Chronicles of Fairfield University (1942 - 1992). Book 6: Ignatian Character.

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FAIRFIELD U IVERSITY
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By
Joseph F. MacDonnell, S.J.
Fairfield, Connecticut
1992
The six Chronicles of Fairfield University are being published in
conjunction with the obselVance of the 50th Anniversary of
the founding of Fairfield University and Fairfield College
Preparatory School.
The booklets are published under the auspices of the
Anniversaries Committee which includes:
Rev. Vincent M. Bums, S.]. Rev. John). Higgins, S.).
Lawrence F. Carroll Stephen P. Jakab
Mrs. Patricia M. Danko (Sec.) William). Lucas
George E. Diffley (Chair) Dr. Mary Frances A.H. Malone
Murray Farber Mrs. Clarissa Sinagulia
James D. Fitzpatrick Mrs. Mary Spiegel
Rev. Victor F. Leeber, S.].
Alphonsus]. Mitchell (Chair)
Mrs. Elizabeth G. Hoagg
The History Subcommittee, which selVed as the editorial board,
includes:
Dr. William M. Abbott
Paul Davis
CHRONICLES
f/
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
By joseph F. MacDonnell, S.j.
FAIRFIELD'S JESUIT TRADITION
Jesuits talk about ]esuitness and Ignatian values because they are
supposed to, but does anyone else care about these things? The Jesuits
are diminishing in numbers and we are still going full steam ahead. As
the Jesuits disappear from the scene will the Jesuit vision be sustained?
Or will this vision fare better if the Jesuits continue on? "One does not
have to be a Jesuit to carry out Ignatian principles" a faculty member told
me. He is right, as is evident from many past Jesuit enterprises. My
interest in these questions leads me to submit this portrait of our Ignatian
heritage composedfrom responses bymembers ofour FairfieldCommunity
who are not Jesuits.
There are a few things that we Jesuits take for granted and so we
maintain our equanimity when a student asks if Jesuits are Catholics; or
when a colleague asks; "What is this Jesuit Apostolate you people talk
about? It sounds like a Christological plot." Outside Fairfield University
the enigma ofJesuits is more striking. Television's Barbara Walters (no
relation to our own economist, Joan Walters) once asked a Jesuit: "How
can an intelligent man like you be a priest?" IfJesuit priests are an enigma
and if the Jesuit Apostolate seems hazy, how mysterious must be the idea
of the Ignatian characterof Fairfield University or what is referred to in
that facile phrase ''Jesuit Catholic nature of Fairfield University."
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I have read many essays on the Jesuit Tradition and the particular
characteristics that distinguishJesuit education. They are usually tedious,
pretentious and - not to make too fine a point ofit - boring (like watching
a baseball game unaccompanied by humorous hecklers). In fact I wrote
such a paper myself and then fell asleep while reading it. What makes
this topic so soporific is that it is usually found in catalogs whose purpose
is to state the theoretical nature of the school; sort of a wish list of what
we would like the school to be. My question is: why not have this
distinctive but elusive term Ignatian Character defined by the people
who actually work, study and teach here?
During my 23 years at Fairfield University I have come to know most
of the 700 people who work here. Moreover, living among the students
as a Resident Jesuit in the dormitories, I know many more students and
graduates than most teachers do. Using this advantage I invited all
segments of the university community (except other Jesuits) to respond
by letter and/or conversation, presenting anecdotal examples of their
version of the Ignatian character of Fairfield University. I sent out about
550 letters to past and present students, faculty, administrators and staff
asking for help in sketching a portrait depicting our meaning of the
Ignatian Character ofFairfield University. Their answers were remarkable
in their number, clarity and enthusiasm. What follows is, hopefully, a
portrait of the Ignatian Character which has been articulated by the major
players. But first, a few words from our sponsor concerning worldwide
Jesuit education and the SDurce of the Ignatian character, The Spiritual
Exercises of Saint Ignatius.
WORIDWIDE JESUIT EDUCATION
lHROUGHOur HISTORY
Ignatius and his early companions organized the first system of
education in history; previous schools were individual efforts. Today
there are 665 Jesuit educational institutions in 65 countries, engaging the
efforts of 70,000 teachers, including 6,224 Jesuits, educating 1.5 million
students. Besides this, the Jesuits are responsible for 492 other
educational centers with 14,000 teachers entertaining 300,000 students.
Here in the United States the 28 Jesuit colleges have over a million living
graduates. These schools form a remarkable educational network. They
are not governed by some super administrator but three elements do
sustain a certain unity.
