WWCREIGHTONINDOWINDOW UNIVERSITY ■ WINTER 1995-96

FatherFather Markoe:Markoe: Our ‘Champagne A Life Glass’ Economy on the Don’t Play TV Front Lines Trivia With Her for Racial Finding God in Equality Your Daily Life LETTERS WINDOW Magazine edits Letters to the INDOW Editor, primarily to conform to space W■ ■ limitations. Personally signed letters Volume 12/Number 2 Creighton University Winter 1995-96 are given preference for publication. Our FAX number is: (402) 280-2549. E-Mail to: [email protected] Fr. Markoe’s Battle Against Racism ‘And If the Rules Change?’ Bob Reilly tells you about a man who I have read with interest the article “The was a lifelong fighter. Fr. Markoe Social Roots of Our Environmental found a cause for his fighting ener- Predicament” by Dr. Harper in your Fall gy. The word portrait of a strong- 1995 issue of WINDOW. minded Jesuit begins on Page 3. I would like to pose a question for Dr. Harper. In this third human environmental The Rich Get Richer, revolution, supposing we were to discov- er an inexhaustible source of energy. I The Poor Get Poorer am assuming that the laws of supply and Gerard Stockhausen, S.J., talks about what he calls “our cham- demand would eventually lead it to be at pagne-glass economy.” In this case, it doesn’t mean champagne an inconsequential cost. for everyone; it means the shape of our economy that puts the What would that do to the human liv- rich at the broad top of the glass and the poor at the narrow ing conditions in the world? bottom. Page 10. Robert H. Matt Don’t Play Trivia With Omaha This Creighton Alumna ‘What’s Really Important’ Alumna Eileen Brady has been researching the yesteryears A big round of applause to Pamela and the todays of television. None of her friends will play Adams Vaughn, Kaela Volkmer and Fr. Trivial Pursuit with her. Test yourself. Page 14. Michael Flecky for their fine article about the Dominican Republic. As an ILAC (Institute for Latin Finding God in Your American Concern) alum, it was a great Everyday World reminder of the many things I learned during my summers in the Dominican Richard Hauser, S.J., tells you how to find God in Republic: the value of family and the your everyday world. Page 20. philosophy “It takes a whole village to raise a child.” Why is it that a third world country Alumnews...... Page 26 can pinpoint what’s really important? University News...... Page 27 Thank you for including this excellent article in the Fall WINDOW ‘95.

Publisher: Creighton University; Rev. Michael G. Morrison, S.J., President; Michael E. Leighton, Vice President for May 1996 be a year where each of us University Relations. WINDOW staff: Jana M. Martin, Executive Editor; Pamela A. Vaughn, Associate Editor. Editorial take time to open our hearts to those Advisors: Rev. Donald A. Doll, S.J.; Charles J. Dougherty, Ph.D.; Richard L. O’Brien, M.D., Allen B. Schlesinger, Ph.D, and David G. Schultenover, S.J. around us ... just as the Dominicans do Creighton University WINDOW (USPS728-070) is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October by Creighton daily without even thinking about it. University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178-0001. Second class postage paid at Omaha, Nebraska, and additional entry points. Address all mail to Public Relations and Information, Omaha, NE 68178. Postmaster: Send change of address to Creighton University WINDOW, P.O. Box 3266, Omaha, NE 68103-0078. Susan Broski Corpuz, MS’92 COPYRIGHT © 1996 BY CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY Omaha Pursuant to our educational obligation to search for truth and to expand knowledge, WINDOW Magazine promotes the discussion of a variety of issues. Although published by a Catholic, Jesuit university, the opinions expressed in WINDOW are not intended to be construed as the official teaching or position of Creighton University or of the Catholic Church.

2 Creighton University WINDOW “It Has Been the Few Who Have Acted, Who Have Saved Us from Unspeakable Scandal”

By Bob Reilly n the 3rd of April, 1965, two years that audience with stories of his experi- didn’t protest loudly enough or often before his death, Fr. John P. ences while disguised as a black man. He enough against discrimination — in our OMarkoe, S.J., sat impassively as mentioned incidents so painful, he neighborhoods, our business communi- the honoree at a testimonial dinner. couldn’t describe them in his book — ty, our churches. The Brandeis Student Center was including his being denied access to a Today we may be losing sight of packed with friends and admirers, Catholic church one Sunday, the same those times. This generation may not including members of the De Porres church to which he had been welcomed appreciate what it was like to be black Club for which Markoe served as moder- a year earlier as a prominent white jour- then, not only in the distant and dispar- ator. John Howard Griffin, author of the nalist. He detailed the racist attitudes aged South, but in Omaha. Jews insist blockbuster Black Like Me, was guest inherent in our society. We were mes- they must explain the Holocaust again speaker, and among those on hand to merized. I remember wanting to reach and again, because the knowledge of salute the Jesuit activist were Roy for a glass of water during that long what happened in those years is slipping Wilkins, executive secretary of the speech, delivered quietly, flatly, without away. They are right. We need to see our- NAACP; Whitney Young, executive histrionics. My hand wouldn’t move. selves as part of a history which is both director of the National Urban League; Turning toward Markoe, Griffin said: proud and ugly. So we’re bound to recall and Frank Morrison, governor of “It has been the few — and I say that Omaha and Creighton as they were 50 Nebraska. Archbishop Gerald T. Bergan word sadly — it has been the few who years ago. apologized publicly for not being more have acted, who have been what we all During the Second World War, some 2 openly supportive of Markoe. profess to be, who have salvaged us 1/2 million African-Americans served in “He was right,” acknowledged from unspeakable scandal — if indeed the Armed Forces, the vast majority of Bergan, “and your Archbishop was we have been salvaged from unspeak- them in non-combat roles — transporta- wrong.” able scandal.” tion, quartermaster corps, as Navy stew- Griffin declared that Fr. Markoe and Griffin was on target. In that post ards. Conventional wisdom questioned his Jesuit brother, William, were “in the World War II era, there were few saints their reactions under fire. Only the cauldron when most of us were in dia- and many sinners. Most of us didn’t do Tuskegee Airmen managed to leap this pers,” alluding to the long careers both enough. We took comfort in our own barrier, chalking up a remarkable record men had spent in combatting prejudice. beliefs and conduct, tallied the names of of enemy planes destroyed. For the For more than two hours, Griffin held black friends. But the truth is that we remaining military, rear echelon duty

Winter Issue 1995-96 3 section of population. During the ten year period South Omaha. from 1947 to 1957, twenty-three major Unemployment housing sub-divisions of one hundred was high in this homes or more were developed, none of small community, them open to non-whites...between 1952 per capita and 1957, there were 13,293 new homes income half that built; only 32, or .002 percent, were avail- of whites, the able to Negro buyers.” chances for Personal humiliations were even advancement more traumatic. slim, and illness Tessie Edwards, one of the city’s most and death far respected educators, recalls being con- higher than that signed to a balcony at the Brandeis in other areas of Theater and remembers seeing her father the city. Eighty- directed to the back door of a restaurant seven percent in order to purchase a meal. In high of African- school, she was barred from student The fighting Markoes: Fr. William Markoe, S.J. (left), and Fr. Americans organizations, occupied a study hall for John Markoe, S.J. (right), flank writer John Howard Griffin. employed held black students only, and ate meals alone unskilled or ser- in protest of the segregated lunchroom. was the norm. Despite the non-discrimi- vice jobs - on the railroad; in the packing While this was a public high school, the nation clause in the Draft Act of 1940 houses; in hotels, restaurants and clubs; Catholic high schools were hardly better. and the Fair Employment Practice Act of as maids or janitors. Only 13 percent had Only one, Notre Dame Academy, openly 1941, blacks in the military found segre- clerical, professional or semi-profession- welcomed black students. gation everywhere - training camps, al jobs. They lived in an area where half “I used to walk up 24th Street,” she troop trains, and even USOs. the homes failed to meet minimum says, “swinging my book bag, and I’d I recall no black members of our housing code standards. pass by Creighton, and I wondered if Creighton R.O.T.C. unit, and, when we In his master’s thesis, Creighton they would let me in. I saw no black finally got to Fort Benning, to Officer graduate Dr. Jeffrey H. Smith, MA’67, faces there, although I believe there were Candidate School, our company was wrote: a couple of black students in the School composed of three platoons, two white “The post-war housing boom almost of Pharmacy.” and one black, each in a separate bar- completely ignored Omaha’s non-white In all of the nation’s Jesuit colleges racks. There was little fraternization. and universities, there were less than 500 When graduation day arrived, perhaps black students. 85 percent of the white candidates But Miss Edwards, as thousands of received their lieutenant’s bars, while Creighton Prep students addressed her less than 3 percent of the black aspirants during her teaching years on the 72nd were commissioned. Again, convention- Street campus, did enter Creighton and al military wisdom averred that white graduated with a major in history in troops wouldn’t serve under black offi- 1949. She appreciated the education she cers and that black troops preferred to be received, and made some lifelong led by white officers. Color lines in the friends, but the experience wasn’t with- armed forces weren’t erased until out problems. President Harry Truman took action in “One Jesuit suggested to me that I not 1948. Even then, change came slowly. attend his class one day because they It wasn’t much different in civilian would be discussing race relations,” she life. said, “and he thought it might be embar- Spurred by the promise of higher rassing for me.” wages and the presumed decline in dis- She ran into Fr. Markoe on her way to crimination, black families had moved the library and told him of the incident. north by the thousands in the second Furious, Markoe dashed off to confront decade of this century. Omaha’s black and berate his colleague. population doubled in those years. By By that time, things were starting 1950, there were more than 16 thousand Markoe, here in uniform, was a to change. black citizens of Omaha - all confined to 1914 graduate of the U.S. Military It would be wrong to leave the the Near North Side, except for a small Academy at West Point. impression that there were no people in

