PARTNERs. JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE summer/fall 2010 PUTTING FAITH INTO ACTION IN LOS ANGELES

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1 JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE summer/fall 2010 PARTNERs PUTTING FAITH INTO ACTION IN LOS ANGELES COME SHARE OUR SPIRIT AT RETREAT CENTERS VOCATIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS THE IGNATIAN QUEST TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD

2 JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE summer/fall putting faith into action Dolores Mission and Proyecto Pastoral have formed a powerful partnership to build a better way of life for the residents of East Los Angeles. Father, in the name of Jesus, through the power of your Spirit, inspire men and women to labor for your Kingdom. We especially ask you through the intercession of Mary, our Mother, St. Ignatius, and all the saints, to help the Society of Jesus continue its service to your Church. May your will be done. Amen. PHOTO BY ROBERT DOLAN, S.J. En route to school, students cross the street under the watchful eyes of volunteers wearing green shirts who serve in Proyecto Pastoral s Safe Passage/Camino Seguro program. In every issue 2 From ThE PROVINCIAL Ignatian Vocation Pathways by John P. McGarry, S.J. 3 PROVINCE NEWS Blessed Sacrament opens preschool; malatesta Initiative fosters U.S.- China academic exchange; Jesuit School of Theology; and more 7 GOOD STEWARD Meet Jenny and Ernest Go 25 Jesuit PRofile Meet Father Anton Renna, S.J. 22 ON POINT The Ignatian Quest to Transform the World by David Robinson, S.J. 28 MEDITATIONS Tattoos on the Heart: The Holy Spirit as Artist and Ink by John Mossi, S.J. 16 come share our spirit Three retreat/spirituality centers in the California Province share Ignatian spirituality through retreats, days of prayer, and other programs. 20 living ignatian vocations Lay volunteers can live out an Ignatian vocation by serving in the Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality, the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, or the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. On the cover After Mass in Rossi Chapel, Fr. John Dullea, S.J., greets Mary Jane Araya (left) and Sr. Pat Galli, R.S.M., who attended the California Province Partners Retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos. Photo by Peter Lemieux. A Prayer for Vocations from Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits Environmental Benefits Statement California Province of the Society of Jesus saved the following resources by using paper made with 55% recycled fiber and 30% post-consumer waste: 42 fully grown trees / 19,394 gallons of water / 13 million BTU of energy / 1,178 lbs of solid waste / 4,027 lbs of greenhouse gases Calculations based on research by Environmental Defense Fund and other members of the Paper Task Force.

3 Blessed sacrament opens preschool to serve hollywood community Ignatian vocation pathways As a student at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, I was greatly impacted by the Jesuits who taught me. I was deeply moved by their generous spirit, prayerfulness, and obvious joy in their lives of service. What most touched me was how much the Jesuits cared for us as students and about our education and formation. I also remember being very impressed by how much the Jesuits seemed to care for each other. In short, I wanted to be like them and do what they did. That is how the Lord invited me to be a Jesuit. Those are the roots of my Ignatian vocation. My vocation came from my experience as a high school student being influenced by great Jesuits who wanted to do great things for God through teaching and inviting students to come closer to Christ. I remember well, too, the many wonderful laymen and women who taught me at Loyola High School. Along with the Jesuits, these teachers revealed a dedication to students that was a life s vocation for them. After my ordination as a priest, I was privileged to join them in the ministry of teaching when I was sent to Loyola High School to be Director of Campus Ministry and teacher. My experience as Principal of Jesuit High School in Sacramento from 1998 to 2005 gave me the most gratifying opportunity to witness Jesuits and laypeople sharing in an Ignatian vocation. In our efforts to provide an education grounded in academic excellence, cocurricular involvement, and spiritual and religious formation, we, like all of our Jesuit schools, patterned ourselves in the model of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, and his spirituality and educational philosophy. To witness men and women giving themselves to this vocation day in and day out was one of the greatest privileges of my life. My experience of the Ignatian vocation comes primarily through work in our schools. However, we are abundantly blessed with a variety of ways for people to explore a vocation shaped by Ignatian spirituality. Jesuits and non-jesuits alike follow the way of Ignatius through our work in parishes, retreat centers, social justice ministries, and international missions. Young people graduating from college can explore the Ignatian vocation through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC). Those who are older and worked in a career can live their vocation through the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) or the Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality. By virtue of our baptism, we all have a vocation to love and to serve. An Ignatian vocation, stemming from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, is a path that leads us to experience Jesus Christ and to be like Him and do what He did. Thank you for your support of the Jesuits and lay partners in mission of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Fulfilling our vocation would not be possible without you. In February, Blessed Sacrament School opened a new preschool. The early start provided by a high-quality preschool like ours helps youngsters prepare for success in school and in life, said Father Michael Mandala, S.J., pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish. So much research has been done showing how preschool children really fare better when they get to school that we re pleased to offer this new service for the little ones. At 7:30 a.m., parents can drop off their kids ages 3 to 5 at the preschool, where they are served a nutritious breakfast at 8 a.m. and lunch at noon. The academic day runs until 3 p.m., with activities designed to foster social skills and emotional growth. For more information, call (323) or visit mission EDITORIAL BOARD John P. McGarry, S.J., Provincial John P. Mossi, S.J., Executive Editor Richards E. Bushnell, Editor EDITORIAL contributors Robert Dolan, S.J. John P. Mossi, S.J. Dan Peterson, S.J. David Robinson, S.J. Susan Wampler DESIGN Mixed Palette Advancement Office Joseph B. Naylor Vice President for Advancement and Communications John P. Mossi, S.J. Manager Richards E. Bushnell Associate Director of Communications William C. Farrington, S.J. Advancement Associate Julie Han Jesuit Mass Cards Administrator Grace Melendrez Gifts Steward 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. Gratefully in the Lord, Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J. Provincial Malatesta program fosters exchange between chinese and american scholars The death of Father Edward J. Malatesta, S.J., in Hong Kong in 1998 marked the loss of a true friend of China. For almost two decades, Fr. Malatesta embodied the vision of Matteo Ricci, the 16th-century Italian Jesuit who began the inculturation of Christianity in China. Ricci s method was based upon a respect for Chinese culture and the formation of personal relationships among scholars. In the same spirit of friendship, Fr. Malatesta co-founded the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History in 1984 at the University of San Francisco. Now, Fr. Malatesta s spirit is reflected in the Malatesta Program, a new California Province Fr. Malatesta at site of old Christian cemetery in Beijing, China. initiative announced this spring by Father Preschoolers Angela Vanegas (left) and Olivia Jimenez enjoy a break from class in the playground. Provincial John P. McGarry, S.J., and endorsed by the three Jesuit universities in California: Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara, and USF. The Malatesta Program is designed to promote academic collaboration through person-to-person exchanges between faculty and graduate students at the three Jesuit universities and their counterparts Fr. Edward Malatesta, S.J. at selected Chinese universities. Last spring, Dr. Lawrence Lau of Fudan University (Shanghai) was in residence at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. He was the fourth Chinese professor to visit the U.S. as part of the program. Meanwhile, Jesuit and lay faculty members from the three California schools have been lecturing and meeting with faculty at Fudan University, Peking University (Beijing), Sun Yat Sen University (Guangzhou), Zhejiang University (Hangzhou), and elsewhere. In the coming academic year, Father Daniel Kendall, S.J., of USF s theology department, will teach at Sun Yat Sen University and at least two faculty members from Chinese universities will participate in the Teilhard for A New Generation conference at Santa Clara University in mid-november. courtesy of 2 MISSION summer/fall 2010 MISSION summer/fall

