los Gatos. MISSION winter

16 As Fr. McGarry concludes his six-year term, we asked him about his experience as Provincial. MISSION: What are the milestones of your Provincialate? Fr. McGarry: The 2007 we hosted Province Congregation of delegates from throughout the Province in order to elect two other delegates to serve with me at the General Congregation in Rome from January to March in At the General Congregation, we elected our current Superior General, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J. This experience of being with Jesuits from around the world and setting the course for our future service to the Church was a highlight in my life as a Jesuit to this point. When I began my service as Provincial in 2005, I participated in the Assistancy Strategic Discernment Process for the Jesuits and our works in the United States, that had begun the year before. Being a member of a team of Provincials leading a consultative process to set the goals and direction for the Jesuit ministries in the U.S. has been a gratifying experience in my term as Provincial. The Province celebrated its 100th anniversary in The year included a two-week visit to the Province by Fr. General Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., as well as a two-day convocation bringing together 400 Jesuits and 300 lay partners to pray and reflect on the history and future of the Province. MISSION: At the beginning of your Provincialate what did you foresee as the challenges and what was the outcome? Fr. McGarry: A major challenge was the aging demographic of our members and our diminishing numbers. When I took office, the number of Jesuits over 65 was much greater than the number under 65, and this will be the case for the near future. All kinds of issues are raised with so many Jesuits retiring or needing health care and other support as they age. During my term I led communities in conversations about a wide range of topics on aging what it meant for them as individuals and communities and for the Society as a whole. Most importantly, though, I have been most gratified and moved by the example PHOTO BY Bern Zovistoski Above: Fr. McGarry, S.J., receives final vows from Fr. Sean Carroll, S.J., at San Felipe de Jesús Parish in Nogales, Arizona. Right: Fr. John McGarry, S.J., speaks to the press on the Inauguration of the Kino Border Initiative in of holiness and generous service of our elder Jesuits at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. I am very glad and grateful to our benefactors, that we are able to offer a wonderful program of care and life-giving activities in Los Gatos in the retirement context of independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care for our men who need it after so many years of generous service to God and God s people in the Church. Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos is our home, it is the seat of the Province, the place we will all come home to after our labors in the mission we serve. Another major challenge was the need for more robust programs of vocation promotion and accompaniment of young men who are discerning a call from Christ to serve in the Church through life in the Jesuits. In our U.S. culture today, and in the context of the sexual abuse crisis in the Church, this has been more challenging than ever. We have increased our efforts in promoting the value of our Jesuit vocation and our vowed life, especially through our local Jesuit communities and works. Lastly, given the diminishing number of Jesuits, we were challenged to right-size our Jesuit communities and commitments. For example, when I began my term, there were 28 Jesuit communities in the Province; now there are 22. We have 14 MISSION winter 2011

17 PHOTO BY Fr. Robert Dolan, S.J. John has been an outstanding Provincial combining a practical wisdom with a profoundly caring spirituality. Edward A. Reese, S.J. President, Brophy College Preparatory created interapostolic communities, where men live and pray in community together while serving a variety of ministries, rather than just one, in a geographic area. This has helped in stewardship of our resources in a responsible manner, and it has enhanced the quality of our religious life together so that we are spiritually grounded and ready to serve in the mission we are given. MISSION: In your last five years as Provincial what influenced you most and in what way? Fr. McGarry: I have been most impressed with and humbled by the genuine goodness and generosity of the Jesuits and lay colleagues I have encountered in my day-to-day work. I travel to all the communities and ministries of the Province each year, and I am constantly listening, witnessing, and in dialogue with Jesuits and lay Ignatian partners who love God and want to serve others. It is grace upon grace, and a tremendous blessing, to witness the commitment and dedication of wonderful people. And, we have great support in our work for the Church. We are blessed with so many people, our benefactors, who embrace the work of Jesuits and our institutions. They will do anything to help us because they know the good we are seeking to do! MISSION: What prepared you for your role as Provincial? Fr. McGarry: My desire to serve and my previous experience in administration as principal of Jesuit High helped a lot. Good friendships helped and continue to help sustain me. But most important is my love for God, my genuine sense of being called, and my deep love for the Society of Jesus. I am happy in my vocation and I love being a Jesuit, and I love Jesuits and our life and ministry together. If I didn t, I think it would be much more challenging to lead the Province! MISSION: What do you believe is the most important thing you do? Fr. McGarry: Every year I meet with each Jesuit in the Province to receive his account of conscience where he shares with me the joys and the challenges he has experienced in his personal life, his vows, his ministry, and his life in community. This is the most important thing I do. It is also important for me to be MISSION winter

