jesuits of the california province winter 2011

J ESUI T S O F T H E C A L IF O R N I A P ROV I N CE
WIN TER 2011
Gratitude from the Provincial
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER SCHOOL SETS THE WORLD ON FIRE
A GREAT FRIEND OF CHINA, THE MALATESTA PROGRAM
LEADERSHIP AS VISION, MISSION AND IMAGINATION
Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve,
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing I do your will.
Prayer for Generosity by St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556),
Founder and First Superior General of the Society of Jesus
JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE WINTER 2011
12
THE GRATITUDE OF A Provincial
An interview with Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J. Provincial
of the California Province. He talks about what is
most important to him in his role as a leader and
the gratitude he feels to those who have partnered
with him in mission.
In every issue
2From ThE Provincial
Leadership: Graces & Challenges
by John P. McGarry, S.J.
3PROVINCE NEWS
A new Provincial for California;
Diaconate Ordinations;
Social Ministries Gathering on Ecology;
LMU selects new President; and more
10
18
Go, Set the World On Fire
The ingenuity and drive of families, students, and
volunteers at St. Francis Xavier Parish and School in
Phoenix, Arizona, continue to uphold the dream of
a community through the call to leadership.
22
A GREAT FRIEND OF CHINA
An initiative of the California Province of
the Society of Jesus, the Malatesta Program
seeks to support the development of religious
studies programs in China.
GOOD STEWARD
Meet Rob and Mike Smith
1 1Jesuit PRofile
Fr. Andrew F. Maginnis, S.J.
26ON POINT
God Impossible by William Muller, S.J.
28MEDITATIONS
Graced to Lead by Michael Weiler, S.J.
photo by Fr. Thomas Rausch, S.J.
Sixth grade students create Jesuit board games to integrate
their knowledge of Jesuit history and tradition.
On the cover
California Provincial Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J., and staff
of Provincial Assistants: (from bottom, right to left) Joe
Naylor, Fr. Al Naucke, S.J., Fr. Ted Gabrielli, S.J., Fr. Tri
Dinh, S.J., Fr. Chi Ngo, S.J., Fr. Ed Harris, S.J., Sheila
Yrure, Br. Jim Siwicki, S.J., Fr. Sonny Manuel, S.J., Fr.
Chuck Tilley, S.J., Mark Potter, Mary Eden, Fr. Dennis
Parnell, S.J., Fr. Bill Kelley, S.J.
Environmental Benefits Statement
Since 2010, California Province of the Society of Jesus has saved the following resources by using paper made with 55% recycled fiber and 30% postconsumer waste: 87 fully grown trees / 40,186 gallons of water / 27 million BTU of energy / 2,440 lbs of solid waste / 8,344 lbs of greenhouse gases
Calculations based on research by Environmental Defense Fund and other members of the Paper Task Force.
Leadership: Graces and Challenges
A
mission
EDITORIAL BOARD
John P. McGarry, S.J.
Joseph B. Naylor
Tam Patane
John P. Mossi, S.J.
Editorial Contributors
Thomas Bracco, S.J.
Thomas Buckley, S.J.
Kim Cavner
George Greiner, S.J.
Jerry Martinson, S.J.
William Muller, S.J.
Thomas Rausch, S.J.
Michael Weiler, S.J.
DESIGN
Mixed Palette
Advancement Office
Joseph B. Naylor
Provincial Assistant for Advancement
and Communications
John P. Mossi, S.J.
Manager and Benefactor Relations
Tam Patane
Associate Director of Communications
Samuel P. Bellino, S.J.
Director of Planned Giving
Grace Melendrez
Associate Director of Database and Gifts
William C. Farrington, S.J.
Advancement Associate
Andrew F. Maginnis, S.J.
Benefactor Relations
Julie Han
Jesuit Mass Cards Administrator
Mission is published three times a year
by the Jesuits of the California Province
P.O. Box 68 Los Gatos, CA, 95031-0068
Phone: (408) 884-1630
E-mail: [email protected]
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
©2011 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.
2 MISSION WINTER 2011
s I come to the end of my
six-year term of service as
Provincial, my heart is filled
with gratitude to God; to all my fellow
Jesuits; and to our colleagues, friends
and benefactors of the California
Province of the Society of Jesus.
As I recently wrote in a letter to our
Superior General, Very Reverend Adolfo
Nicolás, S.J., “serving the Lord, the Society
of Jesus, and the Church in this unique
leadership role as Provincial has made
me a better person, a better Jesuit, and
a better priest for people. It has been a
privileged and humbling experience for
me to accompany my brother Jesuits in
the journey of our vowed life and in their
great desires to walk with Jesus in our
mission for the Church.”
It has been an equally privileged and
humbling experience to come to know
and serve with so many wonderful and
dedicated lay colleagues. Our Jesuit life
and the ministries of the Society of Jesus
are greatly enriched by the incredible
gifts and faith of our Ignatian Partners.
Without our mutual collaboration, our
contributions to the life of the Church
and world would be so much less.
I have enjoyed this ministry of service
and leadership…most of the time! Like any
worthwhile endeavor, these six years have
been filled with many graces and blessings,
as well as many challenges. Through it all,
I have never doubted the presence and
love of our God of life and light, and our
companionship and good spirit in the
Province has encouraged me daily.
I can certainly say that the work of
Provincial has fully engaged me, tapped
into all of my gifts and pushed me to
develop some new skills! On any given
day during my term, I have felt at once
confident in my ability to handle what
was placed before me and completely
stretched by the demands of the job.
In this issue of Mission, we highlight
the theme of leadership. Leadership in
the Church is never easy, but it can be
fulfilling, and I have found it to be so.
I have been asked many times what
qualities and skills I try to employ in
carrying out this mission of leadership
as Provincial. I share some of them
with you here:
• Listen well to people and be
attentive to their experience. Remember
what they share with me.
• In the Society of Jesus, we speak
of the ministry of presence. I always try
to show up, be supportive and express
gratitude.
• Collaboration at the heart of mission:
It is important to recognize and call
upon the gifts of others, and to work
together to fulfill the mission of Christ
in the world.
• Empower: The Church is at its
best when people feel empowered
to live their baptismal call to serve.
I have been blessed with the help
of many people, especially staff and
consultors, without whom I never
could have done this work.
• Communication is key. It is best to
keep people informed and included so
that they know what is going on. This
goes a long way.
• Consult: I cannot imagine making
decisions day after day without seeking
input, advice and help!
• Make decisions! My experience
has been that if you listen, are present,
collaborate, empower, communicate and
consult, people are comfortable with
decisiveness. In fact, they prefer it.
Diaconate Ordinations
• Articulate a vision, be passionate
about it and invite others to embrace the
vision and work to realize it.
• Most of all, pray: I am very aware
that it is God and God’s grace that has
enabled me to meet the challenges of
leadership. I cherish my early morning
time alone with the Lord. It keeps me
grounded in my primary relationship
with Jesus.
As I look back over these six years,
I see that God has been generous with
grace and present through the challenges.
God is with us in all the wonderful works
of the California Province and in all the
good people. Our retreat and spirituality
centers, parishes, schools, universities,
social and international ministries, and
other works do so much to help people
discover and develop their God-given
gifts and to find encouragement to use
them to make the world a better and
more just place.
Thank you for your support of the
California Province. We appreciate your
prayers and your generosity. Please
continue to pray with all of us that the
Holy Spirit will guide more young men
to join the Society and that our Ignatian
spirituality will continue to be shared in
partnership with others.
O
n October 23, the California Province celebrated the ordination of two
new Jesuit deacons, Radmar A. Jao, S.J., and Trung H. Pham, S.J.
Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone, Bishop of Oakland, presided
at the ordination Mass held in The Cathedral of Christ the Light Church in
Oakland, California. For a Jesuit in formation, ordination to the Diaconate is the
final step in preparation for priesthood. Deacons Jao
and Pham are currently students at the Jesuit School of
Theology in Berkeley where they continue studies for a
Master of Divinity degree.
Radmar Jao, S.J., is originally from Northwest Indiana
and comes from a family of nine children. Before joining
the Jesuits in 2001, Radmar was a professional actor in
Los Angeles working in film, television and stage. He
earned a Master’s in Philosophy from Loyola University
Radmar A. Jao, S.J.
of Chicago and completed his two-year regency
assignment at the University of San Francisco. He taught acting and theatre
appreciation as well as worked with the University Ministry team leading
CLC groups and coordinating retreats. Currently in his
third year of theological studies, he serves as a campus
minister at the Cal Berkeley Newman Center, chaplain
for the Children’s Hospital of Oakland, and as deacon at
St. Agnes Parish in San Francisco.
Trung Pham, S.J., comes from Orange County and is
the son of a Vietnamese artist. After graduating from
UCLA with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, he entered
the Society of Jesus in 1998. He took his vows in
2000, and then went on to study philosophy at Loyola Trung H. Pham, S.J.
University of Chicago. Inspired by the Spiritual Exercises and the Jesuit
tradition for arts, he earned a Master’s of Fine Arts at the Pratt Institute in
New York and taught drawing and painting at Santa Clara University for his
regency. Besides his love for arts, he also enjoys giving spiritual direction
and guiding retreats.
John P. McGarry, S.J.
Provincial
Photo credit
Gratefully in the Lord,
Jesuits ordained Deacons at the Cathedral of Christ the Light on October 23, 2010 with Bishop
Salvatore Cordileone.
