"Don't Cry for Them, Imitate Them."
The Martyrs of El Salvador
St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, approached Pope Paul III and asked him to send the Jesuits to “wherever in the world the need is greatest.” Jesuits understand that the greatest need is always among the poor. Highly disciplined and peripatetic intellectuals, the members of this transnational brotherhood are known for their analytical brilliance, eloquence, and their courage. They know that to educate the poor is the single most important action one can choose, in order to create a more just world. For speaking out against the abuse of power, Jesuits have been exiled, tortured, and murdered throughout their history.
On November 16, 2009, Le Moyne College marked the 20th anniversary of the assassination in El Salvador of six Jesuits and two of their associates with a candle vigil and ceremony introduced by Fr. Bill Dolan, S.J. The ceremony included Campus Minister Beth Scanlon, who presented an invocation to the martyrs and other victims of political violence. Key historical context on the incident was provided by Dr. Bruce Erickson, followed by a narration by Fr. Don Kirby, S.J. of the painful details of that night, when members of the Salvadoran army killed six Jesuits associated with the Universidad Centroamericana in San Salvador, as well as a cook and her teenaged daughter. After this narration of the incident, Fr. Don Maldari, S.J. offered a soaring account of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and their relationship to the martyrs. Reflections on 30 years of American activism by Syracuse's Kathleen Rumpf were then supplemented by comments from Dr. Monica Sylvia, Fr. David McCallum, S.J., and Gabriel Bol Deng '07, survivor of civil war in Sudan and subject of the documentary "Rebuilding Hope." To see News 10 Now coverage of the event, click here.
Fr. Charles Beirne, S.J. was among the first Jesuits to volunteer to go to El Salvador and take up the work of the martyrs at the University of Central America. Beirne later provided crucial testimony on the incident, and his scholarship includes this chapter from his 1996 book "Jesuit Education and Social Change in El Salvador." He went on to serve as the 11th president of Le Moyne College. To learn more, read the October 2009 U.S. House of Representatives Resolution here, and details from other official investigations here.
![[Blue Cross Stained Glass]](http://web.lemoyne.edu/~hevern/photos/homepage/lmc/bluecross-t.jpg)
Photo Credits: Chuck Wainwright; Fr. Vincent Hevern, S.J., "Stained Glass, Panasci Family Chapel"
Le Moyne is one of only 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the nation. Education here goes far beyond textbooks and classrooms. It is a way of teaching and learning that nourishes the whole person – mind, heart, and soul.
A Le Moyne education provides you with the intellectual skills necessary to succeed in the world and, beyond that, the ethical insight to use those skills to promote a more just society. The Jesuit approach to education is characterized by a passion for academic excellence in a faith context and a commitment to using knowledge to serve others.
Catholicism in the Jesuit tradition enriches every aspect of campus life. From chapel liturgies to classroom discussions and from hospice work to impromptu get-togethers after services, the spiritual experience flourishes among Le Moyne students of all faiths. Students participate in a broad range of service opportunities through Campus Ministry – spiritual retreats, alternative break service trips, local volunteer efforts, and projects through groups such as Habitat for Humanity and Amnesty International. And, to Le Moyne students, the Jesuit priests who live on campus are not only teachers, advisors, and administrators, but the living embodiment of the College’s commitment to service and leadership.
Six Decrees of 35th Jesuit Congregation
From January 7th until March 6th, 2008, 225 Jesuits met in Rome as members of the 35th General Congregation. Their first task was to elect a successor to the Very Reverend Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., who was retiring after 25 years as the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. They chose Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., a native of Spain, who had spent most of his Jesuit life in Asia, serving as Provincial Superior in Japan and then as Moderator of the East Asian Assistancy of the Society of Jesus.
The delegates in the Congregation then turned to discussing in small groups and plenary sessions the principal topics and issues which had been presented by the many Provincial Congregations around the world. Finally, after preliminary votes and revisions the Congregation approved six decrees, which were promulgated by the new Superior General on May 30.
