PARTNERs - Jesuits

JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE summer/fall 2010
PARTNERs
PUTTING FAITH INTO ACTION IN LOS ANGELES
COME SHARE OUR SPIRIT AT RETREAT CENTERS
VOCATIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS
THE IGNATIAN QUEST TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD
JESUITS OF THE CALIFORNIA PROVINCE summer/fall 2010
8
putting faith into action
PHOTO BY ROBERT DOLAN, S.J.
Dolores Mission and Proyecto Pastoral have
formed a powerful partnership to build a better
way of life for the residents of East Los Angeles.
16
come share our spirit
En route to school, students cross the street under the
watchful eyes of volunteers wearing green shirts who serve
in Proyecto Pastoral’s Safe Passage/Camino Seguro program.
In every issue
2From ThE PROVINCIAL
Ignatian Vocation Pathways
by John P. McGarry, S.J.
Father, in the name of Jesus,
through the power of your Spirit,
inspire men and women
to labor for your Kingdom.
We especially ask you
through the intercession of Mary, our Mother,
St. Ignatius, and all the saints,
to help the Society of Jesus continue
its service to your Church.
May your will be done. Amen.
A Prayer for Vocations from Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits
3PROVINCE NEWS
Blessed Sacrament opens preschool;
Malatesta Initiative fosters U.S.- China academic exchange; Jesuit School of
Theology; and more
Three retreat/spirituality centers
in the California Province share
Ignatian spirituality through retreats,
days of prayer, and other programs.
20
living ignatiAn vocations
Lay volunteers can live out an Ignatian vocation
by serving in the Companions in Ignatian Service
and Spirituality, the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, or
the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.
7GOOD STEWARD
Meet Jenny and Ernest Go
25Jesuit PRofile
Meet Father Anton Renna, S.J.
22ON POINT
The Ignatian Quest to “Transform
the World” by David Robinson, S.J.
28MEDITATIONS
On the cover
After Mass in Rossi Chapel, Fr. John Dullea, S.J.,
greets Mary Jane Araya (left) and Sr. Pat Galli,
R.S.M., who attended the California Province
Partners’ Retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center of
Los Altos. Photo by Peter Lemieux.
Tattoos on the Heart: The Holy Spirit
as Artist and Ink by John Mossi, S.J.
Environmental Benefits Statement
California Province of the Society of Jesus saved the following resources by using paper made with 55% recycled fiber and 30% post-consumer waste:
42 fully grown trees / 19,394 gallons of water / 13 million BTU of energy / 1,178 lbs of solid waste / 4,027 lbs of greenhouse gases
Calculations based on research by Environmental Defense Fund and other members of the Paper Task Force.
Blessed sacrament opens preschool to serve hollywood community
A
mission
EDITORIAL BOARD
John P. McGarry, S.J., Provincial
John P. Mossi, S.J., Executive Editor
Richards E. Bushnell, Editor
EDITORIAL contributors
Robert Dolan, S.J.
John P. Mossi, S.J.
Dan Peterson, S.J.
David Robinson, S.J.
Susan Wampler
DESIGN
Mixed Palette
Advancement Office
Joseph B. Naylor
Vice President for Advancement
and Communications
John P. Mossi, S.J.
Manager
Richards E. Bushnell
Associate Director of Communications
William C. Farrington, S.J.
Advancement Associate
Julie Han
Jesuit Mass Cards Administrator
Grace Melendrez
Gifts Steward
Mission is published three times a year
by the Jesuits of the California Province
P.O. Box 68 Los Gatos, CA, 95031-0068
Phone: (408) 884-1630
E-mail: [email protected]
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
©2010 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 summer/fall 2010
s a student at Loyola High
School in Los Angeles, I was
greatly impacted by the Jesuits
who taught me. I was deeply moved by
their generous spirit, prayerfulness, and
obvious joy in their lives of service. What
most touched me was how much the
Jesuits cared for us as students and about
our education and formation. I also
remember being very impressed by how
much the Jesuits seemed to care for each
other. In short, I wanted to be like them
and do what they did.
That is how the Lord invited me to
be a Jesuit. Those are the roots of my
Ignatian vocation. My vocation came
from my experience as a high school
student being influenced by great Jesuits
who wanted to do great things for God
through teaching and inviting students
to come closer to Christ.
I remember well, too, the many
wonderful laymen and women who
taught me at Loyola High School. Along
with the Jesuits, these teachers revealed
a dedication to students that was a life’s
vocation for them. After my ordination
as a priest, I was privileged to join them
in the ministry of teaching when I was
sent to Loyola High School to be Director
of Campus Ministry and teacher.
My experience as Principal of Jesuit
High School in Sacramento from 1998
to 2005 gave me the most gratifying
opportunity to witness Jesuits and
laypeople sharing in an Ignatian vocation.
In our efforts to provide an education
grounded in academic excellence, cocurricular involvement, and spiritual and
religious formation, we, like all of our
Jesuit schools, patterned ourselves in the
model of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder
of the Jesuits, and his spirituality and
educational philosophy. To witness men
and women giving themselves to this
vocation day in and day out was one of
the greatest privileges of my life.
My experience of the Ignatian vocation
comes primarily through work in our
schools. However, we are abundantly
blessed with a variety of ways for people
to explore a vocation shaped by Ignatian
spirituality. Jesuits and non-Jesuits alike
follow the way of Ignatius through our
work in parishes, retreat centers, social
justice ministries, and international
missions. Young people graduating from
college can explore the Ignatian vocation
through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC).
Those who are older and worked in a
career can live their vocation through
the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) or
the Companions in Ignatian Service and
Spirituality.
By virtue of our baptism, we all have
a vocation to love and to serve. An
Ignatian vocation, stemming from the
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola,
is a path that leads us to experience
Jesus Christ and to be like Him and do
what He did.
Thank you for your support of the
Jesuits and lay partners in mission of
the California Province of the Society of
Jesus. Fulfilling our vocation would not
be possible without you.
Gratefully in the Lord,
Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J.
Provincial
I
For more information, call (323) 467-4177
or visit www.blessedsacramenthollywood.org
courtesy of
Ignatian vocation pathways
n February, Blessed Sacrament School opened a new preschool.
“The early start provided by a high-quality preschool like ours
helps youngsters prepare for success in school and in life,” said
Father Michael Mandala, S.J., pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish.
“So much research has been done showing how preschool children
really fare better when they get to school that we’re pleased to offer
this new service for the little ones.”
At 7:30 a.m., parents can drop off their kids ages 3 to 5 at the
preschool, where they are served a nutritious breakfast at 8 a.m.
and lunch at noon. The academic day runs until 3 p.m., with activities designed to foster social skills and emotional growth.
Malatesta program fosters
exchange between chinese and
american scholars
T
he death of Father Edward J. Malatesta, S.J., in Hong Kong in
1998 marked the loss of a true friend of China. For almost
two decades, Fr. Malatesta embodied the vision of Matteo
Ricci, the 16th-century Italian Jesuit who began the inculturation
of Christianity in China. Ricci’s method was based upon a respect
for Chinese culture
and the formation of
personal relationships
among scholars. In
the same spirit of
friendship, Fr. Malatesta co-founded the
Ricci Institute for
Chinese-Western
Cultural History in
1984 at the University
of San Francisco.
Now, Fr. Malatesta’s
spirit is reflected in
the Malatesta
Program, a new
California Province
initiative announced
Fr. Malatesta at site of old Christian cemetery in
this spring by Father
Beijing, China.
Preschoolers Angela Vanegas (left) and Olivia Jimenez enjoy a break from
class in the playground.
Provincial John P. McGarry, S.J., and
endorsed by the three Jesuit universities
in California: Loyola Marymount, Santa
Clara, and USF.
The Malatesta Program is designed to
promote academic collaboration through
person-to-person exchanges between
faculty and graduate students at the three
Jesuit universities and their counterparts
Fr. Edward Malatesta, S.J.
at selected Chinese universities. Last spring, Dr. Lawrence Lau of Fudan University (Shanghai)
was in residence at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara
University. He was the fourth Chinese professor to visit the U.S.
as part of the program.
Meanwhile, Jesuit and lay faculty members from the three
California schools have been lecturing and meeting with faculty
at Fudan University, Peking University (Beijing), Sun Yat Sen
University (Guangzhou), Zhejiang University (Hangzhou), and
elsewhere.