MISSION WINTER 2011 3 Fr. Michael weiler, s.j., named next Provincial
LMU Selects
David W. Burcham as President
T
he Loyola Marymount University Board
of Trustees elected David W. Burcham
as the 15th president of the university
on October 4, 2010. Burcham, a native of Los
Angeles, is now the first lay president in the
university’s 99-year history.
Burcham’s association with LMU began in
1981. He graduated from Loyola Law School,
first in his class, and, after seven years in
David W. Burcham
practice, he returned to the law school.
Burcham is a recognized authority on Constitutional law and
clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the
U.S. Supreme Court. He was appointed senior vice president and
dean of the law school in 2000, and served in that capacity until
2008 when he was named LMU’s executive vice president and
provost. Burcham took over leadership as interim president of the
university when Fr. Robert B. Lawton, S.J., resigned for health
reasons.
Fr. John McGarry, S.J., Provincial of the California Province,
added his endorsement of the new Loyola Marymount
University president. “I fully support Dave Burcham,” said Fr.
McGarry. “I’m very impressed by his dedication to LMU and
his commitment to the Catholic identity and the Jesuit and
Marymount traditions of the university.”
4 MISSION WINTER 2011
Photo by Tam Patane
F
r. Michael F. Weiler, S.J., has been appointed by Fr. General
Adolfo Nicolás, S.J, as the next Provincial of the California
Province of the Society of Jesus. Fr. Weiler succeeds Fr.
John P. McGarry, S.J., who has served as Provincial of the California
Province since 2005.
Fr. Weiler will take office at the end of Fr. McGarry’s term on
the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola, July 31, 2011. Fr. Weiler currently
serves as Director of Novices and Superior of Ignatius House, a
position he has held since 2005.
Fr. Weiler is a graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory,
Loyola Marymount University, Gonzaga University, Jesuit School
of Theology, and the California School of Professional Psychology.
He entered the Society of Jesus in 1975, was ordained in
1988 and received final vows in 2005. Following ordination, Fr.
Weiler served as an associate pastor at Dolores Mission in Los
Angeles and then as an instructor in counseling psychology and a
psychologist at Santa Clara University.
Fr. Michael F. Weiler, S.J.
Yolanda Scott Brown
appointed parish life director
O
n July 1, 2011 Ms. Yolanda
Scott Brown will become the
Parish Life Director at Blessed
Sacrament Parish, Hollywood. Yolanda
joined the staff at Blessed Sacrament as
Pastoral Associate on January 1, 2011.
The Parish Life Director, appointed by
the Archbishop, is entrusted with the
leadership of the parish. She is
Yolanda Scott Brown
responsible for the overall pastoral care
and administration of the Parish. The California Province, which
has administered the Parish since 1914, will continue to provide
at least one or two priests, more if they are available, to assist
Yolanda in meeting the pastoral needs of Blessed Sacrament’s
parishioners.
Yolanda served for seven years as Pastoral Associate at Los
Angeles’ other Jesuit Parish, Dolores Mission. Prior to her career
in ministry, she worked for several years in banking and finance.
She holds an M.A. in Theology from Loyola Marymount University,
an M.B.A. in Finance from Pace University, and Doctor of Ministry
from the Catholic University of America. Her experience, education,
and long and close relationship with both the Archdiocese of
Los Angeles and the California Province make her an ideal
partner in ministry.
Leadership
an affair of the heart
The California Province relies on the generosity of its donors.
Your leadership and financial support provide the foundation for the vital ministries of the Society of Jesus. As a tribute
to the efforts of our Provincial, Fr. John McGarry, S.J., a gift can be made by designating one of the following three
ministries that began during his term.
Photo by phil schermeister
The Kino Border Initiative. This ministry serves the spiritual
and physical needs of immigrants who are deported on the
border in Mexico and Arizona. This initiative provides three
levels of outreach: a soup kitchen and safe shelter for women
and children; advocacy by working for comprehensive
immigration reform; and education.
The Malatesta Initiative for China. This program is based on
the method of enculturating Christianity first promoted by Fr.
Matteo Ricci, S.J., in the sixteen Century. The Initiative establishes
friendship and understanding among Chinese and American
scholars by providing intellectual and cultural exchanges in three
Jesuit Universities in California: University of San Francisco, Santa
Clara University and Loyola Marymount University.
The Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative. The JRJI is a
pastoral ministry of restorative justice that strives to heal
broken relationships with those who are incarcerated, their
families and victims. This faith and healing ministry uses
prayer, prison Masses, retreats, education and advocacy in
order to break the cycle of violence.
To Give
Use the enclosed envelope or to make a credit card gift, use our website’s
secure Online Giving Form at www.jesuitscalifornia.org/donation
IN REMEMBR ANCE
Father Richard T. Coz, S.J., 86
December 31, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Born in Fresno, California, on August
24, 1924, he entered Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos on August 14, 1947 and was ordained in 1958.
In 1963 he began a 32 year association with Santa Clara University as professor of economics and
Director of the Studies Abroad program. Due to his popularity as a teacher at SCU, alumni established
a scholarship fund in his honor. He also taught theology and business ethics at Brophy College Prep in
Phoenix, followed by a nine year association with De La Salle High School in Concord.
Father Stephen G. Olivo, S.J., 75
December 5, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. He was born in Chicago on December
26, 1934, entered the Society of Jesus in 1956 and was ordained in 1969. After ordination he went to
Santa Clara University for two years as Dean of Students and taught Italian and Spanish literature for
another five years. He then moved to USF where he served in a number of administrative and pastoral
positions until 1999.
Father William F. Lester, S.J., 89
October 17, 2010, in San Jose. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 4, 1921, Bill entered the
Society of Jesus in 1941. He taught high school, did hospital chaplaincy, served in various parishes in
the Santa Clara Valley, and for several years was a syndicated columnist and radio commentator. In
1978 he founded Moral Dimensions, a non-profit educational organization.
Brother Edmund Wallace Ryan, S.J., 83
September 30, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. He was born June 4, 1927 in Sioux City,
Iowa, and was accepted as a Brother postulant in 1951. He began a long association with Bellarmine
College Preparatory in 1958, remaining there for forty seven years. He managed the school’s store,
oversaw the athletic equipment and served as dorm prefect. Baseball was his passion. He was a highly
successful coach, working with the freshmen and junior varsity teams. A Bellarmine icon, he was
esteemed by students and admired by faculty and coaches.
Father Donald J. Duggan, S.J., 86
September 27, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco on May 12, 1924,
he entered Sacred Heart Novitiate in 1942. After serving as librarian at Sacred Heart Novitiate, he was
appointed in 1962 as Assistant Librarian at Santa Clara University, a post he held until 1980. He then
administered the Jesuit Community library at Santa Clara University. In 1994, he transferred to Via de
Lestonnac Retreat Center in Temecula, California, where he ministered as chaplain to the Sisters, gave
spiritual direction and guided individually directed retreats.
6 MISSION WINTER 2011
Father Ernest S. Sweeney, S.J., 78
June 18, 2010, in San Jose. Born in New York on November 5, 1932, he entered the Society of Jesus at St.
Andrew-on-Hudson in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1950. He was ordained in 1963 and as a Fulbright–
Hays Fellow earned his doctorate at the University of Texas, Austin. In 1970 he was appointed professor
of history and Academic Vice President at the Catholic University of Salta, Argentina. From 1972 to 2009
he taught at Loyola Marymount University as professor of history. Due to his strong interest in Argentina,
he produced several books and a number of articles, in Spanish and English, centered on church-state
issues in Latin America.
Father Paul Locatelli, S.J., 71
July 12, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. Born in Santa Cruz, California, on September
16, 1938, he grew up in Boulder Creek. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1962 and was ordained to
the priesthood at St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco, in 1974. He headed to Santa Clara University
(SCU) as assistant professor of accounting and also served as Associate Dean of the School of Business
and as Academic Vice President. In 1986, he was named Rector of the Loyola Marymount Jesuit
Community. Two years later he returned to SCU as the 27th President of the University. He led the SCU
as President for 20 years and most recently was Chancellor. He also served the international Society of
Jesus, headquartered in Rome, as Secretary of Higher Education.
Reflections
P
aul Locatelli was a great
Jesuit, full of life and energy,
and very generous in his
service to the Society of Jesus, the
Church and the world. We, his
fellow Jesuits, loved him dearly
and will miss him very much.
First and foremost, Paul loved
the God who called him to the
vocation which he lived so well
for his whole life. Paul’s life was
anchored in his faith in God and
his desire to model his Jesuit life
upon the life of Jesus. Paul was
a wonderful priest. In recent months, he talked with me often
about how much he valued pastoral ministry with people and
sharing the gift of his priesthood through the celebration of
the sacraments and being with people at important moments
in their lives—baptisms, weddings, funerals. Paul loved people
and recognized the God of life in each person he encountered.
Of course, Paul was also very successful in his Jesuit life,
especially as President of Santa Clara University and Secretary
(to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus) for Higher
Education. The legacy of Paul’s dedication and passion for
To GIVE
Jesuit education and his impact
on the lives of so many students,
faculty, staff, board members, and
alumni of Santa Clara University
will never be forgotten. Paul loved
Santa Clara and took great joy in
devoting so much of his life to
making Santa Clara University the
outstanding Jesuit school that it is.
