Update Quarterly newsletter for friends of the Oregon Province Fall 2016 Daniel Spotswood, SJ, is blessed by Oregon Provincial Fr. Scott Santarosa. Seven Oregon and California Jesuits Ordained as Priests Seven men from the California and Oregon provinces who answered God s call were ordained as Jesuit priests at a Mass at St. Aloysius Parish in Spokane on June 11. Spokane Bishop Thomas Anthony Daly was the chief celebrant and homilist of the Mass. More than 100 Jesuit priests and brothers were in attendance along with the ordinands family and friends to welcome and support the newest priests. Jesuits are celebrating the ordination of 20 new priests in the United States, Canada and Haiti. The diverse group of Jesuits hails from the U.S., Canada, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Colombia and Costa Rica. This is a joyful time of year for the Jesuits because we are celebrating the ordinations of so many fine men to Jesuit priesthood, Fr. Timothy Kesicki, SJ, president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, said. During the ordination ceremony, the bishop says, May God who has begun the good work in you, bring it to completion. There s something special about seeing our newly ordained Jesuits as they begin their priestly work for the people of God. p. 2 p. 3 p. 5 p. 6 p. 7 In this issue: Letter from the Provincial News from Around the Province Meet Our New Jesuit Priests First Vows and Entrance Day Jesuit Reflection: First Vows Read more about our newly ordained priests on p. 5
Update Fall 2016 Scott Santarosa, SJ Provincial Jim Muyo Communications Director Siobhán Lawlor Director of Development Oregon & California Provinces Darlene Allred & Maria Wheeler Development Team Stay Connected with the Oregon Province Find us online! Check out at jesuitswest.org. Join the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter pages: facebook.com/nwjesuits twitter.com/nwjesuits Questions or Comments? Give us a call at 503-221-2305 or email communications director Jim Muyo at jmuyo@jesuits.org. Winter 2015 Society of Jesus - Oregon Province PO Box 86010, Portland, OR 97286 www.jesuitswest.org Letter from the Provincial Putting Our Faith in the Spirit Since our founding in 1540, the Society of Jesus has held a General Congregation only 35 times. The 36th time will occur this coming October and November in Rome. What is a General Congregation? It is a meeting of representatives from every one of the approximately 80 Jesuit provinces in the world, who gather together for two reasons: to elect a new Superior General; and/or to write documents to address major issues of our times for the Society. Since December 2014, when Fr. General Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, currently the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, announced that he would step down, we have been planning this important meeting. The truth is, General Congregation 36 has already begun. This past autumn, Fr. Scott Santarosa Oregon Provincial the six Jesuit conferences in the world began to hold preliminary meetings. The Jesuit Conference of the United States and Canada, composed of the seven U.S. provinces and two Canadian provinces, held our meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. Tom Lamanna, SJ, and I represented the Oregon Province, while Chi Ngo, SJ, Mark Ravizza, SJ, and California Provincial, Mike Weiler, SJ, represented the California Province. We elected our conference s representatives to the various committees, and we also talked about some of the upcoming work. The most moving part of the meeting to me was to hear the Jesuits who had attended General Congregation 35 talk about what it was like to elect Fr. General Adolfo Nicolás. One by one they stood and shared their experiences. Most of them admitted that they arrived at the Congregation doubting the process of murmurmatio, which is a highly un-scientific process of going about an election. There are no ballots, and no campaigns (music to our ears in this election season, right?!). Instead, the Jesuit delegates in Rome have one-on-one conversations with one another about the various potential candidates for Fr. General. Though this seems like it would never work that is what previous delegates shared with us it actually does! With tears, they talked about this process as an experience of incredible trust in God that was unparalleled in their Jesuit lives. They felt that the Spirit truly led them to elect the person who was meant to be our leader. It is with that