Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA Blogs from Sri Lanka

Jesuit Father Kenneth Gavin, the Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, is in Sri Lanka this week for a meeting of JRS Regional Directors. He will be writing daily updates on what it is like in Sri Lanka, seven months after the end of a devastating civil war that left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. You can read Fr. Gavin's dispatches from Sri Lanka at the JRS/USA blog here.

And You Welcomed Me: Migration and Catholic Social Teaching

As men of faith, Jesuits believe in the inherent dignity of all human life. Informed by this belief, the Jesuit Conference of the United States has a duty to work for comprehensive immigration reform, keeping the plight of migrants in our country at the forefront of the nation’s conscience.

Thought leaders in the Catholic community recently came together to create a new book with the aim of reframing the migration discussion by focusing on the human beings at the heart of it. Edited by Jill Marie Gerschutz, Migration Policy Director of the Jesuit Conference and Donald Kerwin, Vice President for Programs at the Migration Policy Institute, the book, “And You Welcomed Me” provides a crucial underpinning to the complex phenomenon of migration from the perspectives of law, sociology, economics, international relations and theology. The book highlights the values of the common good, human dignity and authentic development. 

Remembering 20 Years Later: Jesuits Murdered in El Salvador

On Nov. 16, 1989, six Jesuits, along with a housekeeper and her daughter, were killed by members of the El Salvadoran military at the University of Central America Pastoral Center in San Salvador. Killed in the attack were Ignacio Ellacuria, S.J., 59; Amando Lopez, S.J., 53; Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, S.J., 71; Ignacio Martín-Baró, S.J., 50; Juan Ramon Moreno, S.J., 56; Segundo Montes, S.J., 56; Julia Elba Ramos, 42, the housekeeper of the Jesuit residence, and her daughter Cecilia Ramos, 15.

 

The Jesuits had been labeled subversives by the Salvadoran government for speaking out against its oppressive socioeconomic structure.  The clothing of the six Jesuit priests killed (photo above) are exhibited at the museum of the Central American University in San Salvador.

For more photos, visit our Flickr page.



(Photos courtesy of Catholic News Service)

Jesuit's Documentary about Immigrant Youth Part of Larger Immigration Project

 
Posada, an award-winning documentary film written, directed, and produced by Jesuit Father Mark McGregor is part of the Posadas Project, an initiative through which McGregor promotes education and advocacy for immigrants.  

Posada is McGregor's response to the American bishops' call for the Justice for Immigrants campaign. The documentary was inspired by Las Posadas, the annual Mexican Christmas celebration. Free viewings of the documentary, which focuses on the journeys of three boys and a mother who immigrate to the United States, have recently been shown in Phoenix and Los Angeles.

The film is available for purchase at www.LoyolaProductions.com and a trailer for the film can be viewed via the video below.

Former Jesuit, Congressman Cao Discusses Using Ignatian Discernment to Reach Health Care Vote Decision

A Vietnamese-born lawyer, the first Vietnamese-American to be elected to Congress, and a former Jesuit seminarian, Anh "Joseph" Cao is the current U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and was the lone Republican to vote for landmark health care reform on November 7, 2009.

Cao spoke with National Jesuit News about the process of discernment that he uses in reaching decisions as a U.S. congressman, how those decisions are grounded in his background in Ignatian spirituality and why he didn’t chose the party line in voting for health care reform.

Our Q&A with Congressman Cao is below:

National Jesuit News: As a Jesuit scholastic, you experienced the Spiritual Exercises, a foundational piece of Ignatian spirituality from Jesuit founder Ignatius Loyola. Now, as a congressman, do you find that you use the Ignatian principles of discernment as you reach your political decisions? Has a grounding in Ignatian spirituality helped shape your political decision making process? 

Cao: I still use the Ignatian methods almost every day, from examination of conscience back to the methods of the 30 day retreat. I do that very often. Using the whole process of discernment to see where the Sprit is moving me has been extremely important, especially in my recent decision to support the health care reform plan. The Jesuit emphasis on social justice, the fact that we have to advocate for the poor, for the widow, for those who cannot help themselves, plays a very significant part. But at the end of the day, I believe that it’s up to, at least from my perspective, understanding what does my conscience say, how is the Spirit moving me. I use that almost every day in my decision making process. The issues that we contend with in Congress affect every single person here in the United States, so I want to make sure that my decisions are based on good principles and good morals.