18 attentive to our partnership, as Jesuits, with others, and to make myself available to our partners in ministry as they, too, seek to live their vocation in service to others in our schools, universities, retreat and spirituality centers, parishes, social and international ministries, and all our works. I have become a better person, a better Jesuit, and a better priest through accompanying Jesuits and lay people in their experience of God and service to others. I am so grateful for this grace in my life. MISSION: In your role as Provincial what makes the biggest impact? Fr. McGarry: I think I have the biggest impact when I inspire others confidence in me as a leader as one who prays and has an active relationship with Christ and with other people, listens well, discerns and consults, is willing to make decisions, and is grounded in the here and now but with an eye to the future. MISSION: When you became Provincial, you developed a five-year plan and goals. What have you achieved and what is left to do? Fr. McGarry: I have an excellent Provincial team that has worked very hard to achieve goals in their respective areas. In pre-secondary, secondary and higher education, we have made great strides in partnership with our lay colleagues, while maintaining our Catholic and Jesuit identity. We have also engaged in exploring and implementing schools and programs that have expanded our traditional role in education. In pastoral ministry, we have made some tough decisions and employed some creative solutions to address the fact we simply don t have enough priests to serve as pastors in our parishes. We right-sized our parish commitments, from 12 parishes to 9. We also implemented a new leadership model. In July, a lay woman will be installed as the Parish Life Director for Blessed Sacrament Parish, which is a first for our parishes. Empowering lay people to take on leadership roles, in partnership with Jesuits, is a great achievement. Shortly after I took office, our leaders in social ministries prioritized what they felt were the most pressing social issues and how the Province could respond most effectively to them. Comprehensive Immigration Reform turned out to be the number one priority, and Restorative Justice, number two. We started new ministries in both areas: the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, to address immigration issues, and the Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative, which works with those who are incarcerated and their families, as well as victims of crime, through prayer, education and advocacy. I believe that, in general, a commitment to social justice has been renewed and deepened in all of our works. In the international realm, we have right-sized our commitments, while strengthening our relationship with particular Provinces, such as Argentina and Uruguay. In addition, we began a new initiative with China the Malatesta Project which is focused on an exchange program of professors from universities in China I am grateful for the opportunity to work with a leader of John s insight and hopefulness. Mary Eden Below: Fr. McGarry, S.J., greets Sr. Lorena Leyva at the Social Ministries Gathering on Sustainability in Los Altos. PHOTO BY Tam Patane Provincial Assistant for Health Care, Jesuits of the California Province

19 and our three universities in California. The exchange in mostly in the areas of Philosophy and Theology. An area where more remains to be done is the Ignatian formation of Jesuits and lay people for partnership, making sure that this partnership is grounded in what our Superior General calls an Ignatian spirituality of collaboration. For this reason, the Province has inaugurated an Ignatian Partnership Commission. MISSION: How have changes in the economy impacted you and how you have done your job? Fr. McGarry: With the downturn in the economy, we had to tighten our belts like everyone else. We also made sure that we didn t draw down on the principle corpus of each of our main endowments, which fund our ministries, formation of Jesuits and care for the sick and aged. Even with the downturn, we have been able to help other Provinces in the Society of Jesus, as well as continue our own ministries, due to the fundraising efforts of Fr. Bill Maring, S.J., and Fr. Dick Vaughan, S.J., and the generosity of our benefactors. Our current offices of Advancement and Communications, and Treasury have made great strides in the good stewardship of our resources and the active engagement of our benefactors and friends in helping to advance and support the mission of the Society of Jesus for the Church in the California Province. Final Thoughts In a recent letter on leadership, our Superior General called us to greater spiritual and intellectual depth and a greater use of creativity and imagination in how we serve. It is my hope that our young Jesuits, who carry our future, will be inspired by this call as they complete their formation and studies and enter our ministries. Gratitude is a foundational theme in my life my parents always taught me to be grateful and generous in return. My own experience of making the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola put me in greater and deeper touch with a God who has been and is so generous to me. I can only respond with gratitude and generosity, and care for others and for the Society and its mission for the Church, in return. I am very grateful for the help of everyone who has accompanied me on this journey. I am blessed with wonderful companions, collaborators, and partners in mission, and I certainly would not have been able to do what I do as Provincial without them. MISSION winter

20 We know that wis is essential to Give us a building that soars to the hea Etched in our hearts is a dream Help us to grow, to expand our understanding The leaders of tomorrow; th that will gleam Father Dan Sullivan, S.J., greets students after Mass.

