Sneak preview of Martelli's office!

Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse becomes Hagan Arena!

Artist's rendering...

So far, so good!

Phil's office before...

and after... a bit of an improvement!

The Hawks' locker room!

Trophy case

Inquirer editorial on Matthews, SJU

St. Joe's violating principles
By Stephen Majewski

In inviting political talk show host Chris Matthews to deliver a commencement speech and receive an honorary doctorate next week, the leaders of St. Joseph's University seem intent on killing the school's Catholic identity.

Although Matthews claims to be Catholic, he is a longtime enthusiastic proponent of "abortion rights" - in defiance of the clear teachings of the church. And he has displayed hostility toward those who want to protect innocent human life. In March, Matthews said on his MSNBC program, Hardball, that Kathleen Sebelius, at the time President Obama's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, might face "the terrorism of the anti-abortion people."

Many Catholics are dismayed and confused by the University of Notre Dame's decision to honor Obama at its commencement. Similarly, a Catholic university's invitation to Matthews cannot be easily dismissed with lofty language such as "common ground" and "dialogue." Matthews is not being invited to take part in a public discourse. And abortion is not an issue up for debate by Catholics; the value of human life from conception to natural death is a principle at the heart of the Catholic worldview.

St. Joseph's seems to have forgotten that the church has consistently taught that the killing of an unborn child is always intrinsically evil. This is not a case of single-issue tunnel vision. The church's position toward life is a lens through which we must view all other concerns. The right to life also upholds the fundamental principle of justice on which America is founded. When we fail to protect life, all other rights are in jeopardy.

St. Joseph's is unashamedly undermining the authority of the nation's Catholic bishops. In 2004, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement providing guidance on these matters to Catholic universities. "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles," the statement said. "They should not be given awards, honors, or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

In 2003, when Matthews was honored during graduation ceremonies at the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Scranton, local bishops boycotted the ceremonies. Like those schools, St. Joseph's is committing a grave scandal.

In Catholic parlance, a scandal is an attitude or behavior that might induce another to do or believe something morally wrong. According to the catechism, a scandal "is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others."

Jesus told his disciples to expect scandals, and he added a warning: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

A Catholic university's mission, first and foremost, must be to adhere to church teachings. While the values of institutions of higher learning - such as open dialogue and inquiry - should be fostered at Catholic universities, they must be within the framework of the church's beliefs and practices. By inviting and honoring Matthews, St. Joseph's has decided that it is a university first and Catholic second.

Stephen Majewski is a St. Joseph's University alumnus and a member of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish in Medford.

He can be reached at stephenmajewski@yahoo.com.

A 'brief' on Matthews, St. Joe's, and Jesuit identity

"Because we are Jesuit, our education and formation are rooted in Ignatian spirituality. Because we are Jesuit, our work is characterized by loyalty to the Church, availability for service, and a high-hearted love of Christ.

Because we are Jesuit, the education we provide is marked by “cura personalis,” which means attention to the individual student and respect for the individual’s potential and pace in learning. Jesuit education is characterized by adaptability to individual differences and needs, as well as to wider needs determined by a reading of the “signs of the times.”

Because we are Jesuit, we routinely engage in the practice of discernment, an effort to choose wisely in worldly matters by striving to align personal and institutional choice with the will of God. We share this practice with our students, helping them to choose wisely and well as they mature into men for and with others."

excerpt from "Our Mission" - St. Joseph's Preparatory School

Agere sequitur essere -- Activity emanates from identity.

Is our identity still the same on Hawk Hill? Has our raison d'être at St. Joseph's University changed?

My good friend John Lammers, aka Novaboy, told me years ago when we were at Lucent Technologies to never write, then send, a letter out of anger. To shelve it, and wait until a cooler mind may prevail. So I've waited a month. I was disappointed with my alma mater's decision to honor Chris Matthews at this year's commencement -- and I remain so. It was an extremely poor decision made by the faculty, and approved by the SJU Board of Trustees and Fr. Timothy Lannon, SJ -- a man whom I greatly admire. Mr. Matthews had the following to say about the United States Bishops who feel that the teachings the Roman Catholic Church should apply to all Roman Catholics, including politicians:

"Today you have the Roman Catholic Church through its bishops challenging the rights of Catholic office-holders to take positions for abortion rights. They basically say you have to be for imprisonment of people involved with abortion or else you're not a Catholic and you'll be excommunicated. It seems to be an era, not just because of Islam, to keep religion out of politics . Why are they foisting themselves, why are the religious leaders jumping into the political marketplace and saying to politically-elected people, who are duly elected, "you cannot take that position and be in our church, or we will
excommunicate you"? That seems to be what's going on."

Mr. Matthews also uses his Nielsen challenged MS-NBC television show as a bully pulpit to voice his pro-abortion stance and to promote pro-abortion candidates. Is this really the person we want to give the last life lesson to our graduates? To a captive audience forced to listen?