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• Each has a Jesuit Community present;
• Each maintains a Catholic tradition; and
• Each derives from a common Ignatian inspiration.
Ignatius realized that education was not an end in itself but rather
a means to lead the student to care about other human beings. The
genius and innovation he brought to education came from his Spiritual
Exercises whose object is to free a person from predispositions and
biases, thus enabling one to make free choices. Ignatius believed that
people who are free enough to say reality is good will recognize theirown
goodness and will live happy and fulfilled lives. The goals of Jesuit
education have always been to offer this means to become a person
capable of choice, thus inviting students to be more concerned about
fellow human beings.
Jesuit education, which began in 1547, is still committed today to the
service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute
requirement. Because of this fact Jesuit educators have been a thorn in
the side of tyrants for more than four centuries. One recent example is
the murder by the El Salvador military of the six Jesuits who, against all
odds, were determined to promote justice and to spread this Ignatian
vision, teaching loving concern for others.
THE IGNATIAN CHARACTER DERIVES
FROM TI-IE SPIRITIJAL EXERCISES
Jesuits are not identified by their founder's name as are Dominicans,
Franciscans and Benedictines. Instead, the adjective Ignatian is attributed
to their apostolic endeavors and implies a particular style and a specific
set of values inherent in Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises. It specifies the
spirituality attributed to the genius, the vision, inspiration and orientation
of Ignatius. Recapturing and advertising this Ignatian spirituality was the
point of the activities during the recent Ignatian year. This experience
was the driving force for such a diverse collection ofJesuit teachers such
as Bellarmine, Boscovich, Campion, Canisius, Claver, Clavius, Hopkins,
Jogues, Kircher, Miki, Ricci - and, at a later time, their successors here at
Fairfield University, Brosley, Buczek, Croteau, Donnarumma, Guarcello,
McCarthy, McDonald, Murphy, Riel, Stuart and Thomas.
After his remarkable conversion, Ignatius wrote a careful record of
the contemplative graces revealed to him giving an extraordinary insight
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St. Ignatius ofLoyola, 1534
into the mystery of God and of all
reality, and he called it the Spiritual
Exercises. This is a book of
meditations and directives that can
stretch the human spirit to a
magnanimous creative compliance
with God's love. These Spiritual
Exercises involve a process meant
to free one to choose what is best
for oneself in the light of first
principles, and bring a sense that
God is at work in all things,
animating and energizing them.
Theyare meant to leadan individual
to find God in all things, to increase
awareness of God's plan and the
role one can play in bringing them to fulfillment.
The Spiritual Exercises are very confrontational, projecting four
major movements:
• finding spiritual freedom to commit oneself to an enterprise;
• finding discipleship in companionship with the humanity ofJesus;
• finding strength to bring justice to the world by suffering with
Christ;
• finding joy in the triumph of Christ and the whole world befng
brought to the kingdom of the Father.
The Ignatian vision has never been limited to Jesuits; in fact Ignatius
was a layman when he experienced God during his Spiritual Exercises
and as a layman he directed many lay people through the exercises. In
short, the Ignatian Character of Fairfield University emerges from the
Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius which emphasize:
• an integration of the whole person effecting a balance between
reason and affection;
• the need for liberation to free one to exercise choice which leads
to action; and
• the presumption that all reflection and teaching is based on the
Incarnation of Christ.
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TEN CRITERIA TO DISCERN
TIllS IGNATIAN CHARACTER
What is the distinctive nature of this Ignatian character? What were
the forces that energized this charism and which differentiates Fairfield
University from other schools? Fairfield University like all Jesuit schools
is animated by the Ignatian charism which springs from these Spiritual
Exercises. Below are ten different clues that identify the Ignatian
character and makeJesuit schools distinctive. Jesuit education, however,
is not necessarily unique, since other schools do similar things. The
Ignatian ideal springs not from some clerical or hierarchical source but
from the profound experiences of Ignatius the layman; and so it is more
properly called the Ignatian ideal rather than the Jesuit ideal.
Rather than attempt a theoretical treatise describing what weJesuits
would like our school to be, I will try here to articulate the lived
experience of our students, graduates, faculty, administrators and staff.
In response to my inquiries, already mentioned, I received a good
number of diverse and interesting insights fron1 all sectors of the
University. These convictions, which members ofour Fairfield community
have conscientiously thought out, inform us of the actual Ignatian
Character of Fairfield University. I have taken the liberty of choosing only
some representative responses and rewording them for the sake of
brevity and uniformity. The quotations (without quotation marks) follow
from two sectors of the community: first, the graduates and present
students; and second, the faculty, staff and administrators.