Personally, I will never forget
the honor of serving with Paul
in Rome as delegates to the 35th
General Congregation of the
Society of Jesus, and I will hold
dear the moments by his bedside in the last two months when
I was able to pray with him. Though Paul’s physical condition
weakened rapidly, his faith and trust in God only grew stronger
and he was at peace even in his suffering. Paul now enjoys
the fullness of the life he lived so well, eternal life with God
whom he loved and served with all his being. The sadness of
death gives way to the bright promise of immortality, and we
celebrate the life of Fr. Paul Locatelli, S.J.
—Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J., California Provincial
For more information on how you can contribute to a memorial fund in the name of the deceased
Jesuit please go to www.jesuitscalifornia.org/donation
MISSION WINTER 2011 7 California Province Hosts
Capacity Building Conference
W
ell over one hundred colleagues from thirty-eight of
the California Province’s ministries participated in a
Capacity Building Conference – Collaboration at the
Heart of Mission, held February 7 to 9, 2011 at the Doubletree
Hotel in San Jose. The Capacity Building Conference, sponsored
by the Jesuits of the California Province, provided each of the
participating Jesuit organizations with high quality and up-to-date
skills and techniques that will assist them to effectively raise
more funds for their ministries.
The participants included Executive Directors (including
presidents and pastors), Directors of Development/Advancement,
and Board Members. Three renowned consultants from The Fund
Raising School at Indiana University offered full-day presentations
on annual sustainability, developing powerful and purposeful
boards, and cultivating major gifts, with a special discussion on
the dynamics of women’s giving.
A special feature was “fundraising champions” from within the
ministries of the California Province who presented six workshops
based upon their unique experiences and expertise. One of the
highlights was a special closing Mass celebrated by the Provincial
Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J., at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los
Gatos followed by a dinner at the historic Testarossa Winery.
Joe Naylor, Provincial Assistant for Advancement and Communications, shared, “This conference was an extraordinary
opportunity for ministries to network while learning effective
fundraising techniques. The participants left with a renewed
commitment to share resources and explore purposeful
collaboration.”
As a follow-up to this conference the California Province will
host four more sessions, two in Southern California and two in
Northern California. At these meetings, participants will gather to
reflect back on the conference and share with each other the
various successes and challenges they experienced in cultivating
the skills and techniques they learned.
Visit us online at www.jesuitscalifornia.org
to access a full range of content including
recent news and upcoming events!
8 MISSION WINTER 2011
A New Director of Planned Giving
for the California Province
T
he California Province announces that
Father Samuel P. Bellino, S.J., Executive
Director of Central Washington Catholic
Foundation (CWCF) as its new Director of
Planned Giving in the California Province
Advancement Office. This new position assists
individuals and families with their estate planning.
Fr. Bellino has been a member of the
Fr. Samuel P. Bellino, S.J.
California Province for 32 years. Prior to his
work in Washington he served as the Director of Community
Service at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco.
Fr. Bellino has been CWCF’s executive director since its
inception in 2002. Along with three laymen, he was a founding
member of the CWCF and helped the foundation raise over five
million dollars during a nine year period.
Jesuits leave Newman Center
After 40 Years
F
r. John P. McGarry, S.J., the Provincial of the California
Province of the Society of Jesus, announced the decision
that the Jesuits will leave the Newman Center/Holy Spirit
Parish at the University of Hawaii-Manoa on June 30, 2011. The
responsibility for the administration and staffing of Newman
Center/Holy Spirit Parish will revert to the Diocese of Honolulu.
The order has staffed the campus ministry hub for 40 years,
creating a rich intellectual and spiritual resource for which the
Society of Jesus is well-known, not only for university students
but also for Hawaii’s entire Catholic community.
Fr. McGarry, S.J., wrote that the decision came after long and
careful discernment and
consultation that included
dialogue with Bishop Silva.
The Jesuits’ California
province runs ten parishes
in seven dioceses and
it is no longer possible
to maintain so many
commitments. The exit is the consequence of an increasingly
limited supply of priests and brothers, and other resources.
Nineteen Jesuit priests have worked at the Newman Center/
Holy Spirit Parish over the past four decades. Eight more have
been chaplains for the St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii.
Others have served here as spiritual directors and retreat directors.
The Jesuit priests now at Newman, Fr. Russell Roide, S.J., and
Fr. Chandler, S.J., will remain until June. Fr. Joseph Specht, S.J.,
will continue as chaplain at St. Francis until the departure date.
—Patrick Downes and Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz
Social Ministries Gathering on Ecology
F
a commitment to ecological justice and
ifty Jesuits and lay colleagues from
sustainability – partly due to the cultural
throughout the province gathered
milieu of the Northwest, but more
at the Jesuit Retreat Center of
directly due to what they have learned
Los Altos in late October for the annual
from their international partnership with
Social Ministries Gathering, entitled “Eat,
the Jesuits of Colombia, where there
Pray, Love – Exploring the Implications of
has been a longstanding commitment,
Consumption, Spirituality and Action on
especially among the rural projects,
the Integration of Ecology, Sustainability
to the integration of sustainable
and Ignatian Social Ministries.” This
consumption and Ignatian spirituality.
year’s theme enabled the participants
Students at Bellarmine College Preparatory spend time
maintaining the Bell garden. The garden contributes to the
One of the most dynamic sessions
to reflect upon the challenge of a “right
theme of sustainability for the Botany class project.
of the gathering involved the sharing
relationship with creation” (GC 35,
of best practices from the schools,
Decree 3), in light of the best practices
parishes, and social ministries that were present from both the
that are developing at Jesuit ministries to explore issues of
California and Oregon Provinces, and touched on everything from
ecological justice in the context of our Ignatian mission.
strategies for promoting recycling, conducting school wide trash
This year’s gathering was significant in that it was a collaborative
audits, incentivizing carpools, and hiring kitchen and facilities
effort between the California and Oregon Provinces, including
managers that are committed to sustainable practices. As a followrich reflections and provocative presentations by Bill Wood, S.J.
up, Mark Potter, Provincial Assistant for Social Ministries, will be
(CFN), Bill Watson, S.J. (ORE), and Joseph Carver, S.J. (ORE).
reaching out to Jesuit communities and works to explore ways to
As Bill Watson explained, the Oregon Province has long been a
promote ecological and sustainable practices.
leader within the U.S. on the integration of Ignatian spirituality and
The Colloquium on
the ministry of teaching
T
he Colloquium is one of the programs sponsored by the
California Province of the Society of Jesus to promote the
Ignatian Mission and Identity in the schools and to assist in
partnership formation between the Jesuits and the many lay
colleagues who work for the students in our schools.
This conference was held in January, 2011, for coaches and
athletic directors in the California Province of the Society of Jesus
secondary schools. Presentations by Mark Granger, basketball
coach from Xavier College Preparatory, Fr. Mike Gilson, S.J., Jesuit
Superior from Jesuit High and Bob Ladouceiur, football coach
at De La Salle High School, covered Ignatius’ understanding of
the human person and how coaching is part of the Ministry of
Teaching in our schools. Andrew Phillips, a student and an athlete
on this year’s championship football team at Stanford University,
spoke to the group on being a student and an athlete at a Jesuit
school and what that has meant to him during college.
There were small group discussions around case studies that
presented potential conflicts that can arise in athletic programs where
the participants were asked to reflect and share their experiences.
All participants had the chance to re-invigorate themselves
with the Ignatian vision, to engage in conversation with
colleagues, and to pray.
Jesuit High School
Names New President
T
he Rev. David J. Suwalsky, S.J. has
been unanimously elected to serve
as Jesuit High School’s 12th
president by the school’s board of
trustees, school officials have announced.
Jesuit’s current president, the Rev.
Gregory R. Bonfiglio, S.J., announced he
will complete his service at Carmichael’s
all-boys Roman Catholic preparatory school Rev. David J. Suwalsky, S.J.
in June after nine years of service. Suwalsky’s appointment will be
effective July 1, but he and Bonfiglio will begin working together
on a smooth transition, officials said.
Suwalsky will relocate to Sacramento from St. Louis where
he currently serves as the treasurer and chief legal officer of the
Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus and Minister of the
Bellarmine House of Studies.
Suwalsky is a member of the board of trustees and chairman of
the finance committee at De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis,
the board of trustees at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City,
the Board of Members of Loyola Academy in St. Louis and the
Board of Directors of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara
University in Berkeley.
MISSION WINTER 2011 9 good steward
Rob and Mike Smith
Two Brothers Serving the Community
F
serve on the advisory board of the Dominican Sisters’ Vision of
or Rob and Mike Smith, Jesuit service has always been a
Hope which staffs seven Catholic elementary schools in the poorest
household word. They were introduced to it by their parents,
communities of Los Angeles.
who grew up in San Francisco and later raised their family
Mike serves as Minister to the Sick at his parish and supports
in Los Angeles. Their father, Robert Smith, Jr., attended Saint
the work of Dolores Mission, Homeboys and the PICO Initiative.
Ignatius High and the University of San Francisco. At these Jesuit
“I will do anything for Jesuit causes,” he says.
schools he learned the Ignatian way. “Mom and Dad were great
Mike and his wife Patty are strong supporters of Verbum Dei
role models,” Mike says.