I realize that "we cannot possibly please everyone when we choose our commencement speakers and honorees." As Matt Archbald reasoned "No. You can't please everyone. How about just God, then?" All issues are not equal in importance. It's not as if Mr. Matthews is on record as hating the colors of crimson and gray. We are talking about the sanctity of life. The Church's respect for life, that "Seamless Garment" from conception to natural death, is inviolate. Again I ask... why are we honoring him on Hawk Hill? In 2004 the US Bishops issued the following guidelines: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions. “

The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Catholic Standard and Times, had the following to say to St. Joseph's: “A person’s public support for abortion does not mean that the Church and its members should have nothing to do with him or her. It does mean that such a person should expect no honors from the church. Effecting such a change in hearts and in public policy must begin with a reliance on God’s grace, the witness of the Church’s principled stand against giving honors to those who oppose its teaching on the sanctity of human life and constant engagement with all people in consistent, respectful dialogue.” So my question remains... if the Cardinal of Philadelphia and the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church tell us NOT to honor those who act in defiance of the Church's moral principles...why is St. Joseph's University honoring Chris Matthews?

In her letter this week explaining why she is unable to accept Notre Dame's prestigious Laetare Medal, Harvard professor and former Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon quotes those same Bishop's guidelines: "This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions 'should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles' and that such persons 'should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."'

Dr. Glendon further questions the decisions of Fr. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of Notre Dame: "That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it."

I am at a loss as well with regards to St. Joseph's decision. Invite him to speak someday at the school, where students, alumni, faculty, parents, and friends, if they choose, can listen to him. Heck, have him debate then mud wrestle Sean Hannity at the opening of the Hagan arena -- but don't honor him. This isn't about dialogue -- which is a conversation between two people -- it's about conferring honors. I was further dismayed by the "Pravda-like" article that appeared in The Hawk three days after the announcement; "We are first and foremost an academic institution," said Dr. Marty Meloche, who, on behalf of the committee, gives recommendations for speakers to University President Timothy Lannon, SJ, who makes the final decision. "Chris Matthews has a strong left-center position politically, and his show is called 'Hardball' for a reason. He has some positions that we agree with, but mostly he's just a good speaker." The article went on to dismiss alumni upset by the decision, who hold to the teachings of the Church, as a handful; "The University has heard from a handful of alumni who raised some concerns, but the response from the university community has been largely positive because of Matthews' stature as a national political commentator," said Harriet Goodheart, assistant vice president for University Communications, who also noted Matthews' extensive service record and numerous recognitions from other Catholic universities.

16 years of Catholic education and I am unsure what "a handful" constitutes. Not many, I guess, which I assume was an intentional way to belittle those alumni who still follow the teachings of the Church. Those who have roamed Barbelin Hall in decades past, and care enough about our future to write. Of course the "handful" had approximately three days to voice their concerns before The Hawk went to print - so that was hardly fair, was it? Neither Ms. Goodheart nor Dr. Meloche mentioned WHY there might be alumni upset with the decision, so we are also missing the intellectual honesty (conveniently missing in the article was Mr. Matthews calling Pro-Life Catholics terrorists) in the article by not presenting both points of view., particularly the Catholic point of view. Shouldn't Jesuit schools be defending the rights of the unborn, not ignoring them? Shouldn't Jesuit schools be honoring those who champion that which the Church stands for... not those who oppose our mores?

"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put
other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and
peace is abortion."

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I am not interested in Matthews' service 40 years ago, although I thought it cool that he took his family to visit Fr. Angelo D'Agostino, SJ, MD at Nyumbani Orphanage. I care little that eight other Jesuits colleges and Villanova defied the Bishop's guidelines as well. To use this as an excuse is similar to the teenage rationale that "everyone else is doing it?" I was also surprised that a professor at St. Joe's would boast that "we are first and foremost an academic institution." Who gave him permission to remove the adjectives "Catholic" and "Jesuit" from my alma mater? Be careful what you wish for Doctor. In our attempt to become the pre-eminent Catholic university in the Northeast we are in jeopardy of losing our Catholic nature, as evidenced when you conveniently removed the modifiers. Beware that many alumni I talk to are having trouble cost justifying tuition at St. Joseph's for their children, when many of Hawk Hill's professors wish the school to be identical to a secular public university or an agnostic Ivy League college. State supported colleges do it much cheaper and the Ivies are more prestigious. Catholic and Jesuit gives us our distinctive nature. Continue to remove those labels, and what they represent, and you may find it difficult to attract students who no longer wish to matriculate at what is seemingly an over-priced public school with a Neumann Center or a less prestigious Ivy wanna-be with a chapel.