In the coming academic year, Father Daniel Kendall, S.J., of
USF’s theology department, will teach at Sun Yat Sen University
and at least two faculty members from Chinese universities will
participate in the “Teilhard for A New Generation” conference at
Santa Clara University in mid-November.
MISSION summer/fall 2010 3
Help share our
Jesuit school of theology prepares students for ministries
legacy of SPIRITUALITY
T
he Jesuit School of Theology (JST) is celebrating its 75th
year of preparing students for leadership roles in the Church,
academia, and beyond. Established in 1934 as Alma College,
a theologate (seminary) for Jesuit scholastics of the California and
Oregon Provinces, the JST has evolved into a graduate school and
an international center for the study of theology and ministry.
In 1969, the JST was relocated to Berkeley, joining the Graduate
Theological Union. In July 2009, the JST affiliated with Santa Clara
University, becoming one of its graduate schools, though remaining on the Berkeley campus.
Currently, 140 graduate students are enrolled at the JST, including
Jesuits, religious, and laymen and women from across the U.S.
and 40 countries. Among those studying theology are California
Province Jesuits David Ayotte, S.J., Radmar Jao, S.J., James
Keane, S.J., and Trung Pham, S.J. A recent graduate, Father Matthew
Motyka, S.J., was ordained to the priesthood.
California Province Jesuits also serve on the JST faculty, including Fathers Thomas Buckley, S.J., George Murphy, S.J., and Bill
O’Neill, S.J. Father Michael Engh, S.J., is the School’s President
and Father Provincial John McGarry, S.J., is on its Board of Directors. Father Tony Sholander, S.J., serves as the Rector of the
Jesuit Community at JST.
Rooted in the Jesuit standard of academic excellence and the
Roman Catholic tradition, the JST offers degrees that prepare
students for careers in ministry, teaching, research, and leadership formation. The JST is one of only two institutions in the
U.S. where Jesuits can receive their requisite Master of Divinity.
Almost 3,000 JST alumni are serving as priests, ministers, missionaries, teachers, and advocates in churches, missions, retreat
centers, schools, hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. and abroad.
—Margi English and Catherine Kelly
For more information, visit www.scu.edu/jst
Father matthew motyka, s.J.,
ordained to the priesthood
photo by Andrew Nguyen, S.J
O
4 MISSION summer/fall 2010
n June 12, Father Matthew J. Motyka, S.J., was ordained
to the priesthood by Most Reverend John R. Quinn,
Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco, at Saint Agnes
Church. Fr. Motyka, from Krakow, Poland, entered the California
Province in 2001 and recently finished work on a Master of Divinity
at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. “I am
grateful to benefactors to have been formed and educated for the
world and for the Church,” said Fr. Motyka. “In the fall, I will join the
faculty of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at
the University of San Francisco.”
Matthew Motyka, S.J. (far left), was ordained to the priesthood by Most Rev. John R.
Quinn, Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco, at St. Agnes Church.
A
s a layman, St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) composed
the Spiritual Exercises which is the classic manual of
Ignatian spirituality. Today, the Jesuits of the California
Province of the Society of Jesus share this legacy through three
retreat/spirituality centers devoted to making Ignatian spirituality
accessible to all.
Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos (also known as El Retiro San
Iñigo) has operated since 1925 in the serene hills above Los Altos,
California, offering individually directed and group retreats that
examine various themes related to the Gospel, Ignatian spirituality,
healing, grief, and recovery.
Jesuit Retreat Center of the Sierra in Applegate, California, provides
a tranquil venue for nonprofit groups, such as Catholic parishes
and schools, to conduct their own retreats. The facilities, including
lodging quarters, conference rooms, a chapel, and a dining room,
have been extensively remodeled with guest comfort in mind. Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, California, has operated
since 1997. The Jesuit staff and its religious and lay partners provide
opportunities for growth in spirituality by offering retreats, parish
missions, days of prayer, conferences, and training.
Not all of the individuals and groups who would like to attend a
retreat have the financial capacity to do so. And while planning and
providing experienced leaders for retreats is an ongoing task, it is a
costly process. To encourage the participation of deserving retreatants
who lack financial resources and to foster the creation of new retreats
and spiritual formation programs, we have instituted the Ignatian
Spirituality Scholarship Fund.
If you or a family member have benefitted by attending one of
our retreats, received spiritual direction from a Jesuit, or you care
deeply about Jesuit retreat ministry, please consider making a gift
today to the Ignatian Spirituality Scholarship Fund.
“Walk with us into a New Century
of Service: 2010 and Beyond”
To Give:
Send your gift for the “Ignatian Spirituality Scholarship
Fund” to the California Province Advancement Office,
P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031; or use the easy
and secure Online Donation Form on our website:
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
good steward
JESUITS IN UTAH AND MAmmoth lakes to retire or receive new missions
T
he California Province has had a rich history in the Diocese
of Salt Lake City, serving there for almost 60 years. Since
1952, 37 California Jesuits have served in Utah.
In August, the California Province concluded it sponsorship of
two “Jesuit parishes” in Utah: Saint Mary Parish in West Haven, and
Saint Henry Parish in Brigham City, it was announced by Father
Provincial John P. McGarry, S.J. Father Martin Rock, S.J., who
served at Saint Mary for nearly 20 years, will retire. Father Leo
Meet Jenny & Ernest Go
Prengaman, S.J., parochial vicar at Saint Mary and superior of
the Jesuits in Utah, will receive a new mission in the Province.
Father Patrick Reuse, S.J., has been made available to continue to
serve as pastor of Saint Henry.
At the same time, the Province is no longer able to provide
pastoral service to Saint Joseph Parish in Mammoth Lakes,
California, where Father Andrew Dachauer, S.J., will retire after 28
years as pastor. Brother Daniel Corona, S.J., who joined Fr.
Dachauer in 1986, will receive a new mission, noted Fr. McGarry.
IN REMEMBRANCE
Father Joseph Ripley Caldwell, S.J., 88
Father Dare J. Morgan, S.J., 86
May 27, 2010, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center (SHJC) in Los Gatos.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1921, he entered the Society of Jesus
in 1941 and was ordained a priest in 1954. He taught psychology
and counseled students at Loyola Marymount University (1957-75)
and directed retreats at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos (1975-89).
March 14, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in San Anselmo, Calif.,
in 1923, he entered the Society in 1940 and was ordained a priest
in 1953. He was a preeminent mathematics teacher in high schools
in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix before moving into
parish ministry in 1978. He served at Jesuit parishes in Santa Clara,
San Jose, and Sacramento, and also directed retreats at the Jesuit
Retreat Center of Los Altos.
Father George T. Dennis, S.J., 86
March 8, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in Somerville, Mass.,
in 1923, he entered the novitiate at Los Gatos in 1941 and was
ordained a priest in 1954. He earned his Doctorate in Rome
and was a specialist in Byzantine History. He taught at Catholic
University of America and at Loyola Marymount University.
Father John G. Ferguson, S.J., 90
March 21, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco in 1919,
he entered the novitiate in 1941 and was ordained a priest in 1954.
He taught philosophy and religion at the University of San Francisco
(USF) and became a founding member of the Jesuit High School
faculty in Sacramento in 1963. He later served in Jesuit parishes in
Santa Clara, Sacramento, and Brigham City and Ogden, Utah.
Brother Norbert J. “Biz” Korte, S.J., 80
May 12, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco in 1929,
he entered the Jesuits at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos in 1951.
He was the public face of the Novitiate Winery, serving as host of
the tasting room and salesman.
Brother Thomas A. Marshall, S.J., 87
March 11, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in Oakland in 1922, he
entered the Jesuits at Los Gatos in 1946. He served as librarian at
Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose (1953-64, 1966-68) as
well as libraries in Taipei, Spokane, Rome, Berkeley, Los Angeles,
and Washington, D.C. He served two terms as Archivist for the
California Province (1974-78 and 1986-2000).
Father Donald P. Merrifield, S.J., 81
February 25, 2010, in San Jose. Born in Los Angeles in 1928, he
was a physics major at Caltech and at Notre Dame before entering
the Jesuits in 1951. He received a Ph.D. in Physics from MIT in
1961, taught at USF, and served as President of Loyola Marymount
University (1969-84) and as Chancellor until 2002. He later did parish
and prison ministry and worked with the homeless in Honolulu.