For example, right before the [health care] vote, I actually went to Mass and I prayed. And the theme of the day was one of the readings from Isaiah. The priest gave the homily about be not afraid, so I really felt a personal touch during this homily, that this homily was meant for me. I was going through a lot of turmoil, debating on what was the right decision, knowing the fact that if I were to vote ‘yes’, I would be the most hated Republican in the country. [laughs]. So, it was a tough discernment process but I felt during the Mass that it was speaking directly to me. It gave me the strength to say ‘yes, you have to make the right decision’ and ‘be not afraid’ to do it because ‘I will go before you’ so that is why I supported the bill knowing the fact that I would be the only one. 

National Jesuit News: As the lone Republican to vote in support of the health care bill, you showed what many would call courage and independence. Even getting elected in a predominately Democratic area shows your uniqueness. What gives you the strength to follow the path that you’ve decided for yourself?

Cao: The question, ultimately, is ‘what is God’s will for me in my life?’ I see everything in life as a gift. I’m not too attached to my position. I’m not too attached to being a U.S. congressman. I see myself as being there to serve God, to do what is God’s will in my life, and if things happen to change, the next year or two, then I’m pretty happy and pretty satisfied. That’s how I approach my life, one day at a time and make sure that each and every day, what I do is according to how God’s will is for me on that day.

National Jesuit News: The health care debate could at times be very divisive, especially around the matter of abortion. The Bishops lobbied heavily around the legislation when it came to abortion policies in regards to health care. What are your thoughts on how Catholics should approach the health care issue?

Cao: We need health care reform because the reform process is intended to help those who cannot help themselves. But also we have to make sure that some of our core moral values are not compromised and that was the drawing line for me. No matter what happens, strong anti-abortion language has to be included in the bill. I stated several months back that by supporting the bill, it would probably mean the end of my political career, but I just cannot support a bill that would go against my moral conscience. I would not support a bill that would support federal funding of abortion. During the negotiations, I made that specifically clear to the House leadership that we cannot support any reform bill that would provide federal funding for abortion. 

Former Jesuit Seminarian Congressman Cao Talks About the Lasting Legacy of the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador

Anh "Joseph" Cao is the current U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and was the only Republican to vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act on November 7, 2009. Last December, Cao defeated nine-term Democratic U.S. Representative William Jefferson, in a district that hasn’t elected a Republican since 1890.

A Vietnamese-born lawyer, the first Vietnamese-American to be elected to Congress, and a former Jesuit seminarian, Cao talked with National Jesuit News about why he spoke in support of a recent House bill commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador. On today's anniversary of the murders of the six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador 20 years ago, we are publishing the interview with Cao on what the legacy of the Jesuit martyrs has meant to him.

Tomorrow, we will publish more from our interview with Cao, including his answers to using the Ignatian process of discernment in reaching tough decisions as a U.S. congressman, how those decisions are grounded in his background in Ignatian spirituality and why he didn’t chose the party line in voting for landmark health care reform.

National Jesuit News:You recently spoke in support of H.Res. 761 to commemorate the lives and work of the Jesuits and their housekeepers who were killed 20 years ago in El Salvador. During your speech, you mentioned that they had greatly impacted you and your decision to become a Jesuit. Can you talk about their legacy and their impact on you?

Cao: It was 1989 when that happened, and I was a junior in college then. And I was discerning at that time whether to become a priest. When I read the news about the Jesuits in El Salvador and what they were doing, I basically decided at that moment that I would want to join the Society of Jesus because of the courage of these priests, these people that worked in a foreign land, to become missionaries, to do the will of God in those foreign lands, it just really touched me. I believe it was at that particular part of my life when I decided, yes, this is what I want to be and I contacted a Jesuit that I knew and asked him what was the process to enter the Society.

Watch below to see Cao's speech on the House floor in support of the H.Res. 761commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador.