21 for tomorrow. e lights Go, Set the World on Fire! WRITTEN BY Kim Cavnar, Principal Go, set the world on fire. At St. Francis Xavier Parish and School in Phoenix, Arizona we are especially fond of reminding one another of these parting words of Ignatius to Francis Xavier upon departing for his journey. These words are painted on the wall in our school reception area, they are printed in school programs, and in a special way over the past few years, the spirit of these words have become etched in our hearts. The message is noble and courageous, and maybe even more of a dare than a command, yet it has become part of the fiber of our daily mission in these times that challenge. Maybe that s how leadership is really borne, out of challenge and invitation, in spite of and in response to the needs that surround us. In one of the worst economic times, we are in the midst of a capital campaign at St. Francis Xavier, to rebuild our 75 year old school and create some gathering spaces for a growing parish community and staff. Geographically we are dwarfed beside two outstanding college preparatory high schools that have exponentially expanded over the past ten years, each doubling the scope and size of their campus facilities. As the neighboring parish and elementary school, literally sharing the same property, we were late coming into the competitive playing field for big benefactors and generous philanthropic awards. Still, we are chugging along, like the infamous little engine that could, and so far we have phase one of five completed. The ingenuity and drive of parish and school families and volunteers are reminiscent of a scene from the film, It s a Wonderful Life, as those worn around the edges, with limited means, lost wages and loyal hearts, keep faithful to the small and big sacrifices that meet the bills, to continue to uphold the dream of a community, united by love. Twice a year parish and school families assist in home building on Indian Reservations and in Mexico. MISSION WINTER

22 Etched in Our Hearts is the theme of the Capital Campaign and the kids in the school have even learned a song of the same title written by their music teacher, that parallels the friendship of Ignatius and Francis Xavier to themselves as leaders of tomorrow. Last fall the students participated in a Kids Campaign and weekly each student contributed 25 cents toward a goal of $1, over six weeks. Not only did they meet their goal, but a local bank came out with a coin counting truck to let the kids watch the coins add up, then matched the amount with $1, Each student knows s/he is part of helping to build their future school...leadership borne out of challenge and invitation. During this same time the Hispanic population of St. Francis Xavier Parish tripled as the estranged, the immigrant, and the alienated of Phoenix found a welcome space to worship and grow in their faith. The rapid growth and passionate design to practice their Catholic heritage spurred Associate Pastor Fr. John Auther, S.J., to create a family faith formation program. Elders in the Hispanic community became trained catechists and evangelical assistants guiding the community members in sacramental preparation. Now the Spanish Religious Education program thrives every Sunday, there is standing room only at Sunday mass as the 1,000 seat church bulges at the seams, and the community lingers long after mass throughout the afternoon on parish grounds, in a spirit of fiesta and family. While more parish staff is needed, that doesn t keep the program from cultivating leadership from within the Hispanic community so that all can be served, and future generations can receive a religious education...leadership borne out of challenge and invitation. Leadership isn t just about the future, it s also about honoring our roots so we can stay true to our collective mission. In that spirit, as the Jesuit Community of Phoenix merged into one home, space was freed up and given over to be used as the Ignatian Spirituality Center. Retreats, prayer space, Ignatian spirituality programs, and meeting space for spiritual direction became available with the emphasis on providing opportunities for spiritual leadership. Deepening one s faith life and introduction to the Spiritual Exercises, parish and school board leadership retreats, and faculty days of prayer have evolved and now fill the center. Recently launched is a Loyola New Orleans cohort which trains lay leaders and incorporates spiritual formation based upon the Exercises. Pastor Fr. Dan Sullivan, S.J. has begun conversations to develop a more formal Center for Ignatian Spirituality to bring in Jesuit speakers, scholars, and retreat guides. Meanwhile Jesuit leadership thrives at the school. The Arrupe Project is one of several dynamic invitations students will participate in as they transition through their school years. This is a capstone coming-of-age program where 7th and 8th graders learn to pay it forward by becoming Etched in Our Hearts Etched in our hearts is a dream for tomorrow. Etched in our minds is a plan for that dream. We are the messengers of God s Holy Scripture, The leaders of tomorrow, the lights that will gleam. Help us to grow, to expand our understanding. Help us to learn of the power of His grace. Give us a building that soars to the heavens. Give us a stairway that can reach His warm embrace. Please build a sign that says All are Welcome! Make us some rooms that encourage work and play. personally engaged and even investing a small amount of money, into a dream project to respond to a social injustice. Along with the help of their parents and their teachers, and a grant from the John F. Long Foundation, over the course of two to three months, students will examine the causes of systemic suffering and creatively grapple with how they personally can make a difference in a way that will perpetuate beyond their direct service. SPIRIT! The first of three phases is underway with the rebuilding of St. Francis Xavier Faith and Education Center. Let all God s children find joy in their learning. Add a winding path where believers can pray. As students of St. Francis, we are all Kids for Others. Following the teachings of Ignatius, our guide. We know that wisdom is essential for our mission. Give us the space that will enhance our Catholic pride. 20 MISSION WINTER 2011

