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JESUIT CONNECTIONSStephanie Ibemere,PhD, RNCreighton president Fr. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ, (left)with board of trustees chair Mike McCarthy (right)Creighton University Receives 25 Million Gift to EstablishGlobal Medical ProgramCreighton University is set to become thelargest Catholic health sciences educator inthe United States. The university has receiveda transformational 25 million gift from ananonymous foundation to establish the ArrupeGlobal Scholars and Partnerships Program.Named for Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, 28thSuperior General of the Society of Jesus andfounder of the Jesuit Refugee Service, theprogram seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of the international poor and to educatefuture servant-leader physicians. The giftwill support 10 cohorts of 12 students fromCreighton’s medical programs in both Omahaand Phoenix over 10 years beginning in 2022.Arrupe Global Scholars will earn a medicaldegree while working alongside internationalhealth care workers and Creighton facultyon multiyear projects aimed at addressingsignificant health challenges in locationsaround the world.“Creighton is known for producingphysicians committed to the Jesuit value ofcaring for the whole patient—mind, body, andspirit. Our graduates then go on to careers inwhich service for and with others is centralto their practices,” said Michael Kavan, PhD,associate dean for student affairs at theCreighton University School of Medicine.“The Arrupe Global Scholars and PartnershipsProgram will build upon this foundation informing future doctors who consciously andcompassionately care for some of the world’smost vulnerable populations.”Hometown: Tulsa, OKSchool(s) Attended: Xavier University andUniversity of CincinnatiProfession: Postdoctoral Fellow-NurseScientistHow did you get involved with the Jesuits?I first learned about the Jesuits during mycollege search. Once I was accepted toXavier University, I remember seeing thecourse requirements for my degrees, andI thought, “This is going to be quite theexperience.” Getting to take philosophy,theology, and ethics-related courses as ascience major produced an environmentin which I could begin my process ofaddressing health inequities. The idea ofliving our lives as human beings in solidarityfor and with others enlivened my spirit,as this is a paradigm I was familiar withfrom my Nigerian background and in theSouth African philosophy of Ubuntu. As Igrew in my understanding of science, myinvolvement with the Jesuits increasedmy understanding of myself, my role in thegreater community, and how my hopes for amore just world could be realized.How have the Jesuits impacted your life?The Jesuits and their teachings have reallybecome part of my life “scaffolding.” If Iwere to name one Jesuit in particular, itwould be Fr. Al Bischoff, SJ. Seeing him oncampus always meant I was going to have agood day. He really is an embodiment of howto show compassion and genuine interestin your fellow human being. From him, Ilearned what it means to ask the question,“How are you?” and to take the time tolisten to the response. My experience asan undergraduate solidified my decisionto return and complete a second-degreenursing program as a graduate student. Itwas in this program I learned more aboutthe value of cura personalis and magis, bothvalues I had seen in Fr. B but hadn’t trulyunderstood.How do you bring Jesuit values into theworkplace?While at Xavier, I was selected to be astudent participant for the Guatemalainterfaith medical service trip founded in theformer Office of Interfaith and CommunityEngagement by Rabbi Abie Ingber. After atransformative experience in the westernhighlands of Guatemala, I was asked tojoin the medical team as its triage nurse.This opportunity galvanized my opportunityto engage in “service rooted in justice andlove,” through the value of cura personalis.My involvement in this work also rekindledmy deepest desire of learning more aboutcreating justice in global health so that Icould return to West Africa and partnerwith local communities who wished to buildhealthcare capacity. Much of my researchand activism is influenced by my time atXavier and Jesuit values. My research focusis aimed at improving health inequitiesrooted in social injustices affecting ourglobal family.Jesuits A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts Spring 2021 Page 3

SPECIAL: IGNATIAN YEARFrom WorldlyCavalier toLimpingPilgrim toSpiritual LeaderBy Amy KorpiSociety of Jesusprepares torediscover itsfounder’s legacyand inspirationduring “IgnatianYear”May 20, 2021—the 500th anniversaryof the date a cannonball hitIñigo de Loyola and forever changedhis life—the Society of Jesus and theIgnatian family will start a worldwidecelebration: the Ignatian Year. Thisjubilee will include March 12, 2022, (the400th anniversary of the canonizationof St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. FrancisXavier), and end with St. Ignatius’s feastday on July 31, 2022.The Portuguese Province will be publishing aPortuguese translation of the comic on the life of St.Ignatius, in collaboration with the youth ministry ofthe province. The original is in German: Ignatius - Aufder Suche nach mehr (Ignatius - Looking for More).Father Arturo Sosa, Superior Generalof the Society of Jesus, has said, “It is myhope and desire that we can work togetheramong the entireIgnatian familyto celebrate thisyear, rediscoverIGNATIUS 500our roots, andthus renewourselves and our outlook to the world.”He has called the Ignatian Year anopportunity for people today to have anexperience of conversion—to considerthe “cannonball moments” in our ownlives, through which we might hear Godcalling us to transform our own mission.The theme of the celebration is “tosee all things new in Christ.” Activitieswill aim to deepen the Ignatian family’sunderstanding of and focus on theUniversal Apostolic Preferences—thepreferences that orient the Society ofJesus toward areas that are vital for ourworld today.WHAT IS A CANNONBALLMOMENT?Sometimes epiphanies come fromunexpected moments, and a perceivedPa g e 4 Jesuits A pu b l i c a ti on of the Mi d w es t Je s u i ts Spri ng 2 0 2 1