4 Creighton University WINDOW Omaha opposing bigotry and discrimi- assigned to a black regiment charged regards inter-racial matters.” Their nation. Among diocesan priests there with patrolling the Mexican border. A patron, Blessed Martin de Porres, a were the McCaslin brothers and Fr. Jim heavy drinker, the young lieutenant spe- Peruvian of mixed ancestry, was canon- Stewart and a few others who took the cialized in breaking up barrooms and ized 15 years later. heat. Some ministers, teachers and made the mistake of trying to force a “We met every Monday night from 7 businessmen bucked the trend. And senior officer to drink with him. He was to 10,” says Holland. “First, at Creighton, Creighton had its highly visible dismissed from the Army and returned until we became too controversial and dissenters. to Minnesota to work as a lumberjack. were asked to move.” Fr. Austin Miller, S.J., preached social He also joined the state’s National Guard Members headquartered at several justice, ran a labor school, and insisted unit and, when Pancho Villa became a North Omaha locations, including the threat, he was summoned back to the back room of The Omaha Star, where border. Here he served with distinction owner Mildred Brown made them wel- and was promoted to captain. His nick- come. Brown, characterized by elegant On his deathbed, Fr. name remained “Cap” for the rest of his hats and sometimes inflated circulation Markoe advised his friend, life, but the promotion did nothing to figures, was a woman of conviction. She temper his drinking sprees. He contin- had to walk a narrow line, wooing white Fr. Renard, never to give ued to make life miserable for bar own- advertisers while informing black read- ers and ended up one day in an adobe ers. And she paid the price in lost “an inch” in the struggle jail. A strong man, he broke through the revenues and broken windows. wall and wandered out into the desert. A Denny Holland, too, faced some against racism Mexican spotted him, lifted him onto his handicaps. burro, and returned him to his outfit. “Often the mail to the De Porres Club During that ride, so the legend goes, would come in re-sealed,” he says. “And on equality for all workers. Fr. John J. Markoe swore off liquor for life. our phone was tapped, I think. You’d Killoren, S.J., served a primarily Whatever the truth of this conversion, he hear a few clicks every time I picked it black congregation for 22 years at St. did turn his life around and joined the up. If I was out late in the Near North Benedict’s. Other Jesuits and laity on Jesuits in 1917. Along with his brother Side, I might be followed by a couple of the faculty lived out their convictions William, also a Jesuit, he signed an detectives — but I think they were just in a variety of ways. But the activist unusual pledge to “give and trying to be sure I approach was not applauded by every- dedicate our whole lives and made it home safely.” one on the Hilltop. Debates on the all our energies” to “the Holland lived near morality of racism were common. In the- Negroes in the United States.” the De Porres Center, ory, everyone agreed to the dignity and He wound up, eventually, at St. or camped out behind equality of all people. But must a busi- Louis University, where he and The Omaha Star, or ness owner integrate if this meant losing others set about trying to inte- stayed with the family clientele? Was he responsible for the grate the student body. That of Dr. Ed Corbett, a prejudice of others? earned him exile to Omaha — Creighton English pro- Fr. John Markoe, S.J., had no doubts and Creighton. The year was fessor. Corbett, also a on this issue. 1946. Within a year, he had his club member, along “Racism is a God Damned thing,” he perfect tool for carrying out his with colleague Chet would insist. “And that’s two words — life’s mission — the newly- Anderson, recalls the God Damned.” formed De Porres Club. inspiration of Fr. He instructed his adherents never to If one name deserves to be Markoe. give an inch and, on his deathbed, he mentioned above the rest “His utter convic- imparted the same advice to his friend, among that cadre of coura- tion that fighting for Fr. Henri Renard, S.J. Never give an inch. geous students, that name is civil rights was what Fr. Markoe is a book in himself, and Denny Holland, BS’49. He we should all be doing Dr. Jeffrey Smith has written that vol- approached Markoe about kept us going,” ume, From Corps to CORE. It reads doing something to redress the remarks Corbett, now like fiction. injustices witnessed daily in retired from teaching at A West Point alumnus and classmate the city. Markoe encouraged Ohio State University. of Eisenhower and Dewey Spatz, the organization that became “He was appalled that Markoe won honorable mention as an the De Porres Club in 1947. Its anyone — including All-American end, and stood ramrod stated purpose was “to edu- Markoe is shown in this his fellow faculty mem- straight his entire life. Graduating 87th cate people to think along lines picture as a lieutenant bers — didn’t agree. in a class of 107, Markoe found himself of charity and justice as in the U.S. Cavalry. He made a believer out

Winter Issue 1995-96 5 In this historic photograph, the 1913 Army varsity football team (whose members would go on to greatness in World War II) poses for a picture. Fr. Markoe is sixth from the left. At the position 10th from the left stands the man who would become President of the United States after his distinguished military career: Dwight D. Eisenhower. Omar Bradley, who of my wife, too. I can still see her march- ing the cabbies. They called to task Hotels were similarly investigated. ing in one of those picket lines, our baby schools that staged minstrel shows in “This was a real problem,” says Tessie in her arms.” blackface. When member Bertha Edwards. “One reason black people tried The confrontations didn’t come right Calloway, now director of the Great to get a large house is because, when rel- away. Plains Black Museum, was denied atives or friends came to visit, you had “I thought we might be just a prayer to have room for them. They weren’t group,” recalls Holland. “We met, dis- welcome in our hotels. And then there cussed articles on racial justice, had The De Porres Club was always the problem of where you speakers. One night Fr. Markoe suggest- could eat.” ed we adjourn and go en masse, black pioneered techniques of Even touring road companies experi- and white members, to a local restaurant enced discrimination. Black members of that refused to serve blacks. I was ner- fighting segregation the cast of Kiss Me, Kate were refused ser- vous about it, but I went.” vice. Typically, higher prices were quot- That was the beginning of years of that became famous in ed to black people to discourage persistent action. The De Porres Club the South a decade later patronage. De Porres exposed this tactic. pioneered techniques that later became A black Club member would phone a famous in the South. A dozen years certain hotel and be told there was only before a quartet of students refused to one room left, at $18, a high price at the move from a Woolworth’s lunch counter admission to a skating rink, they came time. Shortly thereafter a white member in Greensboro, N.C., resulting in the down hard on the owners. Segregated would call and be offered a $5 room. coining of the term, “sit-in,” Holland swimming pools were targeted, and bar- This two-person attack might also be and others were employing the same bershops in the Creighton area that made in person. Eventually, hotels and strategy in Omaha. Four years before the wouldn’t cut the hair of black students. restaurants were informed by their par- Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott, the Club When a black couple moved into a hos- ent associations that they must abide by launched a similar campaign against the tile white neighborhood, De Porres the law. De Porres and their allies, orga- Omaha and Council Bluffs Street members stood watch in front of the nizations like the Urban League, scored Railway Company. home. They staged plays and promoted another victory. Reading the minutes of the organiza- lectures with themes of racial justice. The Club took on companies, large tion, it’s amazing what they accom- As a regular practice, a mixed group and small, that practiced unfair hiring plished and even more amazing what from the Club selected restaurants to vis- policies. they attempted. They followed up on it to test their policies on serving minori- When the Coca Cola plant adjacent to complaints about unjust treatment, initi- ties. Most major eating establishments the Near North Side, refused to hire ated contacts with businesses that opposed seating blacks. “It’s bad for black drivers, claiming it was “not good wouldn’t hire minorities, distributed lit- business to serve colored people,” business to employ Negroes in positions erature, gave talks, wrote letters to the argued many owners. Members wrote to where they could come in frequent con- media, marched in protest, confronted these offenders, reminding them of local tact with the public,” Creighton students authorities. When attempts were made statutes against discriminating, called on and other Club members visited and re- to integrate the closed ranks of taxicab them in person, and sometimes began visited management, wrote myriad let- drivers, they rode cabs all day, persuad- legal proceedings. ters, encouraged ministers in the area to

6 Creighton University WINDOW would become another of WWII’s top generals, stands 14th from right. Other well-known classmates (not on the Army team) were Generals Van Fleet, Stratemeyer, and McNarney. The West Point class was known at the “Class the stars fell on,” for the number of four- and five-star generals it produced. They saw action in two world wars. preach against this restrictive policy, con- asking them not to ride the bus; and ties already had a church to attend, St. tacted Coca Cola customers, and finally asked people who did ride to pay their Benedict’s, at 25th and Grant streets. picketed the firm. Although the soft 18 cents fare in pennies as a form of Started in 1919 at the request of a drink bottlers stated their business was protest. They picketed and they poli- small group of black Catholics, St. not affected, they admitted they couldn’t ticked. Mildred Brown appeared before Benedict’s began as a mission church afford the negative public relations, so the mayor and council, arguing: administered by Jesuits. Fr. John they capitulated and accepted black “If our boys can drive jeeps, tanks Killoren, S.J., became pastor in 1948 and applicants. and jet planes in Korea, in the fight to remained there until 1970. Reed’s Ice Cream Company, also save democracy, make democracy work Dr. Jack Angus, headquartered on 30th Street, had a sim- at home. Make it work in Omaha. I say recently retired ilar record of discriminatory hiring prac- to you, your honor, the mayor, if the from Creighton’s tices. It took a year of picketing, sermons tram company will not hire Negroes as department of from area pulpits, distribution of leaflets drivers, we prevail on you to remove the sociology and cur- and other techniques to reverse the situ- franchise of the bus company.” rently writing a ation. Help came from other organiza- Pressured on all sides and threatened book on St. tions and from many with the loss of their fran- Benedict’s, says sections of Omaha. Black chise, the Street Railway that many veteran customers ceased their vis- System surrendered and John Killoren, S.J. parishioners think its to Reed’s stores. Ice agreed to add black drivers. of Fr. Killoren’s tenure as the high point cream sales plummeted, Club members also visit- in the church’s history. Still, there were and the company scrapped ed school principals and pas- some who decried the notion of a church its policy. tors. It hurts to admit, as for black Catholics and leveled the A tougher assignment Denny Holland claims, that charge of paternalism. They saw St. was the Street Railway much of the criticism against Benedict’s as an excuse by some parishes System. the Club came from to refuse membership to blacks living Says Tessie Edwards, “I Catholics. “Sunday,” said one within their boundaries. heard people say that, if observer, “was the most seg- “But Fr. Killoren clearly had a vision you allowed blacks to regated day of the week.” of his own,” says Angus. “He worked drive buses, any woman Some pastors ordered De quietly but effectively. He may not have riding alone would be in Porres members out of their been a revolutionary, but neither was he danger of rape.” rectories and told them they an evolutionary. He didn’t accept the This was an era, would decide who is a mem- system and worked to reform it.” remember, when white ber of the parish and who Less charismatic than Markoe, passengers rarely rode isn’t. One black Catholic was Killoren focused on developing young north of Cuming Street. told in the confessional not to leadership, providing recreational The campaign took come back. Other pastors opportunities, instituting a job place- years. De Porres staged ral- protested that these minori- ment center, integrating more African- lies; posted cards to citi- Fr. Markoe in his American aspects into the liturgy. zens throughout Omaha, traditional priest’s robes. Joyce Goodwin was a member of the