6 MISSION summer/fall 2010
Father John J. Perlite, S.J., 91
March 25, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in San Francisco in
1918, he entered the Jesuits in 1936 and was ordained a priest in
1949. He was the Master of Novices for Brothers (1952-1966), then
Treasurer for the Alma College Jesuit theologate at Alma College
in Los Gatos and later at Berkeley. From 1980-2001, he served as
scheduling administrator at Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix.
Father Herbert J. Ryan, S.J., 79
April 8, 2010, in Los Angeles. Born in Scarsdale, N.Y., in 1931, he
entered the Jesuits in 1949 and was ordained a priest in 1962. After
receiving his doctorate in theology at the Gregorian University in
1967, he taught at Woodstock College, Maryland, and beginning in
1974 at Loyola Marymount University.
Father Robert Lamar St. Clair, S.J., 82
May 12, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in Houston, Texas, in
1928, he entered the Society in 1945 and was ordained a priest in
1958. He served as Rector of Loyola High School, Vice-Provincial
for Education, Director of the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, and
California Province Treasurer.
Father Gerald P. Sullivan, S.J., 78
May 15, 2010, at SHJC in Los Gatos. Born in Sacramento on July
26, 1931, he entered the Society in 1949 and was ordained a
priest in 1962. He taught art at Santa Clara University from 1973
until 2009 and exhibited his art in several individual and group
showings.
Father Michael J. Zimmers, S.J., 87
April 4, 2010, in Saratoga, Calif. Born in San Diego in 1922, he
entered the Society in 1941, following in the footsteps of his older
brother, Eugene Zimmers, S.J. (1920-2005).
Jenny and Ernest Go celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with Fr. Anthony
Sauer, S.J., at St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
I
n the worldwide Society of Jesus, few women enjoy as many
distinctions as Jenny Go: She was the first laywoman to serve
as principal of a Jesuit high school; the first woman to serve
as Secretary of Education for a Jesuit Assistancy; and the first
woman appointed to the International Commission on the
Apostolate of Jesuit Education.
Jenny’s many attainments are underscored by a deep
commitment to education and a generous spirit—values shared
by her husband, Ernest.
Both Ernest and Jenny grew up in Manila. Jenny, the youngest
of 12 children, was born during the Japanese occupation of the
Philippines. When she was about 5 years old, her father died in
a Japanese prison camp; her mother died when Jenny was 13.
“We grew up almost like orphans,” she recalls.
Jenny’s parents had been baptized in the Catholic Church as
well as her sister, Loise. “It was through her that we all became
Catholics,” says Jenny. She recalls that her first contact with
a Jesuit was the late Father Louis Papilla, S.J., a Hungarian
priest who had been expelled from China during the Communist
takeover. Fr. Papilla was among the Jesuit missionaries who
founded Xavier School in Manila in 1956. Fr. Papilla and Xavier
would be instrumental in Jenny’s future.
After graduating from high school, Jenny attended the College
of the Holy Spirit in Manila for two years. Then she met Cardinal
Yu Pin of Taiwan and asked him for a scholarship to study in the
United States. The Cardinal sent Jenny, then only 16, to study
music at College Misericordia in Dallas, Pennsylvania, where she
received her bachelor’s degree.
She began teaching music at schools in the Archdiocese
of New York City, while attending night classes at Fordham
University. There, Jenny not only earned a master’s degree in
education in 1960, but met her future husband, Ernest, who was
studying business. “After we finished our degrees, his parents
said to come home, get engaged, and be married,” says Jenny.
They followed that advice.
Soon after Jenny returned to Manila, Fr. Papilla asked her,
“Would you please come and work for us?” at Xavier. Jenny
accepted. After teaching for a few years, she became head of the
English Department, then assistant principal. In 1968, Jenny was
appointed by Father Ismael Zuloaga, S.J., as the first laywoman
principal of a Jesuit high school.
In 1983, the couple moved from Manila to the San Francisco
Bay Area, where Ernest started the Bank of the Orient. But then
“the Jesuits asked me to work on the international level,” she
says. Jenny was appointed by Father Daven Day, S.J., to serve as
Secretary of Education for East Asia.
Currently, Jenny serves as Director of the Xiamen Projects of
the China Province of the Society. Through the projects, Jesuit
and lay educators travel to Xiamen, a coastal city in southern
China, to teach English to Chinese teachers of English. This
summer, two California Jesuits (Brother Joseph Frias, S.J., and
Robert Stephan, S.J.), a Jesuit from India, and four lay instructors
from U.S. Jesuit high schools will teach in Xiamen.
Jenny expressed her preference for
Jesuit education with its focus on
“the formation of the total person.”
In addition, she and Ernest provide scholarship funds for 120
students at Xiamen Technical School as well as 80 students at
Jesuit and diocesan schools in Madagascar, Africa. They have
also provided financial aid for St. Ignatius College Preparatory in
San Francisco, the Jesuit School of Theology, and for homeless
persons to make retreats at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los
Altos, where Jenny serves on the board.
Ernest and Jenny are blessed with three children: Edwin,
Monique, and Yvonne. When it came time for them to attend
college, Jenny expressed her preference for Jesuit education
with its focus on “the formation of the total person.” Monique
and Yvonne graduated from Boston College, Edwin from Santa
Clara University.
On June 25, 2010, Jenny and Ernest celebrated 50 years of
marriage by renewing their wedding vows. They reserved the
money they would have spent for a big celebration and donated it
to a Jesuit charity. —Dick Bushnell
Editor’s note: If you’re interested in supporting the Xiamen
Projects or other Jesuit programs in Asia, contact Joe Naylor in the
California Province Advancement Office: call (408) 884-1635
or e-mail [email protected]
MISSION summer/FALL 2010 7 putting
faith
into
action
Dolores Mission and Proyecto Pastoral build
a better way of life in East Los Angeles
by Susan Wampler
Photography by Robert Dolan, S.J.
After Mass each Sunday, parishioners gather in front of
Dolores Mission Church before heading to a canopied plaza
where a food sale raises funds for activities. This view looks
west to downtown Los Angeles.
“
This is a small parish geographically,
”
but we have a big heart
–Father Scott Santarosa, S.J.
Green-shirted volunteers Estelita Garcia and Rosa Campos from Safe Passage/Camino Seguro
stand watch at a corner to see that students walk safely to and from school.
“
In the words of St. Ignatius, love is shown more
”
in deeds than words.
L
–Father Scott Santarosa, S.J.
ooking west out the office window
of Father Scott Santarosa, S.J., the
downtown Los Angeles skyline
looms large, but it feels a world
away from the sometimes harsh
reality of life in the Boyle Heights area of
East Los Angeles that Dolores Mission has
called home since 1925.
The Jesuits of the California Province
took over Dolores Mission in 1980 when
no one else was willing to minister to the
poorest parish in the Archdiocese of Los
Angeles, a parish located in an embattled
community where some 16 gangs were
operating in a 2-square-mile area. Two
public housing projects–Aliso Village and
Pastor Scott Santarosa, S.J., greets parishioners after 10:30 a.m. Mass.
12 MISSION spring 2010
Pico Gardens–dominated the neighborhood and produced new gang members
at an alarming rate.
“A number of the parishioners had
sons who were gang members, or were
gang members themselves,” says Fr.
Santarosa, pastor of Dolores Mission.
“Those first Jesuits who came here
understood they were called to serve
everyone in this community, including
gang members. They took seriously the
question of ‘what is God inviting us to
do to live the Gospel in these streets and
alleyways here and now?’ Asking that
question in that way is what continues to
give life to this parish.”
MISSION summer/fall 2010 11 With “I Luv Mom” proudly painted on his
forehead, Joseph Correa, 7, of Bakersfield,
was thrilled to see his mother, Tina Avila.
“
Dolores Mission is the faith that inspires the action.
”
Proyecto Pastoral is the action.
Top left: Church volunteers fill plates to be
served to clients of the Guadalupe Homeless
Project in the Dolores Mission School cafeteria.
Center: Men pause for prayer.
Far right: Each night 30 to 50 homeless men
sleep in the church, retiring around 8:30 p.m.
and rising at 5 a.m.