4 Jesuit school of theology prepares students for ministries The Jesuit School of Theology (JST) is celebrating its 75th year of preparing students for leadership roles in the Church, academia, and beyond. Established in 1934 as Alma College, a theologate (seminary) for Jesuit scholastics of the California and Oregon Provinces, the JST has evolved into a graduate school and an international center for the study of theology and ministry. In 1969, the JST was relocated to Berkeley, joining the Graduate Theological Union. In July 2009, the JST affiliated with Santa Clara University, becoming one of its graduate schools, though remaining on the Berkeley campus. Currently, 140 graduate students are enrolled at the JST, including Jesuits, religious, and laymen and women from across the U.S. and 40 countries. Among those studying theology are California Province Jesuits David Ayotte, S.J., Radmar Jao, S.J., James Keane, S.J., and Trung Pham, S.J. A recent graduate, Father Matthew Motyka, S.J., was ordained to the priesthood. California Province Jesuits also serve on the JST faculty, including Fathers Thomas Buckley, S.J., George Murphy, S.J., and Bill O Neill, S.J. Father Michael Engh, S.J., is the School s President and Father Provincial John McGarry, S.J., is on its Board of Directors. Father Tony Sholander, S.J., serves as the Rector of the Jesuit Community at JST. Rooted in the Jesuit standard of academic excellence and the Roman Catholic tradition, the JST offers degrees that prepare students for careers in ministry, teaching, research, and leadership formation. The JST is one of only two institutions in the U.S. where Jesuits can receive their requisite Master of Divinity. photo by Andrew Nguyen, S.J 4 MISSION summer/fall 2010 Almost 3,000 JST alumni are serving as priests, ministers, missionaries, teachers, and advocates in churches, missions, retreat centers, schools, hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. and abroad. Margi English and Catherine Kelly For more information, visit Father matthew motyka, s.j., ordained to the priesthood On June 12, Father Matthew J. Motyka, S.J., was ordained to the priesthood by Most Reverend John R. Quinn, Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco, at Saint Agnes Church. Fr. Motyka, from Krakow, Poland, entered the California Province in 2001 and recently finished work on a Master of Divinity at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. I am grateful to benefactors to have been formed and educated for the world and for the Church, said Fr. Motyka. In the fall, I will join the faculty of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at the University of San Francisco. Matthew Motyka, S.J. (far left), was ordained to the priesthood by Most Rev. John R. Quinn, Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco, at St. Agnes Church. Help share our legacy of SPIRITUALITY As a layman, St. Ignatius of Loyola ( ) composed the Spiritual Exercises which is the classic manual of Ignatian spirituality. Today, the Jesuits of the California Province of the Society of Jesus share this legacy through three retreat/spirituality centers devoted to making Ignatian spirituality accessible to all. Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos (also known as El Retiro San Iñigo) has operated since 1925 in the serene hills above Los Altos, California, offering individually directed and group retreats that examine various themes related to the Gospel, Ignatian spirituality, healing, grief, and recovery. Jesuit Retreat Center of the Sierra in Applegate, California, provides a tranquil venue for nonprofit groups, such as Catholic parishes and schools, to conduct their own retreats. The facilities, including lodging quarters, conference rooms, a chapel, and a dining room, have been extensively remodeled with guest comfort in mind. Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, California, has operated since The Jesuit staff and its religious and lay partners provide opportunities for growth in spirituality by offering retreats, parish missions, days of prayer, conferences, and training. Not all of the individuals and groups who would like to attend a retreat have the financial capacity to do so. And while planning and providing experienced leaders for retreats is an ongoing task, it is a costly process. To encourage the participation of deserving retreatants who lack financial resources and to foster the creation of new retreats and spiritual formation programs, we have instituted the Ignatian Spirituality Scholarship Fund. If you or a family member have benefitted by attending one of our retreats, received spiritual direction from a Jesuit, or you care deeply about Jesuit retreat ministry, please consider making a gift today to the Ignatian Spirituality Scholarship Fund. Walk with us into a New Century of Service: 2010 and Beyond To Give: Send your gift for the Ignatian Spirituality Scholarship Fund to the California Province Advancement Office, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031; or use the easy and secure Online Donation Form on our website:

