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The 35Th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus Its Meaning and Messages

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The 35Th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus Its Meaning and Messages AN EXAMINATION OF CATHOLIC IDENTITY AND IGNATIAN CHARACTER IN JESUIT HIGHER explore EDUCATION P UBLISHED BY THE I GNATIAN C ENTER AT S ANTA C LARA U NIVERSITY FALL 2008 VOL. 12 NO. 1 The 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus Its Meaning and Messages 8 Kindling New Fires 17 GC35 and SCU’s 26 Exploring Jesuit-Lay at GC35 New Core Collaboration FALL 2008 P UBLISHED BY THE I GNATIAN C ENTER FOR J ESUIT E DU C ATION AT S A N TA C LARA U NIVERSITY F ROM THE C ENTER D IRE C TOR ome 225 Jesuits from around the world gathered in Rome as a “general congregation” this past January Kevin P. Quinn, S.J. to elect a new superior general, Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., S st Executive Director and to examine issues central to Jesuit life in the early 21 Paul Woolley century. After nearly two months of deliberation, this General Associate Director Congregation 35 (GC35, for short) promulgated six decrees Elizabeth Kelley Gillogly ’93 including three of interest here—on identity, mission, and Managing Editor collaboration. Does what the Jesuits said in these documents genuinely resonate with their partners in ministry on Santa Amy Kremer Gomersall ’88 Design Clara’s campus? We invited several non-Jesuit faculty and staff to respond to that question, and the result is this issue of Ignatian Center Advisory Board Peggy Bradshaw explore. Simon Chin But first two Jesuit authors set the stage. John Jan Claesson O’Callaghan, S.J., a former general assistant to the Jesuit Paul Crowley, S.J. Fred Ferrer superior general in Rome, presents a primer on “general Michael Hack congregations” and suggests why this recent Jesuit meeting Jennifer Konecny should interest non-Jesuits working in Jesuit-sponsored Paul Locatelli, S.J. Terry Nally ministries. University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., elected Kevin P. Quinn, S.J. as a delegate to GC35 from the Jesuit California Province, Mark Ravizza, S.J. shares his personal reflections on the election of Father Joseph Symkowick Nicolás and how he understands the overarching theme Catherine Wolff of the congregation’s writings. Then several non-Jesuit colleagues, invited to read the decrees on identity, mission, explore is published two times per year by the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education at Santa Clara and collaboration, react to them both professionally and University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053-0454. www.scu.edu/ignatiancenter personally. Diane Jonte-Pace examines Santa Clara’s new 408-554-6917 (tel) 408-551-7175 (fax) The views expressed in explore do not necessarily Core Curriculum as an “Ignatian work,” M. Godfrey Mungal represent the views of the Center. We welcome your comments. points out how engineering contributes to the Jesuit higher The Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education seeks to educational mission, and Theresa Ladrigan-Whelpley explores preserve and extend the Catholic identity and Jesuit mission at Santa Clara University. As a Center of Dis- GC35’s renewed commitment to real Jesuit-lay collaboration. tinction, the Ignatian Center is dedicated to advancing the University’s strategic vision of “educating men and A roundtable discussion in which faculty and staff opine about women to be leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion,” by serving students, faculty, staff, and professional training, student life, and athletics in light of community partners. Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, questions raised by GC35 completes the issue. Catholic university located 40 miles south of San What Jesuits said in Rome this past winter does matter Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula to their partners in ministry at Santa Clara. And what these in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees and engineering partners have to say about SCU’s “Jesuit” future matters, too. Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master’s universities, Let that conversation continue! California’s oldest operating higher-education institu- tion demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu. Peace, Copyright 2008 by Santa Clara University. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. KEVIN P. QUINN, S.J. 12/08 Q-3,800 AN EXAMINATION OF CATHOLIC IDENTITY AND IGNATIAN contents CHARACTER IN JESUIT HIGHER EDUCATION Jesuit General Congregation 35 5 The Point and Usefulness of a Jesuit 17 Walking Different Pathways: General Congregation Coming to Know Our Own Journey BY JOHN J. O’CALLAGHAN, S.J. What’s the big deal Better—The “Core Vision” of GC35 about GC35? And why should those of us at BY DiaNE JONte-Pace Santa Clara University’s a Jesuit university be interested in what results new Core Curriculum, scheduled for launch in from it? Fall 2009, resonates powerfully with the vision of General Congregation Thirty-Five. 7 Summaries of Three Decrees From GC35 22 Engineering at a Jesuit University: BY SANdie CORNisH Reflections on GC35 BY M. GOdfreY MUNGAL The new dean of SCU’s 8 A Justice of Faith: Kindling School of Engineering reflects on the role of New Fires at the Frontiers engineering in Jesuit education in general and its BY PAUL L. LOcateLLI, S.J. The president of Santa role at SCU in particular. Clara University shares his experience and insight from GC35. 26 Men and Women for Others— Men and Women with Others 12 Exploring the Decrees of BY THeresa LadriGAN-WHELPLEY The director the Jesuit General Congregation 35: of resident ministry at Santa Clara University A Roundtable Discussion with Santa Clara explores Jesuit-lay collaboration as an issue in University Faculty and Staff GC35 and at Jesuit-affiliated institutions. 31 Upcoming Events 31 Next Issue Cover PHoto BY Don Doll, S.J. explore F a l l 2 0 0 8 3 ThemeJesuit General Title Congregation for Issue Here 35 The Point and Usefulness of a Jesuit General Congregation BY JOHN J. O’CALLAGHAN, S.J. Senior Chaplain, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine THE SOCIETY OF JESUS IS SOMETIMES Why? What’s the big deal about a Jesuit DESCRIBED AS “A MONARCHY.” General Congregation? And why should a Jesuit IT HAS VERY FEW DEMOCRATIC university, for instance, be interested in what MOMENts, THOUGH IT IS FULL results from it? OF BROAD CONSULTATION OF Its Well, first of all, GCs are the way the Society MEMBERS. BUT Its FOUNDER, of Jesus insures its own future, and the future IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, WAS A of institutions under the Jesuit aegis. The SOLDIER, NOT A DEBATER. HE DID most important task this kind of meeting of NOT WANT HIS FOLLOWERS—THE representatives from all over the Jesuit world MEN LATER CALLED JESUIts—TO must accomplish is to elect the man who will WAstE A LOT OF TIME IN ENDLEss be its leader—its “General”—for the rest of his DISCUssION: THERE WAS TOO MUCH active life. (Like the Pope, but unlike the heads WORK THEY HAD TO DO! of other religious orders, the Jesuit General is in So it may seem ironic, to people involved in “for life.”) So electing the right man is crucial. Jesuit institutions, that not only do meetings of No wonder it is done in a way far different various kinds consume so much of their time from what the word “election” brings to mind and energy, but that the Jesuits seem to regard for citizens of a modern democracy. There is as so important these big, lengthy meetings they no “electioneering” in this election: no parties, call “General Congregations.” True, they don’t no candidates, no platforms, no slogans—no happen very often (since 1541 there have been politics! Instead, four days of prayer and silence, only thirty-five), but when they do, GCs seem punctuated by one-on-one conversations to loom very large in Jesuit life, and are the between the meeting’s participants (some 220 of subject of much discussion in Jesuit institutions. the world’s almost 20,000 Jesuits) which focus explore F a l l 2 0 0 8 5 T HE P OIN T AND U S EFULNE ss OF A J E S UI T G ENERAL C ONGREGAT ION Today, as these institutions become larger and more complex, we are well aware that Jesuits are far from being the only key figures in their lives. Jesuits are, in fact, a very small minority of the players on the educational teams responsible for “Jesuit education.” That is why what comes out of a Jesuit General Con- gregation is being explained and examined more than ever before across a broad spectrum of faculty, admin- istration, and staff in our institutions. on two respectful questions about a third party: the way contemporary Jesuits are to carry out “Are you convinced that _____________ would the evangelical work that is at the heart of our be a good general? For what reasons?” lives. In recent times these documents carry At their best, those days are a microcosm titles like: “Our Mission Today: the Service of of the kind of consultation that the Jesuit Faith and the Promotion of Justice” or “The “monarchical” structure must employ if it is to Union of Minds and Hearts” (GC32, 1975), work: deeply reliant on honest self-disclosure “Companions of Jesus Sent Into Today’s World” and communication, presuming self-knowledge, (GC33, 1983), “Our Mission and Culture,” interior freedom, good listening and mutual “Jesuits and University Life,” and “Cooperation trust, and confident of God’s guiding hand in with the Laity in Mission” (GC34, 1995).
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