12 MISSION summer/fall 2010
The Jesuits who have served here over
the past three decades have sought to
answer that question by working hand
in hand with residents and community
leaders to address the problems facing
the predominately Latino neighborhood.
Out of their collaboration grew Proyecto
Pastoral at Dolores Mission, which began
as Dolores Mission’s social justice arm
but became an independent nonprofit in
1986. (In turn, Proyecto Pastoral spun off
Homeboy Industries, founded by Father
Greg Boyle, S.J., while he was pastor of
Dolores Mission; it became a separate
entity in 2001.)
Although Proyecto Pastoral operates
independently of Dolores Mission, its
work is inextricably intertwined. For
instance, the Guadalupe Homeless Project,
–Father Scott Santarosa, S.J.
which provides emergency shelter to 650
men and meals to 900 men annually, is
funded and operated by Proyecto Pastoral,
while parishioners cook and serve the
meals. Dolores Mission literally provides
sanctuary: Most of the men sleep inside
the church itself. Proyecto also offers
after-school enrichment programs and
early-childhood education centers, both of
which are offered at two locations, including Dolores Mission.
“We want to leverage each other’s
resources to best meet the needs of this
community,” says Cynthia Sanchez, executive director of Proyecto Pastoral. “It’s a
unique and powerful partnership.” Fr.
Santarosa adds, “Dolores Mission is the
faith that inspires the action. Proyecto
Pastoral is the action. When we’re doing
our jobs well, you can’t tell the difference
between the two.”
Fostering safe passage
in the community
One of the most visible displays of
community empowerment is Proyecto’s
Safe Passage/Camino Seguro program.
Twice every school day, volunteers in
bright green T-shirts and jackets emerge
from their homes and offices to help
children walk to and from school safely.
The program’s 70 volunteers support not
only those enrolled in the K-8 Dolores
Mission School, but also high-school students at Mendez Learning Center, which
opened in 2009 across from Proyecto
Pastoral’s offices 4 blocks from Dolores
Mission.
“In the words of St. Ignatius, love is
shown more in deeds than words,” says
Fr. Santarosa. “That means not just sitting
behind a locked door and being afraid.
The laypeople and Jesuits who came
before me have inculcated a sense of
responsibility in our parish.”
That sense of responsibility is also
evident in the Dolores Mission Safety
Project, a community policing effort.
The parish works closely with the Los
Angeles Police Department to ensure
that residents feel comfortable calling
911 when they notice suspicious activity,
without fear of being asked about their
immigration status.
The theme of “safe passage” is an apt
description for many of Proyecto’s and
Dolores Mission’s other programs as
well. The Guadalupe Homeless Project
provides a safe transition for the mostly
immigrant population who have come
to the United States to find a way out of
poverty. The program not only offers
90-day temporary shelter and meals, but
also teaches clients to take proactive
steps to find employment and permanent
housing. Many of the men served by the
program later return to Dolores Mission
as volunteers to help others in need.
Clients of the Guadalupe Homeless
Project, as well as reformed gang members at Homeboy Industries, are encouraged to select free attire appropriate for
job interviews at Proyecto’s Thrift Store,
which is open to the public and also
provides employment and training for
community residents.
Teaching students to use
talents and gifts
Proyecto’s after-school programs and
early-childhood education centers give
area youth meaningful academic enrichment opportunities while serving as a
deterrent to their joining a gang. The
IMPACTO after-school program provides
academic support for 200 children ages
5-18, while the early-childhood education
centers serve some 76 children ranging
from 18 months to 5 years of age, preparing
them for kindergarten and helping them
develop their English-language skills.
“Dolores Mission has been a beacon of
hope for this neighborhood over the past
30 years,” says Father Joseph Spieler, S.J.,
MISSION summer/fall 2010 13 In Dolores Mission Church, Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J. (far left) celebrates the 25th wedding anniversary
of Cristina and Ruben Rodriguez along with their son Julio.
who served as co-pastor from 1982-1986
and returned in 2008. The grassroots
activism of the parishioners, in turn,
inspires the priests and leaders of Dolores
Mission and Proyecto Pastoral.
A prime example of this grassroots
activism is the base ecclesial communities or communidades ecclesiales bases
(CEBs) that Fr. Spieler and co-pastor Jose
Luis Estrada, S.J., launched in the mid1980s. Dolores Mission’s seven CEBs are
each comprised of 8 to 12 parishioners
who meet every week in one another’s
homes to read the Gospel and reflect on
what God is inviting them to do.
“The CEBs represent a way for people
to put their faith into action–to create
better opportunities for their families
and to give hope for a better life,” adds
Cynthia Sanchez.
One of the most significant ways
Dolores Mission is helping families to
achieve better outcomes is through the
Dolores Mission School, which currently
serves some 211 K-8 students and has the
capacity to grow to at least 250 children.
Some 70 percent of parents are monolingual Spanish-speakers.
According to Principal Karina Moreno,
“Our philosophy is to start a college-going
culture from kindergarten.” Students are
urged to continue their education at
Catholic high schools and charter schools
where a high percentage of graduates go
on to college.
“We are in an area where schools traditionally fail to give students the tools they
need for success,” adds Moreno. Dolores
Mission School emphasizes critical thinking
skills and application of learning to real
life. “We’re teaching students to use their
gifts and talents to be successful in life as
well as in college,” she says.
Shortly before Moreno joined the school
three years ago, a new third floor was
constructed, including a new science lab,
art room, and computer lab. The curriculum was redesigned to integrate arts and
technology into the classroom; test scores
have improved dramatically since then.
Moreno says she was drawn to the
school because of its potential to become
a premier learning center and because
of the connection with the Jesuit parish.
“I’ve worked at places where the church
and school are really separate. That’s not
the way it is here. I see the combined
strength of the church, school, and
Proyecto Pastoral. There’s a strong sense
of community here.”
“
Dolores Mission has been a beacon of hope for this
”
neighborhood over the past 30 years
A small parish with
a big heart
At Dolores Mission School, teacher Nicole Hill (above left) engages her fourth-grade
class,
while other
students
(above right) work on assignments.
16 MISSION fall
spring
2009
2010
Collectively, Dolores Mission Parish,
Dolores Mission School, and Proyecto
Pastoral have helped build that sense
of community. They serve as sources of
inspiration for residents as well as people
who live far beyond the neighborhood.
“This is a small parish geographically, but
we have a big heart,” says Fr. Santarosa.
“Dolores Mission plays a symbolic role in
the California Province. We can call atten-
–Father Joseph Spieler, S.J.
tion to larger issues, such as the immigration debate.”
Some 600 to 800 people attend services
on any given Sunday. High-school and
college students from all over the country
routinely visit Dolores Mission for service
immersions. Young Jesuits often are called
to the parish as well.
“This is a wonderful training site for new
Jesuits,” says Fr. Spieler. “We’re able to
apply a lot of our Jesuit values here.”
TO GIVE
To make a gift to Dolores Mission
Parish, Dolores Mission School, or
Proyecto Pastoral, please send your
contribution to the California Province
Advancement Office, P.O. Box 68, Los
Gatos, CA 95031; or use the easy and
secure Online Donation Form on our
website: www.jesuitscalifornia.org
MISSION summer/fall 2010 15 share
our
spirit
PHOTO BY PETER LEMIEUX
come
1 jesuit retreat center of los altos (el retiro san lñigo)
Make a retreat offered at one of three centers in the California Province
If you have not yet attended a Jesuit retreat, an unforgettable experience lies in store
for you. I made my first, individually directed retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center of
Los Altos nearly 10 years ago. The first thing my retreat director asked was “Have
location Situated in the tranquil foothills of Northern
programs
California, the center is located between San Francisco and
both in 30-day format and in everyday life, preached weekend retreats,
San Jose, just off Interstate Highway 280.
individually directed retreats, prayer days, and interactive retreats
The center offers the entire Spiritual Exercises,
for members of specific ethnic or linguistic groups, young adults, the
you read the Bible much?” as he handed me one. We began reading Psalm 139
hallmark The only residential Jesuit retreat center west of
and at some point my heart melted—and my life took a turn in another direction.
the Rockies, it provides guests with a peaceful environment and
A few years later, I returned for a parish group retreat led by Father Joseph Fice, S.J.