5 good steward JESUITS IN UTAH AND MAmmoth lakes to retire or receive new missions Meet Jenny & Ernest Go The California Province has had a rich history in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, serving there for almost 60 years. Since 1952, 37 California Jesuits have served in Utah. In August, the California Province concluded it sponsorship of two Jesuit parishes in Utah: Saint Mary Parish in West Haven, and Saint Henry Parish in Brigham City, it was announced by Father Provincial John P. McGarry, S.J. Father Martin Rock, S.J., who served at Saint Mary for nearly 20 years, will retire. Father Leo IN REMEMBR ANCE Father Joseph Ripley Caldwell, S.J., 88 May 27, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center (SHJC) in Los Gatos. Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1921, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1941 and was ordained a priest in He taught psychology and counseled students at Loyola Marymount University ( ) and directed retreats at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos ( ). Father George T. Dennis, S.J., 86 March 8, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in Somerville, Mass., in 1923, he entered the novitiate at Los Gatos in 1941 and was ordained a priest in He earned his Doctorate in Rome and was a specialist in Byzantine History. He taught at Catholic University of America and at Loyola Marymount University. Father John G. Ferguson, S.J., 90 March 21, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco in 1919, he entered the novitiate in 1941 and was ordained a priest in He taught philosophy and religion at the University of San Francisco (USF) and became a founding member of the Jesuit High School faculty in Sacramento in He later served in Jesuit parishes in Santa Clara, Sacramento, and Brigham City and Ogden, Utah. Brother Norbert J. Biz Korte, S.J., 80 May 12, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco in 1929, he entered the Jesuits at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos in He was the public face of the Novitiate Winery, serving as host of the tasting room and salesman. Brother Thomas A. Marshall, S.J., 87 March 11, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in Oakland in 1922, he entered the Jesuits at Los Gatos in He served as librarian at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose ( , ) as well as libraries in Taipei, Spokane, Rome, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. He served two terms as Archivist for the California Province ( and ). Father Donald P. Merrifield, S.J., 81 February 25, 2010, in San Jose. Born in Los Angeles in 1928, he was a physics major at Caltech and at Notre Dame before entering the Jesuits in He received a Ph.D. in Physics from MIT in 1961, taught at USF, and served as President of Loyola Marymount University ( ) and as Chancellor until He later did parish and prison ministry and worked with the homeless in Honolulu. Prengaman, S.J., parochial vicar at Saint Mary and superior of the Jesuits in Utah, will receive a new mission in the Province. Father Patrick Reuse, S.J., has been made available to continue to serve as pastor of Saint Henry. At the same time, the Province is no longer able to provide pastoral service to Saint Joseph Parish in Mammoth Lakes, California, where Father Andrew Dachauer, S.J., will retire after 28 years as pastor. Brother Daniel Corona, S.J., who joined Fr. Dachauer in 1986, will receive a new mission, noted Fr. McGarry. Father Dare J. Morgan, S.J., 86 March 14, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in San Anselmo, Calif., in 1923, he entered the Society in 1940 and was ordained a priest in He was a preeminent mathematics teacher in high schools in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix before moving into parish ministry in He served at Jesuit parishes in Santa Clara, San Jose, and Sacramento, and also directed retreats at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos. Father John J. Perlite, S.J., 91 March 25, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco in 1918, he entered the Jesuits in 1936 and was ordained a priest in He was the Master of Novices for Brothers ( ), then Treasurer for the Alma College Jesuit theologate at Alma College in Los Gatos and later at Berkeley. From , he served as scheduling administrator at Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix. Father Herbert J. Ryan, S.J., 79 April 8, 2010, in Los Angeles. Born in Scarsdale, N.Y., in 1931, he entered the Jesuits in 1949 and was ordained a priest in After receiving his doctorate in theology at the Gregorian University in 1967, he taught at Woodstock College, Maryland, and beginning in 1974 at Loyola Marymount University. Father Robert Lamar St. Clair, S.J., 82 May 12, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in Houston, Texas, in 1928, he entered the Society in 1945 and was ordained a priest in He served as Rector of Loyola High School, Vice-Provincial for Education, Director of the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, and California Province Treasurer. Father Gerald P. Sullivan, S.J., 78 May 15, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in Sacramento on July 26, 1931, he entered the Society in 1949 and was ordained a priest in He taught art at Santa Clara University from 1973 until 2009 and exhibited his art in several individual and group showings. Father Michael J. Zimmers, S.J., 87 April 4, 2010, in Saratoga, Calif. Born in San Diego in 1922, he entered the Society in 1941, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Eugene Zimmers, S.J. ( ). Jenny and Ernest Go celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with Fr. Anthony Sauer, S.J., at St. Ignatius College Preparatory. In the worldwide Society of Jesus, few women enjoy as many distinctions as Jenny Go: She was the first laywoman to serve as principal of a Jesuit high school; the first woman to serve as Secretary of Education for a Jesuit Assistancy; and the first woman appointed to the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education. Jenny s many attainments are underscored by a deep commitment to education and a generous spirit values shared by her husband, Ernest. Both Ernest and Jenny grew up in Manila. Jenny, the youngest of 12 children, was born during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. When she was about 5 years old, her father died in a Japanese prison camp; her mother died when Jenny was 13. We grew up almost like orphans, she recalls. Jenny s parents had been baptized in the Catholic Church as well as her sister, Loise. It was through her that we all became Catholics, says Jenny. She recalls that her first contact with a Jesuit was the late Father Louis Papilla, S.J., a Hungarian priest who had been expelled from China during the Communist takeover. Fr. Papilla was among the Jesuit missionaries who founded Xavier School in Manila in Fr. Papilla and Xavier would be instrumental in Jenny s future. After graduating from high school, Jenny attended the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila for two years. Then she met Cardinal Yu Pin of Taiwan and asked him for a scholarship to study in the United States. The Cardinal sent Jenny, then only 16, to study music at College Misericordia in Dallas, Pennsylvania, where she received her bachelor s degree. She began teaching music at schools in the Archdiocese of New York City, while attending night classes at Fordham University. There, Jenny not only earned a master s degree in education in 1960, but met her future husband, Ernest, who was studying business. After we finished our degrees, his parents said to come home, get engaged, and be married, says Jenny. They followed that advice. Soon after Jenny returned to Manila, Fr. Papilla asked her, Would you please come and work for us? at Xavier. Jenny accepted. After teaching for a few years, she became head of the English Department, then assistant principal. In 1968, Jenny was appointed by Father Ismael Zuloaga, S.J., as the first laywoman principal of a Jesuit high school. In 1983, the couple moved from Manila to the San Francisco Bay Area, where Ernest started the Bank of the Orient. But then the Jesuits asked me to work on the international level, she says. Jenny was appointed by Father Daven Day, S.J., to serve as Secretary of Education for East Asia. Currently, Jenny serves as Director of the Xiamen Projects of the China Province of the Society. Through the projects, Jesuit and lay educators travel to Xiamen, a coastal city in southern China, to teach English to Chinese teachers of English. This summer, two California Jesuits (Brother Joseph Frias, S.J., and Robert Stephan, S.J.), a Jesuit from India, and four lay instructors from U.S. Jesuit high schools will teach in Xiamen. Jenny expressed her preference for Jesuit education with its focus on the formation of the total person. In addition, she and Ernest provide scholarship funds for 120 students at Xiamen Technical School as well as 80 students at Jesuit and diocesan schools in Madagascar, Africa. They have also provided financial aid for St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, the Jesuit School of Theology, and for homeless persons to make retreats at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, where Jenny serves on the board. Ernest and Jenny are blessed with three children: Edwin, Monique, and Yvonne. When it came time for them to attend college, Jenny expressed her preference for Jesuit education with its focus on the formation of the total person. Monique and Yvonne graduated from Boston College, Edwin from Santa Clara University. On June 25, 2010, Jenny and Ernest celebrated 50 years of marriage by renewing their wedding vows. They reserved the money they would have spent for a big celebration and donated it to a Jesuit charity. Dick Bushnell Editor s note: If you re interested in supporting the Xiamen Projects or other Jesuit programs in Asia, contact Joe Naylor in the California Province Advancement Office: call (408) or jnaylor@calprov.org 6 MISSION summer/fall 2010 MISSION summer/fall

6 putting faith into action Dolores Mission and Proyecto Pastoral build a better way of life in East Los Angeles by Susan Wampler Photography by Robert Dolan, S.J. After Mass each Sunday, parishioners gather in front of Dolores Mission Church before heading to a canopied plaza where a food sale raises funds for activities. This view looks west to downtown Los Angeles.

7 This is a small parish geographically, but we have a big heart Father Scott Santarosa, S.J. Green-shirted volunteers Estelita Garcia and Rosa Campos from Safe Passage/Camino Seguro stand watch at a corner to see that students walk safely to and from school. In the words of St. Ignatius, love is shown more in deeds than words. Father Scott Santarosa, S.J. Pastor Scott Santarosa, S.J., greets parishioners after 10:30 a.m. Mass. 12 MISSION spring 2010 Looking west out the office window of Father Scott Santarosa, S.J., the downtown Los Angeles skyline looms large, but it feels a world away from the sometimes harsh reality of life in the Boyle Heights area of East Los Angeles that Dolores Mission has called home since The Jesuits of the California Province took over Dolores Mission in 1980 when no one else was willing to minister to the poorest parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a parish located in an embattled community where some 16 gangs were operating in a 2-square-mile area. Two public housing projects Aliso Village and Pico Gardens dominated the neighborhood and produced new gang members at an alarming rate. A number of the parishioners had sons who were gang members, or were gang members themselves, says Fr. Santarosa, pastor of Dolores Mission. Those first Jesuits who came here understood they were called to serve everyone in this community, including gang members. They took seriously the question of what is God inviting us to do to live the Gospel in these streets and alleyways here and now? Asking that question in that way is what continues to give life to this parish. MISSION summer/fall