To make these responses easier to digest, I placed them together
according to ten headings as they naturally derive from ten important
principles of Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises. "Get real!" was Ignatius' motto.
Self activity gives the Exercises their name, as they lead the retreatant to
become a whole person. Use of the intellect takes primacy, inviting
diverse opinions to prepare for the realities of the world. Ignatius'
presupposition gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. His main thrust
entails a cooperative effort, in a God-centered, faith-sharing atmosphere,
to serve others and to work for justice. These ten categories specifying
our educational apostolate here at Fairfield University follow.
1. It focuses on the individual student.
2. It seeks to educate the whole person.
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3. It relies on and stresses the venerable intellectual tradition of
the Church.
4. It encourages diversity and is open to all points of view.
5. It fosters realistic knowledge and prepares students for the
real world.
6. It relies on collaboration and attempts to build community.
7. It is God-centered and celebrates the radical goodness of
our world.
8. It provides an environment which engenders faith development.
9. It promotes the ideal of a life of service.
10. It teaches justice informed by charity.
1. Education here at Fairfield University
focuses on the individual student
It encourages life-long openness to growth and joy in learning. It
assists in the total formation of students, stressing the fullest development
of all their talents, insisting on individual care and concern for each
person. It stresses their responsibilities within the community.
Present andformer students:
.:. Faculty and staff take time to get to know the students as persons
outside of class, playing racquetball for instance, going on trips with
students and even inviting them to their homes.
•:. We experienced a sincere care for us students and a concern that
challenged us.
•:. The service of others is seen in teachers who spend long hours in
their offices to be available to students.
•:. The faculty and staff are more than teachers - they are role models
and friends. Their concern for the student extends far beyond the scope
of the classroom, becoming involved in student activities and joining in
work projects.
Other members ofthe Faiifield University community:
.:. Having taught at several schools before coming here, I am always
astonished at the extra time and energy expended by faculty in being
available to the students.
•:. From student conversations I have become more aware of what the
ministry of the Resident]esuit means to students; caring for students in
6
the dorms and being there to share their joys and sorrows carries out their
Ignatian charism in a very special way.
•:. It is taken for granted here that we teachers go out of our way to get
to know our students as individual persons.
•:. In my classes I emphasize student participation, personal discovery
and reflection without which nothing will sink in.
2. Fairfield University provides a learning environment
meant to educate the whole person
The Ignatian ideal provides for students a learning environment
which is conducive to intellectual, spiritual, emotional and social growth
as well as an increased degree of independence and self-determination.
Present andformer students:
.:. We came here preoccupied with self serving goals but grew more
altruistic with the help of the ResidentJesuits who set an intellectual tone
for our dorm, awakened in us Christian values and helped to instill in us
esteem for others.
•:. Somehow my experience at Fairfield helped me to develop as a
complete individual. Goals such as better grades, career opportunities
and higher salaries are not wrong, but must give way to deeper, more
significant goals.
•:. The faculty here have developed my intellect, my dormitory friends
have developed my social skills, but without the work ofCampus Ministry
I would not be a full person.
•:. There is continual emphasis here on developing and celebrating
whatever talents we have.
•:. As a freshman I had very minimal exposure to volunteer work, but
through an omnipresent current of this doing for others attitude my
involvement in volunteer work has grown and helped me grow into a
better rounded, moral person.
•:. No longer was volunteering something I did in my spare time, it
become part of my person. It is important to realize that convictions like
the ideal of service to others were not something that happened
instantaneously. Instead, they came through a developmental process
which, to this day, is still growing.
•:. My whole person has been educated and I am proud to speak of
Fairfield's Jesuit goals.
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.:. Ignatius demanded that his followers educate the whole person and
Fairfield continues to carty out that recipe.
Other members ofthe Fairfield University community:
.:. The core curriculum insures a well developed program and provides
an integration ofthe whole person - intellectual, social, artistic, emotional
and moral.
.:. One important dimension of the Ignatian charism has to do with the
strong Jesuit presence on campus; not strong in numbers nor
outspokenness, but in its sacramental meaning. Jesuits model for the
campus community a way of seeing, believing and acting that of itself is
formative. It is because Jesuits are living in the dorms, teaching in the
classrooms, working in various capacities on campus that our community
has an Ignatian character.
3. Education at Fairfield University relies on and stresses
the venerable intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church.
In its work of formation, it stresses competition in human excellence
and drives the students to the fullest possible development of their
potential. It follows in the long intellectual tradition of the Catholic
Church. The whole concept ofthe university arose, after all, from parallel
efforts of Islam and Christianity.