SPECIAL: IGNATIAN YEARCatholic Life Communities will organize a worldmeeting of youth entitled “Embrace the World inan Ignatian Way.” The meeting will take place inLoyola, Spain, and will be broadcast completelyonline July 29–31. Details will be shared on oursocial media and website later this spring.failure prompts a new way of life.Such was the case for Ignatius. Inwhat is now known as his “cannonballmoment,” Ignatius experienced acalamity that marked the beginning ofa new purpose—a spiritual journey ofconversion to follow Christ more closely,and, ultimately, a catalyst to establish theSociety of Jesus.THE STORY IN BRIEFFrom the time he was young, Ignatiushad been a vain courtier seeking militaryprowess, excitement, material wealth, andglory. While he was a practicing Catholic,he fashioned himself more as a soldierand a ladies’ man—an ambitious knighton the move in sixteenth-century Europe.That was until the Battle of Pamplona.While fighting for the Spanish against aFrench army, Ignatius—who was by thena captain of infantry—convinced somecompatriots that they must hold out, eventhough the cause was hopeless and mostothers had given up. Then, after a sixhour bombardment, an event took placethat would change Ignatius’s life forever:a cannonball shattered one of his kneesand severely wounded the other.Fortunately, the French admired hiscourage. Instead of taking him to prison,they treated his injuries and carried himto the castle of Loyola. When doctorsrealized his leg was not healing properly,they broke it again and reset it. By thispoint, his strength began to fail, andhe received last rites. Amazingly, hesurvived.But all was still not well. Because ofthe way his bones settled, one protrudedbelow the knee. He “could not bear this,”according to his autobiography, “sincehe intended to live a life at court.” So, heasked for the bone to be cut off.Although the doctors warned Ignatiusthat “it would cause him more sufferingthan all that had preceded,” vanityprevailed, and he endured the torture.As Ignatius recovered, he becamebored and restless and asked for someromance novels to pass the time. All thatcould be found were The Life of Christand Flowers of the Saints. While thesereadings caused him to meditate more onholy things, he still returned to “what heshould do in honor of an illustrious lady.”This doesn’t sound like the St. Ignatiuswe know today, does it?But God works patiently. Thosereadings about the life of Jesus andthe saints began to make inroads intoIgnatius’s way of thinking.As his autobiography tells us,eventually his “eyes were opened to thevanity of life and the reality of eternitycompared with the worldliness of the lifehe had been leading ”His transformation was underway, andthe question was now how to live outhis new purpose. He set off by himself,first as an ascetic in Spain and then as apilgrim to the Holy Land. Forced to gohome by the authorities in Jerusalem,however, his second career evaporated.Ignatius was persistent, though. As hesays in his autobiography, after learning“that it was God’s will that he shouldnot stay in Jerusalem, he pondered inhis heart what he should do and finallydecided to study for a time in order to beable to help souls.”He began with elementary grammarlessons and moved on to studies at theuniversities of Alcalá and Salamanca.Eventually, he came to study at theUniversity of Paris, where he met fellowstudents, including Peter Faber andFrancis Xavier, who would become thefirst members of the Society of Jesus.“It took many setbacks, crises, andchallenges to form St. Ignatius out ofIñigo de Loyola,” Fr. Brian Paulson,SJ, provincial of the Midwest Jesuits,says. “But his cannonball moment hadan impact with great significance, notonly for Ignatius, or even the Jesuits, butfor all who have drawn from Ignatianspirituality in their own faith journey, andfor the Church at large. What perhapsis most important for us at this time,however, is the idea that we can allexperience events which trigger a formof conversion, a desire to see things newin Christ. In short, anyone can be hit by acannonball.” @Amy Korpi, a freelance writerwith two degrees from MarquetteUniversity, is now based in GreenBay, Wisconsin. She has beenworking with the Jesuits since1998.Jesuits A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts Spring 2021 Page 5