Winter Issue 1995-96 7 and elsewhere. While Fr. Killoren was working his low profile magic, Fr. Markoe was mak- ing his presence felt in board rooms and council chambers. There is no doubt that he drove the De Porres Club members to achievements they never would have essayed. He reminded listeners that there was only one race, the human race. He encouraged, cajoled and shamed members into action. In his talks at meet- ings, he mixed philosophy and religion with tactics. He seemed to be every- where, berating public officials and embracing young black children, carry- ing placards and ministering to the poor. Fr. Markoe (in straw hat) leads a march in Omaha late in his life in the 1960s. For members of the Club, it wasn’t all picketing and protesting. They staged St. Benedict’s Youth Club. dents from St. Benedict’s were able to events to raise funds, had their own “For the black community of the attend other Catholic high schools, and dances and picnics. They painted houses time,” she says, “this was the focal point he had the ear of the Archbishop on oth- for indigent families and stuffed acres of of our social lives. It was a strong moti- er parochial matters. He built a sports envelopes. They worried about funding, vating force in our lives, with lasting complex at the parish and legislated for with their treasury balance normally effects. Most definitely.” more lighting here and in other parks. below $100, and they pressed others into Mrs. Goodwin, while looking back on “We worked across religious lines,” the struggle. those years with affection for the fun he adds. “A great number of our kids There was progress, but the larger they had and the leadership they were not Catholic. But their parents were issues seem to diminish by millimeters. learned, also reflects soberly on the good. They never complained about any The Club minutes reveal how frustrating negatives. undue influence exerted by us.” this mission must have been, with phone “I think of the many great minds Once when Fr. Robert Hupp, then in calls and letters unanswered, and misdi- spent litigating about civil rights,” she charge of CYO teams, encouraged rection common. Management blamed states, “when they might have been pur- Killoren to field a basketball team, the St. the unions for hiring deficiencies, educa- suing careers in science or the arts. But at Benedict’s pastor explained that a major- tors faulted the qualifications of black least we had some support in develop- ity of his players were not baptized candidates, and service industries trans- ing our self esteem. Youth today doesn’t Catholic. ferred guilt to their intolerant customers. value life as much as we did.” “Jack,” said Fr. Hupp, in accepting Still, the Club persisted, even as its active Fr. Killoren, who ministered to the the team, “haven’t you ever heard of years were numbered. Arapaho and Shoshoni in Wyoming after Baptism of Desire?” Other vignettes surface from that era. his St. Benedict’s pastorate, also worries In 1953, Fr. Killoren managed to Frs. Reinert, Miller and I sponsored about the direction young people are get parish boundaries set, taking St. Dr. Claude Organ, chairman of taking today. Benedict’s out of the mission church cat- Creighton’s surgery department, for “There doesn’t seem to be the same egory and adding white members of the membership in a prestigious Catholic family structure and support we experi- congregation...many of them Creighton society, one that goes nameless only enced,” he says. students living in public housing. because it is unfair to single out one cul- Now chaplain to a senior citizen facil- Claiming that you must combine real- prit among the many offenders. Organ ity in St. Louis, and author of a recent ism with idealism, Killoren was never was rejected, and we three sponsors book of Jesuit missionary Fr. Peter De insensitive to the pain suffered by his resigned in protest. The final irony came Smet, Killoren realizes his approach was constituents. when the white janitor who cleaned Dr. different from that of Fr. Markoe. He “We can never appreciate how much Organ’s office commiserated with the admits that his Jesuit counterpart played hatred and suffering was packed into nationally-prominent physician. “I voted a major role in opening doors and break- what we now refer to as the ‘N’ word,” for you,” he apologized. ing down barriers. he says with sadness. Fr. Miller arrived one morning at “But you must be able to stay inside Today, by any standard of measure- Union Station after an all-night train once the doors are opened,” he says. “We ment, the young people who came out ride. He was tired and just wanted to get can’t count on good will alone.” of Fr. Jack’s multi-faceted program to Creighton and his bed. A cab driver Through Fr. Killoren’s efforts, stu- are the leaders in black society, here who had bypassed a waiting black fami-

8 Creighton University WINDOW ly, one ahead of Miller, opened the door did reform occur. was no bed, just a rocking chair in which of his cab. Miller considered for a By this time the De Porres Club was he slept. His only furniture consisted of moment his own exhausted state and in decline. Members left town or joined that rocker, a desk nearly devoid of reflected that his actions weren’t going to the service and the ranks were thinned. papers, a desk chair and a few cardboard solve the racial problems of the United When Fr. Markoe died, it took the heart cartons stuffed with books and folders. States. Then he stopped and reconsid- out of the movement. “When I go,” he explained, “it won’t ered, realizing this largely invisible deci- Denny Holland was still in the take 10 minutes to clear up my effects.” sion was important. He reminded the trenches, although he had agonized He said he wanted to give me some- driver of the law on discriminating in about his family’s move from Omaha’s fares and insisted he take the others first. ghetto. Fr. Markoe had assured him, Once, on the occasion of my black “Wherever you go, Denny, that neigh- secretary’s birthday, several of us went borhood will be integrated.” With Tessie to lunch at the Omaha Athletic Club. I Edwards, who had also moved “where was naive, not crusading. Except for our the neighbors were very nice,” Holland group, there were no black diners. The currently works on a committee funding waiters, all African-Americans, served scholarships for black students to attend us in what seemed like five minutes. Catholic high schools. Bert Calloway How humiliating this must have been struggles to keep open the doors of the for them. Great Plains Black Museum, seeking to When Tessie Edwards, her sister and preserve a heritage largely hidden. Fr. her mother, moved to a white neighbor- Jack Killoren generates the same enthusi- hood, petitions were circulated to keep asm now for his new apostolate among them out. But Rabbi Sidney Brooks and the elderly. Susie Buffett, wife of the famed investor, It’s a different world now, but far kept vigil with the Edwards, night after from a perfect world. night. Fr. Reinert also lent his support. “I still get some strange looks at the Fr. Markoe, late in life. These were small blips on a dark Handshake of Peace,” comments Tessie screen, while the De Porres Club patient- Edwards. thing of his in return for the things I had ly soldiered on. Now they addressed the Discrimination in housing and unem- done for him. I couldn’t think of any- public school situation. ployment is more subtle, but just as thing I had ever done for this man. All I There were no black teachers in destructive. The gains we’ve made as a ever felt was guilt for not doing more. Omaha’s public high schools and the society have not been allocated evenly. It He insisted that I choose one of his pos- three dozen black teachers at lower took the violence of the mid ‘60s to shake sessions. So I opted for a copy of that us into some sense of responsibility. great black and white photo John And, despite all the obvious improve- Howard Griffin took of him, a portrait It’s a different world now, ment, few of us have learned how to that captures all of the compassion, all of associate with people of another race on the fire, all of the no-surrender determi- but far from perfect. a comfortable, casual basis. nation. He gave it to me. Years ago, Irv Poindexter, a black Then he said something I have puz- “I still get some strange member of the De Porres Club, said to zled over since. me, “Bob, how come every time I talk to “You know, Bob,” he predicted, “the looks at the Handshake a white man, we have to discuss sports black man in America will save the of Peace,” says or civil rights? I watch television, read white man’s soul.” books, see movies. I have problems rais- Did he mean we would learn from Tessie Edwards. ing a family. Some mornings my car the sufferings of our less privileged citi- won’t start. Why can’t we talk about zens and move away from our own these things?” focus on materialism? Did he refer to the levels were confined to five elementary He’s right. We should be able to do tenacity of black Catholics who perse- schools on the Near North Side. Many this. And we must thank God for people vered in their faith when they had every of them served an apprenticeship in like Irv and Denny and Tessie and reason not to do so? clerical or janitorial posts before being others who instruct us. We owe them a Or did he mean that we would one allowed to teach. Club members trying great deal. day realize what we have done as a peo- to change this racist policy met with Not long before he died, Fr. John ple, as a nation, to men and women of a evasive answers or closed doors. Even Markoe asked me to come to his room in different color? And in that realization, picketing Joslyn Castle proved futile. the Jesuit cloister. I was surprised at the we shall redeem ourselves? Not until a change in administration spartan character of his quarters. There I hope he meant that. W

Winter Issue 1995-96 9 and a very narrow stem. The income of the richest 20% of the OUR world’s population — 84.7% of total world income in 1991 — forms the wide top in Figure 1 (page 11); that of the next richest 20% is where the top narrows down to the stem; and on down CHAMPAGNE GLASS until the income of the poorest 20% — 1.4% of total world income in 1991 — forms the very narrow bottom of the stem. The top is getting wider and the stem narrower. According to the United Nations Development Program, the richest 20% of the world’s population had 30 times the income of the poorest 20% in 1960. By 1970 that number had grown to 32, and by 1980, 45. By 1990, the top 20% had 61 times the income of the bottom 20%. Not surprisingly, the richest 20% account for nearly all of the E C O N O M Y trade, investment, savings, and bank lending that take place in Income Distribution in the United States the world. And, of course, those at the very top are the decision makers who determine economic policy for their own countries By Gerard L. Stockhausen, S.J. and set the rules governing trade, lending, investment, and Associate Professor of Economics other economic relationships for the world. College of Business Administration Narrowing the focus to the United States, figures from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the top of the glass is narrower and the stem is wider — a wine glass rather than a champagne ecent headlines have told us glass — but the gaps are growing. Figure 2 (page 13) shows that that poor children in the in 1993 the top 20% of households in the United States received RUnited States are worse off nearly half of all income, while the bottom 20% received less than poor children in other indus- than 4%. Figure 2 also shows a clear pattern of increasing trialized countries, that the gap inequality of income from the late-1960s to the present, with the between rich and poor is wider in shares of total income going to the top 5% and top 20% rising, the United States than in other and the share going to the rest of the population falling. Not industrialized countries, and that only are the rich getting richer, but the poor are getting poorer: that gap is growing. the bottom 10% of U.S. families saw their real income fall 11% from 1973 to 1992, while the top 10% realized an 18% gain. Them that’s got shall get; Using the numbers from Figure 2, the richest 20% in the them that’s not shall lose. United States received 13.4 times as much income as the poorest So the Bible says, and it 20% in 1993, whereas that multiple was only 7.5 in 1969. Gerard L. Stockhausen, S.J. still is news. How do these numbers compare with those of other coun- tries? Of 20 industrialized countries, only Australia had a high- So sang Billie Holiday in the 1930s and Blood Sweat and er ratio than the United States over the period 1980-1991, and Tears in the 1970s. Here in the 1990s, researchers who study U.S. Poland, Hungary, and Japan had ratios less than half that of census data and United Nations statistics may not express the United States. themselves in rhyme, but their conclusions are the same. As Furthermore, of the 35 developing countries reporting data, Keith Bradsher wrote, 17 — almost half — reported income more equally distributed New Studies on the growing concentration of than the United States. American wealth and income challenge a cherished part of the country’s self-image: They show that The Reasons: Skills and Families rather than being an egalitarian society, the United What lies behind this increasing inequality? States has become the most economically stratified of Economists estimate that widening wage differentials and the industrial nations. growth of single-parent families account for as much as three- What are the facts that lead to such a conclusion? Why is this fourths of the growth in inequality in the United States. happening? How do we view this growing inequality from a Saying that income distribution is more uneven because perspective that is Christian, Catholic, Jesuit, Ignatian? How wage distribution is more uneven appears to beg the question, does it fit within the broader picture of global inequality? but the biggest cause of inequality of U.S. household income is the growing dispersion of U.S. wages. The Data: The Champagne Glass Economy By contrast, European countries tend to have national wage The huge disparity between rich and poor can be seen bargaining in major industries, stronger unions, and higher most starkly by looking at the world as a whole. World income minimum wages, all of which keep the lower end of the wage distribution resembles a champagne glass with a very wide top scale from falling as much as it has in the United States. Those