23 Students, parents, teachers and Jesuits participate in the Kids Campaign kickoff, presided by Pastor Fr. Dan Sullivan, S.J. These students have had plenty of preparation beforehand as they serve as retreat leaders for younger grades in sacramental preparation, as they participate as members of the MAGIS outreach committee based on servant leadership, and as they create and play Jesuit board games. As early as kindergarten, students at St. Francis Xavier learn the five foundations of their Jesuit education: to become loving, open to growth, religious, intellectually competent and committed to doing justice...all aimed at cultivating emerging leaders, those who reach for the very best in all areas, so that they can give away their gifts in loving service to others. Our daily ritual of morning prayer and pledge launches the academic start of the day with the call and response: As we go out to be kids for others...in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! In response to the school-wide Examen, students can place post-it notes on their classroom doors describing how they saw or heard God that day at school or at home. By the time students leave St. Francis Xavier, we hope they believe that they are personally responsible for being the kindling if not the flame, that sets the world on fire. What options do we have short of cultivating ongoing leadership, as we look into a 22 million dollar campaign of which we are about a third of the way, as we continue to nourish a growing Hispanic population with greater awareness of their own giftedness, as we plan for a thriving Ignatian Spirituality Center to sustain our Jesuit heritage, and as we rebuild our parish school rooted in Jesuit ideals and practices to serve future generations? I don t think any of us at St. Francis Xavier Parish and School knew we were so committed to leadership. We did try to stay faithful to that small, still voice within. From the moment you walk into the school or the parish, we pray you will be lovingly guided to hear God s voice, to open your heart, to know you are home, and to partner with us on our collective journey. In the final phase of the master plan for the completed capital campaign, there is a Sacred Walk designed between the parish and the school, depicting the life journey of St. Francis Xavier. Until the story is laid in concrete, we are doing our Jesuits visit classes to share from their ministry training. A natural teacher, Fr. John Auther, S.J., directly engages the students in the lesson. best to live our own journey as a faith community, and to help one another venture out on his or her own response to God s challenge and invitation. We look forward to those companions who will be part of the journey and the great adventure. For more information on St. Francis Xavier Parish School go to MISSION WINTER

24 PHOTO BY Fr. Thomas Rausch, S.J. The Malatesta Program In the Footsteps of Matteo Ricci, S.J. By Thomas E. Buckley, S.J. Matteo Ricci, S.J., and Xu Quangqi, a Chinese scholar-official, in Xu s burial garden in Shanghai. The Malatesta program is named for Fr. Edward Malatesta, S.J., who was a great friend of China and Chinese Catholics in the San Francisco Bay Area. Trained as a biblical scholar, he taught for many years at the Gregorian University in Rome. But he had always wanted to work in China. After the Cultural Revolution ended, the Jesuit Superior General, Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., gave him permission to leave Rome and to learn Chinese which he did at the age of 48 at the Monterey Language Institute. Fr. Malatesta then began travelling back and forth to China where he helped Fr. (now Bishop) Aloysius Jin to re-establish the Sheshan Seminary for the Shanghai diocese which has since trained hundreds of priests and bishops for China. In 1984, Fr. Malatesta co-founded the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at the University of San Francisco with the California Province. The center is named for an Italian Jesuit, Fr. Matteo Ricci, S.J., an outstanding missionary to China who died in Beijing in Fr. Malatesta died in Hong Kong in 1998 while on his thirty-second trip to China. 22 MISSION WINTER 2011