Of course sometimes (often times) I fee like old Don Quixote (but older). Perhaps I am wrong, and am just tilting at windmills. Fighting the inevitable. Times change, people change, and if the majority of professors just want an academic institution sans the Ignatian Spirituality -- I should just let it be and fondly remember our glorious past. But that's not the vision Fr. Lannon has for his faculty, many whom he inherited...

"I have long been of the opinion that our educational mission needs to be more firmly tied to the logic and dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises... But how do we bring faculty to the same point as that to which we want to bring our students? Surely, if we do not succeed with faculty, we shall not succeed with students. Today, even with hiring for mission working at its best, we will assemble a faculty distinguished by cultural, religious and political pluralism. Many of our best faculty are not Catholic, and may not be Christian. It seems to me that we need to develop a method through which the experience of the Exercises, obviously in some kind of humanistic reduction, can be available to those who do not share its spiritual vision or religious tradition. I am in total agreement with Father Provincial that the Exercises need to be offered to faculty in our institutions, but we also need a less specifically Christian expression of their genius to inform our formation programs for faculty. Without such a process, I fear, the Ignatian spirit will be progressively diluted precisely because it must in the future largely be promoted by non-Jesuits, who may very well be neither Catholic nor Christian."

Paideia and Empathy: Mission and Identity in a PluralisticWorld

Which brings us to another question. How can we retain our Catholic and Jesuit identity, especially with the evaporating Jesuit presence on campus? During our growth in the 1980's and 1990's it is a fact that as Jesuits and their Jesuit educated colleagues retired they were being replaced by both Catholics and non-Catholics who not only didn't understand nor share the Jesuit charism, but didn't even know who Ignatius Loyola was (although one applicant said she could probably "bone up" on the knowledge). In an effort to quickly fill the open positions we seemed to have hired a few who even had an antipathy towards Catholicism. You might also be surprised that our theology chairperson, of this Catholic, Jesuit college, isn't a Jesuit priest, and isn't even a Catholic. I don't think this is what Vatican II's Degree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio had in mind, at least that's not how Fr. Martin Tripole, SJ explained it, although I am no Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ. I would wager that Luther and Calvin are cracking a smile though, wherever they are.

Yet this is a concern shared by all 28 Jesuit colleges in the United States. Fr. Charles L. Currie, SJ, former professor at St. Joseph's, former rector of the Jesuit Community here, and now president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), gave a speech at Santa Clara University last May in which he "lauded Santa Clara for being at the center of all that is good about contemporary Jesuit higher education,” which he called "the holistic pursuit of excellence in all that you are doing, and a vibrant, engaged Jesuit, Catholic institutional identity.” As for the question, “‘Are we still Jesuit and Catholic?’,” Currie said, “we can respond that we are engaged in an ongoing quest to realize the promise of being Jesuit and Catholic—no easy task, but a magnanimous venture. With the strengths we have built in our schools, we have opportunities (and responsibilities) to participate in the transformation of our Church, nation, and world.” While optimistic Fr. Currie was also realistic:

"The reality is clear. At least in the short term, we are running out of Jesuits. That may or may not change in 15-20 years, but we already know the number of Jesuits in the pipeline and it is not enough to come near to replacing Jesuits who are or will be retiring. The ten Jesuit provinces are in the process of contracting to five. One obvious consequence of this: we are
losing those who have embodied the stories and traditions of our colleges and universities. Are we replacing them with women and men who can keep those stories and traditions alive and well? ... Of course, in the pluralistic world
in which we live, there will always be some on campus who are disinterested or even opposed to the fostering of Jesuit, Catholic identity as inappropriate for the main work of the university."

I have always been proud that Fr. Lannon has been at our helm of our school. I may have been one of the first to congratulate him when he accepted the office, writing and sending a Hawk t-shirt to him at Marquette. He was kind enough to invite my friends to break bread with him at Regis Hall after the Hogan / Ignatius Awards and we have corresponded on quite a few issues which affect the University. I do however disagree with his decision conferring honors on Mr. Matthews, but we are lucky to have him. He shares these concerns as well, and in a piece for Conversations in Jesuit Higher Education, echoed Fr. Currie's fears:

"More recently when I think about mission, I think about our Catholic and Jesuit identity in 2025 and beyond. During the ensuing years, we will continue to have fewer Jesuits on our campuses, we will face increasing specialization of the disciplines at our universities, and we may find ourselves living ion a culture even more unsupportive of our values."