8 With I Luv Mom proudly painted on his forehead, Joseph Correa, 7, of Bakersfield, was thrilled to see his mother, Tina Avila. Top left: Church volunteers fill plates to be served to clients of the Guadalupe Homeless Project in the Dolores Mission School cafeteria. Center: Men pause for prayer. Far right: Each night 30 to 50 homeless men sleep in the church, retiring around 8:30 p.m. and rising at 5 a.m. Dolores Mission is the faith that inspires the action. Proyecto Pastoral is the action. Father Scott Santarosa, S.J. The Jesuits who have served here over the past three decades have sought to answer that question by working hand in hand with residents and community leaders to address the problems facing the predominately Latino neighborhood. Out of their collaboration grew Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission, which began as Dolores Mission s social justice arm but became an independent nonprofit in (In turn, Proyecto Pastoral spun off Homeboy Industries, founded by Father Greg Boyle, S.J., while he was pastor of Dolores Mission; it became a separate entity in 2001.) Although Proyecto Pastoral operates independently of Dolores Mission, its work is inextricably intertwined. For instance, the Guadalupe Homeless Project, which provides emergency shelter to 650 men and meals to 900 men annually, is funded and operated by Proyecto Pastoral, while parishioners cook and serve the meals. Dolores Mission literally provides sanctuary: Most of the men sleep inside the church itself. Proyecto also offers after-school enrichment programs and early-childhood education centers, both of which are offered at two locations, including Dolores Mission. We want to leverage each other s resources to best meet the needs of this community, says Cynthia Sanchez, executive director of Proyecto Pastoral. It s a unique and powerful partnership. Fr. Santarosa adds, Dolores Mission is the faith that inspires the action. Proyecto Pastoral is the action. When we re doing our jobs well, you can t tell the difference between the two. Fostering safe passage in the community One of the most visible displays of community empowerment is Proyecto s Safe Passage/Camino Seguro program. Twice every school day, volunteers in bright green T-shirts and jackets emerge from their homes and offices to help children walk to and from school safely. The program s 70 volunteers support not only those enrolled in the K-8 Dolores Mission School, but also high-school students at Mendez Learning Center, which opened in 2009 across from Proyecto Pastoral s offices 4 blocks from Dolores Mission. In the words of St. Ignatius, love is shown more in deeds than words, says Fr. Santarosa. That means not just sitting behind a locked door and being afraid. The laypeople and Jesuits who came before me have inculcated a sense of responsibility in our parish. That sense of responsibility is also evident in the Dolores Mission Safety Project, a community policing effort. The parish works closely with the Los Angeles Police Department to ensure that residents feel comfortable calling 911 when they notice suspicious activity, without fear of being asked about their immigration status. The theme of safe passage is an apt description for many of Proyecto s and Dolores Mission s other programs as well. The Guadalupe Homeless Project provides a safe transition for the mostly immigrant population who have come to the United States to find a way out of poverty. The program not only offers 90-day temporary shelter and meals, but also teaches clients to take proactive steps to find employment and permanent housing. Many of the men served by the program later return to Dolores Mission as volunteers to help others in need. Clients of the Guadalupe Homeless Project, as well as reformed gang members at Homeboy Industries, are encouraged to select free attire appropriate for job interviews at Proyecto s Thrift Store, which is open to the public and also provides employment and training for community residents. Teaching students to use talents and gifts Proyecto s after-school programs and early-childhood education centers give area youth meaningful academic enrichment opportunities while serving as a deterrent to their joining a gang. The IMPACTO after-school program provides academic support for 200 children ages 5-18, while the early-childhood education centers serve some 76 children ranging from 18 months to 5 years of age, preparing them for kindergarten and helping them develop their English-language skills. Dolores Mission has been a beacon of hope for this neighborhood over the past 30 years, says Father Joseph Spieler, S.J., 12 MISSION summer/fall 2010 MISSION summer/fall

9 In Dolores Mission Church, Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J. (far left) celebrates the 25th wedding anniversary of Cristina and Ruben Rodriguez along with their son Julio. who served as co-pastor from and returned in The grassroots activism of the parishioners, in turn, inspires the priests and leaders of Dolores Mission and Proyecto Pastoral. A prime example of this grassroots activism is the base ecclesial communities or communidades ecclesiales bases (CEBs) that Fr. Spieler and co-pastor Jose Luis Estrada, S.J., launched in the mid- 1980s. Dolores Mission s seven CEBs are each comprised of 8 to 12 parishioners who meet every week in one another s homes to read the Gospel and reflect on what God is inviting them to do. The CEBs represent a way for people to put their faith into action to create better opportunities for their families and to give hope for a better life, adds Cynthia Sanchez. One of the most significant ways Dolores Mission is helping families to achieve better outcomes is through the Dolores Mission School, which currently serves some 211 K-8 students and has the capacity to grow to at least 250 children. Some 70 percent of parents are monolingual Spanish-speakers. According to Principal Karina Moreno, Our philosophy is to start a college-going culture from kindergarten. Students are urged to continue their education at Catholic high schools and charter schools where a high percentage of graduates go on to college. We are in an area where schools traditionally fail to give students the tools they need for success, adds Moreno. Dolores Mission School emphasizes critical thinking skills and application of learning to real life. We re teaching students to use their gifts and talents to be successful in life as well as in college, she says. Shortly before Moreno joined the school three years ago, a new third floor was constructed, including a new science lab, art room, and computer lab. The curriculum was redesigned to integrate arts and technology into the classroom; test scores have improved dramatically since then. Moreno says she was drawn to the school because of its potential to become a premier learning center and because of the connection with the Jesuit parish. I ve worked at places where the church and school are really separate. That s not the way it is here. I see the combined strength of the church, school, and Proyecto Pastoral. There s a strong sense of community here. Dolores Mission has been a beacon of hope for this neighborhood over the past 30 years Father Joseph Spieler, S.J. At Dolores Mission School, teacher Nicole Hill (above left) engages her fourth-grade 16 class, while other students (above right) work on assignments. MISSION spring fall A small parish with a big heart Collectively, Dolores Mission Parish, Dolores Mission School, and Proyecto Pastoral have helped build that sense of community. They serve as sources of inspiration for residents as well as people who live far beyond the neighborhood. This is a small parish geographically, but we have a big heart, says Fr. Santarosa. Dolores Mission plays a symbolic role in the California Province. We can call attention to larger issues, such as the immigration debate. Some 600 to 800 people attend services on any given Sunday. High-school and college students from all over the country routinely visit Dolores Mission for service immersions. Young Jesuits often are called to the parish as well. This is a wonderful training site for new Jesuits, says Fr. Spieler. We re able to apply a lot of our Jesuit values here. TO GIVE To make a gift to Dolores Mission Parish, Dolores Mission School, or Proyecto Pastoral, please send your contribution to the California Province Advancement Office, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031; or use the easy and secure Online Donation Form on our website: MISSION summer/fall