Rob is the oldest of six children, and Mike, a middle child, is the High School. Patty is on the Board of Directors and Mike sponsors
Verbum Dei High School students in a work-study program so
third son. Both Mike and Rob say they relied on each other through
that they can obtain a first-hand experience of the business world
the years for encouragement and guidance.
using this as an incentive to obtain a college education.
At the Smith’s home, Jesuits were invited regularly to Sunday
In addition, for more than 14 years, both Rob and Mike, as
night dinners. They taught the Smith brothers about life in ministry,
co-chairs, have been instrumental
how the Jesuits took care of others
in the Jesuit Charities Golf Tournaand connected them to religious
ment, which raises tuition for
life. It was at these dinners that
students at Dolores Mission School
the Jesuits “taught us to reach out
and the Jesuit Missions.
to people,” Mike says.
Rob and Mike have been
After graduating from Loyola
honored
numerous times for their
High School, Rob went to UCLA
involvement in the community. Rob
and Mike went to Loyola University.
recently received the St. Elizabeth
In Rob’s fourth year of college, he
Ann Seton Award from the National
married his wife Joanne. Mike
Catholic Education Association. In
married his wife Patty within one
November 2010, Rob was honored
year after meeting her at a Valenby the Catholic Education Foundation
tine’s Day party.
for his seven year affiliation with the
Mike and Rob are in the automotive
organization. That same evening,
sales business, which has become
Mike was recognized by the
part of the legacy that their father
Crescenta Valley Chamber of
and grandfather set up. Rob is owner
Commerce and then drove across
of Sierra Leasing, and Mike, with
town just in time to enjoy a toast to
his son Pete, owns Bob Smith
his brother, Rob.
Toyota. Their remarkable closeness
Rob and Mike say that they have
is found in other areas. They live
been enlightened by the communities
within four blocks of one another,
they serve. Seeing the world through
sent their children to the same
others’ eyes, they recognize where
Catholic schools, coached baseball
life’s challenges and triumphs are.
together and have shared the same
Enjoying an evening together. Rob Smith and Joanne are pictured next to
When asked how he thinks his
weekly prayer group for over thirty
Patty and Mike Smith.
leadership impacts the people he
years. Both have taught their
serves, Rob stated, “I don’t see
children the Ignatian values of
myself as a decision maker. I try to let people know that these
generosity and being men and women for others.
ministries are available to all, despite any economic boundaries,
Today, Rob is involved in many Jesuit causes. Rob serves as a
because when we come together there is a broadness of
trustee of Loyola High School, Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission
understanding.” —Tam Patane
Church and Homeboys in East Los Angeles. He and his wife
“Ignatian spirituality is a
wonderful opportunity for us
all. Within the stories shared
there is an opportunity to
better understand the world
through the eyes of Ignatius,
and I want to know more.”
–Rob Smith
10 MISSION WINTER 2011
PHOTO BY Tam Patane
Jesuit Profile
Imagine it is Monday morning and
you are getting up at 3:00 a.m. to
make a 60 mile commute by public
transportation from St. Ignatius
Preparatory in San Francisco to Sacred
Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos.
This is the hour that Fr. Andrew F. Maginnis, S.J., rises so that he
can celebrate Mass, pray the daily office and catch the 5:40 a.m.
#29 Muni bus at Sunset. With Clipper transit card in hand, Fr.
Andy transfers at Judah St. to the 6:10 a.m. N streetcar which
makes it way to the 4th and King St., Caltrain depot. The #210
pulls out at 6:44 a.m. and arrives in Santa Clara at 8:05 a.m. Fr.
John Mossi, S.J., is waiting at the depot and the fourth and last
leg of the commute begins. Catching up on events of the week,
Fr. Andy and Fr. John navigate highway 17 and arrive in the city
of Los Gatos by 8:35 a.m. to begin work in the California
Province Advancement Office.
Not many make such a challenging commute by bus, streetcar,
commuter train and car to get to work and not many do this
at 87 years young. Fr. Andy, full of energy and quite spry as he
enters his 72nd year as a Jesuit, tackles this challenging trek as
another Jesuit opportunity to serve. No surprise at all! Over the
years Fr. Andy has worn many berets.
After ordination in 1952, Fr. Andy served as Assistant Superior
at Alma College Theologate, tucked away in the Santa Cruz
Mountains, for three years, and then was transferred as Assistant
Superior to Loyola University in Los Angeles for two years. As
his organizational and writing skills became noticed, Fr. Andy
served as Socius/Executive Assistant for four Provincials over a
nine year period. He also was acting Provincial for five months
after Fr. John F. Connolly, S.J., unexpectedly died in office.
In 1974, Archbishop Joseph Thomas McGucken of San
Francisco requested that Fr. Andy serve as Vicar for Men and
Women Religious, a demanding role of advisor and confessor
that he administered for over 30 years. However, a number of
our readers know Fr. Andy as the Director of Jesuit Seminary
Association and Editor of Western Jesuit, a task that he filled
from 1992 to 2004. During this twelve year stint, Fr. Andy
published 48 issues of Western Jesuit, the predecessor to the
current Mission magazine. With each approaching issue, he
would lament, “I don’t have anything more to write. But it is
through my brief one page columns that people have come to
know me.” Fr. Andy, who occasionally wears a shirt button with
the inscription: “I have been declared an historical landmark,”
was also renowned for his many personal and humorous letters
written to donors and friends who use our Jesuit Mass Cards.
Recently Fr. John P. McGarry, S.J., Provincial, asked Fr.
Andy to return to this important ministry of strengthening
relationships with our benefactors and supporters of Jesuit
works. Thus far, Fr. Andy has written over 300 letters to our
friends and is currently contacting others by phone. “I want
our donors to know how much their gifts are appreciated
and to let them know that they are especially remembered in
our Masses, prayers and apostolic intentions.”
Joe Naylor, Provincial Assistant for Advancement and
Communications, is excited about the addition of Fr. Andy to
the Advancement Team, “Fr. Andy is an exceptional Jesuit who
has a wealth of Jesuit benefactor history, a witty pen and a
wonderful rapport over the phone. And as senior member of
the team, he keeps us all hopping!”
Be on full alert. Expect to receive a communication by mail or
a friendly phone call from Fr. Andy soon! Or, contact Fr. Andy
directly on his office phone at (408) 884-1649 or by sending him
an email at [email protected]. —John P. Mossi, S.J.
Meet Father Andrew F. Maginnis, S.J.
MISSION WINTER 2011 11 The gratitude of a
John has distinguished
himself by his total
dedication to the
Province and to the
individual Jesuits.
PHOTO BY Tam Patane
Mario J. Prietto, S.J.
Rector, Loyola House Jesuit Community
12 MISSION winter 2011
Provincial
An interview with Father McGarry
Provincial Father John P. McGarry, S.J. grew up in Los Angeles and was
part of a large traditional Irish-American, Roman-Catholic family. As a student at
Loyola High School he was impacted by the dedication of the Jesuits—especially by
how they cared for the individual person, taking an interest in and helping each student
develop his or her capacities and talents. He was also impressed with the esprit of the
Jesuit community in the various ways they enjoyed one another and celebrated their
life together. After a year at Gonzaga University in Spokane, a young John McGarry
applied to the Society of Jesus and, on August 30, 1981, he entered the Jesuit Novitiate
at Montecito, California.
Fr. McGarry began his philosophy studies at Loyola University in New Orleans and
completed his degree at Gonzaga University. From 1986-89, he taught English, Spanish
and theology, and served as Director of Campus Ministry at Brophy Prep in Phoenix,
where he developed a penchant for high school work. Next, he attended the Jesuit
School of Theology at Berkeley, earning a Master of Divinity, while simultaneously
completing an M.A. in Private School Administration at the University of San Francisco’s
Institute of Catholic Educational Leadership. On June 12, 1993, he was ordained a
priest at Loyola Marymount University. Fr. McGarry returned to Loyola High School
as a theology teacher and Director of Campus Ministry. In 1997, he transferred to Jesuit
High School in Sacramento where he served as Associate Principal. In 1998 he was
appointed Principal at Jesuit High School and served in that position until 2005, when he
was appointed Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus.
Left: Father McGarry, S.J., presiding at a staff meeting in Los Gatos.
MISSION winter 2011 13
MISSION: What are the milestones of your Provincialate?
Fr. McGarry: The 2007 we hosted Province Congregation of
delegates from throughout the Province in order to elect two
other delegates to serve with me at the General Congregation
in Rome from January to March in 2008. At the General
Congregation, we elected our current Superior General, Fr.
Adolfo Nicolás, S.J. This experience of being with Jesuits from
around the world and setting the course for our future service
to the Church was a highlight in my life as a Jesuit to this point.
When I began my service as Provincial in 2005, I participated
in the Assistancy Strategic Discernment Process for the Jesuits
and our works in the United States, that had begun the year
before. Being a member of a team of Provincials leading a
consultative process to set the goals and direction for the Jesuit
ministries in the U.S. has been a gratifying experience in my
term as Provincial.
The Province celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. The
year included a two-week visit to the Province by Fr. General
Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., as well as a two-day convocation bringing
together 400 Jesuits and 300 lay partners to pray and reflect on
the history and future of the Province.
MISSION: At the beginning of your Provincialate what did
you foresee as the challenges and what was the outcome?
Fr. McGarry: A major challenge was the aging demographic
of our members and our diminishing numbers. When I took
office, the number of Jesuits over 65 was much greater than the
number under 65, and this will be the case for the near future.
