Bridging Theology and the Cultures of the World

Bridge

TransitionTribute

Bridging Theology and the Cultures of the World

Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley Volume 2, Summer 2008

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Bridge Bridging Theology and the Cultures of the WorldJesuit School of Theology at Berkeley

Volume 2, Summer 2008

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hopein our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

As I prepAre to leAve the JesuIt school of Theology ( JSTB) for the pines and piazzas of Rome, it is very easy to identify with these sentiments St. Paul expressed in this oldest of New Testament writings. Gratitude wells up in my heart, along with some sadness in parting from so many students, colleagues, friends who have shared their faith and labors and loves with me during the 10 years I have been here.

A call to go across new frontiers was a central theme of the Jesuit’s recent General Congregation. And this theme was confirmed both by our new Superior General, Adolfo Nicolàs, and by Pope Benedict XVI. So I am more than willing to go to my new assignment.

But reflecting on this past decade here, it seems that the mission and thrust of the Jesuit School of Theology has very much been about crossing new frontiers. Theological frontiers of dialogue with the many cultures shaping the Church today. Ministerial frontiers reaching out to marginalized people within the Church and beyond. Spiritual frontiers addressing the deep hungers of those longing to experience God in the modern Secular City.

I give thanks to God for being part of such a community of friends in the Lord. I am so grateful to have encountered young students coming here out of commitment to lives of service to God’s people. Faith-filled and creative colleagues on the faculty and staff have been wonderful companions in furthering JSTB’s all-important mission. And I remember with joy meeting so many of you who have supported that mission in so many ways.

Together we have shared in so many things. Interacting with students and cultures from around the world. Laboring together to theologize about what God is doing in our experience of the modern world. Connecting with the parishioners of inner-city Oakland as well as theology centers around the Pacific Rim. Tearing apart our old buildings to create a new academic center and chapel. Expanding the circle of partners in mission through the Partners for Tomorrow’s Church Campaign — which generated over $21 million in resources for our mission. It has been quite a journey together! Thank you for the companionship!

Now I am happy to hand on the Jesuit School of Theology’s leadership to Fr. Kevin Burke, S.J., who has served very ably as our Academic Dean for several years. I trust all of JSTB’s friends will work together with him, as you have with me, on the all-important mission the Church and Society of Jesus have entrusted to the Jesuit School of Theology.

Meantime, I promise to pray for all of you, with fondness, in the years ahead. Or as St. Thomas More is reputed to have said to his executioner: pray for me as I will for thee until we merrily meet again.

—Rev. Joseph P. Daoust, S.J., President

The Bridge is the semi-annual magazine of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.

The Jesuit School is a theological school faithful to the intellectual tradition and the apostolic priority of the Society of Jesus: reverent and critical service of the faith that does justice. The Jesuit School achieves its mission through the academic, pastoral and personal formation of Jesuits and other candi - dates for ministry, ordained and lay, in the Roman Catholic Church. The Development Department produces the Bridge.

Editor: Catherine M. Kelly PhotograPhy: Students & Staff dESigN aNd LayoUt: Molly McCoy

Board of trUStEESJoseph P. Daoust, S.J.,

PresidentJohn E. Kerrigan, Jr.,

Chair William J. Barkett Thomas E. Bertelsen, Jr.Betsy BlissLouis M. CastruccioMarx CazenaveBishop John S. CumminsRev. Virgilio P. ElizondoSr. Maureen Fay, O.P.Thomas H. Feely, S.J.John D. FeerickLoretta HolsteinMark A. Lewis, S.J. Paul Locatelli, S.J.John P. McGarry, S.J.Walter Modrys, S.J.David Nygren Stanley RaggioD. Paul ReganJohn D. SchubertTony Sholander, S.J.Thomas Smolich, S.J.

Jesuit School of Theology 1735 LeRoy Avenue Berkeley, CA 94709 Tel: (510) 549-5000 www.jstb.edu

cover photograph by: Brian Mcclister

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

jESuIT School of ThEoloGy AT BERKELEy2

In MArch, At the JesuIts’ GenerAl conGreGAtIon In Rome, Father General Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., appointed Rev. Joseph Daoust, S.J. as a member of the General Council of the Society of Jesus and the Delegate (Provincial) for Jesuits and Jesuit institutions and communities in Rome and Jerusalem. Rev. Daoust will be leaving the Jesuit School of Theology at the end of July and moving to Rome to assume these new responsibilities in the fall.

In his new role, Rev. Daoust will meet regularly with the 11 other members of the General Council which advises the Superior General about issues in the worldwide Society of Jesus. As Delegate in Rome, he will function as the Provincial Superior for institutions entrusted to the Society of Jesus by the Holy See, which include the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical Biblical Institute, the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Vatican Radio, and the Vatican Observatory. In addition, he will be responsible for the College of St. Robert Bellarmine and the International College of the Gesù. Rev. Daoust will have religious and apostolic responsibility for the approximately 350 Jesuits working or studying at these institutions.