El Salvador Remembers Jesuit Martyrs on 20 Year Anniversary of Their Murders

El Salvador is marking the today's 20th anniversary of the Jesuit Massacre of 1989, when government troops murdered six prominent Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter. Click here to see pictures from the commemorative activities in the country.

Jesuit Apostolates Commemorate 20th Anniversary of Six Jesuits Murdered in El Salvador

(Courtesy Scranton Univ.)

On Nov. 16, 1989, six Jesuits, along with a housekeeper and her daughter, were killed by members of the El Salvadoran military at the University of Central America Pastoral Center in San Salvador. The Jesuits had been labeled subversives by the Salvadoran government for speaking out against its oppressive socioeconomic structure.

To mark the 20th anniversary of their murders, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution 761, "Remembering and commemorating the lives and work of (the Jesuit Fathers, their housekeeper and her daughter) on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their deaths at the University of Central America Jose Simeon Canas in San Salvador, El Salvador." The resolution was sponsored by Rep. James McGovern (D) of Massachusetts.

Killed in the attack were Ignacio Ellacuria, S.J., 59; Amando Lopez, S.J., 53; Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, S.J., 71; Ignacio Martín-Baró, S.J., 50; Juan Ramon Moreno, S.J., 56; Segundo Montes, S.J., 56; Julia Elba Ramos, 42, the housekeeper of the Jesuit residence, and her daughter Cecilia Ramos, 15.

In remembrance of those who lost their lives, various Jesuit apostolates, including colleges, universities and parishes, are commemorating November 16th, 2009 with memorials, Masses and religious services. A list of institutions participating appear below with events listed if available. Please check back regularly as this list is ever growing.

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan Continues Book Tour at Jesuit Schools Across the Country

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan speaks at Boston College (Courtesy Alice Poltorick)

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan’s appearances at Jesuit schools across the country continues with appearance this Saturday at Georgetown University, Wednesday at University of San Francisco and Thursday at Loyola Marymount University. Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan, author of Say You’re One of Them, the current Oprah’s Book Club selection, is visiting Jesuit colleges and universities across the country to discuss his book, the intersection of spirituality and art, and his life as a Jesuit priest and author. Fr. Akpan’s talks, which will include a reading from his collection of short stories that were recently #1 on the New York Times list for fiction, will be free and open to the public.

After his participation in a live, in-depth discussion about his book with Oprah Winfrey and Anderson Cooper that was simulcast on Oprah.com and CNN.com, Fr. Akpan appeared this week at Loyola Chicago and Boston College. If you missed the webcast, you can watch Oprah and Say You're One of Them author Uwem Akpan and their in-depth discussion about his book, the challenges facing children in Africa and more here.
 

Saturday, November 14, 2009 1:30pm Georgetown University Riggs Library 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Washington, D.C.	Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:00 pm University of San Francisco Xavier Hall, inside Fromm Hall 2053 Fulton St San Francisco, Calif.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 4:00pm Loyola Marymount University William H. Hannon Library Von der Ahe Family Suite Room 322 1 LMU Drive Los Angeles, Calif.

Cristo Rey “Take Your Teacher to Work Day” Puts Teachers in Corporate Offices

Jesuit Father John Swope gets tips on mail delivery at M&T Bank from student Allan Johnson (Courtesy National Examiner) 

If you know Cristo Rey Jesuit High School , you know about its Corporate Internship Program (CIP) which helps makes a private, college preparatory education affordable to young men and women living in some of Baltimore’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Through CIP, the school's 273students contribute toward the cost of their education by working five full days each month in entry-level positions at one of 66 businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout Baltimore.

Last week, 26 Cristo Rey Jesuit teachers and administrators "shadowed" students in corporate offices throughout the Baltimore area, in the school’s first “Take Your Teacher to Work Day.”

Jesuit Father John W. Swope, president of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, who worked at M&T Bank on Friday, under the guidance of junior, Allan Johnson, Jr. said, "Allan and other Cristo Rey Jesuit students who work at M&T Bank take on real responsibilities for projects. In doing so, they learn critical skills for work, college and life."  

Read more about Cristo Rey Jesuit's “Take Your Teacher to Work Day” here.