Catholic Courses Are The Heart of Our Mission

Although expected, I was disappointed as when I heard that the University was again trying to revamp the GER, as I knew this meant reducing the number of philosophy and theology requirements, perhaps the last blow to the Jesuits' ancient Ratio Studiorum. As a compromise it was my understanding that Fr. Lannon requested (insisted:-) that one of the mandatory courses be on Ignatian/Jesuit Spirituality. While explaining the changes the Provost of the University also mentioned that the inclusion was "controversial" amongst the faculty. Although an explanation was rendered, I remain confused as to why a course on Jesuit Spirituality at a Jesuit college would be controversial (That course, taught by Fr. Willie Walsh, SJ, was my favorite -- surprise, surprise). I don't think this would be the case if there was still a Long Black Line at St. Joseph's and our other institutions. Of course when you've hired so many professors who don't share the Jesuits' mission and identity -- it shouldn't be a surprise. We now reap what we sowed, deleterious as it is to the spiritual welfare of our undergraduates.

Fr. Rick Malloy, SJ, one time professor at St. Joseph's (and should still be a professor at St. Joseph's), told me once of the 80/20 rule at SJU... that only about 20% of the students get "it", as in Hand-in-Hand, immersion programs, retreats based on the Exercises/Kairos, weekly mass attendance et al. While Williams, Yastrzemski, DiMaggio and Clemente never batted a 1.000 -- we must have a better batting average. In reading online comments about conferring honors on Matthews (The Hawk - commencement comments) I chose three nuggets of ignorance for obvious reasons. I am aware that the Jesuits educated Voltaire, Goebbels, and Castro -- but it would be a shame if these three didn't see the light before they left Hawk Hill, and if not, let them be discreet about where they received their undergraduate education:

For the three blind mice below, who may not have seen

this banner, and others, waving at them in front of the

Michael J. Smith, SJ Memorial - Chapel of St. Joseph.

"If you wanted a school that is very strict about the religious backgrounds of applying students, you should have gone to Bob Jones University. SJU is not Bob Jones. SJU does not take into consideration things like race or creed, in the JESUIT spirit of Men And Women For Others and Cura Personalis. So stop trying to say that this school has some kind of responsibility to the Catholic Church."

"I chose to join the Saint Joseph's community because I have respect for the ideals of the Jesuit order, regardless of the fact that I don't think their religion has any basis in truth, and that their faith is a myth. Saint Joseph's, and the Jesuit Order, are above the pettiness of the Catholic Church. I may not believe in the theology side of the Jesuits, but I certainly respect their courage for standing up for what is right. Instead of considering the comparatively minor issues 'compromised' by having Chris Matthews speak on campus, how about we take a look at the values that are being compromised by strictly following Catholic Church teaching?"

"While you may wish to believe that SJU continues to be "first and foremost a CATHOLIC Academic institution" this '06 grad disagrees. All of my courses, including my theology GERs had a distinctively humanistic slant. Unless you are a recent graduate like myself you have no means to evaluate the true nature of the university. The times they have been a-changin' indeed!"

When you receive your diplomas, please notice the following:

"Greetings in the Lord" and " ad maiorem Dei gloriam" should make you understand this a bit more ;-)

FYI: The Archdiocese raised a million so

the Jesuits could separate the College

from the Prep and move to Overbrook. Here

Cardinal Dougherty blesses the cornerstone

of Barbelin - Lonergan Hall.

In the last month I've gone from wanting to withdrawal from St. Joseph's -- to wanting to fight for it. Tenui nec dimittam! One or two sad episodes will not douse the fire. Hawk Hill, or my vision of Hawk Hill, is worth fighting for. I have always tried, in various small ways, to support every Jesuit mission I could; my buddies the Jamshedpur Jesuits, St. Joseph's Preparatory School, Old St. Joseph's Church, the Gesu School in North Philadelphia, St. Luke's Catholic Medical Services - JUST in Camden, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and the JRS, (Subtlety I included the links for you so you may click and maybe send them some $) I do not want the secular humanists, the atheists, the agnostics... whomever we made the mistake of inviting in... to destroy my Catholic, Jesuit alma mater by turning her into just Joseph's University (sans saint), Penn State - City Line Campus, or Harvard Community College. I don't think this is what St. Ignatius would have wanted for our Jesuit university...

This was in keeping with one of Ignatius' first principles in choosing apostolates: all other things being equal, choose those apostolates that will influence those who have the most influence on others. Maybe the best expression of this idea was in a letter he wrote about the founding of colleges in December of 1551: "From among those who are now merely students, in time some will depart to play diverse roles - one to preach and carry on the care of souls, another to government of the land and the administration of justice, and others to other callings. Finally, since young boys become grown men, their good
education in life and doctrine will be beneficial to many others, with the fruit expanding more widely every day." From then on, Ignatius helped establish Jesuit schools and universities all over Europe and the world.