Present andformer students:
.:. Some of the courses I most despised while a student are the ones I
treasure most now, because Inow realize they provided me with the skills
I need.
•:. We are so proud of the name Fairfield University has made for itself
as a quality school. In fact its reputation makes us look good in the eyes
of our fellow workers.
•:. What I remember from Fairfield University is that learning is a life­long
challenge which will stay with me forever.
Other members ofthe Fairfield University community:
.:. In the impersonal, dehumanizing and often frightening environment
of a hospital, a little compassion makes all the difference. I believe it is
the commitment ofthe School of Nursing faculty to this tradition, coupled
with the experiences the students have throughout their four years, both
inside and outside the classroom, which creates graduates who are
always in demand by hospitals and other health care agencies. Even in
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times of nursing oversupply our graduates have been sought and
employed. We continually get the highest compliments about the caring
and professionalism of our graduates. Our students and graduates are
invariably compared favorably with those from other schools.
•:. Fairfield University stresses free and open inquiry which is essential
for any university with truth the goal and norm of that activity.
•:. Artistic creation is encouraged and treasured here at Fairfield
University.
4. Fairfield University encourages diversity
and is open to all points ofview.
A key Ignatian principle was viewing reality from different
perspectives so Loyola's schools were not narrow denominational
schools but sought diverse points of view. Our mission statement
emphasizes that it welcomes those of all beliefs and traditions and values
the diversity which their membership brings to the community. A
circumstance that attracts attention of outsiders is the large number of
colleagues who are not Catholic..
Present andformer students:
.:. One of my professors, an agnostic, inadvertently helped me come
to grips with my own doubts and strengthened my own faith.
Here we search for answers as well as for alternative viewpoints and do
not wait for someone to tell us what the answer is.
•:. We were never limited to the point of view of the Catholic Church
without hearing opinions from other denominations as well as from
agnostics and atheists. In fact these other opinions helped give us' a
context for our own beliefs.
Other members ofthe Faiifield University community:
.:. They hired me a Buddhist! and now I have learned that there are
even courses on Buddhism here. It certainly shows a self confidence in
what they are doing and that they are not threatened by the presence
of other denominations.
•:. While part of the motivation for Jesuit schools was the No Catholics
needappryattitude ofthe last century, faculty here are never screened nor
investigated for their loyalty to the Catholic Church.
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.:. Fairfield University is vulnerable since it is open to all points of view
and so it is easy for demagogues to rampage unchecked. In such a
tolerant atmosphere bullies take advantage of people with a more gentle
temperament.
.:. While there is a very active chaplaincy with abundant opportunities
for service, Fairfield University cannot be accused of just pushing a
Catholic agenda.
5. Education here at Fairfield University fosters realistic
knowledge and prepares students for the real world.
Reality has always been one of the staples of the Spiritual Exercises.
Ignatius wanted practical results, and would ask continually: "what are
you going to do about it?" Realism, then, has been one of the traits of
Fairfield University.
Present andformer students:
.:. Experiments like Cardboard City afford opportunities for us to
experience the ordeal of homelessness and make us aware of the
vulnerability of the homeless. In so doing it gives a direction to our
preparation for life in the real world.
•:. We learned to accept ourselves realistically as we are, with our
abilities as well as our failings, but always in the context of a set ofvalues.
•:. Through programs initiated and developed by Campus Ministry I
have been consistently challenged to find the meaning of abstract
concepts like the preferential option for the poor, faith seeking
understanding, and in all things to love and seroe.
•:. I have been taught to reject the materialism ofour society and attempt
to "live simply that others may simply live."
Other members ofthe Faiifield University community:
.:. Recently about 125 students participated in a cleanup project in very
poor areas ofBridgeport. Without exception all the students always noted
the brief distance between their beautiful campus and the stark world of
those we worked with in Bridgeport.
•:. It is always surprising to see the regularity with which our graduates
return to tell our undergraduates about the real world; 180 math major
graduates volunteered to come and speak to undergraduates and they
always speak with such fervor about their formation here.
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.:. The efforts of F.U.S.A. members to serve as intermediaries with
unruly students at the beach showed a great deal oftact and realism when
dealing with landowners' complaints.
•:. Reality is brought home to our students when graduates return in
large numbers for Career Days and narrate their experiences.
6. Fairfield University relies on collaboration
and attempts to build Community.