direction grounded in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, so they
We explored the theme “On Pilgrimage with Ignatius.” Retracing Ignatius’ epic life
may grow in intimacy with God, in responsiveness to the divine
facilities The center’s 38 wooded acres offer panoramic
story in a single weekend was an awesome experience.
call, and in sensitivity to their own hearts and the hearts of others.
views, colorful gardens, and secluded trails conducive to silent
In 1522, Ignatius left his home in Loyola, Spain, and journeyed to the sanctuary
of Montserrat to make a general confession. After three days of penance, he was
directed by a woman to a cave in the neighboring town of Manresa where he could
retire for prayer and contemplation. During this period at Manresa, Ignatius began
to make notes about his spiritual experiences, and those notes would grow into a
soul-stirring book called The Spiritual Exercises. In a way, Ignatius’ time at Manresa
may have been the first Ignatian retreat.
history In 1925, the California Province opened El Retiro. In
the early decades, the retreat center welcomed thousands of men
on preached retreats. In the 1970s, the center began welcoming
prayer. Facilities include 84 guest rooms, a dining room overlooking
San Francisco Bay, conference rooms, Rossi Chapel, many shrines,
and a bookstore with over 2,000 titles.
fees Weekend retreats cost $280 per person, including an en suite
directed retreats, instituted the 36-day Spiritual Exercises summer
room and three meals per day. Silent 8-day retreats cost $975 and the
program, and developed retreats for recovering alcoholics, for
36-Day Spiritual Exercises summer program costs $3,500. married couples, and more.
Jack Krause
—
mission The JRCLA, a community of prayer, offers the Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola to all. Through our sharing of the
since at least the 1920s when the first retreat centers opened. Today, three retreat/
Exercises, rooted in the Word of God and the Catholic tradition, the
spirituality centers sponsored by the California Province offer a variety of retreats
Spirit frees minds and hearts to mature in friendship with Christ, to
and spiritual programs for laypeople as well as clergy and other religious. Jesuits
find God in every aspect of experience, and to live Gospel values.
serve as full-time staff members at two of the centers, but Jesuits working in other
clients and staff Last year, the center hosted 7,300
Whether you’re planning to make your first retreat or it’s time for another, the three
Program trains those desiring to give the Spiritual Exercises.
women as retreatants and diversifying its offerings of individually
California Jesuits have been leading retreats based on The Spiritual Exercises
ministries may visit any of the centers to serve as retreat directors.
homeless, and former gang members. The three-year Pierre Favre
for more information
Visit www.jrclosaltos.org for a schedule of retreats and to make
online reservations, or call (650) 948-4491.
retreatants. The staff includes 8 Jesuit Priests, 1 Jesuit Brother, and
28 laymen and women.
centers profiled on these pages can accommodate you or your group. What are you
waiting for?—Dick Bushnell
16 MISSION summer/fall 2010
MISSION summer/fall 2010 17
3 loyola institute for spirituality
for more information
call (800) 678-5102 to schedule a tour
or to make reservations; or visit the UCCR
website: http://www.uccr.org/
JesuitRetreatCenteroftheSierras.htm
location Nestled in the foothills of
California’s historic Gold Country next to
the village of Applegate, the Jesuit Retreat
Center of the Sierra (JRCS) is a 30-minute
drive northeast of Sacramento via
Interstate Highway 80.
Sacred Heart Nativity Schools, University
of San Francisco, and St. Ignatius Loyola
Parish. Led by Kris Holland, resident manager, there are 7 staff members who work
in the kitchen, maintain the property, and
guarantee guest comfort.
hallmark This adult, youth, and family
site JRCS is situated on 350 acres covered
retreat center is an outstanding venue for
groups to encounter the Lord through the
beauty of creation. JRCS recently partnered
with United Camps, Conferences, and
Retreats (UCCR) to provide a host site for
groups wanting a quiet, comfortable place
for retreats and meetings.
with oak and pine trees. There is a small lake
and a large swimming pool. Hiking trails
lead to scenic vistas.
history Formerly known as Our
Lady of the Oaks or Applegate Villa,
JRCS has recently transitioned from
being a vacation place for Jesuits to a
facility open to hosting retreat groups,
conferences, workshops, and summer
school sessions.
mission The center provides a
venue for groups to lead their members
to a growing appreciation of the many
gifts God has given all of us.
clients and staff JRCS has
hosted groups from Jesuit High School,
18 MISSION summer/fall 2010
facilities Extensively remodeled facilities,
including a chapel, a dining room, a sizable
conference room, and lodging quarters,
accommodate groups of 20 to 120 persons (72
guests overnight). Oak Lodge, recently built
with sustainability in mind, is a straw-bale
structure covered in stucco which keeps 12
guest rooms cool during summer and warm
during winter. Redwood Lodge has 18 guest
rooms upstairs and meeting space downstairs.
fees Weekday rates are $65 per person,
weekend rates are $75 per night including
lodging and three meals. Additional meals are
available at breakfast ($9), lunch ($10.50), and
dinner ($15). For insurance purposes, guests
may not prepare their own meals on site.
—Father Charles J. Tilley, S.J., Director of
Provincial Projects
PHOTO BY PETER LEMIEUX
PHOTO BY ANNE HAMERSKY
PHOTO BY ANNE HAMERSKY
2 jesuit retreat center of the sierra
location LIS is based at the St. Joseph
Center in Orange, California, a 30-minute
drive south of Los Angeles and 1.5 hours
north of San Diego.
hallmark LIS is a ministry of the Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola offering spiritual formation that is mobile, multicultural,
and ecumenical.
history Founded in 1997, LIS is the successor to the Manresa Retreat House (19471994) which was located in Azusa, California.
mission In the Ignatian tradition, LIS
accompanies people in their journey toward
a life-giving relationship with God, self, and
others, through experiential formation to
help transform the world. LIS programs and
services are guided by the values of collaboration, ecumenism, and cultural diversity.
clients and staff Last year, LIS
served 10,155 clients with 28 retreats, 41
conferences/days of prayer, 79 classes/workshops, 38 faith-sharing sessions, and 9
parish missions. LIS is staffed by 4 Jesuits,
1 religious sister, and 2 laypersons.
programs LIS offers the Spiritual
Exercises in Daily Life (19th Annotation),
Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program, Equipo
Latino Ignaciano (Ignatian Hispanic Team),
Lay Ecclesial Ministry Program, diaconate
programs, biblical education, spiritual direction, and retreats/conferences as requested.
facilities Located at a large ministry
center on peaceful and beautiful grounds
with ample free parking. Facilities include a
classroom and conference room. LIS does
not provide lodging or meals on the premises.
fees LIS asks for a donation of $700 to
$1,000 for the Spiritual Exercises in Daily
Life (9-month program) and for a $30 to
$60 donation for each 1-hour session of
spiritual direction. Evening class fees are
$130 for each 6-week series. Fees for other
retreats/conferences vary depending on
format and length. —Father Stephen Corder, S.J, Executive Director
to give
To assist retreatants who lack financial
resources and to foster the creation of new
retreats and spiritual formation programs,
we have instituted the Ignatian Spirituality
Scholarship Fund. Send your gift for the
“Ignatian Spirituality Scholarship Fund”
to the California Province Advancement
Office, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA
95031; or use the easy and secure
Online Donation Form on our website:
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
for more information
Call (714) 997-9587 or visit www.loyolainstitute.org for announcements of upcoming events.­
MISSION summer/fall 2010 19 Zach Intemann, 24, of the Jesuit Volunteer
Corps served at Dolores Mission School where
he taught physical education.
Living
IGNATIAN
VO C ATION S
A
round the California Province,
scores of laywomen and men
have discovered that it is possible
to live out an Ignatian vocation of service
and spirituality as a member of one of three
organizations. From college grads in their
20s to retirees in their 70s, these volunteers
22 MISSION spring 2010
PHOTO BY STEPHEN DYPIANGCO, COURTESY JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS
directly serve marginalized clients in a
variety of situations, including Jesuit schools
and social ministries. Each one of these
organizations offers participants an opportunity to share their talents and exercise
Ignatian spirituality at the same time.
MISSION Summer/fall 2010 21 Ignatian Volunteer Corps
E
xperience, service, reflection:
Those three words characterize
the members of the Ignatian
Volunteer Corps (IVC). An IVC volunteer
applies a lifetime of professional and
personal experience to serving others while
growing deeper in their faith by reflecting
and praying in the Ignatian tradition.