Fr. Norman O'Neal, SJ

In omnibus quaerant Deum -- "in all things seek God." I know Dr. Meloche or Ms. Goodheart would be familiar with that Ignatian phrase, although it isn't evident from their quotes. Perhaps it's 'controversial' these days. Yet St. Ignatius and his companions, before they even started the first college in Messina, were all about saving souls, so much so that in his 500 year old training manual, a classic in Christian mysticism, he had the foresight to know that not just Jesuits would be "taking the Exercises", thus the 19th Annotation for those of us "taken up with public affairs or suitable business", who couldn't devote 30 straight days to meditation. The following from Louis J. Puhl, SJ, from his translation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

"By the term Spiritual Exercises is meant every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of contemplation, of vocal and mental prayer, and of other spiritual activities that will be mentioned later. For just as taking a walk, journeying on foot, and running are bodily exercises, so we call the Spiritual Exercises every way of preparing and disposing the soul to rid itself of all inordinate attachments, and, after their removal, of seeking and finding the will of God in the disposition of our life for the salvation of our soul."

Seeking and finding the will of God, and the salvation of souls. It still seems important. Important enough to pass on to the next generation. Are we still doing that? If so it must, like love, "manifest itself more by deeds than by words." I express my disappointment here because the Jesuits have always been heroes to me, since I was a young boy in Catholic grade school. I was impressed then, and I remain impressed with their imitation(s) of Christ. Fr. Ignatius said that if the Society of Jesus were to be disbanded, it would take him just a half-hour of prayer to get over it. So I guess I should now get over this. If any of you are still awake I'll leave you with the words of the former Father General:

“You are called by the Society of Jesus to be men and women who reflect upon the reality of the world around you, with all its ambiguities, opportunities, and challenges in order to discern what is really happening in your life and in the lives of others. To find God there, and to discover where God is calling you, to employ criteria for significant choices that reflect Godly values rather than elusive self interest. To decide in the light what is truly for the greater glory of God and the service of those in need, and then to act accordingly.

Fr-General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach,SJ (pictured with Fr-General Pedro Arrupe, SJ), St.Joseph's University address

May it always be.

AMDG,

44

PS -- responses from "the handful" that care about St. Joseph's and Catholic higer education are in the comments section, all anonymous. You'll have to take my word that I didn't write them.

PPS -- Think I need an editor?

Welcome to Philly Fr. Raj!

Mass is concelebrated by Jesuit Fathers Deeney, Martin, D'Silva, Roma and

Hilarius at St. Paul Miki Parish last summer in Pandabir, India

Many of you know that last summer I traveled to Jamshedpur, India to visit Fr. John J. Deeney, SJ with his nephew John Gill and the Klarich brothers (Support for Indian Catholics urgent). Through your benevolence we raised money to help, in a small way, the Jesuits to build a new school for the tribal children at St. Paul Miki Parish in Pandabir. Since then anti-Christian violence broke out in Orissa, about an hour south of where we stayed in Lupungutu. The offering we gave would now have to be used to help those poor souls try to put their lives back together.

It was my privelige yesterday to be asked by the Maryland Province to be the driver for Fr. Michael Thanaraj, SJ, the provincial of the Jameshedpur Province, as he visited Philadelphia before he departed for a meeting with the New York Province Jesuits. Unbeleivably he took more pictures in Philly than I did in India ;-) So good to se Rr. Raj again! Safe trip home.

The situation in Orissa is still bad... and the Indian government is doing little to help ease the pain of those burned out of their homes for the simple reason of their Catholic faith. Back in the fall we hosted Fr. Tony Uvary, SJ for a Mass and talk on Hawk Hill (Jesuit speaks of violence in India) If you feel you're in a position to help... please do so.

What you can do?

Donate!

Catholic organizations, including the Jesuit-run Xavier Institute of Management are responding to basic needs of the affected in relief camps. You can donate to their efforts by sending a check payable to:

"Jesuit Missions"

P.O. Box 64818

Baltimore, MD 21264

Or contact Ed Plocha, Maryland Province Jesuits Advancement Director, at 800-83-7436 or advancement@mdsj.org.

Call for Protection!

Contact your Representatives in Congress and ask them to ask the government of India to protect Christians and minorities in India from religiously-based violence.

Michael Thanaraj, SJ, Provincial of the Jamshedpur Jesuit Province, Ed Plocha, Development Director of the Maryland Jesuit Province, and Geroge Bur, SJ, President of St. Joseph's Prep, outside the Church of the Gesu. Fr. Raj in the Ignatian Commons at the Prep, overlooking the Jesuit institutions in India.

Yours truly poses with Fr. Raj and Fr. Bur at the statue of St. Ignatius Loyola,

SJ at the Prep. No one here covers up the IHS ;-)

A visit to see Ed's sister Paula Straka, manager of the St. Joseph's U. Bookstore.

Fr. Raj and Fr. Bur pose with Bruce Maivelett, SJ.

Joe Lacey, SJ, who served in Jamshedpur for 22 years, with Fr. Raj, Tim and Kathy Klarich, and 44 outside Manresa Hall at St. Joseph's University. Fr. Bur and Fr. Raj look at the locations of the Jesuits' Worldwide Web of Ignatian Committment.