25 China Impressions George Greiner, S.J. Above: Located behind Beijing Zoo, Wuta Si, or the Five Pagoda Temple is the Avenue of Jesuit tombstones. Left: Matteo Ricci, S.J., the first missionary welcomed into Beijing, in a 1610 painting at the Church of Jesu in Rome. Chinese Universities: By the late 1980s, Fr. Confucianism. One can be completely Malatesta was developing yet another new Chinese and completely Catholic. project, working with Prof. Zhao Dunhua at Second, due to the post-modernist Peking University in Beijing to develop the challenge to modernity, some Chinese religious studies major, which had been scholars have realized the limitation of established in 1983, into a full religious scientism and the Enlightenment prejudice studies department. That department against Christian tradition. On the other opened in 1995 and since then religious hand, they are also skeptical of postmodernism. From their perspective, both studies departments have sprung up at China s best universities. Peking University post-modernism and modernism are subsequently opened an Academy of characterized by a radical secularization Religious Studies so that faculty members of culture. In China this has resulted in from other departments might also engage skepticism, relativism, and finally, nihilism in the study of religion. of values. The only way out of this The Chinese government s support for predicament, some argue, is to supplement the study of religion may seem surprising the secular values of modernity with values in light of the fact that it professes to be Communist and atheistic. But Chinese intellectuals, regard Christianity and other religious of pre-modernity. In this respect they especially scholars in the Humanities, tend traditions as capable of providing rich to be positive towards Christianity. This resources for modern culture and life. trend is a result of their change of vision, to This does not mean that most Chinese a broader understanding of culture. Even intellectuals upholding such principles though they may be non-believers, they are becoming Christians. They are mainly recognize two important realities: concerned with reconstructing modern First, they appreciate the convergence Chinese culture, the comparison between between Christian and Chinese traditions, Chinese and Western traditions, and the especially those derived from Confucius. integration of modernization with tradition. Historical studies made by Chinese scholars Yet, since they became convinced that recently have revealed that Matteo Ricci Western civilization and culture could and his Chinese colleagues, Xu Gangqi, not be assimilated without a proper Yang Tingyun, and Li Zhizao in the Ming understanding of the Christian tradition, Dynasty were correct when they recognized there is enormous interest in the study of the compatibility between Christianity and Christianity. PHOTO BY Fr. Tom Buckley, S.J. China is a vast, complex country, embracing 20% of the world s people, with cultures that date back 5,000 years. I don t pretend to know much about China and all I can provide are impressions. The beautiful island city of Xiamen was my entry into mainland China in A year later I visited the Jesuit Beijing Cultural Center, and gave two theological lectures at Renmin University. I also visited two Roman Catholic seminaries at Shijiazhuang, each filled with students, and went on to Xiamen, Hong Kong and Macau. China is rapidly expanding and improving its university system, providing the opportunity for more and more students to pursue a wide variety of disciplines, including religious studies. Chinese Universities welcome visiting scholars, and send many of their teachers and students abroad: nearly 100,000 young Chinese are studying at American universities this year. The Chinese students I met were friendly, eager, intelligent, and informed, well-versed in Western philosophy, literature, film and politics. Most speak English, and some are mastering French, German and Spanish for studies abroad. Several have begun theological studies outside China, in Europe or the USA especially. I have been very impressed by the intellectual ferment I encountered in China, with the curiosity of the students and faculty I met, with their warmth and hospitality. MISSION WINTER

