Jesuit Journeys
Fall 2007

Jesuit Partnership: The Education of Jesuits for Others

By Fr. Dick McGarrity, SJ
President, The Jesuit Partnership

It will not come as a surprise to you that the Society of Jesus has always had a strong interest in education. This has been true in two complementary ways. The first is in the education of its own members and, subsequently, in providing educational opportunities to the people it serves. Quite possibly this special interest in education may have been influenced to some extent by the fact that St. Ignatius, along with St. Francis Xavier and their other early companions, who founded the Society of Jesus, first met when they were students at the University of Paris.

In any case, by the time St. Ignatius had completed writing the Constitutions for this new religious order in the Church, he, in consultation with his companions, had agreed on a rather rigorous educational training program for those who would join their company. In the United States, for example, the regular program of studies, after taking perpetual vows at the end of two years as a novice, began with two years of studies in the humanities, including primarily language (Greek and Latin), literature and history. This was followed by three years of philosophy, three years teaching at the high school level and four years of theology which included ordination to the priesthood. Finally the Jesuit-in-training made a year of what is called tertianship which could be likened in some ways to a third year of novitiate. For those Jesuits with the proper ability and aptitude, it was not uncommon to proceed into graduate studies in various fields to obtain a Ph.D. or other advanced degrees. At the end of this rather lengthy process the Jesuit was considered ready for an assignment to some form of an active apostolate.

This rigid process had variations of course, depending on the person’s background. In the last 30 years or so in the United States, when most men entering the Society of Jesus have had undergraduate or even advanced degrees, the program of studies has been modified appropriately, but not shortened by very much.

St. Ignatius wanted the members of his order to be welleducated and the Society of Jesus has invested and continues to invest heavily in this aspect of a Jesuit’s training. This is where the Jesuit Partnership comes in to play for the Wisconsin Province. Rather large sums of money are needed to accomplish this educational objective and we reach out to benefactors to provide it. Fortunately they have been most generous in responding to our need.

The providing of educational opportunities to others by Jesuits has been an ongoing primary apostolic activity of the Society of Jesus from the beginning. Within the Wisconsin Province alone this has produced two major universities, Creighton University in Omaha (1878) and Marquette University in Milwaukee (1881). In addition, the Wisconsin Province provided the funds and critical man-power in the 1950s to construct and start the operation of Sogang University in Seoul, Korea. This university has flourished and is now under the supervision of Korean Jesuits. (Sogang graduate Kim Young-Hoon has a reflection on page 35. In the 1960s the Province started a university in Salta, Argentina which is doing well and is now under the supervision of the local archdiocesan bishop. At the high school level, the Wisconsin Province established Marquette High School (1857), Creighton Prep (1878) and the Red Cloud Indian School (1888) in Pine Ridge, S.D. (see article page 35). Also, the Jesuits opened Campion High School for Boys in Prairie du Chien, Wis. in 1880. It was a boarding school which had many years of successful operation, as many Campion graduates will readily testify, but closed in 1975.

Recent years have seen the opening of new ventures directed specifically toward minorities and they are the Jesuit Middle Schools in Omaha and Milwaukee. This very month the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School opened in Minneapolis with 100 or so minority students starting in 9th grade. Plans are currently underway to build a community compound including a high school in Gulu, Northern Uganda, which we affectionately are referring to as “The New Campion.” So the work of providing solid faith-based education by the Wisconsin Province Jesuits continues as one of its primary apostolic works.

These new ventures especially require rather large amounts of money to get them started until they become self-sustaining if possible. The Jesuit Partnership has the responsibility to provide the Province with these funds and that’s where you, our benefactors, play an essential role for us. We are grateful for your loyal support and we Jesuits take on the pleasant task of praying for you. That is why we refer to what we are engaged in as the Jesuit Partnership. St. Ignatius was insistent, and so stated in the Constitutions, that special Masses and prayers were to be said in perpetuity for our benefactors. He regarded these thoughtful and generous people as special instruments employed by God to help the Jesuits carry out their mission.

May God give us the grace and may St. Ignatius pray for us all as we strive to carry out God’s will in our lives each day.