10 Creighton University WINDOW countries show less inequality of income distribution. had dropped to 56%. Given that women have in the past had But why has the gap between high wages and low wages less access to high-skill professions and still earn less than men grown so quickly in the United States? with similar jobs, and given the time commitment and level of As technological change and computerization have expand- mobility demanded of those with high earnings, it is especially ed rapidly, those with the skills to work with personal comput- hard for single mothers to find jobs that pay well. ers and handle the new technologies — ”high-skill workers” — Other factors have had a smaller effect on increased inequali- and those with the education and opportunity to learn those ty. At the low end of the income scale, while more workers are skills have been in short enough supply that they can command competing for low-skill jobs within the United States, they are high incomes: Five workers lose their jobs and are replaced by facing increased competition from low-skill workers in other one worker and a sophisticated computer. Since those who countries, whether directly by way of immigration, or indirectly come from higher income households tend to have better by way of trade. This international competition also hurts the access to education and personal computers, they are more ability of U.S. unions to bargain on their members’ behalf. At likely to have the skills that are in demand, thus amplifying and the high end of the income scale, households are much more perpetuating the distribution of income that is already there: likely to hold stocks and bonds; the large gains in the stock and The rich get richer. bond markets during the 1980s benefited those groups directly, The result is reflected in the “pre- and the reduced taxes on higher mium” earned by college graduates. In income meant that they could keep DISTRIBUTIONISTRIBUTION OF OF 1969 a college graduate could expect to D more of what they got. earn 40% more than a high school ECONOMIC ACTIVITY,, 19911991 Comparison with other industrial graduate; by 1989, the college graduate (percentage of world total) countries can help us see more cl could expect to earn 70% more; and GNP - 84.7 early what is happening in the World trade - 84.2 recent estimates suggest the premium Domestic savings - 85.5 United States. RICHEST Domestic investment - 85 has risen to 80% in the last five years. FIFTH The same forces that have led to In addition, those whose skills are greater inequality in the United States less in demand as a result of techno- have been at work in the rest of the logical change — ”medium-skill work- world as well, but the responses have ers” — can no longer command been different. medium incomes. Given the right Each horizontal The European countries have cho- band represents an training, background, and connec- equal fifth of the Figure 1 sen a set of policies that protect work- tions, some of these will be able to world’s people ers and their incomes, as indicated jump to high-skill levels, but the above, but at the cost of much higher majority of them will end up compet- unemployment; job security is high for ing with low-skill workers, with earn- those who are employed, so firms are ings close to the minimum wage. slow to hire more workers. Firms pay These medium-skill workers will see higher payroll taxes to support more GNP - 1.4 their earnings fall, and at the same World trade - 0.9 generous welfare and unemployment time, depress wages for and take jobs POOREST Domestic savings - 0.7 payments, so it is easier for those with- FIFTH Domestic investment - 0.9 from low-skill workers, whose out jobs to remain unemployed. incomes thus also fall. The Japanese tradition of lifetime Thus, new jobs seem to be split between high-skill, high- employment has much the same effect. Instead of paying pay- wage jobs and low-skill, low-wage jobs, with fewer new jobs in roll taxes to fund unemployment benefits, firms pay workers the middle than was true 20 years ago. Increased demand for directly even when there is no work to do. The result is a gener- high-skill workers has pulled their wages up, and increased ous welfare program with little job mobility. supply of low-skill workers has depressed their wages. In other words, countries can choose either more unemploy- The second major cause of growing inequality is also simple: ment (whether actual as in Europe or disguised as in Japan) or On average, households with two income earners have higher more poverty and inequality (as in the United States). Many in incomes than households with one income earner. In fact, the the United States think that the European and Japanese median income of households with married couples is more approaches are inefficient, constricting, and costly. Many in than twice that of households of single women. There is a much other countries think that American conditions are cruel and higher percentage of families with two income earners in the dominated by business considerations at the expense of high income ranks than in the population as a whole. human decency. High-income singles tend to choose their marriage partners from the ranks of high-income singles. And there is a much The Concerns: What Kind of Society higher percentage of single-parent families in the low income Do We Want to Be? ranks than in the population as a whole. In 1969, 70% of house- Looking at this situation 10 years ago, the U.S. Catholic bish- holds were made up of married couples; by 1989, that figure ops, in their pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All, found “the

Winter Issue 1995-96 11 disparities of income and wealth in the United States to be lost. Those on the inside do have a common cause in trying to unacceptable,” and challenged all to work to reduce these preserve what they have, but an authentic Christian community inequalities. cannot be built on that divided base. Those on the outside are Basic justice also calls for the establishment of a fragmented, with some trying to get in, some trying to create floor of material well-being on which all can stand. a separate or different “inside”, and some who just give up This is a duty of the whole of society and it creates trying anything. particular obligations for those with greater There are important considerations here. resources. This duty calls into question extreme As the cost of running for office rises, the ability to decide inequalities of income and consumption when so who runs and who does not gets more and more concentrated many lack basic necessities. Catholic social teaching at the top. does not maintain that a flat, arithmetical equality As it becomes clear that those who have less income also of income and wealth is a demand of justice, but it have less voice in government, the basic sense of equality before does challenge economic arrangements that leave the law on which our system is founded is eroded. large numbers of people impoverished. Further, it A majority of Americans are willing to accept inequality as sees extreme inequality as a threat to the solidarity long as they believe that anyone who works hard can get ahead. of the human community, for great disparities lead If it becomes more obvious to people that hard work is not as to deep social divisions and conflict. important as the quality of education one’s parents could afford The bishops present a vision of economic life — in fact, of all or the skills and income of one’s spouse, if they perceive that of life — as building up and preserving the dignity of human people can work as hard as they want and never get much beings in community. From Cain’s question after the murder of above minimum wage and never have job security, then that Abel, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” to the exodus and giving of willingness disappears. the law on Mount Sinai that formed the ex- What impact does increasing inequality slaves into the people of God; to the prophets’ have on those who feel its negative effects? If indignation at those who claimed to worship Evaluation of one cannot get ahead, why put forth effort? God but ignored the plight of the widows, economy must Why not try crime instead? Why not fulfill the orphans, and aliens in their midst; to Paul’s stereotypes? Escape on drugs? Live, however insistence that we are the body of Christ and consider the effect it inadequately, on welfare? we need to act accordingly; to the final image The response of some would be to cut the of the New Jerusalem, the City of God: Our has on communal “social safety net” down to zero, so people biblical tradition is clear that we cannot human life, dignity would have to put forth effort just to survive, approach any question solely in terms of per- so they would have to live in fear of starvation sonal or individual effects. and destitution. But is that the kind of society Thus the evaluation of economic arrangements, patterns, we want, with the elite (which includes most people with a col- ways of doing things, even ways of thinking about things (no lege education) living comfortably (even if on two incomes), matter how ordinary or taken for granted) must take into and the rest directly or indirectly their servants, with no hope account the effect that they have on the dignity of persons and for a better future, but only fear of a worse one? the communal nature of human life. Catholic thinking about And what of the family? Many households that are doing justice insists that the good of society cannot be reduced to the well are doing so only because there are two income-earners. sum of benefits to individuals, but requires some sense of the Many poor households depend on two incomes to avoid common good. destitution. The strain of thought that appears to dominate the United The free market can provide jobs, but it ignores the States today has little use for the common good, instead elevat- personal ties that job-seekers bring with them. Just as it has ing unrestricted individual freedom to sacred status. It gives helped to break up extended families, it is now working on pride of place to the “right” to amass as much money as possi- the nuclear family. ble, and insists that society has no claim upon the wealth that was created within it. What to Do: Bridging the Gap Some would say that what looks like growing inequality is As for national policy, a time when the gap between not a serious problem because there is plenty of movement both rich and poor is growing is hardly the time to be reducing in up and down among income classes, that those who are poor wholesale fashion what goes to the poor. It is one thing to talk today, especially young people, will move up over time. To about forcing people to get off welfare and get jobs, but it is some extent this is true, but recent studies suggest that young quite different to figure out where the jobs will come from and people experienced less mobility in the 1980s than in the 1970s. where people will get the skills and work habits it takes to keep The danger is one of stratification, of insiders and outsiders, jobs once they get them. of society more and more divided into those who have the tick- There are two concerns here. ets to get in the club and those who stand outside the fence First, as long as the U.S. Federal Reserve stands ready to looking in. When that happens the solidarity in human life is raise interest rates in order to slow growth whenever the unem-

12 Creighton University WINDOW ployment rate gets below 5 1/2% or 6%, we have a system that who would gather for Eucharist at the end of the working day. does not function unless one in every 17 persons is unemployed, Apparently, the more prosperous members of the yet the presumption is that anyone who is unemployed is lazy community simply became hungry and tired of wait- and trying to cheat the system. ing for the small artisans and day laborers to arrive Second, if everyone on welfare tries to get a job, it will after a working day that stretched from dawn to dusk. increase the supply of low-skill workers, keeping downward They began the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and pressure on those wages, while wages at the top continue also ate special food and drink that they had prepared to rise. The result is to intensify the trend toward greater for themselves rather than sharing it with others ... inequality of income. Paul is in effect saying that those social distinctions What to do? between upper-class and lower-class people which are For some people, the problem will take care of itself. The part of the fabric of the Hellenistic world have no place college wage premium is already drawing more high school in the Christian assembly. graduates to attend college. But how many of them have had If these distinctions have no place when the community (and the preparation that will allow them to do well in college? Some not just a wealthy subgroup of the community) gathers, neither success has been had with programs aimed at younger workers, do they have a place in the rest of their lives where the commu- and countries that integrate secondary school with work and nity lives out the Eucharist. have structures in place to move youths from school to work- Paul had spent eight years taking up a collection in the place have had less inequality. Greek churches he founded in order to send money to the The U.S. government has put strong emphasis on training poorer churches in Jerusalem and surrounding Judea. He saw and education to upgrade workers’ skill in hopes of upgrading this not as charity, but as solidarity, with the two groups of their incomes, but the overall results are mixed and the costs are churches enriching each other: one sharing its spiritual wealth, potentially much greater than and the other its material wealth. this current budget-cutting era Nearly 40% of U.S. Church can stomach. The size of the members are Hispanic Catholics or problem for those out of school new immigrants from Asia. suggests two conclusions for SHARE OF Ignoring these (to say nothing of those in school: AGGREGATE the rest of the country or the serious rethinking of what edu- HOUSEHOLD world) would deprive the materi- cation is training young people INCOME ally wealthy of the spiritual for, and improved efforts to see riches of deep faith and fire-tried that all children, whether their 52.2 50.9 48.2 43.6 45.1 48.2 love that their materially poor parents are rich or poor, have BY QUINTILE brothers and sisters have to offer. access to the same quality of The wealthy would also lose an education. opportunity to put their faith and On both the personal and love into action. societal level, attitudes are I suggest two starting points in important. The temptation is Figure 2 responding to growing inequality. always to think that those who First, if the current push to have higher incomes or better place more decisions about welfare education are somehow morally 16.6 17.1 20.0 policy at the state level is success- superior to those who are poor Top 5% ful, then believers must face the or unemployed — that profes- challenge to make their state poli- 4.2 4.0 3.6 sional people, for example, are 4.2 4.0 3.6 cies correspond to a vision of com- better people or more deserving 1973 1983 1993 1973 1983 1993 1973 1983 1993 munity based on the Gospel, not than janitors or secretaries, and Lowest 20% Middle 60% Highest 20% one based on punishing poor peo- these are better people than ple and dividing rich and poor. those on welfare. Second, we can labor to make our weekly gathering for Even if we find it easy to give God the credit for our gifts Eucharist reflect the whole of the U.S. church in its varied rich- and the ability to use them successfully, we find it ness. This would mean seeing to it that people of different difficult to avoid judging negatively those who have lesser income strata pray, work, and live together. gifts or ability to use their gifts well. And we find it very hard When people let each other into their lives enough that they to believe deep down that such people have anything worth- and their concerns matter to one another, then the concrete while to offer us. needs of those who are poorer can give focus to the efforts and In “What Does the Lord Require?” from Studies in the policy decisions of those well off; and at the same time those Spirituality of Jesuits, Bible scholar John Donahue, S.J., comments who are materially poor but rich in faith can feed those who are on the apostle Paul’s harsh words to the Corinthians (1Cor 11) materially rich but spiritually hungry. W

Winter Issue 1995-96 13 Stay Tuned Next for... TheThe TVTV AdventuresAdventures ofof EiLeEn!