SPIRITUALITYThe Ignatian Legacy Fellows with undergraduatestudents at Santa Clara UniversityWhat Do You Askof Me Now, God?By Patrick KennedyThe retirement party has concluded,the new home office has been set up,but for what? So many retired or semiretired people who have experiencedrich careers, sticky problems to solve,people to care for, or businesses tobuild, find themselves asking the criticalquestion—what now? One person spokeof calculating how many days are lefton the earth for him (given the averageage of death for a male) and how manysubsequent hours. One person describedthe profound sense of loss of meaning andintention. Another spoke of flailing fromone possible new business to anotherand yet feeling empty. But the criticalquestion remained—how to best spendthose days.Ignatian Legacy Fellows is a newprogram that aims to help people findthose answers. The first cohorts havecome together six times over the courseof a calendar year to explore the meaningof retirement and the opportunities thatlie ahead. The program involves peermeetings, traveling to apostolates toexperience the global Jesuit mission,interacting with young people engagedin Jesuit-sponsored works, and makinga pilgrimage to walk in the steps of St.Ignatius of Loyola. The meaningfuljourney begins with a turn inward,is strengthened by peer support, andestablishes new relationships within thebroader community. It is an Ignatianinspired journey that invites people of allfaiths. As co-founder Mariann Salisburyaptly describes it, “It’s not retiring, it’srewiring.”The program has demonstrated earlysuccess, forming people who havefound new passions and reconnected toIgnatian spirituality. Participants describefeeling newly prepared for “doing”versus “being.” It inspires the nextpush to utilize one’s God-given talentsand energies for good. Father MichaelGaranzini, SJ, says, “It’s been a privilegefor me to accompany the Ignatian Fellowson their journey—a true pilgrimage withfriends and like-minded sojourners.We’ve become a supportive communityPa g e 6 Jesuits A pu b l i c a ti on of the Mi d w es t Je s u i ts Spri ng 2 0 2 1Mariann Salisbury andFr. Michael Garanzini, SJfrom almost day one. When we launchedthe program, we thought this might besomething for people with a great deal yetto give. The program fellows will tell youthat we’re meeting that need and goal.”John Fontana, co-founder of theIgnatian Legacy Fellows, says thatparticipants have found tremendouscomfort in working toward what theysee as their personal capstone project.He sums it up with yet another complexquestion, “Will I pass the final test?”For more information about theIgnatian Legacy Fellows, visit theirwebsite at LUC.edu/ILF or contactco-directors Mariann Salisbury atmsalisbury1@luc.edu or John Fontana atfontanjj3@gmail.com. @Patrick Kennedy, is a major giftofficer for the Midwest Jesuitsbased in Chicago. He is a native ofKankakee, Illinois, and a graduateof Villanova University and theUniversity of San Francisco.

RECONCILIATIONDescendants of Jesuit Slaveholdingand Jesuits of the United States AnnounceIHistoric Partnershipn a landmark undertaking in thepursuit of racial healing and justice,Descendants of ancestors enslavedand sold by the Jesuits, together withthe Jesuits of the United States, haveannounced a partnership to create theDescendants Truth & ReconciliationFoundation.The Foundation is a first-of-its-kindpartnership among the Descendants ofthe enslaved and the descendants of theenslavers. JPMorgan Chase is a supporterof this historic partnership.“For more than 400 years, ourcountry has denied the persistenthuman destruction caused by slaveryand the conscious and unconsciousracism that divides our communitiesand nation,” said Joseph Stewart, actingpresident of the Descendants Truth &Reconciliation Foundation and oneof more than 1,000 Descendants ofIsaac Hawkins, an enslaved man who,along with many other enslaved men,women, and children, was sold to saveGeorgetown University from financialruin. “After 182 years, Descendants andJesuits have come together in the spirit oftruth, racial healing, and reconciliation,uniquely positioning the DescendantsTruth & Reconciliation Foundation to setan example and lead America throughdismantling the remnants of slavery andmitigating the presence of racism. Ourpartnership will pursue and support thecreation of a new and abiding reality oflove and justice for all members of ourone humanity.”The Foundation is rooted in theevents of 1838, when 272 enslavedmen, women andchildren were soldby the Jesuit ownersof GeorgetownUniversity toplantation ownersin Louisiana. “Ourshameful history ofJesuit slaveholdingin the United Stateshas been taken offthe dusty shelf, and it can never be putback,” said Fr. Tim Kesicki, SJ, presidentof the Jesuit Conference of Canada andthe United States and former provincialof the Chicago-Detroit Province Jesuits.“Racism will endure in America if wecontinue to turn our heads away from thetruth of the past and how it affects us alltoday. The lasting effects of slavery calleach of us to do the work of truth andreconciliation. Without this joining ofhearts and hands in true unity, the cycleof hatred and inequality in America willnever end.”Citizens Bank of New Orleans, lateracquired by JPMorgan Chase, used the272 enslaved humans as collateral. TheFoundation has set up a trust for whichJPMorgan Chase will serve as a cotrustee and provide planning and adviceas well as other services. “The institutionof slavery and systemic racism are tragicparts of America’s history, and we have aresponsibility to drive sustainable changefor the people and communities who havebeen impacted by this bitter legacy,” saidBrian Lamb, the global head of diversityand inclusion at JPMorgan Chase.This announcement comes after severalDescendants Earl Williams Sr., Cheryllyn Branche,and Joseph Stewart, pictured with Father GeneralArturo Sosa, SJ, and Fr. Timothy Kesicki, SJyears of a powerful dialogue process.In April of 2017, Fr. Kesicki publiclyapologized for Jesuit slaveholding at aLiturgy of Memory, Contrition and Hopeat Georgetown University. In May of2017, about a year after learning of theirconnection to this tragic and sinful past,Descendant leaders petitioned Fr. ArturoSosa, SJ, Superior General of the Societyof Jesus, to respond.Father Sosa responded to theDescendants’ letter, writing, “Jesuitslaveholding in the United States, andin particular the sale of 272 enslavedpersons from the Jesuits in southernMaryland to purchasers in Louisiana,was both a sin and a betrayal becausethe Society robbed your ancestorsof their human dignity.” Father Sosacalled the US provincials to dialoguewith the Descendants. In the summer of2018, soon after receiving the SuperiorGeneral’s letter, Mr. Stewart called Fr.Kesicki, and the two met in person at Mr.Stewart’s home in Michigan.A life-long partnership and a sharedcommitment to transformation andconversion emerged from this process. @More information, including a video message from Midwest Jesuits Provincial V. Rev. Brian Paulson, is available at JesuitsMidwest.org/DescendantsJesuits A p u b l i c a ti o n o f th e Mi d w e s t J e s u i ts Spring 2021 Page 7