Inter-religious Violence in Orissa, India

The Society of Jesus in the United States is increasingly alarmed by the continuing outbreaks of violence in the India state of Orissa against Christians and other minorities by Hindu extremists. With many of our American and Indian Jesuits in the region ministering to the people of Orissa, we are extremely concerned for our brothers’ safety and the safety of the people they serve. The violence has spread and is occurring in other states throughout India, only increasing the need for greater protection by the government. The violence was sparked by the Aug. 23 murder of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswathi, a Hindu leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Although the Indian government has blamed Maoist rebels for the killing, a backlash has been carried out against Christians and other minorities. More than 26 Christians and minorities have been killed since August 23rd, 2008; more than 50 places of worship have been attacked; 15 churches and convents have been destroyed and more than 4,000 homes of Christians in villages in the Kandhamal district have been burned. The distinguished Jesuit-run Xavier Institute of Management was threatened when mobs passed through the city of Bhubaneswar in the Jamshedpur Province.In response, 50,000 villagers fled into the forests. Relief camps have been set up for over 20,000 villagers who are frightened to return to their homes. Jesuit Brother Paul Marla, who lives in the area where the swami was murdered, is reported to have gone into hiding as have an unknown number of priests, nuns and lay catechists. "The relief camps in Kandhamal district of Orissa are filled with hungry and sick people," said Jesuit Father Michael T. Raj, provincial head of the Jamshedpur province of the Society of Jesus. "Almost all of them have no homes to return to." Humanitarian needs have been further compounded by the worst flooding to the area in 25 years, September 17-22.

Jesuits in the U.S. have been in touch with the Department of State and the Indian Embassy to raise awareness about the violence and to call for protection of Christians and minorities. "As soon as we received the urgent plea from our Jesuits in the area, we were called into action and joined them in solidarity against these attacks," said Jesuit Father James Stormes, secretary for social and international ministries of the Jesuit Conference of the United States. "The Jesuits have consistently worked for peace and reconciliation in the area and are horrified by the sufferings of the ordinary people who always pay the price for these kinds of conflicts."
Protection for the minority population of Christians, who account for only 2.3% of the 1 billion residents of India, remains an upmost concern. "I was really shocked and disturbed by the inhumane atrocities being heaped upon the Christians in Orissa," said Sebastian Puthenpura, a Jamshedpur Jesuit studying in New York. "Sadder still is the fact that the attacks on Christians are being carried out in other parts of India too."The violence has been condemned by Pope Benedict XVI who said he was "profoundly saddened" and called for communities to try to restore "peaceful coexistence."

Resources
Updates on Orissa from Jesuits in Southeast Asia: Jesaonline.org
Statements from the Catholic Bishops Conference of India: http://www.cbcisite.com/press_statements.htm
Statements of Christian Groups Condemning the Deaths: Christians Condemn Deaths
The violence in context: In a Crucified State
America Magazine on the violence: Persecution in Orissa

44's buddy Johnny Gill addresses the students at St. Xavier's in Lupungutu.

"Uncle" John Deeney, SJ, with the children from St. Paul Miki in Pandabir.

The Maryland Jesuits brought basketball to India, and the Indian Jesuits

and their students challenged us to a "friendly" basketball match ;-)

The beautiful children of Queen of Peace School in Basahatu.

Chris Klarich is taught a tribal dance after Mass in Pandabir ;-)

John and I sharing a laugh with the boys from St. Xavier's in Lupungutu ;-)

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India expressed apprehensions over the electoral victory of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which it fears might continue its ghastly attitude over minorities.Father Babu Joseph, a spokesman for the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, said the church feared the results of the ongoing nation elections which is set to conclude on May 13.The BJP is often accused for fanning communal feelings and pursuing the "Hindutva" agenda that instigates people to attack the minorities. The violence on Christians in Kandhamal, last year, is part of such a campaign."They want to demolish secularism - they're very clear there has to be a Hindu nation and only Hinduism is acceptable," says Father Joseph. "Last time the BJP was in power, they began the process of amending the constitution of India to try and take away the rights of the minorities."Although the Constitution enshrines the rights of minority groups, with the BJP coming to power, Fr Joseph fears "tomorrow all our institutions, including our schools, could be taken over."

Referring to the August 2008 violence on Christians, Fr Joseph said many who returned to their villages for the reconstruction of their homes were forcefully converted to Hinduism."Apart from Orissa, there have also been vehement attacks on Christians in other states ruled by the BJP, including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Some of them have anti-conversion laws misused against Christians, charging them with "forceful conversions".
Catholic Church fears BJP coming to power

“In the villages of Kattingia and Lingagada, anyone who dared to vote got threats. In Nulungia where a tribal Christian was killed a few months ago, people told me that at least 40 Christians (who fled last year’s violence) did not vote for fear of being beaten,” the clergyman said.
Many displaced people dared not go back to their villages. “All you have to do is visit Phirigada, Gunjibadi, Badabanga, Dodingia, Raikola, Chanchedi. In the area near the market at G Udayagiri 43 families (who abandoned their homes) are living in pitiful conditions, but do not dare go home,” he added.

