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September 1, 2009 |
Jesuit Serves as Principal Celebrant at Kennedy FuneralFr J Donald Monan SJ, Boston College Chancellor, was principal celebrant of the funeral Mass for Senator Edward M Kennedy. Cardinal Sean P O'Malley of Boston presided at the funeral.
Monan, Boston College’s longest serving president, from 1972 to 1996, said, "I have known Sen. Kennedy for 35 years as a close friend, as a trustee of Boston College and a person who certainly was one of the strongest advocates for the value of higher education. It is an honor to me to celebrate the Mass,"
Kennedy was not a BC alumnus, but he received an honorary law degree there in 1966 and served as a university trustee from 1976 to 1991. JFK also received an honorary degree from BC, in 1956, and RFK received an honorary degree there in 1960. [Source: www.boston.com; Photo: Boston College]
The National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility (NJCIR), which advocates for corporate behavior consistent with Catholic social teaching, recently released its 2009 report on socially responsible investing.
The report is available on Company’s web site at: www.companymagazine.org/media/responsibleinvesting.pdf
[Jesuit Conference]
Jesuit Bishop George Murry of Youngtown, Ohio, has announced his opposition to local Catholic congressman Tim Ryan’s “Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act” (H.R. 3312).
“This act is based on the mistaken belief that greater access to contraception reduces abortions and, in addition, some contraceptives may have an abortifacient effect,” writes Bishop Murry. “Numerous studies as well as life experiences have shown that taxpayer support of contraception does not reduce unintended pregnancies and abortions.” [www.catholicculture.org]
Nestucca Sanctuary, an Oregon Province retreat ministry, was closed this past May. For over 25 years the sanctuary provided an opportunity for many to experience Ignatian spirituality in a natural setting.
A Company magazine story on the sanctuary is on the web at www.companymagazine.org/v234/su06sitkaspruce.pdf. [Oregon Province]
The 7th Congress of the World Union of Jesuits Alumni/ae was held in Bujumbura, Burundi, in July.
Participants came from all over the world for the congress, which had a theme of “For a better Africa: What have we done, what are we doing, what must we do?”
The event was preceded by a weeklong program of spiritual experiences, which included visits to centers for AIDS orphans and hospitals.
Jesuit Father General Adolfo Nicolás SJ attended part of the congress and also met with religious and civil authorities of Burundi. [www.sjweb.info]
The Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest reports 101 volunteers for the 2009-10 service term, a 40 percent increase from last year.
JVC Northwest Director Jeanne Haster said the job market has prompted some young people to follow a path of service, but she also credited the generosity of the generation, which has grown up doing service work.
President Barack Obama's call for people to get involved in community service also has resonated deeply, she said. [Catholic News Service]
Fr Greg Boyle SJ is considering closing Homeboy Industries, his ministry that gives former gang members a second chance in Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press.
The economic recession has resulted in the loss of about 40 percent of the nonprofit's $9 million annual budget. Fr Boyle has received about $200,000 through online donations.
He is considering shutting down the services—counseling, legal aid, and classes—and continuing to run the businesses if they generate enough revenue to cover operations, according to the AP.
Homeboy Industries is on the web at www.homeboy-industries.org.
Company magazine has several stories on Homeboy Industries:
www.companysj.com/v161/homeboy.html
www.companymagazine.org/v264/SU09.Homegirl.pdf
Two California Jesuit institutions, Santa Clara University and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, have agreed to integrate in an effort to draw upon the academic and theological strengths of both.
Under the arrangement, the Jesuit School of Theology will remain in Berkeley and while becoming a school of Santa Clara University—the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University.
"This partnership solidifies and fortifies SCU and JST in their shared goal of engaging in global theological study, contextual education, and justice-oriented ministry," said Santa Clara University president Fr Michael Engh SJ. "It will also help ensure a continued, strong Jesuit presence at SCU."
The theology school will remain a member of the nine-school ecumenical Graduate Theological Union, which operates a major theological library and the largest doctoral program in theology in the United States. [Catholic News Service/US Conference of Catholic Bishops]
Marquette University and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) recently announced a national partnership that will give educational opportunities to outstanding young people.
Marquette will provide up to three full-tuition scholarships each year to winners of BGCA’s Youth of the Year program. Each scholarship, renewable for four years, is valued at more than $110,000. The first scholarships will be awarded to freshmen in fall 2010. [Source: Marquette University]
Xavier University’s School of Nursing has won a grant of almost $1.5 million from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The largest federal grant in the Xavier’s history, it was awarded through the department's Health Resources and Services Administration’s Nurse Education, Practice and Retention program, which addresses the nursing shortage by funding projects that strengthen and enhance the capacity for educating and retaining nurses.
The three-year project will use high-definition video conferencing to provide master’s level education and continuing education credits to nurses working in rural areas. [Xavier University]
Loyola University New Orleans business students spent three weeks in July studying in China, as a result of Loyola and the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies working together to offer the study abroad program.
Students studied contemporary Chinese history, culture, and business in Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai. The program was balanced with cultural visits, including the Great Wall and the Summer Palace.
“Western media depict China as a unified communist state bristling to dominate this new century,” said MBA student Brian Danos. “However, when you visit the Middle Kingdom you do not find one cohesive China, but many Chinas all uniquely blazing a path between the appearance of socialism and street-level 'hypercapitalism'.” [Loyola University New Orleans]
Cristo Rey Jesuit College Prep in Houston began its first school year on August 10, welcoming more than 80 students from economically disadvantaged communities in the city.
The school year starts off with a four-week Corporate Work-Study Training Camp to prepare students for success in the workplace, as students help finance their education through entry-level positions in businesses throughout Houston, including Catholic Charities, the University of Houston, and Wells Fargo.
To view a slideshow of photos from the first day of school go to www.cristoreyhouston.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76:the-first-day-in-pictures&catid=6:newsitems&Itemid=18.
To read the Summer 2009 Company story on the Cristo Rey Network go to www.companymagazine.org/v264/SU09.Work.Study.pdf [Cristo Rey Jesuit College Prep]
Wheeling Jesuit University Board of Trustees announced the departure of Fr Julio Giulietti SJ as president on August 5, 2009. Fr Giulietti came to Wheeling after having served as Director of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Boston College and Director of Georgetown University's Center for Intercultural Education and Development.
Wheeling University’s Board of Directors will form a search committee to select a new president. Until an interim president is selected, current university vice president J. Davitt McAteer will serve as acting president.
www.wju.edu/about/adm_news_story.asp?iNewsID=3099&strBack=%2FDefault.asp
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