In his 10 years as President of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, Rev. Daoust has promoted our school’s reputation as a leading international center of theology and ministry. Under his leadership, the School has focused strategically on studying theology in the context of the many cultures shaping the faith lives of people in the Church, with particular emphasis on America and around the Pacific Rim. As a result, the School has dramatically increased its international presence. The School offers theological immersion programs for its faculty and students in China, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the Philippines, and is developing relationships with other Jesuit theological centers in Asia and Latin America. The School also offers the Hispanic Institute and the Advanced Hispanic Institute for those interested in learning more about Hispanic/Latino theology and ministry.

Locally, Rev. Daoust led the Jesuit School of Theology in creating a partnership with the West Oakland Deanery of parishes in Oakland. This partnership offers students the opportunity to learn hands-on ministerial skills while providing pastoral services to an area which is economically poor but ethnically rich. In addition, the School assumed pastoral responsibility for St. Patrick’s

Parish where a Jesuit faculty member is pastor of this African-American and Latino community.

In 2000, Rev. Daoust established the popular Theology in the City lecture series to enrich public discourse on Catholic theology and issues of contemporary religious and social concern. Jesuit School of Theology faculty give lectures each year in almost a dozen cities across the United States. Attendees have characterized the lectures as “spiritually nourishing sacred moments” and “an invigoration of the intellectual side of faith issues.” The lectures are designed to provide a greater understanding of moral and spiritual issues in terms the ordinary Catholic in the pew can understand and discuss.

In 2007, under Rev. Daoust’s leadership, the School completed the Partners for Tomorrow’s Church capital campaign, raising over $21 million, which allowed the School to build the Gesú Chapel, renovate the Academic Center, endow 21 scholarships and create two faculty chairs in Interreligious Dialogue, and Art History and Religion. The School continues to grow and is seeking additional gifts for scholarships, faculty chairs, capital projects, and the immersion programs. For more information on how your gift can help us, please contact Tom Hyland, Executive Director of Development at thyland@jstb.edu and (510) 549-5041.

Rev. Kevin Burke, S.J., currently the Academic Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology, will assume the role of Acting President upon Rev. Daoust’s departure.

President Joe Daoust, S.J. as He Leaves for Rometo &Best WishesFarewell

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&WIthout Joe DAoust, I WoulD never hAve come to do the Doctor of Sacred Theology at the Jesuit School of Theology. Aware of the economic situation of many of Kenya’s religious communities, Joe told me that he would do everything possible to enable a “Kenyan sister to complete her doctorate program.” On April 30, I defended my dissertation, “Blood and Bleeding...‘Wholeness of Life’: Reading the Hemorrhaging Woman’s Story (Mark 5:25–34) for Luo Kenyan Women.”

Joe arranged for my scholarship funding and free housing, and advised me that my Italian would qualify for my modern language requirement. He took time to talk with me to see how I was doing and how I was feeling, especially in 2005 when I was sick.

What amazes me about Joe is his kindness. He has a compassionate relationship with me and all the students from Africa. He was supportive of the first African Symposium at the school in 2007. Joe embodies a spirit of international relationship. At the Mass of the Holy Spirit that begins each semester, he names all the home countries of the students and his

“remembrance” nourishes us! He provides strong leadership and a safe spiritual space in which to deepen our awareness of ourselves and the world around us. Joe is a mentor, guardian, and a spiritual companion for the school as well as our priest. His insightful sermons call forth a sense of social justice, which will lead me into mission as I leave the school.

— Sr. Margaret Aringo, F.S.J. (S.T.D. 2008)

a Mission

Reflectionsof a Man

reMeMBrAnce Is ApprecIAtIve AnD AffectIonAte As we close the fourth decade of Catholic participation in the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) and take leave of Father Joe Daoust. He steps up rather than away from us, buoyed by the renewed mission of the Society of Jesus emanating from the 35th General Congregation and the encouragement of Pope Benedict to continue reaching to new frontiers, once geographical now cultural. The direction is in accord with the gradual international thrust of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley ( JSTB), accelerated in the decade of Father Daoust. Africa was long a center of his solicitude. We await now the fruit of his engagement with Jesuit theological centers in Asia.

But his attention was rooted in Berkeley and in the diocese as well, with the web of administrative and ecumenical relationships in an evolving GTU. His fresh Detroit eye 10 years ago recognized the inadequacy of JSTB facilities, the providential acquiring of which 40 years ago was occasion for grand rejoicing. One must note thankfully the undertaking of pastoral responsibility by JSTB for St. Patrick’s Parish and neighborhood in its long-favored West Oakland.