In California, there are IVC groups
in San Diego (founded 2001) and Los
Angeles (founded 2005) with a total of
47 members. Through the IVC, mature
men and women can volunteer to serve
organizations in their local communities
one or two days a week, 10 months a
year, September through June.
At IVC Los Angeles, some of the
members apply their experience in a
collaborative way by serving at Jesuitsponsored ministries. For example, Toni
24 MISSION summer/fall
22 spring 2010 2010
group consists of about 8 to 10 people,
with monthly meetings held September
through June at the Jesuit Residence of
SCU,” notes Fr. Baerwald. “We strive to
maintain a high level of sharing and
interaction. At the monthly meetings,
we celebrate liturgy together and have
lunch as a group.”
The program has two components:
service and spiritual formation. The
service component consists of weekly
community service, involving direct
contact with people who are poor,
marginalized, and socially vulnerable.
The spiritual formation component
responds to the participants’ strong
desire to deepen their spiritual life
through the lens of Ignatian spirituality.
Companions also are asked to commit to
a program of daily prayer, individual
monthly meetings with a spiritual
director, and a one-day retreat at the
beginning and end of the program.
“That may sound like a huge
commitment, but it’s worth every
minute,” says Gene Gerwe, one of the
original Companions. As part of their
service, Gene and his wife, Barbara, who
is also a Companion, helped to start the
“Bread Project” in St. Francis of Assisi
Parish in San Jose. The project involves
some 50 people collecting about 200
loaves of leftover bread and bagels
from a nearby bakery, then packaging
and distributing them to 10 shelters and
kitchens.
Other volunteer situations include
Al-Anon, Catholic Charities, Day Worker
Centers, Neighborhood Senior Centers,
Faith in Action, Family Shelter, Family
Supportive Housing, Food Pantry,
Homeless Help Center, Jesuit Volunteer
Corps, Project Read through the Public
Library, Sacred Heart Community
Services, and St. Vincent de Paul Society.
As a result of the enthusiasm of
first-year Companions, a second-year
curriculum was developed and this fall
the program will add elements for three
years and beyond.
Since the first Companions formed
in San Jose, other regions have shown
interest in the program. This fall, it will
be expanded to the East Bay area. The
Companions program is an endorsed
work of the California Province of the
Society of Jesus.—Kay Mascoli
For more information,
call Kay Mascoli at (408) 666-7506
or e-mail [email protected] or visit
www.ignatiancompanions.org
Right: Julie Bishop of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps helps a student
at Nativity Prep Academy in San Diego.
Fournier, who worked as a teacher in the
Los Angeles public school system for 31
years, was drawn to Verbum Dei High
School, a Jesuit school in the Watts area.
“I love working at Verbum Dei,” says
Toni, who helps tutor various groups of
students during and after school. She also
assists by translating parent newsletters into
Spanish. Toni believes in Verbum Dei’s
mission which is to provide young men
with a well-rounded education that
includes a college preparatory academic
program, a work-study program, and a
service program that immerses students
in the Jesuit tradition of being persons
for others.
Toni appreciates the opportunity to
continue working with students at the
high-school level and says it gives her a
chance to give back a little of what her own
sons, Brendan and Anthony, received at
Loyola High School in Los Angeles.
Other members of IVC Los Angeles
serve with Catholic Charities, in detention
ministry with Father Michael Kennedy, S.J.,
and in various positions with St. John’s
Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. In
the coming year, IVC Los Angeles is
looking to expand its service to Blessed
Sacrament Parish in Hollywood, and
Immaculate Conception School and St.
Francis Center in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile at IVC San Diego, 38
volunteers serve at 20 partner agencies,
including Catholic Charities, Catholic
Relief Services, Interfaith Committee
for Worker Justice, St. Vincent de Paul
Village, and Survivors of Torture,
International.
—Anne Hansen and Margie Carroll
PHOTO BY MARGIE CARROLL
T
here is an urgent need to support
lay Catholic leaders who are
committed to ministries of service
through grounding in spiritual reflection
and prayer. In response to that need, Jim
Briggs and Father Jeffrey Baerwald, S.J.,
both with Santa Clara University (SCU),
and a small group of dedicated persons
in San Jose, California, launched a new
program called the Companions in
Ignatian Service and Spirituality.
The mission of the Companions is to
enrich, through an integrated program of
prayer and Ignatian spiritual reflection,
the lives and experience of participants
age 50 or older who are providing
community service to the poor and
marginalized. In this way, the program
responds to the participants’ desire to
give back to others and their thirst for a
deeper spiritual life.
Since the program’s inception less than
two years ago, the number of participants
has more than doubled, growing from 6
to 20 currently. “A typical Companions
For more information, visit
www.ivcusa.org or contact the IVC
staff members below.
IVC Los Angeles: Anne Hansen,
Regional Director, (805) 987-9807,
e-mail [email protected]
IVC San Diego: Margie Carroll,
Regional Director, (619) 881-9509,
e-mail [email protected]
PHOTO BY STEPHEN DYPIANGCO, COURTESY JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS
Left: Sharon Hurley of the Companions in
Ignatian Service and Spirituality helps a
student in the Homework Club at Sacred
Heart Community Services.
Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality
Jesuit Volunteer Corps
A
fter a full year of community
service and Ignatian spirituality,
graduates of the Jesuit Volunteer
Corps better understand JVC’s unofficial
motto: “Ruined for life.” Actually, “through
their relationships marginalized clients,
JVC volunteers are transformed and see
the world in a new way,” says Mike
Braun, program director of JVC’s Santa
Clara Office.
Recruited from the ranks of recent
college graduates, most JVC members
are in their 20s. They commit to a oneyear program (August to August) that
begins with an orientation and includes
five formation retreats. JVC members
spend 75 percent of their time doing
volunteer work in direct relationship
with a marginalized population through
a non-profit organization. After one
year, they can serve an additional year
if they choose “and we encourage that,”
says Mike.
Currently, 330 JVC members serve in 33
cities in the United States and 7 foreign
countries. In Arizona and California, 83
volunteers--59 women and 24 men—work
in 55 service placements. Graduates of
Jesuit colleges tend to gravitate to the
JVC, with 20 current members coming
from Loyola Marymount University, Santa
Clara University, and the University of
San Francisco.
Volunteer placements include schools,
homeless shelters, and health and legal
Above: Mike Reddy (second from left)
and Mary Georgevich (far right) of the
Jesuit Volunteer Corps served at Homeboy
Industries with Josephina Sanchez, Fabian
Parra, and Raymond Jackson.
clinics. In Arizona, JVC members serve with
Catholic Charities of Phoenix, Central
Arizona Shelter Services, and Brophy
College Preparatory in Phoenix. In
California, JVC members work at the Native
America Health Center in Oakland, Mustard
Seed School for Homeless Children in
Sacramento, La Raza Centro Legal in San
Francisco, and Dolores Mission, Homeboy
Industries, Proyecto Pastoral, and Verbum
Dei High School in Los Angeles.
During her one-year stint in the JVC,
Mary Georgevich, 23, an SCU graduate
from Deerfield, Illinois, served as case
manager at the Homegirl Café in Los
Angeles. She assisted about 30 young
women with everything from enrolling in
classes to pending court cases.
“I learned more than I have any single
year in my life. Working alongside Father
Greg has been one of the most amazing
experiences of my life,” says Mary, referring
to Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J., who directs
Homeboy Industries, the nation’s largest
gang-intervention program.—Dick Bushnell
For more information, call the
JVC at (408) 241-4200 or visit
www.jesuitvolunteers.org
MISSION summer/fall 2010 23 where saints are born and miracles happen
A Spiritual Journey to Spain & France
Meet Father
Anton J. Renna, S.J.