By Judith Martz Studt

ileen Brady may forget some things in her life. But not She’s a serious researcher who is writing a series of reference her TV programs. In fact, the Creighton University alum- books on TV shows. In the process, the assistant professor/librari- na, class of ‘65, is a walking encyclopedia of the “small an at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., has formu- e silver screen” of yesterday ... so much so that none of her lated some opinions on how programming has both reflected and friends will play “Trivial Pursuit” with her. affected (some might say infected) American culture through the Ask her about the early shows, and she can easily rattle off the years. year “Mission: Impossible” made its debut (1966); the hosts of the The only trouble is, Brady can’t seem to finish. What started as first, late-night program, “Broadway Open House” (Morey a yearlong undertaking has now evolved into an epic pursuit. In Amsterdam and Jerry Lester); the shortest-run series of the ‘60s fact, she has “stayed tuned” to the same project for 21 years now. (the “Tammy Grimes Show”), and “It’s a benign form of insanity,” Brady reams of other information. jokes. “Quite frankly, I guess I just underesti- It’s not just dates and people mated the time it takes to do good research. that stick in her head. The Moscow, But I’d rather be known for being very accu- Idaho, resident can also give you rate and complete than being careless... It’s a the names of dogs and other crea- good thing I like television.” tures that appeared on family Hers is an interest that spans more than series. (Try “Tramp” for “My Three four decades, and began when her family, Sons,” “Neil” for the alcoholic St. including siblings Geraldine and James, Bernard in “Topper,” and “Horse” Creighton classes of ‘60 and ‘61, respectively, for the Mountie “Dudley had just moved to Omaha. (For a while their Do-right’s” steed.) home was the red brick duplex that eventu- If you give her a minute or two, ally housed Creighton’s philosophy depart- she can even get you the street ment until the building was razed this fall.) address for Jim Rockford’s trailer But it wasn’t until 1974 — after Brady in the “Rockford Files.” (22 Cove had graduated from Creighton with a histo- Road in Malibu. How’s that for ry degree, worked for several research hous- trivia-itis?) Eileen Brady studies TV Guide microfilm records. es and completed her master’s degree in But Brady’s no couch potato. Photo by Washington State University News and Information Services. library science at the University of Southern

14 Creighton University WINDOW California — that she really got interested in doing a book on aisles of a dozen U.S. museums and libraries. Even her home — television. which is just eight miles from the university where she works — “I was working as a part-time librarian for the Los Angeles has become a reference sanctuary of sorts. On her shelves are more Public Library,” Brady recalls. “We had a ‘Night Owl’ program that than 40 books on soap operas and other types of shows (none of enabled the public to call into our reference desks from 9 p.m. to 1 which are as thorough as hers, she claims). a.m., and I was fielding a lot of questions about TV shows.” But she still continues to get much of her information directly At the time there were very few reference books on the subject, from the “tube.” “and they weren’t very complete,” Brady adds. In fact, the Nebraska native often will put in as many as 20 to 25 Convinced of the need for a more thorough reference guide, she hours a week, watching reruns on the cable channels and monitor- went to work on her own and began copying every bit of informa- ing the dialogue for additional information about the program. tion she could find on 4x6 file cards. She soon approached a pub- When she has to go out, she’ll sometimes leave as many as three lisher about her book. “He told me not to bother, since he already VCRs on to catch shows she hasn’t seen. had one coming out,” Brady recalls. “But, when I saw that I Yet, Brady has “miles to go before she sleeps.” She’s still had created something far beyond what had been pub- working on the decade lished, I decided to keep going.” of the ‘60s, Today — after numerous writing lulls (some that which she have gone as long as a year), two book contracts that hopes to fin- haven’t panned out, 57 pounds of cards, 1,300 shows ish within the for the ‘60s alone and more than 18,000 hours of metic- next year. ulous research — Brady is still at it. And she’s far from With luck, the being done. other decades But talk about being thorough. With the help of should take two other researchers and a computer, Brady now has five years each. divided all of her programs into 25 genres, including But, instead religion, educational/cultural programming, docu- of waiting to mentaries, news, instruction and sports. complete her In addition, Brady has kept track of more than 15 work on collect- different categories of information about each show, ed eras of televi- including all the characters who appeared at least sion, Brady twice and all the actors who played the part. hopes to market She also has information on the setting of each pro- the ‘60s book gram; the production company; the creator of the series; Lucille Ball hugs husband Desi Arnaz on the first. And she’s the producers; the network on which the series ran, along popular TV show “I Love Lucy,” which ran confident she can find with the debut and departure dates of that series, and the on CBS from October 1951 to May 1958. a buyer. “I don’t have year a syndicated series was first available. Finally, her records list many doubts that once the running time of each show; the number of episodes; whether the public sees the enormity and completeness of my project, I’ll the series was in black and white or color; and whether it was live, have any trouble selling it. People have a lot of nostalgia about the on film or taped. good old days.” What keeps Brady from finishing? “I keep discovering more Actually, Brady contends, the good old days of television went information about a series that no one else has come across,” she back much farther than the ‘60s. In fact, there were a number of says. “I guess that’s the researcher in me, one of the things that daily programs being broadcast out of Great Britain and Eastern gives me particular delight. The other is more psychological — I U.S. cities as early as the mid 30s, she says. That was when the ear- enjoy proving that someone else was wrong in their research.” liest sponsored news show went on the air, Brady adds. It featured Brady also has back and other injuries from a car accident that Lowell Thomas, who was already famous for his radio broadcasts. keep her from doing research for more than 20 minutes at a time With the advent of the World War II, Thomas’ show and many without a break. In addition, she has many other interests. For others were abruptly canceled. It’s Brady’s understanding the gov- example, she is the editor of “Focus on Security,” a quarterly publi- ernment ruled that television equipment was vital to the war cation on library, archive and museum security. effort, and therefore they restricted telecasting. The restriction was Still, Brady has spent so much time and energy on her reference in effect until the end of the war. Finally, in 1946, the FCC lifted its work, that “I would hate to leave it unfinished.” As a result, she limits on the number of programming hours. Within a year, televi- still continues to approach her research on television like the sion was “bursting into flame,” the Nebraska native says. world’s most patient, private investigator, plowing through It was the golden age of television, and you began to see shows miles of microfilm and bound volumes of TV Guide, Daily like ‘Meet the Press’ (still the longest running series) and a lot of Variety, Hollywood Reporter, the New York Times, the live, original drama programming like “Armstrong Circle Theater” Los Angeles Times and other periodicals. and “Playhouse 90.” It was also during that time that such stars as Her “treasure hunt” has taken her through the archives and Jack Lemmon and Paul Newman and writer Rod Serling got their

Winter Issue 1995-96 15 start. In addition, there was educational TV, which was aired in form of action that created excitement.” prime time. At the same time, Brady is quick to point out that the prolifera- But also appearing were family shows such as “Father Knows tion of crime drama also was driven by the constant push for rat- Best” and “I Love Lucy.” “I’m no sociologist,” Brady concedes, ings and increased advertising revenue. “If something was “but I think what was reflected on TV after the war was a deep successful, you had 10 different imitations the next season. The sigh of relief, a ‘thank God it’s over,’ ‘let’s look toward ourselves networks’ philosophy was to keep doing it until they beat it to again’ point-of-view.” As a result, there was a considerable amount death.” of focus on family life, the home and making good. “All those But home audiences were being captivated by other types of things that the nation was thinking were echoed in programming as well. For example, there was those early programs.” the “disease of the week,” or the “scalpel Shows were also era,” as Brady puts it. It began in the mid “clean,” she adds. “If ‘60s and continued through the late ‘70s. the bathroom was there, Among the top shows were “Ben Casey,” we certainly didn’t “Doctor Kildare,” “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” know it. Likewise, if “Medical Center” and “The Young there was a bedroom, we Interns.” always saw twin beds.” About the same time, television view- Essentially programming ers began to a acquire a taste of the sexual mirrored public morality revolution. They were also getting a first- at the time, where the hand glimpse of both the war in Vietnam majority of people were and its protesters. “In fact, if you look at “faithful to their spouses,” the number of programming hours Brady believes. devoted to protests, alone, you would In other ways, the think that everyone in the nation was decade was a time of great doing it,” says Brady. “(Television experimentation — “not in offered) a definitely distorted view.” the sense of technology, but Likewise, Americans “heard” a sam- in what people would want to pling of conservative and liberal views in watch and enjoy. There was no One of the “Mission: Impossible” teams: Clockwise shows such as “All in the Family,” which limit to what you could try. As a from Peter Graves (front), Leonard Nimoy, Peter featured the clashing, yet comical person- result, everything was on ... from Lupus, and Greg Morris. Nimoy, who had earlier alities of Archie Bunker and his son-in- roller derby to the classics.” starred as Mr. Spock in “Star Trek,” joined the law, “Meathead.” Before long, Brady “Mission” team in 1969. Peter Graves replaced the But, with the advent of the Cold original actor, Steven Hill, as leader. believes, there also was a greater attempt by War and the threat of nuclear holo- television to “depict the fact that we had more than just caust, programs during the ‘50s also began to reflect “a certain Caucasians in the U.S., and that more and more African Americans sense of disillusionment and helplessness — a fear of total devasta- and Hispanics were gaining roles of prominence.” tion,” Brady suggests. “Perhaps that’s why there was such an At the same time, programs such as the “Mary Tyler Moore explosion of Westerns during this time. They represented a much Show” began to depict females as more independent and educat- freer period — a time when a person was more in charge of his or ed. For the first time, viewers saw female newscasters and anchors. her destiny.” “At least the tokenism was there,” Brady stresses. Whatever the reason, viewers soon could choose from as many By the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Americans began to see the as 20 different Old West shows to watch at a time. “It got so bad emergence of cable TV. It started in places where people couldn’t that people couldn’t take them anymore.” (“Gunsmoke” was the get regular signals, the TV researcher says. Using boosters, rural exception, with its 20-year run. It is still the longest running, residents were soon able to connect to more and more cities and to prime-time, dramatic series of any kind.) have greater options. Before long, “sitcoms,” including “I Love Lucy,” “Jack Benny” But, in spite of competition, network programming got much and “The Milton Berle Show,” were receiving top billing. worse, the Idaho researcher claims. In fact, she describes the 1980s By the early ‘60s, the public was tuning into still another type of and early ‘90s as focusing on “degenerate comedy” — a period fantasy or escapism — the crime drama. It wasn’t that violence where “dysfunctional families, foul language, discourse on sexual was necessarily on the rise or that people were “getting more hard- functions, and disrespect for each other are the basis for comedy.” ened,” Brady says. “Actually, people have had a fascination with At the same time, TV violence is the worst it has ever been, crime since the days of Cain and Abel.” Brady states. “In effect, established networks and the new one, Rather, much of the emphasis on criminal behavior, car chases Fox, have ‘gone down the tubes.’” and flying bullets was due to the nature of TV, the researcher What she sees is a New York and Los Angeles “bias or warped believes. “In this new, visual medium, you had to show motion or view of what the rest of the world is like. It’s never balanced. you weren’t going to keep your audience. Violence was simply one Instead, we see hostage situations, people being blown up,