26 Jesuits in China Thomas P. Rausch, S.J. Macau, a Portuguese enclave on the border of China, was the launching point for the Jesuit mission to China in the late sixteenth century. When Alessandro Valignano, S.J. ( ) arrived in Macau as a visitor from Rome, he committed the Society of Jesus to an in depth study of Chinese language and culture that would from now characterize the Jesuits mission. Michele Ruggieri, S.J. ( ) arrived in 1579, followed in 1582 by Matteo Ricci, S.J. ( ). These two Italian priests were the first of a group of outstanding Jesuits who would plant Christianity in China. By 1700 there were some 200,000 Chinese Christians. But the Jesuit presence there was never large. For example, in 1665 there were seventeen priests and three brothers scattered throughout that vast land, most of them serving as pastors to communities of Christians for a church that lacked ordinary diocesan structures. To multiply their influence, they stressed lay piety as they did in Europe, relying on lay catechists/interpreters and using techniques they had learned in their colleges, organizing the faithful into devotional confraternities, sodalities, and brotherhoods (called hui, associations). Often chanting responsorial prayers under the direction of their president, the huizhang, these confraternities instructed neophytes, prayed for the sick, and buried the dead. Though divided between the government-recognized public church and a perhaps a greater number in the church underground the Church in China continues to grow. I was invited to teach a course on Christology at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou in What I found most fascinating in China was the new interest in religion and specifically Christianity. A considerable number of university scholars, often called cultural Christians are interested in Christianity because of its potential to contribute Chinese culture in the areas of values, morality, and social justice. How The Malatesta Program Began: In 2006, Fr. George Greiner, S.J., and Fr. Thomas Buckley, S.J., from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (now JST-SCU), were invited to lecture at Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou and Peking University in Beijing. During this visit, Fr. Buckley also lectured and met faculty members at Fudan University in Shanghai and Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. Chinese scholars at all these institutions expressed enthusiasm for an exchange program that would emphasize religious studies and theology. In 2007, The Malatesta Program began as an initiative of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Provincial Fr. John McGarry, S.J., formally announced the program in February While the Province oversees the program, it is jointly sponsored by Loyola Marymount University, Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco and administered by a committee of seven Jesuit and lay faculty members drawn from the three universities. The program is based on the method of enculturating Christianity first promoted by Ricci and other European Jesuits in the second half of the sixteenth century. Their methodology was founded upon a respect for Chinese culture and the formation of personal relationships between scholars. Following that same approach, the Malatesta Program is designed to promote academic collaboration through an exchange between faculty and graduate students at the PHOTO BY Fr. Tom Buckley, S.J. three Jesuit universities in California and faculty and graduate students at selected Chinese universities. This program is envisioned as a person to person exchange on the Ricci model of establishing friendships among Chinese and American scholars and providing an opportunity for intellectual and cultural exchange. In particular, it seeks to support the development of religious studies programs in China and to enhance the state of theological investigation there and at the U.S. Jesuit universities. May 11, 2010, was the four hundredth anniversary of Ricci s death. He is buried in Beijing, but his spirit is alive and well in China. What is the Malatesta Program doing? The program is set up to: 1) Expand the curriculum/ program support in departments of religious studies at select Chinese universities and the Jesuit schools in California. 2) Provide significant opportunities for research and consultation by Chinese faculty and stipends for Chinese doctoral students at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley. 3) Promote collaboration between Chinese and American scholars through attendance and participation at conferences, team-teaching, and joint research and publication. 4) Enhance the awareness and understanding of Christianity in China by faculty and students at American universities 24 MISSION WINTER 2011

27 through regular guest lectures by Chinese next fall two more will arrive, including scholars. Professor Zhao from Peking University. Last Over the past three years, more than a fall the first Chinese doctoral student arrived dozen Jesuit and lay faculty from to spend an academic year preparing his California Jesuit schools have lectured doctoral dissertation on Latin American at ten Chinese universities. Four Chinese liberation theology. Two more students are scholars have each spent a semester expected next year, provided the funding is sabbatical at the G.T.U. in Berkeley and available for them. Right: Gate leading to Matteo Ricci s tomb in Beijing. Lower Left: A single Jesuit tombstone in Wuta Si, Beijing. We need your help: This program began with financial support from the California Province. We have also received some financial help from the three California Jesuit universities and from funding sources at the Chinese universities and some Asian foundations, however, we need more help. You can help by making a gift to the Jesuits of the California Province using the attached envelope in this magazine, visiting our website and going to the online giving page at or by calling us at (408) PHOTO BY Fr. Tom Buckley, S.J. Kuangchi Program Service Extends Reach into a Changing China Jerry Martinson, S.J. On the morning of June 4, 1989, I woke up to radio reports of a student massacre in Beijing s Tiananmen Square and the resulting chaos throughout the country. Coincidentally, this was precisely the day I was to travel to Beijing and other cities in China to prepare production of one of the first documentaries on the Catholic Church in China since the Communist government came to power in In spite of that day s tragic events, I left for China as planned. Some weeks later, after numerous obstacles, we completed a documentary that revealed some surprise discoveries about the Church in China. When Pope John Paul II viewed our documentary, he learned that China s Catholic Patriotic Association was more complex than formerly considered. While it is true that this government-ruled body oversees and controls many aspects of the Chinese Church; nevertheless, many perhaps most of its members are loyal to the Pope and the Universal Church. They are, however, forced to belong to this Association, if they ever again want to attend Mass inside a Catholic Church in China. Chinese, being practical people, did what they had to throughout long years of political pressure and isolation, in order to preserve and practice their Catholic faith and keep it alive and vital. Now, some officials see the Church as a positive influence in society. Kuangchi Program Service, our Jesuit-run television production center, has taken advantage of this more relaxed situation by partnering with Jiangsu TV in Nanjing and Beijing s Central China Television to broadcast docu-dramas on great Jesuit missionaries. Hopefully, these television documentaries will further reinforce China s realization that the Church and the Jesuits have only the best interests of the Chinese people at heart. MISSION WINTER