10 memorable days – March19 to 28, 2011
Loyola Sanctuary - Spain
You are invited to join our California Province
pilgrimage under the direction of Tour Chaplain
Rev. John Mossi, S.J., and Group Coordinator
Joe Naylor, C.F.R.E., with travel arrangements by
the Catholic Travel Centre, Burbank, California.
our itinerary includes
Birthplaces of St. Ignatius of Loyola,
St. Francis Xavier, St. Bernadette Soubirous
Lourdes, world-famous Marian shrine and
sanctuary of healing
Shrine of the Black Madonna and Benedictine
Monastery at Montserrat
Holy cave at Manresa where Ignatius composed
the Spiritual Exercises
Sagrada Familia Church, Gaudí’s masterpiece
in Barcelona
Lourdes - Fran
ce
our arrangements provide
Round-trip flights from Los Angeles or
San Francisco to Spain
Private motor coach
Comfortable accommodations
Delicious regional cuisine
Daily Mass and Examination of Conscience
For tour details, costs, and reservations, contact Joe Naylor
Call (408) 884-1635 or e-mail [email protected]
To view the tour brochure online, visit our website
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
Montserrat A
bbey - Spain
In
April 2009, Father Anton J. Renna, S.J., 76, retired to
Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California,
after 45 years of teaching at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. While Fr. Renna no longer has
a classroom, he touched the lives of two generations of Brophy
students and he remains a teacher’s teacher in the Jesuit tradition.
In 1934, “I was born a Catholic” in San Jose, says Fr. Renna.
He attended Sacred Heart Grammar School from kindergarten
through 8th grade. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur taught
at Sacred Heart and “they were good teachers,” he recalls. He
went on to attend Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose.
After graduation, he entered the Jesuits in 1952 at Sacred Heart
Novitiate in Los Gatos. There, he spent two years as a novice
and two years as a junior. In those days, the Novitiate was
surrounded by grapevines and Fr. Renna remembers picking
grapes every year for the Novitiate Winery. “I enjoyed it because
of all the good guys working around me,” he says.
In 1959, he began teaching English and Humanities at Brophy.
“To walk into a classroom and be with the kids was the high point
of my life. I enjoyed teaching because I can honestly say that I
liked my students and my students liked me. I was blessed.”
In 1965, Fr. Renna was ordained to the priesthood. He began
leading groups of Brophy students on summer study trips in
Europe. The five-week excursions came to be known as the
“RENNAissance experience.”
In addition to teaching, Fr. Renna served as the proprietor of a
bookshop called “Shylock’s Corner” since it occupied a corner of
his classroom. There he sold books at a discount: “I gave them a
good deal. I wasn’t there to profit.”
What are Fr. Renna’s secrets for being an effective teacher? “You
have to know your subject matter. I liked what I was teaching,” he
says. From Beowulf to Shakespeare’s Macbeth to 20th Century
English literature, Fr. Renna still likes what he taught.
Father Edward Reese, S.J., President of Brophy, says of Fr. Renna,
“He taught two generations of Brophy alumni and to a person he
is quoted as saying, ‘If a student leaves Brophy being comfortable
about the world around him, Brophy has failed in its mission.’ ”
Fr. Renna continues to serve as a role model for former students.
For example, Ronald Maggiano, a 1970 graduate of Brophy, is now
COURTESY BROPHY COLLEGE PREPARATORY
in the Footsteps of Ignatius of Loyola
a history teacher at West Springfield High School in Virginia. “It
was because of him that I became a teacher,” Maggiano explains in
his blog “What Makes a Great Teacher?” on The Classroom Post.
Maggiano writes, “Fr. Renna always insisted on the highest
standards for everyone in the classroom, including himself. He
got the best out of his students because he invariably gave the
best of himself to every lesson plan and every lecture. Fr. Renna,
more than any teacher I have ever known, treated his students
with respect. As a result, we treated him--and each other–with
respect as well.
“But perhaps the most important quality exhibited by Fr. Renna
was his absolute passion for his subject and love of the English
language. His enthusiasm for literature was contagious, and because
of this his students worked harder in his classes than any other.
“I prayed daily to do my
best as a teacher.”
“So what makes a great teacher? I am still not sure, but I do
know one when I see one. And Father Anton Renna, S.J., was a
truly great teacher.”
Looking back on his career in Jesuit education, Fr. Renna says,
“I prayed daily to do my best as a teacher. I made a lot of friends
with my students. I miss them all.” —Dick Bushnell
MISSION summer/fall 2010 25
t
he Ignatian Quest
by Father David C. Robinson, S.J.,
Associate Director, Loyola Institute for Spirituality
to “Transform the World”
formation that prepares them for spiritual ministry at the parish
The often redirected curse of dubious origin—“May you live in
level, or as Associates of the Institute, collaborating in a number
interesting times”—has been appropriated as a contemporary
of Institute projects.
catchphrase for social and political commentary in this form:
A Spanish-language group, the Equipo Latino Ignaciano,
“We live in interesting times.” Reflecting on the current trends
undergoes a similar formation process, in preparation for service
in global religious politics, a mixture of ideological struggles,
to the Hispanic community. A Korean-language
a variety of evangelical movements, clerical
program facilitated by Dr. Regina Hur (an
scandals, and even overt sectarian violence,
LIS Associate and a physician) has been
we may find the word interesting to be much
initiated. Spiritual direction is offered in
too bland to describe our experience in the
English, Spanish, and Korean.
parish, the pew, or prayer. Those of us whose
Lay leadership is fostered through the Lay
day-job is embraced within various religious
Ecclesial Ministry Program coordinated by Father
organizations find ourselves engaged on an
Felix Just, S.J. Fr. Just also offers multiple workever more regular basis in conversations with
shops, missions, and retreats on a variety of
individuals of all ages who self-identify with
biblical themes. LIS Executive Director Father
phrases like “I’m not a particularly religious
Stephen Corder, S.J., Sr. Ostheimer, and Br.
person” but “I consider myself to be deeply
Jackson coordinate the spiritual formation
spiritual.” In our 21st Century religious cliprogram and/or retreats for the Permanent
mate, we are asked to accompany many on a
Diaconate programs in the Dioceses of Orange
unique odyssey of exploration that attempts
and San Diego and the Archdiocese of Los
both to distinguish and to link the religious
Angeles.
and the spiritual in our communities.
On the educational front, LIS recently
In Southern California, for example, Jesuit
began an outreach to postsecondary Jesuit
retreats were offered at the site of what is now
Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)
institutions through the development of new
Loyola High School as early as 1920, and from
by Ustinian Tilov, Sophia, Bulgaria
initiatives in Ignatian Pedagogical Ministries.
1947 on at the Manresa Retreat House in Azusa.
Directed by Father David Robinson, S.J., these ministries offer
By the time that facility closed in 1994, the ministerial needs of the
formational opportunities in Ignatian spirituality and pedagogiregion had shifted radically due to dramatic changes in the cultural
cal practice to faculty and staff members at Jesuit universities
and linguistic makeup of the community. In response, the Jesuits
worldwide. As university education becomes more global in
of the California Province created a new, more flexible and
scope, relying upon technological tools and networks, the
mobile model for spiritual ministry, and in 1997 the Loyola
Institute for Spirituality (LIS) opened in Orange. Its focus was more spiritual formation and transformation of those responsible
multilingual, intercultural, and directed to a variety of constituents,
for furthering Ignatian learning
including individuals, parishes, and diocesan formation and
takes on ever greater importance.
education programs.
All of the Institute’s efforts
The mission of the Institute is to “accompany people in their
are aimed at providing resources
journey toward a life-giving relationship with God, self and others,
for enormously diverse populathrough experiential formation to help transform the world. The
tions that are seeking spiritual
values of collaboration, ecumenism, and cultural diversity guide
formation. As Fr. Corder observes,
the programs and services of Loyola Institute for Spirituality.”
“Ignatian spiritual practices
The Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program is directed by Sister
offer the tools needed to help
Barbra Ostheimer, S.N.D., and Brother Charles Jackson, S.J.,
people discover and nurture
uniting men and women from various denominational, cultural,
God’s presence within. As a
and linguistic backgrounds in a three-year program of Ignatian
Fr. David Robinson, S.J.
26 MISSION summer/fall 2010
result, they become empowered to act on the call of Jesus
Christ to share that presence with others. LIS helps people to
discover a ‘pathway to God’ that is accessible, practical, and
relevant to today’s society.”
I
n January 2010, LIS, in collaboration with the Ignatian
Volunteer Corps in San Diego and Los Angeles, invited
Father Howard Gray, S.J., of Georgetown University,
one of the foremost experts on Ignatian spirituality, to
make a presentation on “Lay and Jesuit Colleagues: A
Spirituality that Transforms the World.”