same faith that I approach this upcoming Congregation. We face many challenges in our world today: violence due to religious fundamentalism, people migrating from their homelands for their own survival, significant disparity between rich and poor, decreased political will to pursue the common good, and an ecological crisis that renders our planet vulnerable, to name a few. We Jesuits (and you, friends of Jesuits!) must be alert to the signs of our times. How is God calling us to put our gifts and talents at the service of these needs? We need a leader with a global perspective who can help us discern how to follow Christ the Eternal King. We trust that just as the Spirit led us to elect Fr. General Adolfo Nicolás in 2008, so also the same Spirit will guide us to elect the Superior General to lead us today. As we travel to Rome, please hold us all in your prayers. Know how grateful I am for your support of the Society of Jesus in the Northwest. I will carry your intentions with me to these historic moments for us all. 2
In Memoriam Fr. James Meehan, SJ March 3, 1929 - May 29, 2016 At the beginning of his career, Fr. Meehan taught sociology at Gonzaga University. He served as president of Jesuit High School in Portland from 1977 to 1980 and returned to Gonzaga in 1981 to work with University Ministry. From 1991 to 2001, Fr. Meehan served as pastor at churches in Washington and Montana. He served as chaplain at Gonzaga from 2001-2006 and served chaplain to the Native American community in Spokane from 2008 to 2014. Fr. George Morris, SJ Nov. 20, 1937 - June 7, 2016 Upon completion of his PhD, Fr. Morris began his assignment at Seattle University as professor of French from 1973-1978. He was then director of student loans from 1978-1983. He returned to Gonzaga in 1987 as the coordinator of the bachelor of general studies, serving returning adult students until 2009. Fr. Morris was also the chaplain for the theatre arts department for many years. He attended almost every rehearsal for both the theatre and dance groups to pray with the performers. Fr. John Murphy, SJ June 9, 1922 - June 6, 2016 Born in Portland, Fr. John Murphy was ordained as a priest in 1952. After studying at Gonzaga University and Santa Clara University, he held several teaching and administrative positions at Seattle Prep and Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma. He then spent two decades as a marriage counselor in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Portland. He later served as associate director of the Jesuit Development Office and then as a pastoral minister in Portland. He left active ministry in 2008 to pray for the Church and the Society. Fr. Robert Jones, SJ March 30, 1939 - Aug. 11, 2016 Following ordination in 1970 and a few years of teaching assignments, Fr. Jones was given permission to pitch his tent among the poor and powerless of the Pacific Northwest, a ministry that lasted more than 30 years. He lived in and worked with the various L Arche communities, helped to build houses, led spiritual retreats, and was a priest-friend to the Native peoples. Fr. Jones was an active listener who moved conversation on many topics toward the love of God for all people. Deployed: New Challenges Fr. Mark McGregor, an Oregon Jesuit and a chaplain in the US Air Force, has left the Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska for a 6-month deployment in Qatar. It s an adjustment to leave Alaska for 110-degree heat and humidity, said McGregor. His deployed location is a US base where he provides spiritual care for a multinational force that includes airmen, sailors, marines, and soldiers from over 20 different countries. He ll also be meeting the sacramental needs of the Catholic community. We re not there to evangelize. We re there to help them in their spirituality wherever they are - and even to discover what their spirituality is - by protecting their rights for free expression of religion and worship, he said. One of the biggest challenges, spiritually, is helping them stay in the moment, because it s easy to get tunnel vision. Before he left for Qatar, Fr. McGregor embarked on a new project: Commanded by Christ, a radio program Fr. Mark McGregor (far right) producing his new radio project. and podcast co-produced by McGregor, Fairbanks Catholic radio station KQHE, and the Archdiocese of Military Services. The program features soldier saints - from St. Ignatius to Joan of Arc. To learn more about the series, visit www.kqhe.org and www.milarch.org.