The same is true for thousands of displaced people who left for the States of Maharastra and Gujarat. Another case the clergyman cites is that of Betticola, a village where Hindu extremists want to build a temple on the ruins of a church that was destroyed in last August’s pogrom.
“Not one of the 38 families from the village is living in its own home,” Father Singh said.
“Not one of the seven Christians who went to vote was allowed to cast a ballot because they did not have the right papers,” he said. “Their explanations were of no avail even when they told election officials that their identity papers and certificates were lost to fire during the violence.”

-- INDIA Elections in Orissa rigged as extremists force Christians to vote for Hindu parties - Asia News


In India, several states ban "forced" conversion, defined so broadly as to encompass charitable works done by humanitarian religious organizations, but such bans are enforced only against those converting from Hinduism. There have been a growing number of converts from the Dalit "untouchable" castes, the lowest in the Hindu system. In recent years, attacks against these converts are on the rise. In the state of Orissa alone, reports of international human-rights organizations have documented some 4,500 houses and churches destroyed, 50,000 people displaced, and over 18,000 injured as a result of violent mobs instigated by Hindu nationalists.
-- The Freedom to Choose a New Faith - WSJ.com

As India conducts its month-long national elections, a leading Indian bishop has accused Hindu nationalists of threatening Orissa state voters with violence and pursuing a “secret agenda” to flush Christians out of the region.Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, speaking in an interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), claimed that leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have made death threats against people unwilling to vote for them. He said the BJP was determined to eliminate Christianity from Orissa state’s Kandhamal district, where the vast majority of the state’s churchgoers live. Catholic priests in Orissa report that the BJP has warned Christians in Kandhamal district that if they voted for other candidates, the party would bully them into leaving the area, ACN says.
-- Indian bishop warns of ‘secret agenda’ to remove Christians

Congrats Sr. Mary Scullion, RSM, SJC '76

Congratulations Sr. Mary! A proud alumna of St. Martin of Tours Parish in the Oxford Circle section of Northeast Philadelphia, Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, and St. Joseph's University, class of 1976.

Sr. Mary was also the first female recipient of St. Joseph's University's highest honor... the Shield of Loyola, in 1999. (and she's a buddy of Jon BonJovi)

To find out more click Project H.O.M.E

Sr. Mary Scullion, RSM, named a 'Most Influential' by Time

By GLORIA CAMPISIPhiladelphia Daily News
campisg@phillynews.com 215-854-5935

Sister Mary Scullion, the daughter of Irish immigrants who grew up in Irish enclave in Oxford Circle, entered the convent at 19.

A member of the Sisters of Mercy, she taught parochial school, but it wasn't until she helped, in 1976, with the opening of Mercy Hospice, a shelter in Center City for homeless women and children, that she found her true calling.

Scullion was permitted to come to Mercy Hospice full time in 1978 and that mission set her on the path to becoming what some have called Philadelphia's "saint," a description the she angrily dismisses.

Despite her down-to-earth manner, Scullion, 55, has worked wonders in Philadelphia's homeless world, so much so that she has just been chosen one of Time magazine's "World's Most Influential People" of 2009.

"More than 95 percent of those who cycle through" the homeless program Scullion started with another woman, Joan McConnon, "have never returned to life on the streets - a success rate that has made the program a model for dozens of other U.S. cities," Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the book "Eat, Pray, Love," wrote in an article about Scullion in the current issue of Time.
According to a published biographical sketch, Scullion's social conscience was fired by the 41st Eucharistic Congress in 1976, held in Philadelphia and attended by one million pilgrims from 100 countries.

Among them were Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day, a well known Communist and co-founder of the Catholic Worker.

Known for her sense of humor and, now and then, a swear word or two, Scullion said she was "profoundly grateful" for being chosen by Time but accepted the honor "on behalf of the entire community of people committed to ending homelessness.

"Even while the nation and the city face tough economic times, this is an opportunity for us to make great progress," she said.

"We can't accept that our government can pour billions of dollars into failing corporations like AIG and not be able to fund permanent supportive housing which not only saves lives, but over time saves money."

Philadelphia has one of the lowest rates of people living on the streets among the country's largest cities, about 600, she said. "We are so proud of Sister Mary," Mayor Nutter said.
"Her quiet dignity belies her willingness to speak up for the voiceless and fight for those who cannot stand up for themselves."