Bestselling Jesuit Author of Say You’re One of Them Plans Book Tour at Jesuit Colleges and Universities across the Nation

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan (Courtesy Uwem Akpan)

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan, author of Say You’re One of Them, the current Oprah’s Book Club selection, will visit five Jesuit colleges and universities across the country to discuss his book, the intersection of spirituality and art, and his life as a Jesuit priest and author. Fr. Akpan’s talks, which will include a reading from his collection of short stories that were recently #1 on the New York Times list for fiction, will be free and open to the public, and will be held on the campuses of Loyola University Chicago, Boston College, Georgetown University, University of San Francisco and Loyola Marymount University.

Father Akpan’s appearances at Jesuit schools across the country will take place shortly after his participation in a live, in-depth discussion about his book with Oprah Winfrey and Anderson Cooper that will be simulcast on Oprah.com and CNN.com. Details of the event, which will take place on Monday, November 9, at 9 p.m. EST, can be found at www.oprah.com/bookclub. RSVP in advance of Monday night’s live web event by visiting the Oprah.com website.

Book Tour Schedule

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 2:30 p.m. Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Sullivan Center Galvin Auditorium  6339 N Sheridan Rd Chicago, Ill.	Thursday, November 12, 2009 7:30 p.m. Boston College School of Theology & Ministry Brighton Campus 9 Lake Street, Room 100 Boston, Mass.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 1:30pm Georgetown University Riggs Library 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Washington, D.C.	Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:00 pm University of San Francisco Xavier Hall, inside Fromm Hall 2053 Fulton St San Francisco, Calif.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 4:00pm Loyola Marymount University William H. Hannon Library Von der Ahe Family Suite Room 322 1 LMU Drive Los Angeles, Calif.

Two additional free and open-to-the-public book events will be taking place with Father Akpan in New York and Philadelphia. On Wednesday, November 11, at 4:30p.m., the New York Theological Seminary will be hosting a reading at their Interfaith Center, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y. On Tuesday, November 17, at 7:30 p.m., Father Akpan will speak along with author and fellow Oprah Book Club^® author, David Wroblewski at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Montgomery Auditorium, 1901 Vine St., Philadelphia, Pa.

Below is a recent CNN.com video with Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan from Nigeria:  

 

Jesuit Building a ‘Trialogue’ Among Three Great Religions

Jesuit Father Patrick Ryan

by Peter Feuerherd
New York Province of the Society of Jesus

As he sat, literally and figuratively, in the chair of the late Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., Jesuit Father Patrick Ryan, S.J., reflected about following in the footsteps of a Catholic theological giant.

Father Ryan, 70, occupies the office and holds the chair as the Laurence J. McGinley professor of religion and society at Fordham University, a position held by Cardinal Dulles from 1988 until his death in 2008. A former student of Cardinal Dulles, Father Ryan, in the afterglow of Vatican II’s outreach to non-Christians, was urged by the theologian to pursue doctoral studies in comparative religion at Harvard.

He responded with a doctoral dissertation based in part on his own experience in Nigeria. As a young Jesuit teacher in Nigeria, Father Ryan got to know the Yoruba people, a group roughly half Christian and half Muslim, who have long experienced interfaith understanding.

Jesuit Father Jim Conroy Talks with Busted Halo About How St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises Continue to Transform Lives

Jesuit Father Jim Conroy (Courtesy Busted Halo)

If you were able to conduct a free association exercise among Catholics, the term “Jesuit” would most likely evoke responses like “educators,” “intelligent,” “worldly” and perhaps even “liberal.” But as the largest male religious order in the Catholic church, the Society of Jesus—as the Jesuits are officially known—has nearly 20,000 members spread out across 112 nations around the globe who are involved in an endless variety of work ranging from education and pastoral ministry to medicine, the law, social justice etc. The one common bond that ties this diverse international group together however is their experience of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

Formulated in the early 16th century after Ignatius of Loyola’s conversion, the Spiritual Exercises represent Ignatius’ gradual understanding—through prayer—of how God worked in his daily life. It is a powerful tradition that enables people to understand their relationship with the divine through their own unique experiences in the world. While all Jesuits are required to do the Exercises in a 30-day silent retreat at the beginning of their formation, countless others—religious and lay alike—feel drawn to Ignatius’ spiritual insights and do the Exercises as well. The Jesuit Collaborative is a an East coast organization, headed by Jesuit Father Jim Conroy, whose mission is to promote the Spiritual Exercises outside the Society of Jesus. In an interview with Busted Halo, Fr. Conroy discusses the origins of Ignatius’ approach to prayer and why young seekers looking to make sense of their world are often drawn to it. Read his interview here.