All kinds of issues are raised with so many Jesuits retiring or
needing health care and other support as they age. During my
term I led communities in conversations about a wide range
of topics on aging – what it meant for them as individuals and
communities and for the Society as a whole. Most importantly,
though, I have been most gratified and moved by the example
14 MISSION winter 2011
PHOTO BY Bern Zovistoski
As Fr. McGarry concludes
his six-year term, we asked
him about his experience
as Provincial.
Above: Fr. McGarry, S.J., receives final vows from Fr. Sean Carroll, S.J.,
at San Felipe de Jesús Parish in Nogales, Arizona.
Right: Fr. John McGarry, S.J., speaks to the press on the Inauguration
of the Kino Border Initiative in 2009.
of holiness and generous service of our elder Jesuits at Sacred
Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. I am very glad and grateful to
our benefactors, that we are able to offer a wonderful program of
care and life-giving activities in Los Gatos in the retirement
context of independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing
care for our men who need it after so many years of generous
service to God and God’s people in the Church. Sacred Heart
Jesuit Center in Los Gatos is our home, it is the seat of the
Province, the place we will all come home to after our labors
in the mission we serve.
Another major challenge was the need for more robust programs
of vocation promotion and accompaniment of young men
who are discerning a call from Christ to serve in the Church
through life in the Jesuits. In our U.S. culture today, and in the
context of the sexual abuse crisis in the Church, this has been
more challenging than ever. We have increased our efforts in
promoting the value of our Jesuit vocation and our vowed life,
especially through our local Jesuit communities and works.
Lastly, given the diminishing number of Jesuits, we were
challenged to right-size our Jesuit communities and commitments.
For example, when I began my term, there were 28 Jesuit
communities in the Province; now there are 22. We have
PHOTO BY Fr. Robert Dolan, S.J.
John has been an
outstanding
Provincial combining
a practical wisdom
with a profoundly
caring spirituality.
Edward A. Reese, S.J.
President, Brophy College Preparatory
created interapostolic communities, where men live and pray
in community together while serving a variety of ministries,
rather than just one, in a geographic area. This has helped in
stewardship of our resources in a responsible manner, and it
has enhanced the quality of our religious life together so that
we are spiritually grounded and ready to serve in the mission
we are given.
MISSION: In your last five years as Provincial what
influenced you most and in what way?
Fr. McGarry: I have been most impressed with – and humbled
by – the genuine goodness and generosity of the Jesuits and lay
colleagues I have encountered in my day-to-day work. I travel
to all the communities and ministries of the Province each year,
and I am constantly listening, witnessing, and in dialogue with
Jesuits and lay Ignatian partners who love God and want to serve
others. It is grace upon grace, and a tremendous blessing, to
witness the commitment and dedication of wonderful people.
And, we have great support in our work for the Church. We
are blessed with so many people, our benefactors, who
embrace the work of Jesuits and our institutions. They will do
anything to help us because they know the good we are
seeking to do!
MISSION: What prepared you for your role as Provincial?
Fr. McGarry: My desire to serve and my previous experience
in administration – as principal of Jesuit High – helped a lot.
Good friendships helped and continue to help sustain me. But
most important is my love for God, my genuine sense of being
called, and my deep love for the Society of Jesus. I am happy
in my vocation and I love being a Jesuit, and I love Jesuits
and our life and ministry together. If I didn’t, I think it would
be much more challenging to lead the Province!
MISSION: What do you believe is the most important thing
you do?
Fr. McGarry: Every year I meet with each Jesuit in the Province
to receive his account of conscience where he shares with me
the joys and the challenges he has experienced in his personal
life, his vows, his ministry, and his life in community. This is
the most important thing I do. It is also important for me to be
MISSION winter 2011 15
attentive to our partnership, as Jesuits, with others, and to make
myself available to our partners in ministry as they, too, seek to
live their vocation in service to others in our schools, universities,
retreat and spirituality centers, parishes, social and international
ministries, and all our works. I have become a better person, a
better Jesuit, and a better priest through accompanying Jesuits
and lay people in their experience of God and service to others.
I am so grateful for this grace in my life.
engaged in exploring and implementing schools and programs
that have expanded our traditional role in education.
In pastoral ministry, we have made some tough decisions and
employed some creative solutions to address the fact we simply
don’t have enough priests to serve as pastors in our parishes. We
right-sized our parish commitments, from 12 parishes to 9. We
also implemented a new leadership model. In July, a lay woman
will be installed as the Parish Life Director for Blessed Sacrament
Parish, which is a first for our parishes. Empowering lay people
to take on leadership roles, in partnership with Jesuits, is a
great achievement.
MISSION: In your role as Provincial what makes the
biggest impact?
Shortly after I took office, our leaders in social ministries
prioritized what they felt were the most pressing social issues
and how the Province could respond most effectively to them.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform turned out to be the number
one priority, and Restorative Justice, number two. We started
new ministries in both areas: the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales,
Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, to address immigration issues, and
the Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative, which works with those
who are incarcerated and their families, as well as victims of
crime, through prayer, education and advocacy. I believe that,
in general, a commitment to social justice has been renewed
and deepened in all of our works.
Fr. McGarry: I think I have the biggest impact when I inspire
others’ confidence in me as a leader – as one who prays and has
an active relationship with Christ and with other people, listens
well, discerns and consults, is willing to make decisions, and is
grounded in the here and now but with an eye to the future.
MISSION: When you became Provincial, you developed a
five-year plan and goals. What have you achieved and
what is left to do?
Fr. McGarry: I have an excellent Provincial team that has
worked very hard to achieve goals in their respective areas.
In the international realm, we have right-sized our commitments,
while strengthening our relationship with particular Provinces,
such as Argentina and Uruguay. In addition, we began a new
initiative with China – the Malatesta Project which is focused on
an exchange program of professors from universities in China
In pre-secondary, secondary and higher education, we have
made great strides in partnership with our lay colleagues, while
maintaining our Catholic and Jesuit identity. We have also
Mary Eden
Provincial Assistant for Health Care,
Jesuits of the California Province
PHOTO BY Tam Patane
I am grateful for
the opportunity to
work with a leader
of John’s insight
and hopefulness.
Below: Fr. McGarry, S.J., greets Sr. Lorena Leyva at the Social Ministries
Gathering on Sustainability in Los Altos.
and our three universities in California. The exchange in mostly
in the areas of Philosophy and Theology.
An area where more remains to be done is the Ignatian
formation of Jesuits and lay people for partnership, making
sure that this partnership is grounded in what our Superior
General calls an Ignatian spirituality of collaboration. For this
reason, the Province has inaugurated an Ignatian Partnership
Commission.
MISSION: How have changes in the economy impacted
you and how you have done your job?
Fr. McGarry: With the downturn in the economy, we had to
tighten our belts like everyone else. We also made sure that we
didn’t draw down on the principle corpus of each of our main
endowments, which fund our ministries, formation of Jesuits
and care for the sick and aged.
Even with the downturn, we have been able to help other
Provinces in the Society of Jesus, as well as continue our own
ministries, due to the fundraising efforts of Fr. Bill Maring, S.J.,
and Fr. Dick Vaughan, S.J., and the generosity of our
benefactors.
Our current offices of Advancement and Communications,
and Treasury have made great strides in the good stewardship of our resources and the active engagement of our
benefactors and friends in helping to advance and support
the mission of the Society of Jesus for the Church in the
California Province.
Final Thoughts
In a recent letter on leadership, our Superior General called us to greater spiritual and intellectual
depth and a greater use of creativity and imagination in how we serve. It is my hope that our
young Jesuits, who carry our future, will be inspired by this call as they complete their formation
and studies and enter our ministries.
Gratitude is a foundational theme in my life – my parents always taught me to be grateful
and generous in return. My own experience of making the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
Loyola put me in greater and deeper touch with a God who has been and is so generous to me.
I can only respond with gratitude and generosity, and care for others and for the Society and its
mission for the Church, in return.
I am very grateful for the help of everyone who has accompanied me on this journey. I am
blessed with wonderful companions, collaborators, and partners in mission, and I certainly
would not have been able to do what I do as Provincial without them.
MISSION winter 2011 17
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WRITTEN BY Kim Cavnar, Princip
“Go, set the world on fire.” At St. Francis Xavier
Parish and School in Phoenix, Arizona we are especially
fond of reminding one another of these parting words of
Ignatius to Francis Xavier upon departing for his journey.
These words are painted on the wall in our school
reception area, they are printed in school programs, and in
a special way over the past few years, the spirit of these
words have become etched in our hearts.
The message is noble and courageous, and maybe
even more of a dare than a command, yet it has become
part of the fiber of our daily mission in these times that
challenge. Maybe that’s how leadership is really borne,
out of challenge and invitation, in spite of and in response
to the needs that surround us.
In one of the worst economic times, we are in the midst
of a capital campaign at St. Francis Xavier, to rebuild our
75 year old school and create some gathering spaces for a
growing parish community and staff. Geographically we
are dwarfed beside two outstanding college preparatory
high schools that have exponentially expanded over the
past ten years, each doubling the scope and size of their
campus facilities. As the neighboring parish and elementary
school, literally sharing the same property, we were late
coming into the competitive playing field for big benefactors
and generous philanthropic awards. Still, we are chugging
along, like the infamous little engine that could, and so
far we have phase one of five completed.