16 Creighton University WINDOW mugged, raped or maimed...” very well-informed.” But what’s especially alarming to her is that a vast number of That over-dependence on hearsay also could be a reflection of American viewers — not just foreigners — seem to think that TV American culture, Brady suggests. In fact, she sees too many sup- programming in the U.S. is an actual and complete reflection of posedly educated people attributing their thoughts to someone everyday life. As a result, many people are so frightened that else, instead of analyzing all sides of an issue and drawing their they’re afraid to leave their homes, she stresses. own conclusions. “It’s my feeling that there needs to be more criti- In other cases, viewers are so taken in by a program that they cal thinking in our society — that’s something the Jesuits have will actually dial the same telephone number mentioned on the always emphasized.” show or try to trace a TV character through license plates appear- On the “plus” side, Brady says there are still a lot of good pro- ing on the screen. “People really believe this stuff,” she empha- grams and documentaries, including those on NOVA and other sizes. That’s one reason networks and production companies shows. She also sees more of a compartmentalization of program- always use fictitious names and other information in their scripts, ming on cable TV, which permits viewers to pick and choose what Brady adds. (See accompanying story.) they want to see. “If they want clean shows, they know they’re “For one reason or another,” Brady says, “many people don’t going to find them on the Family Channel. Likewise, they can turn really see what is going on around them. They take this (TV) fanta- to ESPN for sports, the American Movie Classics channel for sy and ask themselves, ‘Why doesn’t my life equate with this? motion pictures, and so forth.” There’s something wrong.’ They never think that what they see That’s largely why viewership of network TV has fallen off so isn’t real.” significantly in recent years, Brady But what’s even more distressing to says. To get viewers back, she believes, the Creighton alumna is the fact that the networks are going to have to many youngsters today are allowed to “scramble to find something else watch whatever they want on televi- besides bathroom humor.” What it will sion. “There’s no attempt to screen be Brady doesn’t know. “But my pref- programs. There’s no effort on the par- erence would be more responsible pro- ents’ part to tell children that what gramming that encourages ethical they see is unreal or that this is not the values and responsibility for a person’s way to handle problems. In essence,” actions.” she maintains, “there’s no one saying And she thinks such a change could that you just don’t punch out the guy well happen. It’s the pendulum theory or throw a trash can through his win- of history at work, she says. “People’s dow or slash his tires or shoot him or attitudes, interests and drives have blow him up.” been swinging back and forth through- The effect of children’s unmoni- out history. It’s just my own guess, but tored viewing can be devastating, the I think we’re starting to swing back to assistant professor goes on to say. “If wholesomeness again.” you’ve watched news interviews Meanwhile, the networks are going where young people have been caught to have to do something to “quiet the up in violence and murdered some- recent outcry over violence,” Brady body, you know what I mean. There is says. “If it’s politically expedient, no remorse for anything. they’ll at least pay lip service to some “Somewhere morality has either kind of self- regulation until the heat is been short-circuited or totally off.” ignored,” she adds. “I’m not saying There’s also this reference project of that TV is totally to blame — it could “Father Knows Best” stars: (from left) Robert hers that she needs to finish. With luck, well reflect a self-centered, not-respon- Young, Lauren Chapin, Elinor Donahue, and Jane Brady believes she can have all of the sible-for-anything attitude that has Wyatt. “Father” ran on CBS and NBC from volumes on TV programs completed by been around for some time. But televi- October 1954 to September 1962. the year 2010 — some 35 years after she sion certainly hasn’t helped.” started. Likewise, TV is an extremely shallow medium, Brady believes. But it could be worse. According to the 1995 “Guinness Book of “The people who produce these shows have a very low regard for World Records,” the longest literary gestation was 297 years.* their audiences and cater to those who have the mental capacity of Hopefully, Brady can beat the record. a 13-year-old. All you get on the air are the headlines. You don’t ______get any real analysis, just a little bit of sound bite.” *The book? Acta Sanctorum, a tome begun by Jean Bolland Unfortunately, she continues, there are too many people in 1643 that was arranged according to saints’ days. According who either don’t or won’t go to any other source of information. to Guinness, the month of November was reached by 1925. As a result, those who rely on TV for their news “are not An introduction to December was printed in 1940.

Winter Issue 1995-96 17 designs and specifications on the hologram, which at the time “was just a developing technology,” Brady recalls. For Space From Creighton Mountain, she was asked by engineers to do extensive research on the monorail systems of Japan and Europe. Another part of her job was to work with the safety director in researching fire codes and to the Starship Enterprise plastics for the park. When Eileen Brady wasn’t watching TV in the red brick duplex It was in the mid ‘70s and early ‘80s — while Brady was work- that was once the Creighton philosophy building (see main story), ing at the Los Angeles Public Library — that she got interested in she was peeking out the back window of her bedroom at library, archive and night, watching moot court in the law school (today the museum security. Hitchcock Communication Arts Building). “It started when a But it wasn’t until she graduated from Creighton in co-worker of mine 1965 that she decided she wanted to be a TV and movie was attacked out- researcher. Armed with just a few clothes and a Jesuit side our library one education, she went to work for de Forest Research in Los night and had her Angeles, reading weekly TV scripts for “Star Trek,” “The mouth badly torn Wild Wild West,” “Mission: Impossible,” “I Spy” and oth- up,” she recalls. er shows from cover to cover. There were other “Our mission was to make sure that everything, similar incidents. including dates, quotations and other information was Then, in 1987, accurate. Also, we needed to make sure all of the charac- Steve Huntsberry, a ters were fictitious. One of the biggest fears was a lawsuit, colleague and and it actually happened”... before she was there, of police officer at course. Washington State Brady recalls that one script depicted a physician in a University, began particular city and specialty who was unscrupulous. “It investigating turned out that there was really someone by that name recent manuscript who specialized in the same area of medicine and lived in losses. (His investi- the same town. He sued the network for millions of dol- gation eventually lars and won.” led to the arrest of From that time on, she says, the networks and produc- Stephen Blumberg, tion companies were extremely careful. For example, who was later when she read “Star Trek” scripts, she checked the ficti- found guilty of tious names against military records of active duty and stealing up to $40 “Star Trek,” The First Series: (clockwise from recently retired service personnel to make sure there were bottom left) Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, million worth of no officers with the names used in the show. She even De Forest Kelley, and William Shatner. rare books and checked physics explanations given by Spock and others manuscripts from with the California Institute of Technology to ensure they were libraries across the country. Following his arrest, librarians at accurate. Creighton University volunteered to help identify the owners of For a series of 22 scripts with Native American characters, the stolen material. Blumberg is now serving five years, 11 months, Brady studied the Lakota and Dakota Sioux languages with the and is expected to be paroled shortly.) help of a man she met through the Los Angeles Indian Center. Finally in 1993, Brady’s interest in security was so great that “Basically, we were rewriting the dialogue in the script so that it she, Huntsberry and a friend, Jon Gustafson, founded a quarterly was phonetically correct.” publication — “Focus on Security.” In her research, Brady discov- But her days as a script researcher were numbered. Before long, ered that libraries have 3 to 15 percent of their material stolen each Brady was doing research for WED (Walter Elias Disney) year, and that very little of it is ever recovered. She also discovered Enterprises, now known as Imagineering — a private, family- that some states don’t even have laws that make book stealing a owned company responsible for designing and building Disney crime. World in Orlando. Her assignment there was to assist artists, engi- “Evidently, (the states) figure it’s something not worth pursu- neers and architects who were actually involved with the develop- ing,” Brady says. “Yet, when you consider that many books — ment of the park. especially those dealing with science — usually sell for well over As a result, her research was as varied as the rides, themes, $100 each, there’s a lot of money at stake. Many of these books streets and plazas of the Orlando wonder. For example, she was can’t even be replaced.” responsible for researching pirates’ costumes and coves for the Brady says her colleagues accuse her of having eclectic Pirates of the Caribbean exhibit. interests. Her job for the Haunted Mansion was to help engineers locate How right they are.

18 Creighton University WINDOW 1. Was Thing on “The Addams Family” he play in his most successful series from right- or left-handed? Tv the’50s and what was the series called? (Bonus question: What was Thing’s girl- 15. The Zanti Misfits appeared on what friend’s name?) series? 2. What was Heath Barkley’s (Lee Majors) 16. What was “Paris 7000”? mother’s name on “Big Valley”? TrIvIa 17. Who or what was the queen on “The 3. Which two actors in “Car 54, Where Are Queen and I”? You?” went on to star in “The Munsters,” 1961-1970 (Bonus question: What future star of and what characters did they play in each “Happy Days” and “The Karate Kid” was a series? (Or, Have You Been Spending Too regular on this series?) 4. What 1968 cult series did the star of Much Time in Front of the Tube?) 18. Name one of the five stars of NBC’s “Danger Man” create and star in? By Eileen E. Brady 1964/65 series,”The Rogues.” 5. What was the profession of the star of 19. Who had the title role in the television “The Emmett Kelly Show”? version of “Shane” (ABC 9/10/66 - 6. What species was “Flipper”? 12/31/66) 7. What was the name of “George of the 20. Name any of the guests on the first and Jungle’s” elephant? last shows of “The Tonight Show Starring 8. John Hawk was a detective for the New Johnny Carson.” City District Attorney’s office in Hawk. 21. In “The Ugliest Girl in Town,” what was What was his nationality? unusual about star Peter Kastner’s garb? 9. How could you identify one of the aliens 22. Valentine Farrow’s houseboy in of “The Invaders”? “Valentine’s Day” (1964-65) moved on to co- 10. What was Julia’s profession in “Julia”? star in “Barney Miller.” Who was he? 11. Dennis Weaver left “Gunsmoke” to star 23. In what western series did World War II in his own short-lived series. What was it? Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy star? 12. In which comedy/variety series did a 24. Name a series that aired between 1961 presidential candidate appear? and 1970 whose title began with an “X.” 13. What was the name of Joe Mannix’s sec- 25. Who supplied the voice for Boo-Boo Bear on “The Yogi Bear Show”? retary, and who played the part? Henry Winkler and Ron Howard 14. In “The New Phil Silvers Show,” Phil of “Happy Days,” which ran on ABC 26. Who was the host of “Zoorama”? (CBS Silvers played Harry Grafton. What role did from January 1974 to July 1984. 4/18/65-9/26/65)