Ignatius was emphatic about Christ's teaching concerning our
dependence onone another; not only helping but also sharing responsibility
for one another. Ignatius' famous presupposition fosters community by
forming a mind-set that lessens antagonism and stifles suspicion.
"Every sincere person ought to be more ready to give a
favorable interpretation to another's perhaps obscure statement
or position than to condemn it. But if he can find no way at all
to defend the other's statement made or position taken, let him
make careful inquiry into what the other means by it. And if the
latter's attitude or understanding of the matter seems to be
somewhat unreasonable, let him gently and courteously point
this out to him. And if this course of action brings no result, let
him try all other suitable ways to help the other see things in
proper perspective and without misconceptions."
IGNATIUS' PRESUPPOSITION OF ruE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Present andfonner students:
.:. The community of sharing, caring, and loving found on this campus
has had a beneficial impact on my life. I believe that the combination of
intellectual and spiritual pursuits as well as the values impressed upon
myself and others have made this campus what it is.
•:. This value that students have for helping others and caring for their
fellow human beings, has made my life so much easier when times are
tough for me. The friendships I have developed here are like none I've
ever had. I attribute this to the]esuit ideals of this university. The support
I receive from friends is unbelievable.
•:. I have fond memories of our Math department picnics at Sherwood
Island each semesterwhen 70 students, teachers and their families would
join in the fun. We had Math socials every month and in fact a semi-formal
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dance each semester. The other majors could not believe it; they thought
all math majors were nerds.
•:. I remember attending mass with a few close friends the night before
my grandmother died. I had not been to church in over three years, but
the feeling of peace I had the next day when I found out my
grandmother's battle with cancer was over sent a strange tingle through
my body. It was this community atmosphere here that reassured me that
she was in a good place.
•:. Fairfield University students generate a love and generosity which
I did not experience before I arrived here.
Here I often encounter students caring for sick fellow s~udents or tutoring
students who were falling behind, thus giving their fellow majors needed
support.
•:. I think what has touched me the most is the variety of people that
are here and their incredible willingness to help others.
Other members ofthe Faiifield University community:
.:. Ignatius' presupposition should be read before every university
meeting, but especially before the faculty meetings.
•:. There is a lot of bonding noticeable among students involved in
service projects. Younger students display an eagerness to join in the
Campus Ministry activities after having seen how well the older students
get along.
•:. There is something special about the way the Fairfield University
athletes react to things and this brought to my attention this Ignatian
Character. They want to win like all athletes, but there is something about
the way they care for each other and the way they treat the opposing
team.
•:. Where else would you find the university president saying the
funeral mass of your brother or fellow Jesuit faculty members performing
the wedding ceremonies for students and baptizing their children. New
faculty cannot get over the regularity with which the Jesuits attend
funerals of their colleagues' relatives.
•:. Only at aJesuit school would you find students demonstrating so that
their chapel would be named after Ignatius Loyola.
•:. Students show surprising concern about the alcohol related behavior
of fellow students.
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.:. The students are consistently supportive and kind to each other as
they share their feelings, progress, areas for growth, mistakes as well as
successes. They learn a lot from each other while being non-judgmental
and understanding of their classmates.
•:. Acceptance of others is clear from the frequent greetings heard on
campus - even of strangers who are not immediately presumed to be
scoundrels.
•:. Visitors are often surprised by the friendliness of the campus,
especially when winter hibernation has ended and more students and
teachers are out walking around the campus.
•:. Alumni return to see their teachers and each other in surprisingly
large numbers. New students are distant at first and puzzled by the
familiarity upperclassmen have with teachers. New faculty also are
surprised at the friendly atmosphere.
•:. There are so many special gatherings, liturgies and times ofreflection
providing a relaxed setting to reflect on aspects of our role in the Jesuit
mission.
7. Education here at Fairfield University is God Centered
and celebrates the radical goodness of our world.
Ignatius' energizing and quickening image of God existing in his
creatures, laboring in them for us, nourishing us and nurturing us
replaces the banal image of an impersonal Mother Nature. Ignatius
wanted students to find God in all things and to marvel at his presence
in themselves and in each other; as Hopkins put it, to see that: "The world
is charged with the Grandeur of God!"
Present andformer students:
.:. When I first came to Fairfield University I did not realize how much
of the world around me I never noticed. Now it is different; I appreciate
the beauty and majesty of our world.
•:. Fairfield should not only be proud of its tradition of excellence in
intellect but in its Ignatian tradition represented daily by students
committed to working, loving and living for the Greater Glory ofGod.
•:. I frequently hear students express regret on how they have wronged
others in light ofGod centered knowledge which they received here and
resolve to make up for it in the future.