News from Around the Province Introducing Our New Advancement Director Siobhán Lawlor has been named the new provincial assistant for advancement and communication for the California and Oregon Provinces of the Society of Jesus. She comes to the provinces from Woodside Priory School where she served as the director of development since 2012. Siobhán wants to help us raise the funds we need so we can continue to care for our elderly Jesuits, to form our growing number of scholastics for mission, and to help us continue to go to those places where the Church most needs us. I m excited to work with Siobhán to advance the mission of the new Jesuit province of the western United States, said Fr. Santarosa, who will become the provincial of the new U.S. West Province when the California and Oregon provinces come together in July, 2017. Prior to her service at Woodside, Lawlor worked as an associate at law firms specializing in insurance defense, business litigation, and bankruptcy. She earned her BA in English and philosophy from Boston College and a J.D. and Public Interest Certificate from the Santa Clara University School of Law. In addition, she served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Seattle. She assumed her duties with the provinces on August 8. I am honored and excited to begin this mission of advancement for an institution I care deeply about and that has long shaped my worldview, said Lawlor. The Oregon and California Provinces would like to thank Chuck Duffy, for his generosity of spirit in assuming the role of provincial assistant for advancement for the California Province in March 2015 while maintaining his long-standing position as provincial assistant for advancement for the Oregon Province. Duffy also oversaw the ongoing, smooth operation of the Oregon Province s advancement office during this time. Read Chuck s farewell letter on p. 8. Gonzaga Community Mourns Passing of Fr. Frank Costello The Gonzaga University community is mourning the loss of Fr. Frank Costello, SJ, one of the university s most beloved Jesuits, who passed away on May 23, 2016. Fr. Costello was a man of peace with a profound respect for the rule of law, deep belief in the importance of a faith that does justice, and tremendous concern for those in society who have been marginalized and forgotten, said Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh. A Spokane native, Fr. Costello was ordained in 1952. He taught briefly at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington, and at Gonzaga before joining, in 1959, the faculty at Seattle University where he became head of the political science department, academic vice president, and executive vice president. Fr. Costello returned to Gonzaga as a political science professor in 1970 and served as department chair and advisor for pre-law students for many years. At Gonzaga, he served as acting academic vice president and was rector of the Jesuit community both at Gonzaga and Gonzaga Preparatory School. When he retired from teaching in 1990, he was appointed vice president of the University with duties that included advising faculty and students in the Law School and helping to raise funds for the Law School building. Blaine Garvin, professor of political science, said Fr. Costello became a mentor to Fr. Frank Costello, SJ June 12, 1921 - May 23, 2016 legions of students, many destined for law school, politics or both. Fr. Costello was involved in several peace advocacy organizations, including the Catholic Association for International Peace and the World Without War Council. He remained active in the life of the University right up until his move to Los Gatos in April of 2015. 4
Meet Our New Jesuit Priests Oregon and California ordinands, from left to right: Fr. Andrew A. Rodriguez, 40, from the Philipines, received a master s degree in applied philosophy in 2011 from Loyola University Chicago. Next, he taught scripture, ethics, and psychology at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco for two years. At the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, he earned a master of divinity degree. Father Rodriguez will serve at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos in California, where he looks forward to making the Spiritual Exercises accessible to a wide range of people. Fr. Matthew R. Holland, 34, from Seattle, Washington, attended the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, for theology studies. He is thankful for the opportunity to study abroad, where he experienced the international Society and met the welcoming people of Colombia. He received a bachelor s in sacred theology in December 2015 and continued his studies at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley. Father Holland will work in parish ministry. Fr. Marc P. Valadao, 36, from Fort Bragg, California, was missioned to Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, where he taught Scripture, sacraments, and