10 1 jesuit retreat center of los altos (el retiro san lñigo) come share our spirit PHOTO BY PETER LEMIEUX Make a retreat offered at one of three centers in the California Province If you have not yet attended a Jesuit retreat, an unforgettable experience lies in store for you. I made my first, individually directed retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos nearly 10 years ago. The first thing my retreat director asked was Have you read the Bible much? as he handed me one. We began reading Psalm 139 and at some point my heart melted and my life took a turn in another direction. A few years later, I returned for a parish group retreat led by Father Joseph Fice, S.J. We explored the theme On Pilgrimage with Ignatius. Retracing Ignatius epic life story in a single weekend was an awesome experience. In 1522, Ignatius left his home in Loyola, Spain, and journeyed to the sanctuary of Montserrat to make a general confession. After three days of penance, he was directed by a woman to a cave in the neighboring town of Manresa where he could retire for prayer and contemplation. During this period at Manresa, Ignatius began to make notes about his spiritual experiences, and those notes would grow into a soul-stirring book called The Spiritual Exercises. In a way, Ignatius time at Manresa may have been the first Ignatian retreat. California Jesuits have been leading retreats based on The Spiritual Exercises since at least the 1920s when the first retreat centers opened. Today, three retreat/ spirituality centers sponsored by the California Province offer a variety of retreats and spiritual programs for laypeople as well as clergy and other religious. Jesuits serve as full-time staff members at two of the centers, but Jesuits working in other ministries may visit any of the centers to serve as retreat directors. Whether you re planning to make your first retreat or it s time for another, the three centers profiled on these pages can accommodate you or your group. What are you waiting for? Dick Bushnell location Situated in the tranquil foothills of Northern California, the center is located between San Francisco and San Jose, just off Interstate Highway 280. hallmark The only residential Jesuit retreat center west of the Rockies, it provides guests with a peaceful environment and direction grounded in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, so they may grow in intimacy with God, in responsiveness to the divine call, and in sensitivity to their own hearts and the hearts of others. history In 1925, the California Province opened El Retiro. In the early decades, the retreat center welcomed thousands of men on preached retreats. In the 1970s, the center began welcoming women as retreatants and diversifying its offerings of individually directed retreats, instituted the 36-day Spiritual Exercises summer program, and developed retreats for recovering alcoholics, for married couples, and more. mission The JRCLA, a community of prayer, offers the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola to all. Through our sharing of the Exercises, rooted in the Word of God and the Catholic tradition, the Spirit frees minds and hearts to mature in friendship with Christ, to find God in every aspect of experience, and to live Gospel values. clients and staff Last year, the center hosted 7,300 retreatants. The staff includes 8 Jesuit Priests, 1 Jesuit Brother, and 28 laymen and women. programs The center offers the entire Spiritual Exercises, both in 30-day format and in everyday life, preached weekend retreats, individually directed retreats, prayer days, and interactive retreats for members of specific ethnic or linguistic groups, young adults, the homeless, and former gang members. The three-year Pierre Favre Program trains those desiring to give the Spiritual Exercises. facilities The center s 38 wooded acres offer panoramic views, colorful gardens, and secluded trails conducive to silent prayer. Facilities include 84 guest rooms, a dining room overlooking San Francisco Bay, conference rooms, Rossi Chapel, many shrines, and a bookstore with over 2,000 titles. fees Weekend retreats cost $280 per person, including an en suite room and three meals per day. Silent 8-day retreats cost $975 and the 36-Day Spiritual Exercises summer program costs $3,500. Jack Krause for more information Visit for a schedule of retreats and to make online reservations, or call (650) MISSION summer/fall 2010 MISSION summer/fall

11 jesuit retreat center of the sierra 2 3 loyola institute for spirituality PHOTO BY ANNE HAMERSKY PHOTO BY PETER LEMIEUX PHOTO BY ANNE HAMERSKY for more information call (800) to schedule a tour or to make reservations; or visit the UCCR website: JesuitRetreatCenteroftheSierras.htm location Nestled in the foothills of California s historic Gold Country next to the village of Applegate, the Jesuit Retreat Center of the Sierra (JRCS) is a 30-minute drive northeast of Sacramento via Interstate Highway 80. hallmark This adult, youth, and family retreat center is an outstanding venue for groups to encounter the Lord through the beauty of creation. JRCS recently partnered with United Camps, Conferences, and Retreats (UCCR) to provide a host site for groups wanting a quiet, comfortable place for retreats and meetings. history Formerly known as Our Lady of the Oaks or Applegate Villa, JRCS has recently transitioned from being a vacation place for Jesuits to a facility open to hosting retreat groups, conferences, workshops, and summer school sessions. mission The center provides a venue for groups to lead their members to a growing appreciation of the many gifts God has given all of us. clients and staff JRCS has hosted groups from Jesuit High School, Sacred Heart Nativity Schools, University of San Francisco, and St. Ignatius Loyola Parish. Led by Kris Holland, resident manager, there are 7 staff members who work in the kitchen, maintain the property, and guarantee guest comfort. site JRCS is situated on 350 acres covered with oak and pine trees. There is a small lake and a large swimming pool. Hiking trails lead to scenic vistas. facilities Extensively remodeled facilities, including a chapel, a dining room, a sizable conference room, and lodging quarters, accommodate groups of 20 to 120 persons (72 guests overnight). Oak Lodge, recently built with sustainability in mind, is a straw-bale structure covered in stucco which keeps 12 guest rooms cool during summer and warm during winter. Redwood Lodge has 18 guest rooms upstairs and meeting space downstairs. fees Weekday rates are $65 per person, weekend rates are $75 per night including lodging and three meals. Additional meals are available at breakfast ($9), lunch ($10.50), and dinner ($15). For insurance purposes, guests may not prepare their own meals on site. Father Charles J. Tilley, S.J., Director of Provincial Projects location LIS is based at the St. Joseph Center in Orange, California, a 30-minute drive south of Los Angeles and 1.5 hours north of San Diego. hallmark LIS is a ministry of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola offering spiritual formation that is mobile, multicultural, and ecumenical. history Founded in 1997, LIS is the successor to the Manresa Retreat House ( ) which was located in Azusa, California. mission In the Ignatian tradition, LIS accompanies people in their journey toward a life-giving relationship with God, self, and others, through experiential formation to help transform the world. LIS programs and services are guided by the values of collaboration, ecumenism, and cultural diversity. clients and staff Last year, LIS served 10,155 clients with 28 retreats, 41 conferences/days of prayer, 79 classes/workshops, 38 faith-sharing sessions, and 9 parish missions. LIS is staffed by 4 Jesuits, 1 religious sister, and 2 laypersons. programs LIS offers the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life (19th Annotation), Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program, Equipo Latino Ignaciano (Ignatian Hispanic Team), Lay Ecclesial Ministry Program, diaconate programs, biblical education, spiritual direction, and retreats/conferences as requested. facilities Located at a large ministry center on peaceful and beautiful grounds with ample free parking. Facilities include a classroom and conference room. LIS does not provide lodging or meals on the premises. fees LIS asks for a donation of $700 to $1,000 for the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life (9-month program) and for a $30 to $60 donation for each 1-hour session of spiritual direction. Evening class fees are $130 for each 6-week series. Fees for other retreats/conferences vary depending on format and length. Father Stephen Corder, S.J, Executive Director for more information Call (714) or visit for announcements of upcoming events. to give To assist retreatants who lack financial resources and to foster the creation of new retreats and spiritual formation programs, we have instituted the Ignatian Spirituality Scholarship Fund. Send your gift for the Ignatian Spirituality Scholarship Fund to the California Province Advancement Office, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031; or use the easy and secure Online Donation Form on our website: 18 MISSION summer/fall 2010 MISSION summer/fall

12 Zach Intemann, 24, of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps served at Dolores Mission School where he taught physical education. Living IGNATIAN VOCATIONS Around the California Province, scores of laywomen and men have discovered that it is possible to live out an Ignatian vocation of service and spirituality as a member of one of three organizations. From college grads in their 20s to retirees in their 70s, these volunteers directly serve marginalized clients in a variety of situations, including Jesuit schools and social ministries. Each one of these organizations offers participants an opportunity to share their talents and exercise Ignatian spirituality at the same time. 22 MISSION spring 2010 MISSION Summer/fall PHOTO BY STEPHEN DYPIANGCO, COURTESY JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS