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Other members ofthe Fairfield University community:
.:. The chapel is central to the campus, and serves as sign of our
transcendental calling.
•:. The emphasis on God comes less from the cross atop the Egan chapel
than from the attitude of the faculty who in their courses emphasized the
basic goodness of the world.
•:. Faculty seek to instill in us a sense ofwonder at Godworking through
his creation.
•:. This religious dimension resisted the easy slide to secularism
experienced in the past by other denominational schools.
•:. Faith in God from the very beginning was evident in the courage of
the founders who started the school during a war with little promise and
no resources.
8. Fairfield University provides an environment
which engenders faith development.
The Ignatian ideal promotes dialogue between faith and culture and
remains Catholic in a pluralistic milieu. It is value-oriented and proposes
Christ as the inspiration and model of human life. It provides plenty of
pastoral care primarily by celebrating faith in the sacraments, prayer,
retreats, worship and service.
Present andformer students:
.:. A University with a chapel located at the top of a hill in the center
of campus is obviously dedicated to the Church. The activities that go
on every day of the week are testimony to the University's commitment.
.:. As a member of the Rites of Catholic Initiation team I have worked
with ten Fairfield University students who chose to be confirmed or
baptized because they were influenced by the Catholic atmosphere here
on campus.
•:. Whenever Sunday Mass-times approached there was as much
movement on the campus as there would be next to a Catholic Church
.:. Mass it seemed, was quite central to the life there and gets into the
language. Itwas not uncommon for dorm meetings to be scheduled "after
mass" presuming that everyone knows the time of the particular dorm's
mass.
•:. A Senior studying to become Catholic told me about how much the
atmosphere at Fairfield University influenced her decision. She regretted
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some of her past activities and spoke of changes she hopes to make in
the future .
•:. Fairfield, specifically Campus Ministry, has both initiated this new
stage in my development as a follower of Christ and provided the support
system to keep me steadfast in my beliefs. The people of Ecuador, the
guests at Prospect House and Bridgeport shelters and the compassion of
an extraordinary Campus Ministry team are the secret of my success.
•:. I came from a public high school and grew up with very little
religious influence in my life but have learned a lot about the Ignatian
character which has changed Iny life.
•:. For those who have made the Spiritual Exercises Fairfield University
is a special community of faith seeking understanding and social justice.
•:. The Residence Hall liturgies afford a sense of the early Christian
communities in which all present were familiar with each other.
.:. Availability of the sacraments in the residence halls as well as in the
Egan chapel indicates a Christ-centered milieu.
•:. The presence ofJesuits living among us reminds us of our Catholic
tradition.
•:. My experience has verified what I learned here about the mystery of
God's relation to the world and his invitation to respond in faith.
The First Vows.
15
Other members ofthe Faiifield University community:
.:. In the pre-Egan Chapel days Mass would be celebrated about 15
times during a weekend and it was estimated that 85 percent of our
students attended mass every week.
•:. During the Freshmen Retreat, love, caring and support for each other
is evident in an atmosphere of faith and sacramental religion. When they
return from this and become involved in one or more of the Campus
Ministry programs, the students are not the same.
•:. Any number of us identify with the Ignatian way of life and some
embody the qualities typically associated with this life style.
•:. The practice of their Faith is evident in the number students going
to mass on Sundays, or marching around with ashes smeared on their
foreheads or seeking a blessing for their throats.
•:. Students returning from retreats are more caring and display
support for each other, become involved in more service projects.
There is a strong atmosphere of faith as well as religious values.
•:. The day after a teacher stated the need for more signs of Catholicism
on campus, the workmen put this giant cross on top of the new chapel
which was visible in New York! Was that a coincidence, or not?
.:. It is clear from the lives of many of our lay faculty, staff and
administrators that it is not necessary to be a Jesuit to comprehend and
live Ignatian spirituality.
•:. In a participatory spirit, Catholicism is nurtured by our dedicated
non-Catholic faculty.
9. Education here at Fairfield University
promotes the ideal of a life of service.
It prepares students for active participation in the local community
as it serves human society and for active life commitment serving the faith
that does justice, forming men and womenfor others by using talents for
the good of the community.
Present andformer students:
.:. While I was working in a soup kitchen a small boy had an "accident"
and the mother did not seem to care. It fell to me to clean him up which
I did, because I came there to serve the needy. Only then did I realize
that there is more to soup kitchens than se,rving soup.