These decrees are the following:
Decree 1: "With Renewed Vigor and Zeal": The Society of Jesus Responds to the Invitation of the Holy Father.
Decree 2: A Fire that Kindles Other Fires: Rediscovering our Charism.
Decree 3: Challenges to our Mission Today: Sent to the Frontiers.
Decree 4: Obedience in the Life of the Society of Jesus.
Decree 5: Governance at the Service of Universal Mission.
Decree 6: Collaboration at the Heart of Mission.
The full text of these decrees can be found at http://www.sjweb.info/35/index.cfm
Auriesville
Auriesville was the site of the Mohawk village, Ossernenon, in the 1640s. It was here that three Jesuit saints, missionaries, were martyred: Isaac Jogues, Rene Goupil, and John LaLonde. Auriesville is also the site of the Jesuit, New York Province, cemetery. Many Jesuits who were members of the Le Moyne faculty are interred there. It is now called the “Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs”. For more information, click here.
Jesuit and Spiritual Information
◦ The Life of St. Ignatius Loyola
◦ The Society of Jesus in the United States
◦ Association of Jesuit Colleges and University’s
◦ Sacred Space
Jesuit Refugee Service
As part of its mission of service and justice, Le Moyne College encourages its alumni, parents and friends to learn about the good works of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) and to support the organization's activities, as well as advocacy for the cause of refugees to members of Congress.
As an international Catholic organization and a work of Society of Jesus, the JRS is present in nearly 50 countries throughout the world. Its mission is to accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced persons.
Following Catholic social teaching, the mission of JRS applies the term de facto refugee to all persons persecuted because of race, religion, membership in social or political groups; to the victims of armed conflicts, erroneous economic policy or natural disasters; and to internally displaced persons, that is, civilians who are forcibly uprooted from their homes by the same types of violence as refugees but who do not cross national frontiers.
JRS provides direct services and counseling assistance to refugees. It also acts as an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. Advocacy efforts include contact with members of Congress in support of actions which will assist refugees.
To learn more about the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service, click here. You can also contact your federal representatives directly in support of the work by JRS by use of the Service's Advocacy Center.
Faith Formation, evolves out of Campus Ministry’s commitment to Cura personalis (care for the person) and Magis (the more), which compel us to understand ourselves and others with compassion and empower each other to act and live justly. Our goal is to offer Ignatian spirituality as a vehicle for reflective awareness, community building, and discernment of vocation and just action in our local and global communities.
Guided by the Ignation vision of contemplatives in action, Campus Ministry’s Retreat Program seeks to integrate the many dimensions of human experience through diverse forms of prayer and reflection. As a piece of the larger ministry, our retreats encourage participants to engage the Le Moyne community through service, worship and fellowship. We also offer weekly programs, provide spiritual direction and cultivate Christian and other faith communities on campus.
Cura personalis
Cura personalis (Latin meaning “care for the [individual] person) – A hallmark of Ignatian spirituality (where in one-on-one spiritual guidance, the guide adapts the Spiritual Exercises to the unique individual making them) and therefore of Jesuit education (where the teacher establishes a personal relationship with students, listens to them in the process of teaching, and draws them toward personal initiative and responsibility for learning). *
The attitude of respect for the dignity of each individual derives from the Judeaeo-Christian vision of human beings as unique creations of God, of God’s embracing of humanity in the person of Jesus, and of human destiny as ultimate communion with God and all the saints in everlasting life.
Magis
Magis (Latin for “more”) – The “Continuous Quality Improvement” term traditionally used by Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits, suggesting the spirit of generous excellence in which ministry should be carried on.
*Excerpt taken from, “Do You Speak Ignatian? A Glossary of Terms Used in Ignatian and Jesuit Circles.” Traub S.J., George W. Ignatian Programs/Mission & Ministry, Xavier University.