13 Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality There is an urgent need to support lay Catholic leaders who are committed to ministries of service through grounding in spiritual reflection and prayer. In response to that need, Jim Briggs and Father Jeffrey Baerwald, S.J., both with Santa Clara University (SCU), and a small group of dedicated persons in San Jose, California, launched a new program called the Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality. The mission of the Companions is to enrich, through an integrated program of prayer and Ignatian spiritual reflection, the lives and experience of participants age 50 or older who are providing community service to the poor and marginalized. In this way, the program responds to the participants desire to give back to others and their thirst for a deeper spiritual life. Since the program s inception less than two years ago, the number of participants has more than doubled, growing from 6 to 20 currently. A typical Companions Ignatian Volunteer Corps Experience, service, reflection: Those three words characterize the members of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC). An IVC volunteer applies a lifetime of professional and personal experience to serving others while growing deeper in their faith by reflecting and praying in the Ignatian tradition. In California, there are IVC groups in San Diego (founded 2001) and Los Angeles (founded 2005) with a total of 47 members. Through the IVC, mature men and women can volunteer to serve organizations in their local communities one or two days a week, 10 months a year, September through June. At IVC Los Angeles, some of the members apply their experience in a collaborative way by serving at Jesuitsponsored ministries. For example, Toni group consists of about 8 to 10 people, with monthly meetings held September through June at the Jesuit Residence of SCU, notes Fr. Baerwald. We strive to maintain a high level of sharing and interaction. At the monthly meetings, we celebrate liturgy together and have lunch as a group. The program has two components: service and spiritual formation. The service component consists of weekly community service, involving direct contact with people who are poor, marginalized, and socially vulnerable. The spiritual formation component responds to the participants strong desire to deepen their spiritual life through the lens of Ignatian spirituality. Companions also are asked to commit to a program of daily prayer, individual monthly meetings with a spiritual director, and a one-day retreat at the beginning and end of the program. That may sound like a huge commitment, but it s worth every Fournier, who worked as a teacher in the Los Angeles public school system for 31 years, was drawn to Verbum Dei High School, a Jesuit school in the Watts area. I love working at Verbum Dei, says Toni, who helps tutor various groups of students during and after school. She also assists by translating parent newsletters into Spanish. Toni believes in Verbum Dei s mission which is to provide young men with a well-rounded education that includes a college preparatory academic program, a work-study program, and a service program that immerses students in the Jesuit tradition of being persons for others. Toni appreciates the opportunity to continue working with students at the high-school level and says it gives her a chance to give back a little of what her own minute, says Gene Gerwe, one of the original Companions. As part of their service, Gene and his wife, Barbara, who is also a Companion, helped to start the Bread Project in St. Francis of Assisi Parish in San Jose. The project involves some 50 people collecting about 200 loaves of leftover bread and bagels from a nearby bakery, then packaging and distributing them to 10 shelters and kitchens. Other volunteer situations include Al-Anon, Catholic Charities, Day Worker Centers, Neighborhood Senior Centers, Right: Julie Bishop of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps helps a student at Nativity Prep Academy in San Diego. sons, Brendan and Anthony, received at Loyola High School in Los Angeles. Other members of IVC Los Angeles serve with Catholic Charities, in detention ministry with Father Michael Kennedy, S.J., and in various positions with St. John s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. In the coming year, IVC Los Angeles is looking to expand its service to Blessed Sacrament Parish in Hollywood, and Immaculate Conception School and St. Francis Center in Los Angeles. Meanwhile at IVC San Diego, 38 volunteers serve at 20 partner agencies, including Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, St. Vincent de Paul Village, and Survivors of Torture, International. Anne Hansen and Margie Carroll Left: Sharon Hurley of the Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality helps a student in the Homework Club at Sacred Heart Community Services. Faith in Action, Family Shelter, Family Supportive Housing, Food Pantry, Homeless Help Center, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Project Read through the Public Library, Sacred Heart Community Services, and St. Vincent de Paul Society. As a result of the enthusiasm of first-year Companions, a second-year curriculum was developed and this fall the program will add elements for three years and beyond. Since the first Companions formed in San Jose, other regions have shown interest in the program. This fall, it will be expanded to the East Bay area. The Companions program is an endorsed work of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. Kay Mascoli For more information, call Kay Mascoli at (408) or kmascoli@scu.edu or visit For more information, visit or contact the IVC staff members below. IVC Los Angeles: Anne Hansen, Regional Director, (805) , ahansen@ivcusa.org IVC San Diego: Margie Carroll, Regional Director, (619) , mcarroll@ivcusa.org PHOTO BY MARGIE CARROLL PHOTO BY STEPHEN DYPIANGCO, COURTESY JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS Jesuit Volunteer Corps After a full year of community service and Ignatian spirituality, graduates of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps better understand JVC s unofficial motto: Ruined for life. Actually, through their relationships marginalized clients, JVC volunteers are transformed and see the world in a new way, says Mike Braun, program director of JVC s Santa Clara Office. Recruited from the ranks of recent college graduates, most JVC members are in their 20s. They commit to a oneyear program (August to August) that begins with an orientation and includes five formation retreats. JVC members spend 75 percent of their time doing volunteer work in direct relationship with a marginalized population through a non-profit organization. After one year, they can serve an additional year if they choose and we encourage that, says Mike. Currently, 330 JVC members serve in 33 cities in the United States and 7 foreign countries. In Arizona and California, 83 volunteers--59 women and 24 men work in 55 service placements. Graduates of Jesuit colleges tend to gravitate to the JVC, with 20 current members coming from Loyola Marymount University, Santa Clara University, and the University of San Francisco. Volunteer placements include schools, homeless shelters, and health and legal Above: Mike Reddy (second from left) and Mary Georgevich (far right) of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps served at Homeboy Industries with Josephina Sanchez, Fabian Parra, and Raymond Jackson. clinics. In Arizona, JVC members serve with Catholic Charities of Phoenix, Central Arizona Shelter Services, and Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. In California, JVC members work at the Native America Health Center in Oakland, Mustard Seed School for Homeless Children in Sacramento, La Raza Centro Legal in San Francisco, and Dolores Mission, Homeboy Industries, Proyecto Pastoral, and Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles. During her one-year stint in the JVC, Mary Georgevich, 23, an SCU graduate from Deerfield, Illinois, served as case manager at the Homegirl Café in Los Angeles. She assisted about 30 young women with everything from enrolling in classes to pending court cases. I learned more than I have any single year in my life. Working alongside Father Greg has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, says Mary, referring to Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J., who directs Homeboy Industries, the nation s largest gang-intervention program. Dick Bushnell For more information, call the JVC at (408) or visit MISSION spring summer/fall MISSION summer/fall

