Jesuit Journeys
Spring/Summer 2002
The Jesuit Partnership
Campion ties stir memories, prayer
 | Fr. Dick McGarrity, SJ
President, The Jesuit Partnership |
I’ve been traveling a lot lately, including a recent trip to Florida for among other things, an all-class reunion of graduates of Campion High School, which was a Jesuit boarding school in western Wisconsin. My usual travel regimen involves a lot of driving. Not just short hops, but longer hauls of several hours or more. My Florida trip was no exception.
I find that driving alone, especially on long drives, can be a time spent well in personal thought and reflection, sometimes even in prayer. As I was driving around Florida after the Campion reunion I found myself thinking about how strong the bonds can be that are formed between Jesuits and the people whose lives we touch in our many and varied ministries.
There were more than 200 graduates of Campion at the reunion, an extraordinary number when you consider the last graduating class was in 1975. The youngest graduates are in their 40s, and the surviving Jesuits who taught there are, of course, older than that, and in some cases a great deal older. As is the norm at reunions, there was considerable reminiscing.
This particular reunion was also graced with several Jesuits who made the journey for this festive gathering. I’m often asked in my travels and talks with our Jesuit Partners about how a particular Jesuit is doing. I’m always amazed to hear so many people talk with appreciation and deep fondness for my brother Jesuits, like Fr. Dick McGloin, SJ, Fr. John Scott, SJ, Fr. Larry Kelly, SJ, and so on. It is a significant list, but not by any measure an endless one. Yet everywhere I go, the list of people asking about Jesuits they have known keeps growing.
After years and years, people still feel a connection, a sense of gratitude, a sense of fondness. At the Campion reunion I was privileged to witness several re-connections. The exuberance, the joy, the affection – it was an extraordinary sight.
As I continued to reflect on my experience at the reunion, I felt humbled and fortunate to have lived my life as a Jesuit among so many fine men who had touched so many, many lives in significant ways. At the same time I thought of some of those who could not make the trip, Fr. Scott among them.
Fr. Scott was 35 years young when he went to Campion in 1948 to teach physics. He continued to teach there for almost 30 years. He became a rather prolific writer over time and authored a vast collection of articles, pamphlets, and books related to spirituality and science. Today he is 89 years old, and while unable to attend the reunion, still young in mind and spirit. His most recent article was published this year!
Some of our elder Jesuits in their 70s, 80s, and 90s are more physically active than others. Some even continue to work full time. When he isn’t reading or writing, Fr. Scott, like so many of our elder Jesuits, spends time in an active ministry of prayer. While not as physically arduous as the ministries these men performed in their younger days, it is no less significant an assignment. A ministry of prayer for the good of the Society and the Church is an important mission.
The act of praying for others is essential to our Christian tradition. Prayer enriches the spirit of the person who prays, and through God’s grace, can enrich the spiritual and physical well being of others. Most importantly, perhaps, it enables us to remain connected to each other on a most important plane.
In prayer then, we can maintain and enrich the relationships and bonds formed at Campion or any place where one human life has come in contact and formed a connection with another. And this power of prayer can be a comforting thought as time passes. It keeps us active and capable of doing good things, and with God’s help, great things – even miraculous things. Moreover, regardless of how many miles or how many years may separate us from one another, prayer can continue to help us nurture longstanding ties to each other’s lives in a most meaningful way.
That is why your prayers as Jesuit Partners are so important to us. Along with your generous financial support of The Jesuit Partnership, your prayers help us increase vocations to religious life, spread the Good News of the Gospel, and promote justice throughout the world. We are ever mindful of your ongoing support and include your intentions daily in our prayers and Masses.
For information on ways to support the Jesuits and their ministries, contact Mr. Jack Paquette,
vice president - development. Tele: 800-537-3736
Email: jack.paquette@jesuitswisprov.org
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