9. They had stiff pinky fingers. Morita, who played Barney.) The Answers 10. Julia Baker was a registered nurse. Actress Diahann 18. The stars were Charles Boyer, Gladys Cooper, Robert 1. Both. Thing, portrayed by Ted Cassidy (Lurch, the Carroll depicted the first professional black female lead Coote, David Niven and Gig Young. butler) and assistant director Jack Voglin, was primarily character in series television. 19. David Carradine. right-handed. But when occasion demanded, he was left- 11. “Kentucky Jones” (NBC 9/19/64-9/11/65). 20. Johnny’s guests his first night were Tony Bennett, handed. (Bonus question answer: Lady Fingers.) 12. Richard Nixon. He appeared in a blackout in Mel Brooks, Joan Crawford, Groucho Marx, Tom Pedi, 2. Leah Simmons. Heath’s mother was the focus of two “Laugh-In,” saying “Sock it to me.” and Rudy Vallee. His last guests on “The Tonight first-season episodes. Show” were Robin Williams and Bette Midler. However, 13. Gail Fisher played Peggy Fair. 3. Fred Gwynne played Officer Francis Muldoon in there were no live guests on the last night, May 22, “Car 54,” and Herman Munster in “The Munsters.” Al 14. Silvers played Master Sergeant Ernie Bilko on 1993. Johnny appeared alone. Lewis played Officer Leo Schnauser in “Car 54” and “You’ll Never Get Rich,’’ which was re-titled “The Phil 21. Peter dressed in women’s clothes. The explanation Herman’s father-in-law, Grandpa, in “The Munsters.” Silvers Show” two months after it debuted in 1955. would take about as long as the series lasted. 4. Patrick McGoohan created and starred in “The 15. “The Outer Limits.” The Zanti Misfits were intelli- 22. Jack Soo. Prisoner.” gent, criminal insectoids who had been marooned on Earth. 23. ”Whispering Smith,” co-starring singer Guy 5. Emmett Kelly was the starring clown, Weary Willy, Mitchell (NBC 5/15/61-9/18/61) of the Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus. 16. It was the name of a 1970 ABC series starring George Hamilton and the telephone number for the U.S. 24. If you know of one, please send the information to 6. Flipper was played by a bottle-nosed dolphin named Consulate in Paris, where Hamilton’s character, Jack Brady at 115 North Grant St., Moscow, Idaho 83843. E- Suzi. Brennan, worked. mail: [email protected]; FAX (509) 335-2534. 7. Shep. 17. The Queen was an aging ocean liner, the M.S. 25. Don Messick. 8. He was an Iroquois. “Amsterdam Queen.” (Bonus question answer: Pat 26. Bob Dale. W

Winter Issue 1995-96 19 FINDING GGOD IN DAILY LIFE: The Heart of Ignatian Spirituality By Richard J. Hauser, S.J. Professor of Theology

reighton University, like all Jesuit found in his little retreat manual The human heart has two contrary move- institutions, is animated by the Spiritual Exercises. ments, one from good (the Holy Spirit) Cspirituality of St. Ignatius of Ignatius was acutely aware from his and the other from evil. He learned that Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order. own rather tempestuous past (he spent to grow in union with God we must Our dream at Creighton is to touch and most of his first 30 years as a warring, learn to recognize and respond only to enrich all members of our Creighton romancing Spanish courtier) that every the movements of good, the Holy Spirit, family by his vision. The Ignatian spiritual vision is distinctive. It is a spirituality geared for people living active lives in the world, lay people and Jesuits! It focuses upon ordinary daily actions and Richard J. Hauser, S.J. seeks to find God in them. It hopes to form individuals so united with God that they could even be called “contemplatives in action.” So distinctive was Ignatius’ vision for the Society of Jesus in the sixteenth cen- tury that he initially had trouble getting approval from Catholic Church authori- ties — at one point approval was even withdrawn briefly. The then current approaches to spirituality focused more upon personal and liturgical prayer than upon actions. These spiritualities sought to develop contemplatives through prayer. Significantly, Ignatius never abandoned deep — or contemplative — union with God as the ultimate goal of his vision; he simply revised the means of achieving this union. To foster the realization of his vision of finding God in daily life Ignatius sug-

gested appropriate spiritual practices or Photo by Don Doll, S.J. “exercises.” The heart of these practices It was through these ornate doors that Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, are his Examination of Conscience and made his way to his quarters at the end of the hall to the left. The living space, where St. Rules for the Discernment of Spirits Ignatius prayed, is part of the Gesu Residence and Church in Rome. Ignatius died in 1556.

20 Creighton University WINDOW and distinguish — or discern — those (All scripture quotes are from movements in our hearts. Indeed all from movements of evil. And since find- The New American Bible.) Christian spirituality from now on is a ing God in daily life was his goal, this Indeed this union with himself matter of responding to the Spirit, discernment of good vs. evil must be through the Spirit is the condition for the sanctifier. applied to ordinary daily actions. So living as his disciple. The Gospel could And Ignatius realized that we find Ignatius suggested daily periods for not be more clear. God in daily life to the exact extent that examination of conscience focusing upon Remain in me, as I remain in we recognize and respond to God’s awareness of this inner motivation. you. Just as a branch cannot bear Spirit. But the matter is complicated by I believe that this daily rhythm of fruit on its own unless it remains the fact that not every movement within reflection on quality of heart underlying on the vine, so neither can you our hearts can be trusted. All of us, like daily actions remains the key for all of us unless you remain in me. I am the Ignatius, have spontaneous inclinations desiring to grow in union with God in not only toward good (and so from the the midst of busy daily schedules — as Holy Spirit) but also toward evil (and so essential in our day as in Ignatius’. After Pentecost, not from the Holy Spirit). Traditionally Although these guidelines were original- finding God in the we call the sources of our evil inclina- ly included in The Spiritual Exercises to tions (or temptations) the “capital sins:” help retreat masters guide retreatants in midst of daily life is a jealousy, envy, anger, hatred, sloth, lust, recognizing God’s movements in their matter of recognizing drunkenness. Honesty compels us to hearts, they are now used by all follow- the Spirit’s movements admit that in a typical day we experience ers of Ignatian spirituality to help recog- in our hearts ... much evidence of these inclinations; nize God’s presence in daily life. They (It is) a matter of some days we may experience our hearts are the heart of Ignatian spirituality — as more inclined toward evil than and what all Ignatian institutions like responding toward good. For conscientious Creighton University hope to impart to Christians the key question becomes: their students, faculty, staff and alumni. “What criterion can we use to recognize vine, you are the branches. the Spirit’s movements within our hearts?“ Recognizing the Whoever remains in me and I in I have adapted Ignatius’ guidelines Spirit in Daily Life him will bear much fruit, because from The Spiritual Exercises and have The key for finding God in daily life without me you can do nothing evolved a rather simple criterion for is recognizing and responding to the (Jn 15: 4-5)). recognizing the Spirit’s movements that movements of the Holy Spirit. Christians Jesus’ prediction is fulfilled at focuses upon the direction of our hearts: are discovering anew a central element Pentecost when the Spirit descends on to the degree our hearts are moving of the New Testament message: the role the community. After Pentecost finding toward the desire to love and serve God of the Spirit in our spirituality. For many God in the midst of and others we are under the influence of of us, Catholics especially, Vatican daily life is a the Spirit; to the degree they are Council II (1962-1965) was crucial; before matter of moving away from this the Council an appreciation of this role recogniz- desire we are not. This was virtually absent from our aware- ing the criterion for recogniz- ness. But treatment of the role of the Spirit’s ing the presence of Spirit for Christian spirituality must the Spirit relates to begin with the Last Supper discourse in John’s gospel. Jesus is comforting his disciples after having told them of his imminent departure assuring them it is better for them that he goes. But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you (Jn 16: 5-7).

Winter Issue 1995-96 21 our inner experiences, to our quality of absent and we still desire to serve the temptation to move through life with an heart. We know that external actions can Lord, it is comforting to realize that we individualistic, self-centered attitude, be performed with little or no love and are indeed responding to the Spirit. It regarding our own needs as primary in hence cannot be in themselves accurate should be noted, however, that normally all we do. Since this desire is situated in indications of the presence of the Spirit. inner peace will accompany our desire to the will, it need not necessarily be The question then becomes which of our serve; Paul reminds us that “the fruits of accompanied by feelings of affection. We inner experiences — imagination, think- are commanded to love everyone irre- ing, desiring, feeling — become the best spective of personal feelings — even our criteria for discernment? The desire to When we are moving enemies! For our love is to be like God’s love arising with us is the basic criterion toward the desire to whose care and concern are universal. for recognizing the transformation of our And only because the Spirit of God is inner experience by the Holy Spirit. The love and serve God and within us can we love like God. And this theological reasoning behind this truth is others, we experience love will be accompanied by deeds. simple: We can make no movement a quality of heart Luke’s gospel gives us the Good toward good, toward God or others in marked by the fruits of Samaritan story to illustrate what love, by our own initiative; since the Jesus meant. desire to love and serve God and others the Spirit ... love, joy, Matthew’s gospel gives us the Last is definitely a movement toward good, it peace, patience. Judgment scene, “I was hungry and you cannot come from our initiative; there- gave me food, thirsty and you give me fore it must come from the Spirit — drink.” Those who were saved were not “without me you can do nothing!” the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, even aware of serving God in their Desire is a more reliable criterion for kindness, generosity, faithfulness, neighbor, but this did not matter to the recognizing the Spirit than feelings or gentleness, self-control”(Gal. 5:23). Son of Man, “Whatever you did for one even inner peace. We know how Service is also central — Ignatian of these least brothers of mine, you did ephemeral feelings are. We may wake up spirituality is frequently called a “mysti- for me” (Mt 25: 40). sick one morning and not feel like serv- cism of service.” The two great com- ing God and others. But we can still mandments of love given by Jesus center Responding to Obstacles desire to serve — feelings come and go on service; we prove our love for God by to the Spirit but desire remains. And desire is even a loving our neighbor: “If God has so Awareness of the quality of heart more reliable criterion than inner peace. loved us, ought we not love one anoth- underlying our daily actions is the key to We may be experiencing a period in life er?” This love (agape) is situated primar- finding God in daily life. Normally when dominated by sadness from troubled ily in the will; it asks us to move through we are moving toward the desire to love relationships or discouragement from life regarding our neighbor’s need as pri- and serve God and others, we will failure in work. Our habitual inner peace mary. It counters experience a quality of heart marked by may be lacking; yet we still “hang on” to the the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, the desire to love and serve. When this patience. Our hearts are aligned with our inner peace is deepest selves and the result is the expe- rience of peace. And normally when we are moving away from the desire to love and serve God and others, we experience quality of heart marked by inner restless- ness and anxiety. Our hearts are no longer aligned with our deepest selves, and so we experience a disorientation. For me, a shortcut to discerning the presence or absence of the Spirit is to become more aware of my different moods: In a good or peaceful mood the Spirit is normally present; in a bad or anxious mood It is normally not. When my daily life is not marked by inner peace but rather by restlessness and anxiety, I must be careful. A quality of heart marked by anxiety is a red flag telling me some thing is amiss and