Note also that these accomplishments took place in a cultivated climate of welcoming, wise and at times intense dialogue, free and confident, with faculty and students, with trustees and with institutions to ensure the gift of theological education and research in the Bay Area for coming decades.

Blessings and wishes may be contained in a homily of Father General Adolfo Nicolas. Referencing Isaiah, he said, “God has made us servants and in so doing, God finds delight.”

—Most Rev. John Cummins Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Oakland, & Trustee of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley

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We are honored to publish the following reflections from students, faculty, donors, trustees, the President of the US Jesuit Conference, the Bishop Emeritus, and the Academic Dean on the role Father Daoust has played in promoting the mission of the Jesuit School of Theology and in securing the friends and finances needed so that our mission continues to thrive through the School’s transition to new leadership and beyond.

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soMeWhere In the MIDDle of My fIrst yeAr As Academic Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley ( JSTB), I found myself on an airplane with Joe Daoust. We were between cities on a trip that included a meeting of administrators from the three Jesuit theology centers of North America and two installments of JSTB’s Theology in the City lecture series. I treasured these quiet moments after takeoff, away from emails and cell phones. In the spontaneous conversations that would blossom between us, I learned much about the school and the art of administration, which was a good thing since I had much to learn and Joe had much to share.

But this conversation was different. This time we did not focus on fund-raising, budget-massaging, or problem-solving. Rather, we spoke of our own journeys as Jesuits, our own lives with God. In this privileged context, Joe shared the story of a time during his years as Provincial of Detroit when a harrowing car accident left him with a broken neck. He could have died in the accident. He could have been paralyzed for life. But here he was, years later, with only a mild case of airplane stiffness to remind him of what he escaped. As I recall Joe’s story what stands out is this: the unmistakable presence and love of God. How grateful he was — to be alive, of course, but even more to know that he had been privileged to believe in God.

What emerges through this story is what I most appreciate about Joe Daoust: his faith in God is real. Because it comes from God, it is not something he could make up or cause to happen or raise money to endow. Joe’s story reveals a common truth: God calls and we respond. God gives us faith and that faith gives us life. In Joe’s case the response was given, over and over, with great generosity and freedom. This particular combination allowed him to come to JSTB in the first place. It enabled him to undertake a demanding job at a time when no one else was available to do it. It also allows him to leave now to take on a new and similarly challenging assignment in Rome.

We will miss Joe, very much. I will certainly miss him! He has been a friend, a mentor, and an inspiration. But he leaves our school in a much better place than he found it. After a successful capital campaign and the renovation of our academic center, we are in a strong

position to go forward with our mission and the exciting affiliation with Santa Clara University.

Joe also leaves us with a network of close friends who, through their generosity and freedom, have provided the financial support without which JSTB cannot fulfill its mission. Thanks to Joe’s mentoring, as I transition into the role of Acting President, I have the freedom to ask you, with honesty and humility, to continue to give us that support so that we can continue our mission of preparing leaders for the Church. We cannot do it without you.

Our mission at JSTB will continue to thrive and more, for the God who called Joe to JSTB remains with us and accompanies him to Rome. Blessings, Joe, as the journey continues. And thank you.

— Rev. Kevin Burke, S.J. Academic Dean

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Joseph DAoust, s.J., or “Joe” As All the fAculty cAlleD him, was a faculty member’s president. Few people have to walk as slim a line as the president of a theological and ministerial school. The president’s primary job is to make everyone else’s job doable, and that involves, primarily, raising the money which allows students to study and faculty to teach without such constant financial preoc-cupation that one loses perspective on what one is doing. Joe knew how to raise money so that faculty were paid adequately, had the benefits that are critical to survival in our times, and could anticipate regular salary increments as the cost of living increased. Furthermore, we did not have to worry continually about the financial health, even survival, of the school. That was Joe’s job and we knew he was doing it. That left us free to do ours which Joe never failed to appreciate and commend.

A second thing a president has to do is both stay out of the dean’s office and yet support and cooperate with it. Joe managed that tricky task remarkably well. Faculty were not caught between the two offices or the persons who filled them. The smooth functioning of the admini-stration of the school was a powerful and beneficent influence on the school generating and promoting a peaceful and productive atmosphere.