SOCIAL & INTERNATIONALGarrett Gundlach, SJ, participates in a fundraising walkfor the Lebanon branch of Filipino Church initiativeCouples for Christ (CFC) with the community from hislocal Jesuit parish’s English-speaking Sunday Mass.Close Encounters Lessonsof the Global Kind from Abroad“The world is our home.”By Amy KorpiAccording to José Casanova ofGeorgetown University’s BerkleyCenter for Religion, Peace and WorldAffairs, the Jesuits were the firstorganized group in history to think andact globally. As such, he writes that theSociety “embodied what [Pope Francis]so frequently evokes as a ‘culture ofencounter’ and a ‘culture of dialogue,’within and between peoples as the onlyway to peace in our globalized world.”Midwest Jesuits, continuing thattradition in other countries today, havesome insights.— Fr. Jerónimo Nadal, SJ (1507-1580)respectful human conversation, Tantur’ssetting is ideal for promoting a greaterunderstanding of the richness of thereligious, ethnic, and cultural traditions ofthis land and its peoples.Father Paul explains, “Here I amsurrounded by sounds and spiritualpractices of three Abrahamic traditionsBUILDING BRIDGES IN ISRAELIn his years as a Jesuit, Fr. John Paul, SJ,has engaged in various ministries thatbroadened his cultural horizons. He iscurrently missioned as rector at the TanturEcumenical Institute on the southernedge of East Jerusalem. Founded to buildbridges through ecumenical dialogue andPa g e 8 Jesuits A pu b l i c a ti on of the Mi d w es t Je s u i ts Spri ng 2 0 2 1El Agustino in Lima, Peru

SOCIAL & INTERNATIONALthat keep me conscious of being in thepresence of the Holy One, and of howmy mission is to provide an ‘oasis ofencounter’ with holy sites, traditions, andpeople for participants in our programsoffering personal renewal, continuingeducation, and scholarly writing orresearch.”It enhances his own spiritual lifeas well. “Five times a day,” says Fr.Paul, “I become aware of the Islamiccall to prayer, broadcast from minarettowers, and I am reminded of my owncall to prayer. Each Friday eveningand Saturday, I become aware of howJerusalem becomes ‘silent’ in observanceof keeping the Sabbath and am invited tofind ways to ‘keep Shabbat.’ On Saturdayafternoons and Sunday mornings, Ihear church bells from a nearby GreekOrthodox monastery as well as GreekCatholic, Roman Catholic, and Orthodoxchurches in Bethlehem and adjoiningcities, and I am reminded of a risen Lordinviting me to encounter him in thebr

Loyola University Chicago's 3,100-square-foot . greenhouse, the Ecodome. The Jesuits Celebrate 100 Years . . PhD, will serve as the 35th . president of Xavier University, starting July 1, 2021. Dr. . Creighton's medical programs in both Omaha and Phoenix over 10 years beginning in 2022.