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| October 21, 2003 |
Fr Gregory Boyle SJ, director of Jobs for a Future, an employment referral center for at-risk and gang-involved youth, will be one of the speakers at Loyola Marymount University’s forum "What Color is God?", which will run from October 26 through November 2.
The forum will explore how culture, spirituality, and social justice affect humanity's understanding of God. Other speakers include award-winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye, writer and professor Greg Saris, and Dwight Hopkins, associate professor of theology at the University of Chicago's Divinity School.
For more information and a full schedule of events, visit: http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/bellarmineforum [Source: Loyola Marymount University]
Fr Bernard Knoth SJ resigned as president of Loyola University New Orleans on October 7, as he has been removed from active ministry by the Society of Jesus following an allegation of sexual abuse against him.
The abuse is said to have taken place during Fr Knoth’s tenure at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis. Upon receiving the allegation against Fr Knoth, the Chicago Province immediately initiated an internal investigation and then forwarded the case to a Chicago Province Review Board. After a report from the board, the Provincial Superior elected to remove Fr Knoth from active ministry, said Fr James Gschwend SJ, Chicago Province official.
Fr William Byron SJ, who has served as president of the University of Scranton and the Catholic University of America, has been named acting president of the university. He was most recently a research professor in the business school at Loyola College.
Fr Knoth, who denies the allegations, released a personal statement on his resignation, which can be read at http://www.loyno.edu/newsandcalendars/byron/knothstatement.html [Source: Chicago Province, Loyola University New Orleans]
Emma Fattorini, an Italian historian and professor of modern history at Rome's La Sapienza University, discovered a note regarding the audience granted by Pius XI to Jesuit Fr Tacchi Venturi among the documents of the Vatican, which was recently made available to researchers. Fr Venturi was the mediator between the Vatican and Mussolini. According to the note, on April 7, 1938, Fr Venturi transmitted to the pope a message from Mussolini, who recommended the the pope excommunicate Hitler at an opportune moment. This note, and the credibility of Fr Venturi, may influence the current controversy regarding the attitude of the Papacy to the Nazi regime. [Source: S.J. Elelctronic Information Service, Rome]
Among the 30 cardinals Pope John Paul II named in September, one Jesuit was included: Fr Tomas Spidlik. Though Fr Spidlik, at age 83, cannot vote in a conclave to elect a new pope, the Czech expert on Eastern Christian spirituality continues to write, lecture, and serve as spiritual director of Rome's Centro Aletti, where he lives, and the Czech College in Rome.
Fr Spidlik said he accepted the nomination "not as a recognition for myself, but for the Catholics of Eastern Europe and the work of making their rich heritage known." He said he gave thanks to God for the opportunities he has had "to do a little bit for the union of the churches of East and West and to make known the spiritual treasures of the East."
"The pope loves to talk about the church breathing with two lungs -- the traditions of East and West -- and we are in full agreement," he said. [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
Recognized for his dedication to social justice, actor Martin Sheen received an honorary doctorate from Marquette recently and helped dedicate the university's new library that houses the archives of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement, which she cofounded.
A pacifist, Sheen credits the Catholic Worker Movement for instilling in him an active social conscience and "liberal, democratic forces in the church," including Fr Daniel Berrigan SJ, Dorothy Day, and Pope John XXIII, for inspiring and nourishing his faith. Applying the church's social teachings to everyday life has been rewarding as well as challenging, he said. [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
St Ignatius Loyola Academy in Baltimore, started by Fr Bill Watters SJ, who is also president of the school, celebrated its 10th anniversary last month. Since that time, 155 boys have graduated from tuition-free school, and approximately 80 percent of them have continued onto college. The school is open to boys of all religions but they are taught in the Jesuit tradition.
To learn more about St Ignatius Loyola Academy, click on: http://www.st-ignatius.net/website/academy.html [Source: Maryland Province News]
Between September 21 and 24, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) West Africa held a training seminar in the city of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, chaired by Regional Director, Fr Mateo Aguirre SJ, to train and prepare the new JRS teams that will be working in the Ivorian towns of Man, Bouaké, and Abidjan.
A group of fifteen people -- Ivorian nuns and lay people -- participated in the seminar and will make up the three teams that will conduct health projects on both sides of the still-divided Côte d’Ivoire.
During the seminar, news came that revealed the uncertainty of the political and military situation of the country: on September 23 the rebel groups that control the northern half of Côte d’Ivoire decided to withdraw from the reconciliation government, due to strong disagreements with President Laurent Gbagbo. Two days later, loyalist troops cut the road that links Abidjan with the second largest city of the nation, Bouaké, held by the main rebel group.
Nonetheless, JRS West Africa will continue the projects since the current situation will only worsen the health conditions of the people. Once the road between Abidjan and Bouaké reopens, JRS will establish two projects, one on AIDS prevention and treatment and the other a health project, conducted through a mobile clinic. In Man, a JRS team will also work on health care and reconciliation in what is one of the cities most affected by the war. In Abidjan, JRS will continue with the projects of food distribution and education that started in March. [Source: JRS Dispatches]
Fr Aloysius Kelley SJ, seventh and longest-serving president in Fairfield University's history, announced that he will retire at the end of the current academic year, after 25 years of service.
In a letter to the board of trustees, Fr Kelley said he had chosen June 2004 for his retirement "because it will mark both the successful conclusion of 'Our Promise: The Campaign for Fairfield University' and the completion of my 25th year as president." [Source: Fairfield University]
This site from the Daughters of St Paul opens with a slideshow of images of the pope. The text is organized into three sections - his life, his thought, and the process of choosing a pope. Perhaps the most useful is the thought section, which is titled 'A Prolific Pope,' and offers succinct quotes on a range of subjects and for people in various situations - including those who fear the future, those experiencing temptation, and those struggling with a difficult family situation.
JesuitUSA News is a service of Company Magazine. In addition to the print edition, almost all of the items in Company Magazine can be viewed via the World Wide Web at www.companymagazine.org. Any correspondence concerning this mailing list should be sent to the editor at news@companymagazine.org . The newsletter is available to all Jesuits, to those who work with them, or to those who are simply interested in what they are doing. Tell your friends; the price is right! If you are requesting addition to the list, please include your real name as well as your email address. If you are changing your address, please include YOUR NAME as well as both the NEW and the OLD email addresses.
The editors of this Newsletter are Richard VandeVelde SJ and Ms Rebecca Troha. They would both like to remind you of the following useful WWW links for items of Jesuit interest.
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