14 where saints are born and miracles happen A Spiritual Journey to Spain & France in the Footsteps of Ignatius of Loyola 10 memorable days March 19 to 28, 2011 You are invited to join our California Province pilgrimage under the direction of Tour Chaplain Rev. John Mossi, S.J., and Group Coordinator Joe Naylor, C.F.R.E., with travel arrangements by the Catholic Travel Centre, Burbank, California. our itinerary includes Birthplaces of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, St. Bernadette Soubirous Lourdes, world-famous Marian shrine and sanctuary of healing Shrine of the Black Madonna and Benedictine Monastery at Montserrat Holy cave at Manresa where Ignatius composed the Spiritual Exercises Sagrada Familia Church, Gaudí s masterpiece in Barcelona our arrangements provide Round-trip flights from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Spain Private motor coach Comfortable accommodations Delicious regional cuisine Daily Mass and Examination of Conscience Lourdes - France For tour details, costs, and reservations, contact Joe Naylor Call (408) or jnaylor@calprov.org To view the tour brochure online, visit our website Montserrat Abbey - Spain Loyola Sanctuary - Spain Meet Father Anton J. Renna, S.J. In April 2009, Father Anton J. Renna, S.J., 76, retired to Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California, after 45 years of teaching at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. While Fr. Renna no longer has a classroom, he touched the lives of two generations of Brophy students and he remains a teacher s teacher in the Jesuit tradition. In 1934, I was born a Catholic in San Jose, says Fr. Renna. He attended Sacred Heart Grammar School from kindergarten through 8th grade. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur taught at Sacred Heart and they were good teachers, he recalls. He went on to attend Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose. After graduation, he entered the Jesuits in 1952 at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos. There, he spent two years as a novice and two years as a junior. In those days, the Novitiate was surrounded by grapevines and Fr. Renna remembers picking grapes every year for the Novitiate Winery. I enjoyed it because of all the good guys working around me, he says. In 1959, he began teaching English and Humanities at Brophy. To walk into a classroom and be with the kids was the high point of my life. I enjoyed teaching because I can honestly say that I liked my students and my students liked me. I was blessed. In 1965, Fr. Renna was ordained to the priesthood. He began leading groups of Brophy students on summer study trips in Europe. The five-week excursions came to be known as the RENNAissance experience. In addition to teaching, Fr. Renna served as the proprietor of a bookshop called Shylock s Corner since it occupied a corner of his classroom. There he sold books at a discount: I gave them a good deal. I wasn t there to profit. What are Fr. Renna s secrets for being an effective teacher? You have to know your subject matter. I liked what I was teaching, he says. From Beowulf to Shakespeare s Macbeth to 20th Century English literature, Fr. Renna still likes what he taught. Father Edward Reese, S.J., President of Brophy, says of Fr. Renna, He taught two generations of Brophy alumni and to a person he is quoted as saying, If a student leaves Brophy being comfortable about the world around him, Brophy has failed in its mission. Fr. Renna continues to serve as a role model for former students. For example, Ronald Maggiano, a 1970 graduate of Brophy, is now COURTESY BROPHY COLLEGE PREPARATORY a history teacher at West Springfield High School in Virginia. It was because of him that I became a teacher, Maggiano explains in his blog What Makes a Great Teacher? on The Classroom Post. Maggiano writes, Fr. Renna always insisted on the highest standards for everyone in the classroom, including himself. He got the best out of his students because he invariably gave the best of himself to every lesson plan and every lecture. Fr. Renna, more than any teacher I have ever known, treated his students with respect. As a result, we treated him--and each other with respect as well. But perhaps the most important quality exhibited by Fr. Renna was his absolute passion for his subject and love of the English language. His enthusiasm for literature was contagious, and because of this his students worked harder in his classes than any other. I prayed daily to do my best as a teacher. So what makes a great teacher? I am still not sure, but I do know one when I see one. And Father Anton Renna, S.J., was a truly great teacher. Looking back on his career in Jesuit education, Fr. Renna says, I prayed daily to do my best as a teacher. I made a lot of friends with my students. I miss them all. Dick Bushnell MISSION summer/fall

15 t by Father David C. Robinson, S.J., Associate Director, Loyola Institute for Spirituality he Ignatian Quest The often redirected curse of dubious origin May you live in interesting times has been appropriated as a contemporary catchphrase for social and political commentary in this form: We live in interesting times. Reflecting on the current trends in global religious politics, a mixture of ideological struggles, a variety of evangelical movements, clerical scandals, and even overt sectarian violence, we may find the word interesting to be much too bland to describe our experience in the parish, the pew, or prayer. Those of us whose day-job is embraced within various religious organizations find ourselves engaged on an ever more regular basis in conversations with individuals of all ages who self-identify with phrases like I m not a particularly religious person but I consider myself to be deeply spiritual. In our 21st Century religious climate, we are asked to accompany many on a unique odyssey of exploration that attempts both to distinguish and to link the religious and the spiritual in our communities. In Southern California, for example, Jesuit retreats were offered at the site of what is now Loyola High School as early as 1920, and from 1947 on at the Manresa Retreat House in Azusa. By the time that facility closed in 1994, the ministerial needs of the region had shifted radically due to dramatic changes in the cultural and linguistic makeup of the community. In response, the Jesuits of the California Province created a new, more flexible and mobile model for spiritual ministry, and in 1997 the Loyola Institute for Spirituality (LIS) opened in Orange. Its focus was more multilingual, intercultural, and directed to a variety of constituents, including individuals, parishes, and diocesan formation and education programs. The mission of the Institute is to accompany people in their journey toward a life-giving relationship with God, self and others, through experiential formation to help transform the world. The values of collaboration, ecumenism, and cultural diversity guide the programs and services of Loyola Institute for Spirituality. The Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program is directed by Sister Barbra Ostheimer, S.N.D., and Brother Charles Jackson, S.J., uniting men and women from various denominational, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds in a three-year program of Ignatian to Transform the World Ignatius of Loyola ( ) by Ustinian Tilov, Sophia, Bulgaria formation that prepares them for spiritual ministry at the parish level, or as Associates of the Institute, collaborating in a number of Institute projects. A Spanish-language group, the Equipo Latino Ignaciano, undergoes a similar formation process, in preparation for service to the Hispanic community. A Korean-language program facilitated by Dr. Regina Hur (an LIS Associate and a physician) has been initiated. Spiritual direction is offered in English, Spanish, and Korean. Lay leadership is fostered through the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Program coordinated by Father Felix Just, S.J. Fr. Just also offers multiple workshops, missions, and retreats on a variety of biblical themes. LIS Executive Director Father Stephen Corder, S.J., Sr. Ostheimer, and Br. Jackson coordinate the spiritual formation program and/or retreats for the Permanent Diaconate programs in the Dioceses of Orange and San Diego and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. On the educational front, LIS recently began an outreach to postsecondary Jesuit institutions through the development of new initiatives in Ignatian Pedagogical Ministries. Directed by Father David Robinson, S.J., these ministries offer formational opportunities in Ignatian spirituality and pedagogical practice to faculty and staff members at Jesuit universities worldwide. As university education becomes more global in scope, relying upon technological tools and networks, the spiritual formation and transformation of those responsible for furthering Ignatian learning takes on ever greater importance. All of the Institute s efforts are aimed at providing resources for enormously diverse populations that are seeking spiritual formation. As Fr. Corder observes, Ignatian spiritual practices offer the tools needed to help people discover and nurture God s presence within. As a Fr. David Robinson, S.J. result, they become empowered to act on the call of Jesus Christ to share that presence with others. LIS helps people to discover a pathway to God that is accessible, practical, and relevant to today s society. In January 2010, LIS, in collaboration with the Ignatian Volunteer Corps in San Diego and Los Angeles, invited Father Howard Gray, S.J., of Georgetown University, one of the foremost experts on Ignatian spirituality, to make a presentation on Lay and Jesuit Colleagues: A Spirituality that Transforms the World. Fr. Gray sought to plumb the riches of Ignatian tradition in the context of contemporary spiritual exploration and formation, beginning with the Triple Colloquy from the Spiritual Exercises. In this contemplative prayer practice, the retreatant enters into conversation with Mary, then journeys with her to Jesus. Finally, the three enter into the presence of the Father. The process is intended to help the individual experience more deeply the maternal gentleness of Mary and the human tenderness of Jesus as part of communion with God. Mary offers an example of both the mystical and ethical dimensions of our walk in faith how we regard God in our lives and how we decide what we are called to do within our respective vocations. As Ignatius discovered through his experience of being turned away from ministry in the Holy Land by the Franciscan superior, God does not ask us to do what is not possible for us. As a result of his personal odyssey, Ignatius began to discern how he was being led to help others. His dedication to the care for souls ultimately led Fr. Howard Gray, S.J. him to pursue priestly ordination and to form the Society of Jesus. We are likewise called, in our personal contexts, to the same desire to be of help, the cornerstone of an Ignatian life. Fr. Gray emphasized the role of affectivity in our emerging walk with God. The experience of consolation, of the divine spark within human emotions, helps us to discover who we are for God. It is through the connection of what gives us joy and passion with a realistic awareness of our direction and capacity, that we uncover our true vocation. As those who seek to serve, we are not first asked to do what is hard, but rather to do what is more loving. It is through attention to particular persons and needs that those in formation become more loving, more conformed to Jesus in his willingness to pour out his life (kenosis), to be emptied of all that the world might label important. Therefore, we are invited to live with humility, marked by an openness to all the ways God wants to work with us. Fr. Gray s invitation to enter into a deeper awareness of God s call involves what he calls a move beyond lectio divina, the meditative immersion in the word of God within our lives and experience, into an empathic way of viewing life, both local and global, a visio divina that allows us to be immersed in the realities of others experience. Such immersion draws us beyond the social, economic, linguistic, and communal dimensions of our personal histories, into a vision of vocation, of our religious and spiritual growth, that encompasses the humility and vulnerability of the one who is the source and end of all our searching. It is the mission of the Loyola Institute to foster this spiritual unfolding in the many individuals and communities who comprise the family of God. In this way, we continue in service through a spirituality that can transform the world. Editor s note: Special thanks to Elisa Leon who also contributed to this essay. A Personal Transformation by Shirley Espique, Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program, 2009 graduate I was led to Loyola Institute for Spirituality three years ago in the darkest days of my life. The excruciating pain I felt showed on my face, but I did not know it. Another student in the Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program (ISFP) approached me during a break and said, I know you are broken. I can feel your pain just looking at you. Let s talk. I learned to see Jesus in those beautiful faces. I felt God s overflowing love coming from those people. Then I decided to strive so people could see Jesus face through me. I learned to surrender and let God work through me. The 19th Annotation Retreat allowed me to walk with Jesus suffering and to be with him in his crucifixion and resurrection as I experienced my own spiritual death and resurrection during the unexpected demise of my 34-year marriage. In journeying with Jesus, I learned humility, patience, acceptance, compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. Now I cherish my friends and love them unconditionally. I realized that I failed to let my children know how much I love them and how much work I have to do to build a closer relationship with them. The ISFP has been preparing me for discipleship. Now I do ministries that I would never have had the courage or the confidence to do before this program. I realize that God has given me special gifts and that I must use these gifts for his glory. I have now a very intimate, deep and loving relationship with my God. 26 MISSION summer/fall 2010 MISSION Summer/fall