28 God Impossible by Fr. William Muller, S.J. President, Verbum Dei High School During the first week of school in the fall of 2008 (my first year at Verbum Dei) I saw a student who sat reading each afternoon on a bench just inside our front gate. After a couple of days I asked what he was still doing at school late in the afternoons. He told me he was reading. I told him I got that part, but wanted to know why he was on campus reading was he waiting for a ride? Nope, he said, I m here because it s safe here. The twenty-four Cristo Rey schools in the United States provide access to college, to a dignified work experience, and safety. For young men and women in America s urban centers who might not otherwise have such access, the Cristo Rey Network is a God-send. The three Cristo Rey schools in California Cristo Rey High School in Sacramento, Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco, and Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles are providing college ready curricula and research-based instruction while every student participates in the Corporate Work Study program that is unique in those cities. And the schools are safe for the inner-city minority students who are enrolled there. 26 MISSION WINTER 2011

29 In W.H. Auden s poem For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio a chorus for Advent reads: How could the Eternal do a temporal act, The Infinite become a finite fact? Nothing can save us that is possible. Certainly the Cristo Rey idea seemed impossible when Fr. John Foley, S.J., dreamed it up in the mid-nineteen nineties. But after all he was only following along God s impulses, not just dreaming, but doing beyond the possible. Isn t that what we celebrate in Jesus, God s unimaginable self with us. As Joan Osborn sings, What if God was one of us / Just a slob like one of us / Just a stranger oºn the bus / Trying to make his way home. What Ms. Osborn might miss is God s motivation, God s desire to take us home with him but she does capture the nothing can save us that is possible about God. Ilia Delio, OSF, tells the story in her book The Humility of God, of a little boy asking his mother what God s last name is. The mother is at a loss to come up with an answer, but then the boy answers his own question and says God s last name is World. Pretty profound. God has been given many last names and has been described in many ways with many titles through millennia: mighty, omniscient, jealous, awesome, lover, teacher. I wonder if God s real last name might just be Impossible. The young men at Verbum Dei and the young men and women at all the Cristo Rey schools are learning to dream and to do something about their dreams, imagining themselves at college, at a job, with a future worth dreaming about. They are working hard at their dreams, only following along God s impulses. If you haven t already, check out the Cristo Rey network of schools at or any of the three Cristo Rey schools in California ( My experience at Verbum Dei has challenged my understanding of the impossible it has to do with imagination. Statistics about urban minority youth tell us that very few will graduate from college, most will struggle to make a living, and many will run afoul of the law, but the kids from the inner-city at Verbum Dei with nowhere near the resources most of us have are discovering an imagination for themselves that recognizes God s desire for them to use their personalities and talents to get to college, to graduate from college, and contribute to their communities after college. It s vision, it s mission, it s the impossibility of God. I am surprised in my conversations with so many others, whether casual or confessional, how often a dream stays a dream or worse there is no dream at all. Many people seem to have lost their ability and, much more debilitating, their desire to wonder, to ponder, to imagine. Is it because so many feel disconnected or rather have no connection to something more than themselves? When I was studying drama so many years ago at Gonzaga University I read a paper (lost to me now) about the American Indian. I read how the Chief was not the only one to see the rain clouds coming and so propose a dance to call the rain, but how the whole tribe saw the clouds and danced, not to call the rain, but to participate in something bigger than they were. Imagination is contingent on dancing with others, participating in the impossibility of God. It s vision, it s mission, it s the impossibility of God. In the very practical world of Verbum Dei High School, we can dream because of a dedicated faculty and staff, the support of the Cristo Rey Network, the benefactions and prayers of so many friends: the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Aware or not, our students are dancing with hundreds of people! The School of Education at Loyola Marymount University and the administration at Loyola High School have been particularly helpful. All of this we call partnership these days or as the Jesuits 35th General Congregation says, the Society desires strong relationships in mission with as many collaborators in the Lord s vineyard as possible. During the time before college applications were due this past November I walked by a group of seniors at seven in the morning and asked where they wanted to go to college. Each had a response, most rattled off four or five schools they wanted to attend. These guys will be the first in their families to attend college. They ll have a resume from four years of work in offices of our corporate partners. They will be men with a future no mean thing in south central Los Angeles. Seemingly impossible, but I m with Auden: Nothing can save us that is possible. MISSION WINTER