22 Creighton University WINDOW should be “checked out.” It is a clue that my heart may not be responding fully to the Spirit because the fruits of the Spirit are not present. In short, I am in a bad mood. Over the years I have become better at recognizing these moods. The restless- ness prompting me to examine my moods then becomes a grace because it calls me to realign my heart with the Holy Spirit, if necessary. A further clarification on moods is important. I am connecting good and bad moods with the presence and absence of the Spirit. By a good mood, I mean simply a feeling state transformed by the Spirit and so supporting the desire to love and serve God and others; in contrast, by a bad mood I mean a feel- ing state not transformed by the Spirit and so not supporting the desire to love and serve. We all know the difference that being in a good mood makes for living our day. There is an intimate connection between our moods, thoughts and actions. When our mood is peaceful, our thoughts tend also to be peaceful and

our actions reflect this peacefulness; Photo by Don Doll, S.J. when our mood is anxious, our thoughts At this altar in Ignatius’s quarters, the saint prayed with the Madonna painting shown here. tend also to be anxious, and our actions reflect this anxiety. The following guide- caused by sickness, death, job threats, desire. When we replace the bad mood lines are shortcuts to developing the skill financial need. with a good desire and respond to the of recognizing the Spirit in daily life. Second, replace bad moods with good desire, we are doing all in our power to First, be aware of situations causing desires, and then respond to the good align ourselves with the action of the bad moods. The first place to start is desires. Recall that the most reliable sign Holy Spirit. Often the mood may not with our daily schedules. What daily change immediately, but we are comfort- activities do we approach without the ed by the knowledge that our deepest desire to love and serve God and others? identity flows not from our moods, but These situations may relate to our family When our mood is from our desires. Sometimes we find our lives or our work lives — what daily peaceful, our thoughts own inner peace restored immediately. activities do we “dread”? Chances are tend to be peaceful Third, examine the causes of the bad we approach these parts of our day in and our actions reflect moods and resolve to deal with them bad moods. appropriately. It is important to know Next we should review our relation- this peacefulness; the causes in order to apply the right ships. What people tend “to get to us,” when our mood is remedies for dealing with the moods. in our homes, neighborhoods or work- anxious, our actions For instance, if the cause relates to the places? Chances are we approach these reflect this anxiety physical dimension of our being, we people with bad moods. must deal with it on that level. We all Finally, what other areas of our lives know the effect that physical exhaustion habitually irritate us — parish gover- and illness can have upon our moods. nance, community or national politics, of the presence of the Spirit in our inner But if the mood flows from our psycho- sports? And in addition to these daily experience is the desire to love and logical dimension, we deal with it differ- occurrences we all experience bad serve. We want our actions to flow not ently. Does my mood flow from some moods during periods of special stress from the bad mood but from the good area of my life preoccupying me and

Winter Issue 1995-96 23 Remember that all movements of First, we allow the Spirit to make us our heart toward God occur only aware of all obstacles to loving and serv- when we are in touch with and ing others during the previous period; responding to the Spirit. The this is the general examen. It can be done examen is not self-centered systematically by reflecting upon our introspection aimed at achiev- activities as they occurred. Or it can be ing some personal perfectionist done simply by allowing the obstacles to ideals. And so we open with a emerge. Often when we stop to do our prayer to the Spirit, acknowl- examen, we become immediately aware edging that if any good that we are anxious and restless. This is a comes from our “red flag” signaling a bad mood. examen, it will flow Usually the situations causing our from the Spirit. bad moods will thrust themselves into Second, we thank our consciousness when we pause to God for our bless- reflect upon them. If our day has been ings. God blesses us especially anxious, the situations causing abundantly each the bad moods may have already day. We tend to emerged at the opening of the examen presume these bless- during the prayer to the Spirit. In this ings and not to case it is best to deal with them immedi- causing me special stress, for instance, acknowledge them ade- ately and to postpone the thanksgiving worry about my family, my job? Finally, quately. So we rest quietly at the opening until the end of examen. We must also does my mood flow from a spiritual of our examen, allowing the Spirit to decide the appropriate remedy for the need? Perhaps we have not been faithful move us toward gratitude for the situations causing the bad moods. to our rhythm of spiritual activities and blessings of our day. Often the Spirit will Second, we allow the Spirit to reveal are living alienated from our centers. bring something to our attention, and we how we have handled the specific We want to readjust these daily rhythms want to spend nearly the entire time just obstacle to the Spirit that has been to include more fidelity to being with resting in gratitude to the Lord. This bothering us most in recent days; this the Lord. happens when we have been serving the is the particular examen. Often there is Often bad moods are caused by all Lord peacefully, and our day has been one situation responsible for most of our three dimensions. We are preoccupied going well. bad moods. Particular examens for with major tasks; we ignore our physical There is no need to rush through this myself can come from many situations: and spiritual needs to fulfill these tasks. thanksgiving. Being attentive to the discouragement over a class, friction We need to reinstate a daily rhythm that Lord’s blessings is centering us and with a university administrator, a prob- facilitates living in tune with the Spirit. lem in a personal relationship, worry Method for Examining over a particular world — or church — Our Consciousness The consciousness situation, concern about meeting a dead- examen is a Spirit- line for work or for writing. The Ignatian review of daily life While one obstacle remains domi- focuses not on external actions but on guided insight into the nant, we keep it as our particular the internal quality of heart underlying quality of heart under- examen. When another obstacle becomes these actions. To highlight this dimen- lying our actions. We dominant, it becomes the particular exa- sion I will be referring to an examination must quiet down and men. Since we have already named the of consciousness rather than the more particular examen prior to the examen, traditional examination of conscience . allow the Spirit to we review the previous period to see The examen takes about 15 minutes. guide our reflections. how we have handled the problem. It has five movements. It may be done Have we allowed it to dominate our anytime; Ignatius suggests noon and thoughts and actions, or have we evening. First, we pray to the Holy Spirit insuring we will emerge from our replaced the bad mood with a good for enlightenment. The consciousness examen with the desire to serve God desire and responded to the desire? It is examen is a Spirit-guided insight into and others during the rest of the day or helpful to repeat a favorite prayer to the quality of heart underlying our the next day. center ourselves and move us to the level actions. To achieve its purpose we must Third, we review the quality of heart of responding to the Spirit. The key to quiet down and allow the Spirit to guide underlying our actions. The review has the successful use of the particular our reflections. two parts. examen is concreteness: we name the

24 Creighton University WINDOW troublesome situation and the desired that the power of Christ may behavior. I record mine in a daily journal The Spiritual Exercises dwell with me. Therefore, I am I keep; this is a typical example. content with weaknesses, insults, Situation: Discouragement over are designed to lead hardships, persecutions, and con- progress of particular course Christians to an straints, for the sake of Christ; for Behavior: “The Lord is my shep- enhanced identity when I am weak, then I am strong herd; there is nothing I shall want.” with Christ. (2 Cor 12: 7-10). Fourth, we ask for forgiveness for our This identity grows Many of our problems, like Paul’s failings. The Spirit leads us to contrition “thorn in the flesh,” never go away, be as soon as we become aware of our proportionately to our they relationships, job situations, physi- failings. If our day has been dominated response to the Spirit cal liabilities or moral temptations. They by bad moods, we want to extend this are handled best when we name them — period of contrition. We want to experi- approaching them even with a sense of ence our own brokenness in the light of the culmination of our redemption. John humor — and refuse to respond to them, God’s continuing mercy. It is good to rest Paul II in his 1987 encyclical on the Holy realizing that without them we would be in God’s forgiveness as a repentant sin- Spirit reaffirmed our Christian belief, deprived of occasions for experiencing ner — like the publican in the Gospel “The redemption accomplished by the the grace of our redemption! who remained in back of the temple Son. . . is in its entire salvific power Yes, even our temptations are oppor- praying only “Lord, be merciful to me a transmitted to the Holy Spirit”(par. 11). tunities to become Christ more fully, if sinner.” The experience of brokenness We become Christ to the exact extent that we handle them as he handled his in the humbles and heightens our awareness of we respond to the Spirit of Christ. The desert! And it is comforting to know that our need for God’s Spirit. daily examen is our effort to respond because of our redemption we are Fifth, we resolve to serve God more conscientiously to the Spirit so as to assured of the Spirit’s help in every fully during the following period. We become more Christ-like. temptation: Grace in us is stronger than look ahead trying to anticipate obstacles But the transformation of our inner sin in us! And that the Spirit we rely to service in the upcoming day: fore- selves is a lifetime journey and we must upon is the very Spirit that moved with- warned is forearmed. We pray for a be patient. The Lord asks only for in the heart of Jesus himself — Jesus who renewed desire to love and serve God fidelity to the journey. God permits the was conceived by the Spirit, baptized in and others with our entire heart, soul, human condition which includes human the Spirit and led by the Spirit through- mind and body. We pray to be open to brokenness. But God permits brokenness out his life. Like ourselves Jesus lived in the Spirit and so to live with a quality of only because it is a unique occasion for the Spirit and handled his weaknesses, heart marked by the Spirit’s presence: experiencing the power of our redemp- trials and temptations as we handle ours, love, joy, peace, patience. Normally we tion. I like Paul’s attitude toward his relying on the strength of the Spirit. leave the examen refreshed and peaceful. brokenness. Doubtless Paul was experi- The vision of St. Ignatius and dream encing exasperation about a weakness, a of Creighton University of helping all The Spirit, “thorn in the flesh,” that just would not the Creighton family find God in daily the Examen and Christ go away. It’s not clear whether the life and of helping Christians to become Ignatian spirituality is Christ-cen- “thorn in the flesh” was a moral or Christ-like is enshrined beautifully in the tered. Ignatius ends the very first medi- physical weakness — although Paul Creighton University Mission Statement: tation in The Spiritual Exercises succinctly: does identify its source as an “angel of “As Jesuit, Creighton participates in the “What have I done for Christ? What am I Satan.” It really doesn’t matter. Paul tradition of the Society of Jesus which doing for Christ? What will I do for seems to indicate that he handles all his provides an integrating vision of the Christ?” Then to help retreatants get to trials, weaknesses and temptations the world that arises out of a knowledge and know this Christ better, Ignatius leads same way. love of Jesus Christ.” It remains a core them through three weeks of contempla- Therefore, that I might not reason for Creighton’s existence. W tions on the life of Christ and asks them become too elated, a thorn in the ______to pray for “an intimate knowledge of flesh was given me, an angel of our Lord, who has become man for me, Satan to beat me, to keep me from (Editor’s Note: Richard J. Hauser, S.J., is that I may love Him more and follow being too elated. Three times I professor of theology and director of the mas- him more closely.” The Spiritual Exercises begged the Lord about this that it ter’s programs in theology, ministry and are designed to lead Christians to an might leave me, but he said to me, spirituality at Creighton University. His enhanced identity with Christ. “My grace is sufficient for you, for book, “Moving in the Spirit: Becoming a And this identity grows proportion- power is made perfect in weak- Contemplative in Action” [Mahwah, NJ: ately to our response to the Spirit — the ness.” I will rather boast most Paulist Press, 1986], gives an expanded Spirit sent by Christ and the Father as gladly in my weaknesses, in order treatment of the matter in this article.)

Winter Issue 1995-96 25 PROFILE OF ACHIEVEMENT John McCaa Draws on His Creighton Experience

hen Creighton alumnus John McCaa goes after a story for Wprime-time news, he draws on his Creighton education. “Some journalists don’t know why we do what we do as a soci- ety,” McCaa believes. But questions like these are important to McCaa.

“I spend most of my time looking at stories that have more to do with ethics and another person’s perspective,” he explains. “So I draw not just on journalism, but on philosophy, history, theolo- gy.” He draws on his Creighton experience. John McCaa, BA'76, anchor, 10 p.m. weekday news: WFAA-TV, Dallas At Creighton, McCaa says, he learned more than just the rigors of the subject. He learned to question, “to examine issues myself and come to my own conclusions.”

His words to live by, in fact, are, “Find out for yourself. There are no shortcuts. Ask questions.”

When McCaa is off the air, he serves the Dallas station as news manager, reviewing scripts, con- tributing story ideas.

He also serves as a parent of 10-year-old Collin. “When I was a student, we thought the adults had messed up the world. Young people need to know they can make the world a better place.

“They also need to see that they, too, are role models. Even if you’re a fifth grader, you’re a role model for a little kid.”

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