philosophy while serving as a junior varsity soccer coach. In 2013, he earned a master of divinity and a bachelor of sacred theology while doing ministry at San Quentin State Prison. After ordination, Fr. Valadao will work toward a licentiate in sacred scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome Fr. Francisco Javier Díaz Díaz, 42, from San José, Costa Rica, worked as a family doctor for Catholic Charities Spanish Catholic Center in Washington, D.C. He also served as a clinical instructor for Georgetown University medical 5 students. In 2013, he studied theology at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, and volunteered with a free medical program at St. Anne s Church in Shrewsbury. He will complete his master of divinity degree at Boston College. Fr. Patrick N. Couture, 34, from Wenatchee, Washington, attended Regis College at the University of Toronto, where he earned a diploma in philosophical studies in 2011. Missioned to Jesuit High in Portland for his next assignment, Fr. Couture taught theology, worked on retreats, and served as chaplain for sports teams. In 2013, he studied at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, where he earned a master of divinity degree. This fall, Fr. Couture will pursue studies to earn his licentiate in sacred theology. Fr. Daniel T. Spotswood, 33, from Mobile, Alabama, was missioned to Gonzaga Prep in Spokane for two years, where he taught theology while serving as the school s director of diversity and working with the rock climbing club, which helped inspire a new passion. Fr. Spotswood attended the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, where he earned a master of theology degree while working in a Fe y Alegría school in Soacha. He will study social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Fr. George D. Teodoro, 36, from Renton, Washington, was missioned to Seattle Preparatory School for two years, where he taught classics and Asian studies. At the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, he earned a master of divinity degree while serving at St. Columba Parish in Oakland. For the past year, Fr. Teodoro has taught history and art history at Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles, where he will return after ordination.
Novices Profess Vows Seven men from the California and Oregon provinces of the Society of Jesus completed their two-year novitiate program and professed perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience before family and friends at a Mass at the Sacred Heart Chapel at Loyola Marymount University on August 13. Each of the seven men who professed vows has been missioned to undertake first studies - the next step in their ongoing Jesuit formation process - at universities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. At the vows ceremony, each novice receives a cross. Vowmen from left to right: Daniel Flores Estrella, Peter Berger, Jaret Ornelas, Ulises Covarrubias, Anthony Hayden, Manuel Chavira Jr., and Dzao Vu. Eleven Men Enter Novitiate The first two years of a Jesuit s journey are spent in the Novitiate program, testing his vocation, seeking an intimate relationship with the Lord and fostering a love for the people of God. The commitment requires deep faith, an understanding of oneself and continuous study. A man becomes a Jesuit on Entrance Day, beginning the process of formation and incorporation into the body of the Society of Jesus. On August 21, 11 men entered the Novitiate of the Three Companions in Culver City, California. This marks the beginning of their journeys as Jesuits. The Oregon and California provinces are blessed to welcome a diverse group of talented and accomplished men. Second-year novices pose with newly incoming Jesuits on Entrance Day. 6
Jesuit Reflection The Many Roles of a Jesuit By Francisco Javier Díaz Díaz, SJ This summer, Fr. Díaz was ordained to the priesthood after 14 years of Jesuit formation. He s also a doctor. As a Jesuit in formation, he was able to serve the Spanishspeaking immigrant population in Washington, D.C., as a family physician. This reflection was written in his final days of formation. As ordination day approaches, my memory goes back over time, to the 33 years that have elapsed since the time I started talking about the call. Tuesdays are days in which those memories are especially present. I woke up last Tuesday and I got ready to say Morning Prayer. At the time of the intentions my mind was spinning, as I remembered this or that person - those whom I have not seen in years, those who are navigating new situations, and those who are asking for prayer or advice. After Morning Prayer, I needed to finish a one-page paper for Christology for the class that day. The class of the day was about how Jesus Christ saves. It was precisely the mission ad gentes in the manner of Saint Francis Xavier, which triggered imagination when I was 10 years old. I used to daydream about