The ingenuity and drive of parish and school families
and volunteers are reminiscent of a scene from the film,
“It’s a Wonderful Life,” as those worn around the edges, with
limited means, lost wages and loyal hearts, keep faithful to
the small and big sacrifices that meet the bills, to continue
to uphold the dream of a community, united by love.
Twice a year parish and school families assist in home
building on Indian Reservations and in Mexico.
MISSION WINTER 2011 19
“Etched in Our Hearts” is the theme of
the Capital Campaign and the kids in the
school have even learned a song of the
same title written by their music teacher,
that parallels the friendship of Ignatius and
Francis Xavier to themselves as “leaders
of tomorrow.” Last fall the students
participated in a “Kids’ Campaign” and
weekly each student contributed 25 cents
toward a goal of $1,500.00 over six weeks.
Not only did they meet their goal, but a
local bank came out with a coin counting
truck to let the kids watch the coins add up,
then matched the amount with $1,000.00.
Each student knows s/he is part of helping
to build their future school...leadership
borne out of challenge and invitation.
During this same time the Hispanic
population of St. Francis Xavier Parish
tripled as the estranged, the immigrant,
and the alienated of Phoenix found a
welcome space to worship and grow
in their faith. The rapid growth and
passionate design to practice their
Catholic heritage spurred Associate
Pastor Fr. John Auther, S.J., to create a
family faith formation program. Elders in
the Hispanic community became trained
catechists and evangelical assistants
guiding the community members in
sacramental preparation. Now the
Spanish Religious Education program
thrives every Sunday, there is standing
room only at Sunday mass as the 1,000
seat church bulges at the seams, and the
community lingers long after mass
throughout the afternoon on parish
grounds, in a spirit of fiesta and family.
While more parish staff is needed, that
doesn’t keep the program from cultivating
leadership from within the Hispanic
community so that all can be served, and
future generations can receive a religious
education...leadership borne out of
challenge and invitation.
Leadership isn’t just about the future,
it’s also about honoring our roots so we
can stay true to our collective mission.
In that spirit, as the Jesuit Community of
Phoenix merged into one home, space
was freed up and given over to be used
as the Ignatian Spirituality Center. Retreats,
prayer space, Ignatian spirituality
programs, and meeting space for spiritual
direction became available with the
emphasis on providing opportunities
20 MISSION WINTER 2011
for spiritual leadership. Deepening one’s
faith life and introduction to the Spiritual
Exercises, parish and school board
leadership retreats, and faculty days of
prayer have evolved and now fill the
center. Recently launched is a Loyola
New Orleans cohort which trains lay
leaders and incorporates spiritual
formation based upon the Exercises.
Pastor Fr. Dan Sullivan, S.J. has begun
conversations to develop a more formal
Center for Ignatian Spirituality to bring in
Jesuit speakers, scholars, and retreat guides.
Meanwhile Jesuit leadership thrives at
the school. The Arrupe Project is one of
several dynamic invitations students will
participate in as they transition through
their school years. This is a capstone
coming-of-age program where 7th
and 8th graders learn to “pay it
forward” by becoming
personally engaged and even investing a
small amount of money, into a dream
project to respond to a social injustice.
Along with the help of their parents and
their teachers, and a grant from the
John F. Long Foundation, over the course
of two to three months, students will
examine the causes of systemic suffering
and creatively grapple with how they
personally can make a difference in a
way that will perpetuate beyond their
direct service.
SPIRIT!
“Etched in
Our Hearts”
Etched in our hearts is a
dream for tomorrow.
Etched in our minds is a plan
for that dream.
We are the messengers of
God’s Holy Scripture,
The leaders of tomorrow,
the lights that will gleam.
Help us to grow, to expand
our understanding.
Help us to learn of the power
of His grace.
Give us a building that soars
to the heavens.
Give us a stairway that can
reach His warm embrace.
Please build a sign that says
“All are Welcome!”
Make us some rooms that
encourage work and play.
The first of three phases is underway with
the rebuilding of St. Francis Xavier Faith and
Education Center.
Let all God’s children find joy
in their learning.
Add a winding path where
believers can pray.
As students of St. Francis,
we are all “Kids for Others.”
Following the teachings of
Ignatius, our guide.
We know that wisdom
is essential for our mission.
Give us the space that will
enhance our Catholic pride.
Students, parents, teachers and Jesuits participate in the “Kids Campaign”
kickoff, presided by Pastor Fr. Dan Sullivan, S.J.
These students have had plenty of
preparation beforehand as they serve as
retreat leaders for younger grades in
sacramental preparation, as they participate
as members of the MAGIS outreach
committee based on servant leadership,
and as they create and play Jesuit board
games. As early as kindergarten, students
at St. Francis Xavier learn the five
foundations of their Jesuit education: to
become loving, open to growth, religious,
intellectually competent and committed
to doing justice...all aimed at cultivating
emerging leaders, those who reach for
the very best in all areas, so that they
can give away their gifts in loving service
to others.
Our daily ritual of morning prayer and
pledge launches the academic start of the
day with the call and response: “As we go
out to be kids for others...in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen!” In response to the
school-wide Examen, students can place
post-it notes on their classroom doors
describing how they saw or heard God
that day at school or at home. By the
time students leave St. Francis Xavier,
we hope they believe that they are
personally responsible for being the
kindling if not the flame, that “sets the
world on fire.”
What options do we have short of
cultivating ongoing leadership, as we look
into a 22 million dollar campaign of which
we are about a third of the way, as we
continue to nourish a growing Hispanic
population with greater awareness of their
own giftedness, as we plan for a thriving
Ignatian Spirituality Center to sustain our
Jesuit heritage, and as we rebuild our parish
school rooted in Jesuit ideals and practices
to serve future generations? I don’t think
any of us at St. Francis Xavier Parish and
School knew we were so committed to
leadership. We did try to stay faithful to
that “small, still voice within.” From the
moment you walk into the school or the
parish, we pray you will be lovingly
guided to hear God’s voice, to open your
heart, to know you are home, and to
partner with us on our collective journey.
In the final phase of the master plan
for the completed capital campaign, there
is a Sacred Walk designed between the
parish and the school, depicting the life
journey of St. Francis Xavier. Until the
story is laid in concrete, we are doing our
Jesuits visit classes to share from their
ministry training. A natural teacher, Fr.
John Auther, S.J., directly engages the
students in the lesson.
best to live our own journey as a faith
community, and to help one another venture
out on his or her own response to God’s
challenge and invitation. We look forward
to those companions who will be part of
the journey and the great adventure.
For more information on St. Francis Xavier
Parish School go to www.sfxphx.org
MISSION WINTER 2011 21
PHOTO BY Fr. Thomas Rausch, S.J.
The Malatesta Program
In the Footsteps of Matteo Ricci, S.J.
By Thomas E. Buckley, S.J.
Matteo Ricci, S.J., and Xu Quangqi, a
Chinese scholar-official, in Xu’s burial
garden in Shanghai.
22 MISSION WINTER 2011
The Malatesta program is named for Fr.
Edward Malatesta, S.J., who was a great
friend of China and Chinese Catholics in
the San Francisco Bay Area. Trained as a
biblical scholar, he taught for many years
at the Gregorian University in Rome. But
he had always wanted to work in China.
After the Cultural Revolution ended, the
Jesuit Superior General, Fr. Pedro Arrupe,
S.J., gave him permission to leave Rome
and to learn Chinese which he did at
the age of 48 at the Monterey Language
Institute.
Fr. Malatesta then began travelling back
and forth to China where he helped Fr.
(now Bishop) Aloysius Jin to re-establish
the Sheshan Seminary for the Shanghai
diocese which has since trained hundreds
of priests and bishops for China. In 1984,
Fr. Malatesta co-founded the Ricci Institute
for Chinese-Western Cultural History at
the University of San Francisco with the
California Province. The center is named
for an Italian Jesuit, Fr. Matteo Ricci, S.J.,
an outstanding missionary to China who
died in Beijing in 1610. Fr. Malatesta died
in Hong Kong in 1998 while on his
thirty-second trip to China.
China
Impressions
PHOTO BY Fr. Tom Buckley, S.J.
George Greiner, S.J.
Above: Located behind Beijing Zoo, Wuta Si, or the Five Pagoda Temple is the Avenue of Jesuit
tombstones. Left: Matteo Ricci, S.J., the first missionary welcomed into Beijing, in a 1610 painting
at the Church of Jesu in Rome.
Chinese Universities: By the late 1980s, Fr.
Malatesta was developing yet another new
project, working with Prof. Zhao Dunhua at
Peking University in Beijing to develop the
religious studies major, which had been
established in 1983, into a full religious
studies department. That department
opened in 1995 and since then religious
studies departments have sprung up at
China’s best universities. Peking University
subsequently opened an Academy of
Religious Studies so that faculty members
from other departments might also engage
in the study of religion.
The Chinese government’s support for
the study of religion may seem surprising
in light of the fact that it professes to be Communist and atheistic. But Chinese intellectuals,
especially scholars in the Humanities, tend
to be positive towards Christianity. This
trend is a result of their change of vision, to
a broader understanding of culture. Even
though they may be non-believers, they
recognize two important realities:
First, they appreciate the convergence
between Christian and Chinese traditions,
especially those derived from Confucius.