Finally, Joe was able to function as the de facto pastor of the school community without being intrusive or over-stepping the boundaries of his office. He was there for students and faculty on September 11 and he was there as the academic year opened and commencement brought it to a close each year. He presided prayerfully at Eucharist on these significant occasions, moved quietly among the crowds at the “bodacious barbeques” that followed, and generated the sense that the institution was in the hands of a capable leader. It is a rare gift to suffuse the nitty-gritty of administration, fund-raising, and paying the bills with a spirituality and pastoral sensitivity that helped us all stay aware of the fact that, however complex and real-world were the problems of the institution, the institution was always a ministry and we were co-ministers within it. From all of us, Joe, thank you, farewell, and Godspeed, as your talents are placed at the direct service of your religious order in the years ahead.

—Sandra M. Schneiders, I.H.M. Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies and Christian Spirituality

In AncIent roMe, An AMAteur sculptor could fill the gaps, seams and chips in his stone with wax, in hopes that his mistakes would go unnoticed under common appraisal. A true artist would produce a work of art “sine cera” — without wax. This is the derivation of the word sincere.

As a Jesuit and as President, Joe Daoust, S.J. is sincere — without guile or pretense. Joe and I served briefly together as Jesuit School of Theology trustees in 1994, and closely together since his return as President in 1998. He has helped build the Jesuit School’s considerable strengths and assets these 10 years. The Jesuit School of Theology’s confidence in its mission is strong, our strategic direction is cutting-edge, and our resources — both academic and financial

— are robust. At every step, Joe’s leadership and decision-making are driven by, “How can the Jesuit School be of greater service to the Church? How do we create the future of the Church?”

Joe, as you leave to serve the Society of Jesus and the Church in new and different ways, know how grateful we are for your sincere leadership in making Jesus better known and loved here in Berkeley and in the world beyond.

— John E. Kerrigan, Jr. Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley

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I WAs AttrActeD to BoArD MeMBershIp AnD financial support of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley by the powerful union of a man and a mission. I had already witnessed Joe Daoust’s commitment to the Jesuit goal of “faith doing justice.” I then saw that the Jesuit School of Theology, recharged by Joe’s intelligence and skill as well as his hard work, was in business to equip other men and women — lay, religious, and ordained — to take that faith and that thirst for justice out into a diverse and changing world. To me, the Jesuit School of Theology is a superb example of the essence of Catholic education: the flow from classroom into action, especially on behalf of God’s neediest. As Joe Daoust’s tenure at the Jesuit School of Theology ends, it is more necessary than ever to support that mission.

—John D. Schubert Donor & Trustee, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley

ZIppInG throuGh the AIrport, Joe DAoust s.J. Is tough to follow. He can sidestep, grab an opening, and choose the right security line nearly every time. I have traveled to the School of the Americas (SOA) with Joe several times and every time I am impressed with how quickly he moves to the heart of things. We students would pack up our roller bags of non-essentials and every year Joe would quietly teach us about what a pilgrim truly needs: faithfulness in prayer, a quick step to go where one is most needed, and a willingness to place ourselves on the line — literally. Watching Joe move to what is essential teaches me about conversion and fidelity. He loves the liturgy at the SOA, and teaches us again and again that Eucharist shared in solidarity with those who demand justice is both a point of arrival and a point of departure.

So if you see a small black bag, with nothing but the essentials zipping through Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport and it is near November 16 — you can be sure that once again Joe is getting to the heart of the matter. He is on the road, a martyria, a witness, one who believes in a God of life. Teaching all of us that the blood of the victims remembered each year at the School of the Americas marks a fruitful path for all of us to follow.

Thank you, Joe.

— Joseph Carver, S.J. (M.Div. 2009)

Joe DAoust’s 10 yeArs As presIDent WIll Be remembered as years of mission. Joe’s deep dedication to the mission of the Society of Jesus has given the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley ( JSTB) a dynamic presence in theological education today. Lay, religious and Jesuit students are being trained to preach and teach in ways the world can understand, in challenging arenas that make good use of the education and formation they have received. Joe’s leadership has made culturally contextua -lized theology the keystone of JSTB’s contribution to the Society’s contemporary mission.

Joe’s gifts as speaker, administrator and fund-raiser are obvious. They are grounded in deep faith and a spirit of prayer, a commitment to faith that expresses itself in God’s justice, and a willingness to be sent where he is most needed.

That willing availability now sends him to Rome, where he will serve as Father General Adolfo Nicolás’ representative for the Society’s ministries in Rome. This position will offer him another set of challenges, Italian vocabulary notwithstanding! But Joe is ready for them, as he is always ready for whatever the Society has asked him to do.

We are indebted to his generous and creative leadership at JSTB and are proud to wish him well on his new mission.

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam!

— Rev. Tom Smolich, S.J. President, US Jesuit Conference & Trustee, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley

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My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,

And my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait....

My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.

Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, And the world is about to turn!

“Canticle of the Turning” by Rory Cooney © 1990, GIA Publications, Inc.

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cAtherIne M. Kelly