30 A mother takes her infant child into her arms, a father lifts high his tiny baby in that precious moment, parents desire to give everything to their son or daughter, most especially the unshakable confidence that they are loved unconditionally. That unconditional love is necessary for the child s self-esteem which will allow the newborn to become an adult, capable of loving and being loved and finding their way in the big world. Yet the self-esteem that enables the adult to live joyfully and effectively requires not only the experience of unconditional love but also an experience through childhood and adolescence of engaging the world effectively. We win this sense of self-efficacy, of being capable, in the elementary classroom and playground: tying a shoe; writing one s name for the first time; hitting a baseball. Of course, adult engagement with the world demands more advanced skills, and hopefully they develop as we grow and mature. After the resurrection, Jesus insisted that his disciples await the Holy Spirit. Apparently living alongside Jesus for three years and witnessing the risen Christ was not enough. What more could they possibly need? Yet the gospels clearly present them as fearful, confused and even incapable of leaving their locked upper room. The Spirit s visit drives them out into their world and empowers them to engage others with the message of God s love. Yes, Jesus had filled them with the conviction of God s unconditional love, but the Spirit drove them out into the world and gave them the ability to engage it effectively, and thus become apostles. The Church asks of us all a serious engagement with our world, that is, that all Christians assume leadership for the Graced to Lead by Michael Weiler, S.J., Director of Novices, Ignatius House Jesuit Novitiate Psalm 23 by John August Swanson Moving forward, barefoot and without fear, two figures travel through a valley transformed by their own beliefs; a world where lions and lambs can lie together in peaceful harmony. building up of the Kingdom. Leadership, for some, is an uncomfortable notion. We associate it with images of military officers, charismatic speakers, or CEO s. But the gospels offer another image of leadership, the leadership of weakness. Peter is the best example. In his bumbling, fearful overreaches and betrayals he is the least likely leader, yet his abiding love of the Lord and confidence in the Lord s strength places him at the forefront of the disciples. From the parable of the talents to the multiplication of the loaves, the gospel makes clear that the principle attribute of Christian leadership is confidence in God; that God can take the little one has and place it effectively at the service of others. Doing so, putting one s talent in play, offering one s two small fish, not only builds the Church and the Kingdom, it completes and fulfills the dynamic gift of love given by God. The love that grounds one s worth and dignity is a tremendous gift, but, in itself, incomplete. The gift reaches fulfillment only in the moment it is given away in loving others. Parents must send their children off to school. The Spirit must send us into the world. Christian maturity, Christian leadership, brings the love of God to its fulfillment in serving others. Editor s note: Michael F. Weiler, S.J. is the Director of Novices at the Ignatius House, Jesuit Novitiate in Culver City. His appointment, starting July 2011, will be as the new Provincial of the Jesuits of the California Province (see page 4). For more information about artist John August Swanson, please visit 28 MISSION WINTER 2011

31 Jesuit Brother & Scooter at the Smithsonian Museum As an adventuresome sixteen year old, Tom Bracco of Springfield, Illinois, fell in love with a 1945 Cushman Model 52 Pacemaker motor scooter. After saving money earned as a soda jerk at the Sugar Bowl Soda Fountain, he purchased the classic scooter. It cost $225. Bracco rode the scooter to high school, social activities, and his job prior to joining the Navy in Eventually, the scooter was retired to the back of the family garage where it sat forgotten for about forty years. In 1956, Tom entered the Jesuits as a Jesuit Brother. While moving his mother to a retirement home, Br. Tom Bracco, S.J., discovered the scooter and restored it to mint condition. In 2000, this scooter was donated to the Smithsonian and now sits in the America on the Move Exhibition at the National Museum of American History, along with a life-sized statue of a teenage Bracco. Br. Tom Bracco, S.J., currently serves as Assistant Minister of the Santa Clara Jesuit Community. He is also a pilot and an accomplished photographer.

32 California Province of the Society of Jesus Advancement Office P.O. Box 68 Los Gatos, CA Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID permit #1199 san jose, CA Your invitation to prayer, community & service First and Second Year Novices, 2010 For more information on becoming a Jesuit Priest or Brother, visit us at or contact Br. James C. (Jim) Siwicki, S.J., Vocation Director, at (408) or jsiwicki@calprov.org.