Historical studies made by Chinese scholars
recently have revealed that Matteo Ricci
and his Chinese colleagues, Xu Gangqi,
Yang Tingyun, and Li Zhizao in the Ming
Dynasty were correct when they recognized
the compatibility between Christianity and
Confucianism. One can be completely
Chinese and completely Catholic.
Second, due to the post-modernist
challenge to modernity, some Chinese
scholars have realized the limitation of
scientism and the Enlightenment prejudice
against Christian tradition. On the other
hand, they are also skeptical of postmodernism. From their perspective, both
post-modernism and modernism are
characterized by a radical secularization
of culture. In China this has resulted in
skepticism, relativism, and finally, nihilism
of values. The only way out of this
predicament, some argue, is to supplement
the secular values of modernity with values
of pre-modernity. In this respect they
regard Christianity and other religious
traditions as capable of providing rich
resources for modern culture and life.
This does not mean that most Chinese
intellectuals upholding such principles
are becoming Christians. They are mainly
concerned with reconstructing modern
Chinese culture, the comparison between
Chinese and Western traditions, and the
integration of modernization with tradition.
Yet, since they became convinced that
Western civilization and culture could
not be assimilated without a proper
understanding of the Christian tradition,
there is enormous interest in the study of
Christianity.
China is a vast, complex country,
embracing 20% of the world’s people,
with cultures that date back 5,000 years. I
don’t pretend to know much about China
and all I can provide are impressions.
The beautiful island city of Xiamen was
my entry into mainland China in 2001. A
year later I visited the Jesuit Beijing
Cultural Center, and gave two theological
lectures at Renmin University. I also
visited two Roman Catholic seminaries at
Shijiazhuang, each filled with students,
and went on to Xiamen, Hong Kong and
Macau.
China is rapidly expanding and
improving its university system,
providing the opportunity for more and
more students to pursue a wide variety
of disciplines, including religious studies.
Chinese Universities welcome visiting
scholars, and send many of their teachers
and students abroad: nearly 100,000
young Chinese are studying at American
universities this year.
The Chinese students I met were
friendly, eager, intelligent, and informed,
well-versed in Western philosophy,
literature, film and politics. Most speak
English, and some are mastering French,
German and Spanish for studies abroad.
Several have begun theological studies
outside China, in Europe or the USA
especially. I have been very impressed by
the intellectual ferment I encountered in
China, with the curiosity of the students
and faculty I met, with their warmth and
hospitality.
MISSION WINTER 2010 23
Thomas P. Rausch, S.J.
Macau, a Portuguese enclave on the
border of China, was the launching
point for the Jesuit mission to China
in the late sixteenth century. When
Alessandro Valignano, S.J. (1539-1606)
arrived in Macau as a “visitor” from
Rome, he committed the Society of
Jesus to an in depth study of Chinese
language and culture that would from
now characterize the Jesuits’ mission.
Michele Ruggieri, S.J. (1543-1607) arrived
in 1579, followed in 1582 by Matteo
Ricci, S.J. (1552-1610). These two Italian
priests were the first of a group of
outstanding Jesuits who would plant
Christianity in China.
By 1700 there were some 200,000
Chinese Christians. But the Jesuit
presence there was never large. For
example, in 1665 there were seventeen
priests and three brothers scattered
throughout that vast land, most of
them serving as pastors to communities
of Christians for a church that lacked
ordinary diocesan structures. To multiply
their influence, they stressed lay piety
as they did in Europe, relying on lay
catechists/interpreters and using
techniques they had learned in their
colleges, organizing the faithful into
devotional confraternities, sodalities,
and brotherhoods (called hui, associations). Often chanting responsorial
prayers under the direction of their
president, the huizhang, these confraternities instructed neophytes, prayed
for the sick, and buried the dead.
Though divided between the
government-recognized public church
and a perhaps a greater number in the
church “underground” the Church in
China continues to grow. I was invited
to teach a course on Christology at
Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou
in 2009. What I found most fascinating in
China was the new interest in religion and
specifically Christianity. A considerable
number of university scholars, often
called “cultural Christians” are interested
in Christianity because of its potential
to contribute Chinese culture in the
areas of values, morality, and social
justice.
24 MISSION WINTER 2011
How The Malatesta Program Began: In 2006, Fr.
George Greiner, S.J., and Fr. Thomas Buckley,
S.J., from the Jesuit School of Theology at
Berkeley (now JST-SCU), were invited to lecture
at Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou and
Peking University in Beijing. During this visit, Fr.
Buckley also lectured and met faculty members
at Fudan University in Shanghai and Zhejiang
University in Hangzhou. Chinese scholars at all
these institutions expressed enthusiasm for an
exchange program that would emphasize
religious studies and theology.
In 2007, The Malatesta Program began as an
initiative of the California Province of the Society
of Jesus. Provincial Fr. John McGarry, S.J.,
formally announced the program in February
2010. While the Province oversees the program,
it is jointly sponsored by Loyola Marymount
University, Santa Clara University and the
University of San Francisco and administered
by a committee of seven Jesuit and lay faculty
members drawn from the three universities.
The program is based on the method of
enculturating Christianity first promoted by
Ricci and other European Jesuits in the second
half of the sixteenth century. Their methodology
was founded upon a respect for Chinese culture
and the formation of personal relationships
between scholars. Following that same approach,
the Malatesta Program is designed to promote
academic collaboration through an exchange
between faculty and graduate students at the
PHOTO BY Fr. Tom Buckley, S.J.
Jesuits in China
three Jesuit universities in California and
faculty and graduate students at selected
Chinese universities. This program is
envisioned as a person to person exchange
on the Ricci model of establishing friendships
among Chinese and American scholars and
providing an opportunity for intellectual
and cultural exchange. In particular, it seeks
to support the development of religious
studies programs in China and to enhance
the state of theological investigation there
and at the U.S. Jesuit universities. May 11,
2010, was the four hundredth anniversary
of Ricci’s death. He is buried in Beijing, but
his spirit is alive and well in China.
What is the Malatesta Program doing? The
program is set up to: 1) Expand the curriculum/
program support in departments of religious
studies at select Chinese universities and
the Jesuit schools in California. 2) Provide
significant opportunities for research and
consultation by Chinese faculty and
stipends for Chinese doctoral students at
the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in
Berkeley. 3) Promote collaboration between
Chinese and American scholars through
attendance and participation at conferences,
team-teaching, and joint research and
publication. 4) Enhance the awareness and
understanding of Christianity in China by
faculty and students at American universities
through regular guest lectures by Chinese
scholars.
Over the past three years, more than a
dozen Jesuit and lay faculty from
California Jesuit schools have lectured
at ten Chinese universities. Four Chinese
scholars have each spent a semester
sabbatical at the G.T.U. in Berkeley and
Kuangchi Program
Service Extends
Reach into a
Changing China
next fall two more will arrive, including
Professor Zhao from Peking University. Last
fall the first Chinese doctoral student arrived
to spend an academic year preparing his
doctoral dissertation on Latin American
liberation theology. Two more students are
expected next year, provided the funding is
available for them.
Jerry Martinson, S.J.
Right: Gate leading
to Matteo Ricci’s tomb
in Beijing.
Lower Left: A single
Jesuit tombstone in
PHOTO BY Fr. Tom Buckley, S.J.
Wuta Si, Beijing.
We need your help:
This program began with financial support from the California
Province. We have also received some financial help from the
three California Jesuit universities and from funding sources
at the Chinese universities and some Asian foundations,
however, we need more help.
On the morning of June 4, 1989, I woke
up to radio reports of a student massacre in
Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and the resulting
chaos throughout the country. Coincidentally,
this was precisely the day I was to travel
to Beijing and other cities in China to
prepare production of one of the first
documentaries on the Catholic Church in
China since the Communist government
came to power in 1949. In spite of that day’s
tragic events, I left for China as planned.
Some weeks later, after numerous
obstacles, we completed a documentary
that revealed some surprise discoveries
about the Church in China. When Pope
John Paul II viewed our documentary, he
learned that China’s “Catholic Patriotic
Association” was more complex than
formerly considered. While it is true that
this government-ruled body oversees and
controls many aspects of the Chinese
Church; nevertheless, many—perhaps
most—of its members are loyal to the
Pope and the Universal Church. They are,
however, forced to belong to this
Association, if they ever again want to
attend Mass inside a Catholic Church in
China. Chinese, being practical people,
did what they had to throughout long
years of political pressure and isolation, in
order to preserve and practice their
Catholic faith and keep it alive and vital.
Now, some officials see the Church as a
positive influence in society. Kuangchi
Program Service, our Jesuit-run television
production center, has taken advantage of
this more relaxed situation by partnering
with Jiangsu TV in Nanjing and Beijing’s
Central China Television to broadcast
docu-dramas on great Jesuit missionaries.
Hopefully, these television documentaries
will further reinforce China’s realization
that the Church and the Jesuits have
only the best interests of the Chinese
people at heart.
You can help by making a gift to the Jesuits of the California
Province using the attached envelope in this magazine,
visiting our website and going to the online giving page at
www.jesuitscalifornia.org or by calling us at (408) 884-1630.
MISSION WINTER 2010 25
God Impossible
by Fr. William Muller, S.J.