The Good Generation - Philadelphia Magazine

The Lord isn’t the only one who works in mysterious ways. So do rock stars. One day a couple of years ago, Sister Mary Scullion — earthy yet spiritual co-founder of Philly’s celebrated Project H.O.M.E., and herself something of a rock star in social services circles — was concluding a public meeting about homelessness in North Philly when she was approached by a man who introduced himself as “O.B.” He was impressed with what he heard about Project H.O.M.E., which strives to help the poor and homeless become independent, and he wondered if Sister Mary might be able to tell him more. Sister Mary is not the type to say no — either to people in need or to people who might be able to help people in need — and so a few days later she took this … O.B. … on a tour of what her outfit has been up to for the past 20 years — its community center and café (staffed by the homeless) on Fairmount Avenue, its street outreach projects, its recently completed Honickman Learning Center.

When they finished, O.B. laid his cards on the table.“Sister,” he said, “I actually represent Jon Bon Jovi, and … ”Now, Sister Mary is a woman of great faith, but she is no rube. As she puts it, “We get all types up here.” And so her reaction was not what you might imagine from a nun.“Yeah, right,” she muttered.

No, O.B. insisted, he really was with Bon Jovi, and a few days later he proved it by bringing JBJ himself up to North Philly for a little of the Sister Mary treatment. The rocker — who along with local developer Craig Spencer had recently become owner of the Philadelphia Soul, the Arena Football League team — was impressed by what he saw at Project H.O.M.E., and he had a simple question for the nun: How can we help? Thus was born one of the more unlikely philanthropic partnerships in recent memory, a pairing so unexpected that it sounds like a pitch for a bad sitcom — über-rich entertainer teams up with vow-of-poverty-taking penguin. (Working title? Livin’ on a Prayer, of course.)

But in North Philly, you’ll see what the Philadelphia Soul Foundation and Sister Mary hath wrought: The Bon Jovi Homes, 15 rehabbed houses, many now filled with formerly homeless women.“It was almost like … well, nobody knew how to react,” Sister Mary says of that first day she took Bon Jovi around the neighborhood. “It was almost like it was too good to be true.”

Jim Martin, SJ - 5-14-7:00 @ OSJ

Next in the popular Old St. Joseph's Church - Philadelphia's Jesuit Parish Discussion Series...

Fr. James Martin, SJ, comes to Old St. Joseph's Barbelin Hall for a lively conversationon Thursday, May 14th at 7:00 PM. Fr, Mrtin is a nationally reconized author and film critic, as well as the Associate Editor of the Jesuit run America The National Catholic Weekly Magazine.

Jim Martin, SJ is one of my favorite authors. The subject matter is always enjoyable, his honesty appreciated, and you just might learn something by the story's end ;-) While "My Life with the Saints" received a St Christopher Award, my favorite remains "This Our Exile", which was required reading before our trip to India.

Publications (from Wiki)

Martin's books include:

This Our Exile: A Spiritual Journey with the Refugees of East Africa (Orbis Books, 1999), which tells of Martin's experiences in the early 1990s working with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Nairobi, Kenya and helping East African refugees start small businesses.

In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity and Obedience (Sheed & Ward, 2000), which is the story of Martin's call to the priesthood and the early days of his Jesuit vocation. "In Good Company" has been translated into several languages, including Spanish and German.

Searching for God at Ground Zero (Sheed & Ward, 2002), which contains Martin's reflections on God, evil, love and hope as he ministered to rescue workers at Ground Zero in the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Becoming Who You Are: Insights on the True Self from Thomas Merton and Other Saints (Paulist Press, 2006) tells the story of the influence the writings of Catholic spiritual writers Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen have had on Martin's life.

My Life with the Saints (Loyola Press., 2006), Martin's memoir, chronicling the lives of some (very human) Catholic saints and other holy men and women and how they have touched and guided his life.

Lourdes Diary: Seven Days at the Grotto of Massabieille (LoyolaPress., 2006), a touching and humorous account of a pilgrimage to Lourdes.

A Jesuit Off-Broadway: Center Stage with Jesus, Judas, and Life's Big Questions (LoyolaPress., 2007).

Martin has also edited the following books:

How Can I Find God? The Famous and Not-So-Famous Consider the Quintessential Question (Triumph Books, 1997).

Professions of Faith: Living and Working as a Catholic (with Jeremy Langford) (Sheed & Ward, 2002).

Awake My Soul: Contemporary Catholics on Traditional Devotions (LoyolaPress., 2004).
Celebrating Good Liturgy: A Guide to the Ministries of the Mass (LoyolaPress., 2005).

His essays are included the following:
I Like Being an American, edited by Michael Leach (Doubleday, 2003)
Sixty Things to Do When You Turn Sixty (Sellers Publishing, Inc., 2006), in which Father Martin exhorts readers to "Be a Saint!"