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.:. Throughout my undergraduate experience at Fairfield, the value of
service to others became an integral part of my life. I stress the word
integral because all too often activities become separate and distinct. Our
reasons for performing certain acts become distorted by external
pressures and often negative influences from our society.
•:. The emphasis here on helping others is both subtle in the attitudes
and beliefs of the teachers and staff and overt as in projects developed
by Campus Ministry, modeled by some very determined students.
•:. The four nurses who took care ofthe quadriplegic for four years were
with him whenever he nee.ded them and deserved many more accolades
than they got.
.:. My service projects here have taught me that there are so many
people in need in our society today and through a cooperative student
effort we can do so much to make things better, one step at a time.
•:. So many Fairfield University students help at soup kitchens, tutor
school children, visit patients in nursing homes, offer companionship to
the elderly, teach skills to mental patients, help rehabilitate youth and
drive elderly neighbors to church on Sunday. Activities such as these go
on every day.
•:. There is an omnipresent attitude of reaching out to those in need and
in this spirit, students, faculty and staff have planted in me the seed of
helping others.
•:. I was moved by the words of Jesuit Superior General Peter-Hans
Kolvenbach when he spoke here at Fairfield University on our vocation
to serve others.
•:. Educational achievement is not to be self-serving; rather it must be
held in stewardship for the service of others.
•:. The community here has motivated me to participate in altruistic
endeavors.
Other members ofthe Faiifield University community:
.:. After working with 35 students all morning at Alpha Home for
homeless families, we gathered to give thanks for the people, for the
students felt especially grateful. Almost without exception, the students
spoke emotionally of their parents and of all they had been given.
Perhaps for the first time, these young people were understanding
themselves as privileged and recognized the responsibility of that
privilege. It was a simple but dramatic Ignatian moment.
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IgnatiUS at the cave in Manresa.
.:. If anyone doubts the presence of the Jesuit Ideal) all one need do is
visit the Arrupe Center any time of day and speak or work with the many
students and community members attempting to bring God and human
dignity to the less fortunate.
.:. Although our
students probably
cannot recite them, we
see in action all the
corporal and spiritual
works ofmercy: feeding
the hungry, clothing the
naked, visiting the sick
and imprisoned,
burying the dead,
comforting the
sorrowful, instructing
the ignorant, forgiving
injuries, praying for the
dead.
•:. The projects our students pursue amaze me; we never had these
things when I was an undergraduate. Shelters for the homeless, play
therapy with children whose parents have AIDS, Bread and Roses AIDS
hospice, Thomas Merton House, Kitchen of HOPE, Good Shepherd
House, Jewish Home for the Elderly and the Senior Center, Maryglen for
pregnant women, chemical abuse service agency, tutoring, helping
single mothers, Hunger Cleanup and soup kitchens.
•:. There are many opportunities for students who wish to serve others:
Best Buddi~s, teaching CPR to anyone who can use it, teaching the
retarded and the blind, collecting money for the Kidney Foundation, the
Cancer Fund and Heart Fund.
•:. I spent a week with twelve tudents renovating and helping in the
construction of housing for low-income families in Morehead, Kentucky.
The students organized and paid for the whole project themselves and
I was very impressed by their dedication, warmth and spirit.
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10. Education here at Fairfield University
teaches justice infonned by evangelical charity.
Ignatius stresses that "love is shown in deeds, not in words." Our
mission statement asserts that we are committed to the service of faith,
of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement. And so we
seek to form "men and women for others" and to manifest a particular
concern for the poor, emphasiZing the dignity of every human person.
Present andformer students:
.:. Many of my fellow students feel that Fairfield needs to develop a
program of instruction for new faculty concerning the Ignatian tradition
and help them to form not only the intellect but also the spirit. I am not
implying that all faculty should beJesuits or even Catholic, only that they
should be willing to pursue theJesuit tradition of striving for social justice.
•:. Faculty, administration, staff and students all vehemently protest
against racist vandalism; e.g. Regis students met recently under the
direction of the Resident Jesuit to find means to put an end to racial
incidents.
•:. We became aware of our world's disorders but had the realization
that we can do something about it and bring about a change of structures.
Other members ofthe Fairfield University community:
.:. Our students who returned from theJune experience in Haiti worked
for the start of repatriation of the Haitian refugees, preparing written
material, meeting with faculty and students, calling and obtaining
information from Washington. They also spoke to other students at
special classes and Sunday'S Masses about this issue and organized a letter
writing campaign to state and home legislators.
•:. Student nurses demonstrate enormous caring for others doing
things above and beyond the call of duty such as interceding with the
doctor in favor of a patient.