16 Tattoos on the Heart: The Holy Spirit as Artist and Ink by Father John P. Mossi, S.J., Advancement Office Benefactor Relations A Jesuit vocation is an exciting journey. In almost 50 years as a Jesuit, I ve been able to serve the Church and People of God in a variety of settings. Each of these ministries has contributed a distinctive mark to my priestly formation. At Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Santa Barbara, as a newly ordained priest, I learned to pray, instead of say, the Mass and to preach in a clear, succinct and realistic style. At Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos (El Retiro), I entered the world of spiritual direction and retreat ministry that ranged from weekend and individually directed retreats to the 30-day Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. For 16 years at Gonzaga University in Spokane, I taught the treasury of Catholic doctrine in Pastoral Counseling, Christian Spirituality, and Catholicism classes. During one section of the Catholicism course dedicated to artists, we analyzed the theological meaning of Da Vinci s Last Supper, Michelangelo s La Pietà and David, the Sistine Chapel s Last Judgment and Creation of Adam. One unusually clever student, in an attempt to sidetrack the discussion, inquired, Why doesn t Adam have tattoos? You can imagine where that topic might have led. Yet there was a lot of truth contained in his ironic question. After all, tattoos today are quite the vogue, especially among the younger set and certain athletes who turn their bodies into billboards. In many ways, tattoos have become a statement of identity, a pop art expression, and in certain deadly cases, a mark of gang membership. Father Greg Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, recently published an inspiriting book: Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. It is a collection of down-to-earth, real life stories about redemption centered in the midst of L.A. s harsh gangland. Fr. Greg s motto is: Nothing stops a bullet like a job. His answer is to provide jobs and job training so as to fight the despair of gang culture with hope, empowerment, respect, and faith. One moving story about a homie named Sharkey, who had the ability to give Fr. G a difficult time, grabbed my attention. Instead of being overly strict with Sharkey, Fr. G changed his tactic and melted him with understanding and compassion. In amazement, Sharkey stared at G and said, I m gonna tattoo that on my heart. I confess that Sharkey has helped me experience a tattoo conversion. I boldly contend that we need tattoos tattoos on the heart. Our task is to invite the Holy Spirit to imprint the extraordinary grace and indelible ink of the Divine Tattoo Artist on our hearts. In turn, this pulsating center of love can transform our entire being, our vision and attitudes, our priorities and daily actions. While no one will be able to see this unique tattoo, it will be noticeably observed in what we say and do. Come Holy Spirit, come now. Create a new Pentecost. Be my passion, fire, and inspiration. Stand by and with me. Enter into my heart with your gifts: wisdom, discernment, compassion, courage, justice, understanding, healing, generosity, faith, joy in living and hope. Imprint these virtues on my heart with your tender kindness so that I may manifest your love in attitude, thoughts, words, and daily actions. Editor s note: Fr. John Mossi, S.J., will serve as the chaplain for the California Province Spiritual Journey to Spain and France in the Footsteps of Ignatius of Loyola, March 19-28, For more information, contact Fr. Mossi at (408) or jmossi@calprov.org RAMÓN NOVARRO AT EL RETIRO, 1930 Silent film star Ramón Novarro ( ) poses next to a statue of the Sacred Heart on the grounds of El Retiro San Iñigo, the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, where the statue still stands. Novarro was a frequent retreatant at El Retiro. When another benefactor was unable to pay for the marble statue, Novarro quickly furnished the funds. Born José Ramón Samaniego in Durango, Mexico, he came to Hollywood around 1913 and by 1917 was appearing in small roles. He attracted notice in the film Scaramouche (1923) and by 1925 had become a major star, appearing in such epics as Ben-Hur. Following the death of Rudolph Valentino in 1926, Novarro became the leading Latin actor, playing opposite such stars as Greta Garbo in Mata Hari (1931) and Myrna Loy in The Barbarian (1933). Novarro s grandnephew is Father Eduardo Samaniego, S.J., pastor of Most Holy Trinity Parish in San Jose. Brother Dan Peterson, S.J. 28 MISSION summer/fall 2010