Jesuit Father Tom Reese Discusses the Catholic Approach to Immigration Reform at Georgetown/On Faith's Blog

Jesuit Father Tom Reese, Senior Fellow at Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, regularly contributes to the Georgetown/On Faith blog, a partnership between Georgetown University and Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive designed to provide knowledge, inform debate and promote greater dialogue and understanding across religious traditions.

In this week's blog post, Fr. Reese highlights discussions that took place at last night's Woodstock Forum "Honoring Human Dignity and the Common Good: A Catholic Approach to Immigration Reform". The forum was moderated by Jill Marie Gerschutz, migration policy director and outreach coordinator for the Jesuit Conference of the United States, who with Donald M. Kerwin, Jr.,vice president for programs at the Migration Policy Institute, edited And You Welcomed Me: Migration and Catholic Social Thought. 

Here is an excerpt from Fr. Reese's latest post:

Octavio Gonzalez, a graduate of Georgetown University, would be picking corn and raising a few cattle in El Teul de Gonzalez, Mexico, if his father had not illegally trekked across the hills at the U.S.-Mexico border near San Ysidro, California, in 1969. 

Mr. Gonzalez never planned to stay permanently in the U.S., but he wanted something better for his children after he married a woman who had also crossed into the U.S. illegally after being turned back by a border guard who refused to let her cross even though she had a valid visa. 

"As much as they both wanted to stay with their families in Mexico, it was becoming clear to them that their aspirations for their children would not be possible living in Mexico," Octavio explained to a forum sponsored by the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University on Tuesday. "If they stayed to raise a family in Mexico, their children, like them, would go to school six months out of the year and work the fields on the ranch. We would certainly never get the opportunity to study through college."

The Gonzalez family story exemplifies that "A migrant is a person possessed by a dream, just like you and me," as Bishop Gerald Kicanas, vice president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, told a Georgetown audience last month. "They're trying to improve their lives, live their lives with some dignity, with some semblance of value and meaning."

Speaking at the same forum as Octavio Gonzalez, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick explained why the Catholic Church supports comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship. The church's teaching on immigration is based on the fact that "We are all brothers and sisters in God's one family," he said. Or as Pope Benedict XVI said in his latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate: "Every migrant is a human person who, as such, possesses fundamental, inalienable rights that must be respected by everyone and in every circumstance."

Read more of Fr. Reese's post here.

Jesuit Author Publishes First Fully Interpretive Biography of Lakota Indian Visionary

Since its publication in 1932, Black Elk Speaks has moved countless readers to appreciate the American Indian world that it described. John Neihardt’s popular narrative addressed the youth and early adulthood of Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux religious elder. Jesuit Father Michael F. Steltenkamp now provides the first full interpretive biography of Black Elk, distilling in one volume what is known of this American Indian wisdom keeper whose life has helped guide others.

Nicholas Black Elk: Medicine Man, Missionary, Mystic shows that the holy-man was not the dispirited traditionalist commonly depicted in literature, but a religious thinker whose outlook was positive and whose spirituality was not limited solely to traditional Lakota precepts. Combining in-depth biography with its cultural context, the author depicts a more complex Black Elk than has previously been known: a world traveler who participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn yet lived through the beginning of the atomic age.

Boston College Remembers the 20th Anniversary of Murders of Jesuits in El Salvador

Jesuit Father J. Donald Monan (Courtesy Boston College)

Boston College will hold two events in November marking the 20th anniversary of the murders of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter on the grounds of the Jesuit community at the University of Central America in El Salvador.

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m., Gasson 100: Boston College Chancellor Jesuit Father J. Donald Monan will moderate a program titled "Living Legacies: the 20th Anniversary of the Martyrs of El Salvador." The panel will include Jesuit Father Rodolfo Cardenal, former vice rector at the University of Central America who lived with the six Jesuits; Elizabeth Lira, a faculty member and director of the Centro de Etica at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile; and US Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), who as an aide to the late US Rep. Joseph Moakley (D-Mass.) was instrumental in reshaping American policy toward the nation where the murders occurred.