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CONCLUSION:
TEN JESUIT GOALS OF FAIRFIEID UNIVERSIlY
From these responses it is clear that implicit in the character of
Fairfield University as a Jesuit institution, is a spe~ific set of values which
find expression in many different life experiences. These same values
have attracted an uncommonly competent and generous group of
faculty, administrators and staff as well as highly qualified students. The
expectations ofthose who come to teach and study here have a great deal
to do with the kind of place it has become, and this Jesuit identity
distinguishes Fairfield University from other schools. It may be helpful to
express this Jesuit identity as ten goals or expectations which we have for
our graduates and these echo most of the ten categories above.
1. They have made mature commitments to values they understand,
and have acquired the self-discipline to live by these values.
2. They are open to the possibility of radical change in themselves as
their values mature.
3. They have developed skills of analysis, judgment and expression.
4. They are able to articulate these values amidst diversity of opinion.
5. They have a critical respect for their own tradition in today's world.
6. They are aware of their interdependence with fellow men and
women.
7. They have a sacramental view of the world.
8. They see in their own lives and in their world signs of a
transcendent life and the means to achieve it.
9. RealiZing that theirs is a privileged position in a world where most
people are poor and oppressed, they want for others the good
things which they themselves have.
10. They recognize injustice and have a strong desire to eradicate it.
This ideal picture expresses for us here at Fairfield University what
we are primarily interested in developing in our students: moral as well
as intellectual virtues. We are not arguing for indoctrination, but only that
when we make theoretical knowledge our only goal we have chosen
something less suitable to attain our Ignatian aspirations. The Jesuit
Superior General Pedro Arrupe, S.]. addressed this when speaking of the
relevancy of Jesuit schools today.
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"In short, ifa spirit ofservice marks your cooperative efforts, you will
find that as a jointJesuit and lay body you can offer to citizens of the late
20th and early 21st centuries a solid and relevant educational experience.
You will be giving them a taste ofthe life ofthe spirit-ofthe spirit attuned
to the great deeds of God and therefore, turned outward in wonder and
curiosity about nature, in compassion and affection for all men and
women."
Frank Rhodes, the President of Cornell University referred to this
when describing the Jesuit identity before an assembly of 800 Jesuit
educators:
"The specific thing about Jesuit Schools is an all­encompassing
concern for the whole person and is
not satisfied merely with the intellectual advancement
of a student. Moral excellence has always been the
ultimate goal of Jesuit education and scholarly
excellence was important because of the role it
played in achieving moral excellence. Priority was
always given to the role of the teacher who was
expected not only to keep instruction lively and
students engaged, but also to set an example,
through his personal conduct that would inspire
students to a life of moral and intellectual excellence
and spiritual commitment. The three fundamentals
of this Ignatian Character in education involve
excellence in scholarship, committed and principled
teachers, and a student-centered learning
community."
A pertinent question today is whether Fairfield University will remain
Catholic andJesuit or will it parody most of the major American colleges
originally under Protestant sponsorship. Their histories suggest that a
religious tradition could not be maintained, since once religious practice
was abandoned, the rationale for maintaining religious sponsorship
dissipated. Is this Protestant experience a prelude to what we should
expect at Fairfield University?
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My respondents indicate that the answer to this question depends
on how well we perpetuate Fairfield University's Ignatian heritage
which today is still vibrant. The precious adjective /gnatian, which is so
compelling to parents, is much more than a marketing ploy, but touches
the nucleus of the institution. Its preservation cannot be imposed from
above, and so has little to do with governance. Maybe it is not necessarily
linked with the continued presence ofJesuits, but it is certainly linked to
an enthusiasm for the source of its religious roots which is Ignatius
Loyola's Spirituai Exercises.
Fr. MacDonnell, a member of the faculty at Faiifield University since
1969, isprofessor ofmathematics. He was chosen as Faiifield University
Teacher ofthe Year in 1986 by members ofAlpha Sigma Nu, the jesuit
honor society.
The Chronicles of Fairfield University, published during
the observance of the 50th Anniversary of the founding of
Fairfield University and Fairfield College Preparatory School, are
complete with this booklet.
The series includes:
Book I: The Founding Years
by Rev. Charles F. Duffy, S.].
Book II: An Era of Steady Growth and Change
by George B. Baehr, Ph.D.
Book III: Turmoil and Triumph
by Professor Paul Davis
Book IV: Building Years
by Vincent M. Murphy, Ph.D.
Book V: Legends and Lore
by various authors
Book VI: Ignatian Character
by Rev. Joseph F. MacDonnell, S.].
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