President, Verbum Dei High School
D
uring the first week of school in the fall of 2008
(my first year at Verbum Dei) I saw a student who
sat reading each afternoon on a bench just inside
our front gate. After a couple of days I asked what
he was still doing at school late in the afternoons. He told me
he was reading. I told him I got that part, but wanted to know
why he was on campus reading – was he waiting for a ride?
Nope, he said, I’m here because it’s safe here.
The twenty-four Cristo Rey schools in the United States provide
access to college, to a dignified work experience, and safety.
26 MISSION WINTER 2011
For young men and women in America’s urban centers
who might not otherwise have such access, the Cristo Rey
Network is a God-send. The three Cristo Rey schools in
California—Cristo Rey High School in Sacramento, Immaculate
Conception Academy in San Francisco, and Verbum Dei High
School in Los Angeles—are providing college ready curricula
and research-based instruction while every student participates
in the Corporate Work Study program that is unique in those
cities. And the schools are safe for the inner-city minority
students who are enrolled there.
In W.H. Auden’s poem “For the Time Being: A Christmas
Oratorio” a chorus for Advent reads:
How could the Eternal do a temporal act,
The Infinite become a finite fact?
Nothing can save us that is possible.
Certainly the Cristo Rey idea seemed impossible when
Fr. John Foley, S.J., dreamed it up in the mid-nineteen
nineties. But after all he was only following along God’s
impulses, not just dreaming, but doing beyond the possible.
Isn’t that what we celebrate in Jesus, God’s unimaginable
self with us. As Joan Osborn sings, “What if God was one
of us / Just a slob like one of us / Just a stranger oºn the bus /
Trying to make his way home.” What Ms. Osborn might
miss is God’s motivation, God’s desire to take us home with
him but she does capture the “nothing can save us that is
possible” about God.
Ilia Delio, OSF, tells the story in her book The Humility
of God, of a little boy asking his mother what God’s last
name is. The mother
is at a loss to come up
with an answer, but
then the boy answers
his own question and
says God’s last name
is ‘World.’ Pretty profound. God has been given many last
names and has been described in many ways with many
titles through millennia: mighty, omniscient, jealous,
awesome, lover, teacher. I wonder if God’s real last name
might just be ‘Impossible.’
The young men at Verbum Dei and the young men and
women at all the Cristo Rey schools are learning to dream and
to do something about their dreams, imagining themselves at
college, at a job, with a future worth dreaming about. They
are working hard at their dreams, only following along God’s
impulses. If you haven’t already, check out the Cristo Rey
network of schools at www.cristoreynetwork.org or any of
the three Cristo Rey schools in California (www.cristoreysacramento.org, www.icaacdemy.org, www.verbumdei.us).
My experience at Verbum Dei has challenged my understanding of the impossible—it has to do with imagination.
Statistics about urban minority youth tell us that very few
will graduate from college, most will struggle to make a
living, and many will run afoul of the law, but the kids
from the inner-city at Verbum Dei with nowhere near the
resources most of us have are discovering an imagination for
themselves that recognizes God’s desire for them to use their
personalities and talents to get to college, to graduate from
college, and contribute to their communities after college. It’s
vision, it’s mission, it’s the impossibility of God.
I am surprised in my conversations with so many others,
whether casual or confessional, how often a dream stays a
dream or worse there is no dream at all. Many people seem to
have lost their ability and, much more debilitating, their desire
to wonder, to ponder, to imagine. Is it because so many feel
disconnected or rather have no connection to something more
than themselves? When I was studying drama so many years
ago at Gonzaga University I read a paper (lost to me now)
about the American Indian. I read how the Chief was not the
only one to see the rain clouds coming and so propose a dance
to call the rain, but how the whole tribe saw the clouds and
danced, not to call the rain, but to participate in something
bigger than they were. Imagination is contingent on dancing
with others, participating in the impossibility of God.
It’s vision, it’s mission, it’s the impossibility of God.
In the very practical world of Verbum Dei High School, we can
dream because of a dedicated faculty and staff, the support of the
Cristo Rey Network, the benefactions and prayers of so many
friends: the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the California Province
of the Society of Jesus. Aware or not, our students are dancing
with hundreds of people! The School of Education at Loyola
Marymount University and the administration at Loyola High
School have been particularly helpful. All of this we call
‘partnership’ these days or as the Jesuits’ 35th General Congregation says, “the Society desires strong relationships in mission
with as many collaborators in the Lord’s vineyard as possible.”
During the time before college applications were due this
past November I walked by a group of seniors at seven in
the morning and asked where they wanted to go to college.
Each had a response, most rattled off four or five schools they
wanted to attend. These guys will be the first in their families
to attend college. They’ll have a resume from four years of
work in offices of our corporate partners. They will be men
with a future—no mean thing in south central Los Angeles.
Seemingly impossible, but I’m with Auden: Nothing can save
us that is possible.
MISSION WINTER 2011 27 Gr aced to Lead
by Michael Weiler, S.J., Director of Novices, Ignatius House Jesuit Novitiate
A
building up of the Kingdom. Leadership, for some, is an
mother takes her infant child into her arms, a
uncomfortable notion. We associate it with images of military
father lifts high his tiny baby—in that precious
moment, parents desire to give everything to their officers, charismatic speakers, or CEO’s. But the gospels offer
another image of leadership, the leadership of weakness. Peter is
son or daughter, most especially the unshakable
the best example. In his bumbling, fearful overreaches and
confidence that they are loved unconditionally.
betrayals he is the least likely leader, yet his abiding love of the
That unconditional love is necessary for the child’s self-esteem
Lord and confidence in the Lord’s strength places him at the
which will allow the newborn to become an adult, capable of
forefront of the disciples. From the parable of the talents to the
loving and being loved and finding their way in the big world.
multiplication of the loaves, the gospel makes clear that the
Yet the self-esteem that enables the adult to live joyfully and
principle attribute of
effectively requires not only
Christian leadership is
the experience of unconconfidence in God; that
ditional love but also an
God can take the little
experience through childone has and place it
hood and adolescence of
effectively at the service
engaging the world effecof others. Doing so,
tively. We win this sense
putting one’s talent in
of self-efficacy, of being
play, offering one’s two
capable, in the elementary
small fish, not only builds
classroom and playground:
the Church and the
tying a shoe; writing one’s
Kingdom, it completes
name for the first time;
and fulfills the dynamic
hitting a baseball. Of
gift of love given by God.
course, adult engagement
The love that grounds
with the world demands
one’s worth and dignity is
more advanced skills, and
Psalm 23 by John August Swanson
a tremendous gift, but, in
hopefully they develop as
Moving
forward,
barefoot
and
without
fear,
two
figures
travel
through
itself, incomplete. The gift
we grow and mature.
a valley transformed by their own beliefs; a world where lions and
reaches fulfillment only
After the resurrection,
lambs can lie together in peaceful harmony.
in the moment it is given
Jesus insisted that his
away
in
loving
others.
Parents
must
send
their children off to
disciples await the Holy Spirit. Apparently living alongside Jesus
for three years and witnessing the risen Christ was not enough. school. The Spirit must send us into the world. Christian maturity,
Christian leadership, brings the love of God to its fulfillment in
What more could they possibly need? Yet the gospels clearly
present them as fearful, confused and even incapable of leaving serving others.
their locked upper room. The Spirit’s visit drives them out into their
world and empowers them to engage others with the message
Editor’s note: Michael F. Weiler, S.J. is the Director of Novices
of God’s love. Yes, Jesus had filled them with the conviction of
at the Ignatius House, Jesuit Novitiate in Culver City. His
God’s unconditional love, but the Spirit drove them out into the appointment, starting July 2011, will be as the new Provincial
world and gave them the ability to engage it effectively, and
of the Jesuits of the California Province (see page 4).
thus become apostles.
For more information about artist John August Swanson, please
The Church asks of us all a serious engagement with our
visit www.johnaugustswanson.com
world, that is, that all Christians assume leadership for the
28 MISSION WINTER 2011
Jesuit Brother & Scooter
at the Smithsonian Museum
As an adventuresome sixteen year old, Tom Bracco of Springfield, Illinois, fell in love with a 1945 Cushman
Model 52 Pacemaker motor scooter. After saving money earned as a soda jerk at the Sugar Bowl Soda
Fountain, he purchased the classic scooter. It cost $225.
Bracco rode the scooter to high school, social activities, and his job prior to joining the Navy in 1950.
Eventually, the scooter was retired to the back of the family garage where it sat forgotten for about forty
years. In 1956, Tom entered the Jesuits as a Jesuit Brother. While moving his mother to a retirement
home, Br. Tom Bracco, S.J., discovered the scooter and restored it to mint condition.
In 2000, this scooter was donated to the Smithsonian and now sits in the America on the Move Exhibition
at the National Museum of American History, along with a life-sized statue of a teenage Bracco.
Br. Tom Bracco, S.J., currently serves as Assistant Minister of the Santa Clara Jesuit Community.
He is also a pilot and an accomplished photographer.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
California Province of the Society of Jesus
Advancement Office
P.O. Box 68
Los Gatos, CA 95031-0068
permit #1199
san jose, CA
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
Your invitation to
prayer, community & service
First and Second Year Novices, 2010
For more information on becoming a Jesuit Priest or Brother, visit us at www.jesuitscalifornia.org or contact
Br. James C. (Jim) Siwicki, S.J., Vocation Director, at (408) 884-1613 or [email protected].