bringing the Gospel to places far away. The two-and-a-half hour class finished quickly. I rushed getting home. I needed to be ready to go to ministry. Tuesdays I drive an hour, more or less, to get to a nearby city where I serve. There is a parish which offers a free medical program for a few hours every Tuesday. The parish hall, where the parishioners have coffee on Sundays, gets transformed into a missionary clinic. What used to be a basketball court becomes an open waiting room. The round tables where the parishioners share coffee Fr. Diaz working as a family physician. Photo by Brad Reynolds, SJ. on Sundays become the intake and interview area. The stage in front of the basketball court has been modified to host four exam rooms. A crucifix presides over the stage. I was hurrying last Tuesday to get there early. I did not know if we would have enough physicians to help the patients that evening. The Society has allowed me to complete my training as a family doctor, and I am happy to be available to those patients. Most of them are uninsured or underinsured, and they come to the free medical program for help. Thank God we had enough volunteer physicians last Tuesday! I was happy to be able to see my patients and interact with the students without rushing. As I got home, I got ready to attend mass and serve as deacon. The day was over. In the altar, I placed everything that happened that day, and felt unburdened. At that moment, my heart realized that in a few weeks, I would be the one serving as presider in that Eucharist in which our joys and sufferings are placed under the care of the Good Lord. What a joy and a deep responsibility it will be to celebrate the sacraments with God s people. 7
Farewell Letter from Chuck Duffy Saying Goodbye to the Oregon Province It s been a wonderful job, but this is the right time to leave! -Jay Leno, on leaving The Tonight Show Dear friends and benefactors of the Oregon Province: After 15 years of working with Chuck Duffy the Jesuits here in the Oregon Province, in Rome for the General Curia, and most recently as the Advancement Assistant for both the Oregon and California Provinces, it is now time to retire. September 30th - just a few weeks before my 70th birthday - will be my last day in the provincial office in Portland. It is amazing to me that what started back in September, 2001 as a part-time staff person in the development office has now come to a close. It has been an interesting, challenging and sometimes difficult job, but more than anything it has been extremely personally rewarding and a whole lot of fun! I have had the great fortune to work for four dedicated and committed Jesuit provincials: Frs. Bob Grimm, SJ, John Whitney, SJ, Pat Lee, SJ, and Scott Santarosa, SJ. All four had their separate styles of leadership and faced unique difficulties during their terms. But I learned a great deal from each of them about compassion, prayer and the beauty of Ignatian Spirituality. Their assistants, or Socii, also taught me a great deal about how to have grace under pressure. In their positions as Socii, Frs. Pat Ford, SJ, Paul Janowiak, SJ, Tom Lankenau, SJ, Mike Tyrrell, SJ and Mike Bayard, SJ all handled their jobs - that could at times be as overwhelming as that of the provincial s - with dignity and dedication. The Cabinet members who became close friends are simply too many to mention, but what a great team they all were. Of course, the mainstays of the office, the institutional memory bank and the folks who have been there the longest are Darlene Allred, who has been the assistant for at least five Development directors, as well as Lisa Aarseth and Lois Jordahl. As Jay Leno said, it is the right time to leave. The Oregon and California Provinces reunite after an 85 year separation into one province next July under the leadership of Provincial Fr. Scott Santarosa. This new province will present a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. I believe our new Advancement Assistant, Ms. Siobhan Lawlor, is greatly qualified to take on this challenge for many years ahead. My wife, Lyn, and I are off to year s stint volunteering for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Malta. JRS is accompanying the sub-saharan migrants fleeing the wars and difficulties in their part of the world. We truly look forward to this next year. Finally, and most importantly, I simply want to thank you, our benefactors. Your gifts these last five years have ranged from one dollar to over a million dollars, and every single one of them is greatly appreciated. You have helped educate and form numerous priests and brothers, supported our apostolic works and cared for our senior men in Spokane and Los Gatos. You have been loyal, generous and forgiving of our faults. The Jesuits will continue to remember you all in their masses and prayers. Thank you and God bless you. Gathering for a group photo at the Curia, before I head off to Malta! Chuck Duffy