Monday, Nov. 30, 4:30 p.m., Robsham Theater: Fr. Monan will moderate a discussion with historian Noam Chomsky and University of Central America co-founder Jesuit Father Jon Sobrino — who was away from the Jesuit residence the night of the murders — titled "Memory and Its Strength: The Martyrs of El Salvador."

Fr. Monan, who was president of Boston College at the time of the killings, worked tirelessly to marshal the Jesuits' response to the murders, urging the United States Congress to pressure the Salvadoran government to bring the killers to justice.

Homeboy Industries Founder Jesuit Father Greg Boyle Highlighted on CatholicTV

 Jesuit Father Greg Boyle

This week, CatholicTV will air a special program which highlights Catholics putting their faith into action, called Faith Works Across the USA (Faith Works). Faith Works takes a look at numerous Catholic ministries and the lay persons, priests and religious involved. These ministries include Homeboy Industries, an organization which works with formerly gang-involved youth to help them with job placement, training and education. Jesuit Father Greg Boyle founded Homeboy Industries and shares his personal experiences with CatholicTV during the Faith Works program.

CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television network headquartered near Boston. CatholicTV streams its broadcast simultaneously, 24 hours a day at www.CatholicTV.com . Air times for CatholicTV Presents each week are (EST): Monday 2:00PM Tuesday 10:30PM Wednesday 4:00PM Thursday 6:30AM Friday 9:30PM Saturday 10:30AM and Sunday 2:00AM. 

AJCU President Jesuit Father Currie Honored with “Robert M. Holstein: Faith Doing Justice” Award

Jesuit Father Charles Currie (Courtesy AJCU)

On October 20, the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) presented Jesuit Father Charles Currie, president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), with the “Robert M. Holstein Award: Faith Doing Justice” award.  Fr. Currie was the first recipient of the award, which recognizes an individual who exhibits a commitment to the Ignatian values of leadership, service and social justice.

Among those in attendance at the event were Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Alan Mollohan (D-WV), who offered their congratulations to Fr. Currie for his leadership and his work on behalf of social justice.

 “I have never met a man more committed to social justice, and all causes that are good, than my dear friend Charlie Currie,” said Congressman McGovern. “His work with the Ignatian Solidarity Network inspires new generations to serve all humanity.”

“Whether he is ministering to our individual needs – attending to us when we’re born, when we marry, when we fall ill, and when we die – or pursuing social justice in the larger world, Father Currie is a priest’s priest,” said Congressman Mollohan. “He’s a man of uncommon strength and profound compassion.  He carries with him both a vision of a better world and a commitment to make that vision reality.”

Read more about  Fr. Currie's acceptance of the Robert M. Holstein Award at AJCU's website.

Jesuit Message Drives Detroit's Last Catholic School

University of Detroit Jesuit High School (Courtesy Time) 

Lunch period at an inner-city all-boys school is an event associated with the sounds of chaos, not classical music. And yet there are definitely strains of Beethoven coming from the piano in the cafeteria at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. Behind the pianist, another student waits patiently for his turn. Upstairs in the art room, a senior is using the lunch hour to apply more brushstrokes to a portrait. A few kids are playing pickup ball in the gym, but more are crowded in the library. 

In a city where 47% of adults are functionally illiterate and only 25% of high school freshmen make it to graduation, U of D is the chute through which bright young men can get to college. The school boasts a near perfect graduation rate and sends 99% of its graduates on to higher education. 

Catholic high schools have long provided a way out for high-achieving urban students. But in Detroit, most Catholic schools either closed down or left the city decades ago, after the race riots in 1967, when white Catholics fled to the suburbs and the city's population dropped by half. Only the Jesuits stayed, maintaining U of D's imposing stone structure on the corner of 7 Mile and Cherrylawn. The Catholic order is known for its education systems and its missionary work. In Detroit, they have become one and the same.

Read more about the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy in Time's "Assignment Detroit" special feature.