Fr. Gray sought to plumb the riches of Ignatian tradition in
the context of contemporary spiritual exploration and formation,
beginning with the Triple Colloquy from the Spiritual Exercises.
In this contemplative prayer practice, the retreatant enters into
conversation with Mary, then journeys with her to Jesus. Finally,
the three enter into the presence of the Father. The process is
intended to help the individual experience more deeply the
maternal gentleness of Mary and the human tenderness of
Jesus as part of communion with God. Mary offers an example
of both the mystical and ethical dimensions of our walk in
faith—how we regard God in our lives and how we decide
what we are called to do within
our respective vocations.
As Ignatius discovered through
his experience of being turned
away from ministry in the Holy
Land by the Franciscan superior,
God does not ask us to do what
is not possible for us. As a result
of his personal odyssey, Ignatius
began to discern how he was being
led to help others. His dedication
to the “care for souls” ultimately led
him to pursue priestly ordination
Fr. Howard Gray, S.J.
and to form the Society of Jesus.
We are likewise called, in our personal contexts, to the same
desire to be of help, the cornerstone of an Ignatian life.
Fr. Gray emphasized the role of affectivity in our emerging walk
with God. The experience of consolation, of the divine spark within
human emotions, helps us to discover who we are for God. It is
through the connection of what gives us joy and passion with a
realistic awareness of our direction and capacity, that we uncover
our true vocation. As those who seek to serve, we are not first
asked to do what is hard, but rather to do what is more loving. It is
through attention to particular persons and needs that those in
formation become more loving, more conformed to Jesus in his
willingness to pour out his life (kenosis), to be emptied of all
that the world might label important. Therefore, we are invited
to live with humility, marked by an openness to all the ways
God wants to work with us.
F
r. Gray’s invitation to enter into a deeper awareness
of God’s call involves what he calls a move beyond
lectio divina, the meditative immersion in the word
of God within our lives and experience, into an
empathic way of viewing life, both local and global,
a visio divina that allows us to be immersed in the realities of
others’ experience. Such immersion draws us beyond the social,
economic, linguistic, and communal dimensions of our personal
histories, into a vision of vocation, of our religious and spiritual
growth, that encompasses the humility and vulnerability of the
one who is the source and end of all our searching.
It is the mission of the Loyola Institute to foster this spiritual
unfolding in the many individuals and communities who comprise
the family of God. In this way, we continue in service through a
spirituality that can transform the world.
Editor’s note: Special thanks to Elisa Leon who also contributed to
this essay.
A Personal Transformation
by Shirley Espique,
Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program, 2009 graduate
I was led to Loyola Institute for Spirituality three years ago
in the darkest days of my life. The excruciating pain I felt
showed on my face, but I did not know it. Another student in
the Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program (ISFP) approached
me during a break and said, “I know you are broken. I can
feel your pain just looking at you. Let’s talk.” I learned to see
Jesus in those beautiful faces. I felt God’s overflowing love
coming from those people. Then I decided to strive so people
could see Jesus’ face through me.
I learned to surrender and let God work through me. The
19th Annotation Retreat allowed me to walk with Jesus’ suffering and to be with him in his crucifixion and resurrection
as I experienced my own spiritual death and resurrection
during the unexpected demise of my 34-year marriage. In
journeying with Jesus, I learned humility, patience, acceptance,
compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. Now I cherish my
friends and love them unconditionally. I realized that I failed
to let my children know how much I love them and how much
work I have to do to build a closer relationship with them.
The ISFP has been preparing me for discipleship. Now I
do ministries that I would never have had the courage or the
confidence to do before this program. I realize that God has
given me special gifts and that I must use these gifts for his
glory. I have now a very intimate, deep and loving relationship with my God.
MISSION Summer/fall 2010 27
Tattoos on the Heart:
The Holy Spirit as Artist and Ink
by Father John P. Mossi, S.J., Advancement Office Benefactor Relations
A
Jesuit vocation is an exciting journey. In almost
50 years as a Jesuit, I’ve been able to serve the
Church and People of God in a variety of settings.
Each of these ministries has contributed a distinctive mark to my priestly formation.
At Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Santa Barbara, as a newly
ordained priest, I learned to pray, instead of say, the Mass and
to preach in a clear, succinct and realistic style. At Jesuit Retreat
Center of Los Altos (El Retiro),
I entered the world of spiritual
direction and retreat ministry that
ranged from weekend and individually directed retreats to the
30-day Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius Loyola. For 16 years at
Gonzaga University in Spokane,
I taught the treasury of Catholic
doctrine in Pastoral Counseling,
Christian Spirituality, and Catholicism classes.
During one section of the
Catholicism course dedicated to
artists, we analyzed the theological meaning of Da Vinci’s Last
Supper, Michelangelo’s La Pietà
and David, the Sistine Chapel’s Last Judgment and Creation of
Adam. One unusually clever student, in an attempt to sidetrack the
discussion, inquired, “Why doesn’t Adam have tattoos?” You can
imagine where that topic might have led. Yet there was a lot of
truth contained in his ironic question. After all, tattoos today are
quite the vogue, especially among the younger set and certain
athletes who turn their bodies into billboards. In many ways,
tattoos have become a statement of identity, a pop art expression,
and in certain deadly cases, a mark of gang membership.
Father Greg Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries in Los
Angeles, recently published an inspiriting book: Tattoos on the
Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. It is a collection of
down-to-earth, real life stories about redemption centered in the
midst of L.A.’s harsh gangland. Fr. Greg’s motto is: “Nothing stops
28 MISSION summer/fall 2010
a bullet like a job.” His answer is to provide jobs and job training
so as to fight the despair of gang culture with hope, empowerment,
respect, and faith.
One moving story about a homie named Sharkey, who had
the ability to give Fr. “G” a difficult time, grabbed my attention.
Instead of being overly strict with Sharkey, Fr. “G” changed his
tactic and melted him with understanding and compassion. In
amazement, Sharkey stared at “G” and said, “I’m gonna tattoo
that on my heart.”
I confess that Sharkey has
helped me experience a tattoo
conversion. I boldly contend that
we need tattoos—tattoos on the
heart. Our task is to invite the
Holy Spirit to imprint the extraordinary grace and indelible
ink of the Divine Tattoo Artist on
our hearts. In turn, this pulsating center of love can transform
our entire being, our vision and
attitudes, our priorities and daily
actions. While no one will be able
to see this unique tattoo, it will be
noticeably observed in what we
say and do.
Come Holy Spirit, come now. Create a new Pentecost. Be my
passion, fire, and inspiration. Stand by and with me. Enter into
my heart with your gifts: wisdom, discernment, compassion,
courage, justice, understanding, healing, generosity, faith, joy
in living and hope. Imprint these virtues on my heart with your
tender kindness so that I may manifest your love in attitude,
thoughts, words, and daily actions.
Editor’s note: Fr. John Mossi, S.J., will serve as the chaplain for
the California Province Spiritual Journey to Spain and France
in the Footsteps of Ignatius of Loyola, March 19-28, 2011.
For more information, contact Fr. Mossi at (408) 884-1647
or [email protected]
RAMÓN NOVARRO AT EL RETIRO, 1930
Silent film star Ramón Novarro (1899-1968) poses next to a statue of the Sacred Heart on the
grounds of El Retiro San Iñigo, the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, where the statue
still stands. Novarro was a frequent retreatant at El Retiro. When another benefactor was
unable to pay for the marble statue, Novarro quickly furnished the funds.
Born José Ramón Samaniego in Durango, Mexico, he came to Hollywood around 1913 and by
1917 was appearing in small roles. He attracted notice in the film Scaramouche (1923)
and by 1925 had become a major star, appearing in such epics as Ben-Hur. Following the death
of Rudolph Valentino in 1926, Novarro became the leading Latin actor, playing opposite such
stars as Greta Garbo in Mata Hari (1931) and Myrna Loy in The Barbarian (1933).
Novarro’s grandnephew is Father Eduardo Samaniego, S.J.,
pastor of Most Holy Trinity Parish in San Jose.— Brother Dan Peterson, S.J.
Non-Profit Org
US Postage PAID
san jose, CA
California Province of the Society of Jesus
Advancement Office
P.O. Box 68
Los Gatos, CA 95031-0068
www.jesuitscalifornia.org
permit no. 1199