Magazine
News of the Midwest Jesuits - Fall-Winter 2016

Huerter, Taken Alive, and Mackey - New Presidents and Principals Begin at Midwest Jesuit Schools Several Midwest Jesuit schools welcomed new presidents and principals in the 2016– 2017 academic year. Father Michael Marco, SJ, became president of Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, while Fr. Theodore Munz, SJ, became president of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy and Fr. Jeff Putthoff, SJ, became president of St. John’s Jesuit High School & Academy in Toledo, Ohio. New principals include Sylvia Beevas- Smith at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School – Twin Cities in Minneapolis; James Bopp at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha; Clare Huerter at Red Cloud High School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; Juliana (White Bull) Taken Alive at Red Cloud Elementary School; Alex Mackey, assistant principal at Red Cloud High School; John Meuler, director of the middle school at Nativity Jesuit Academy in Milwaukee; and Vanessa Solis, director of the elementary school at Nativity Jesuit Academy. “The Midwest Jesuits are thrilled to welcome our newest presidents and principals,” said Matthew Couture, the Midwest Jesuits’ provincial assistant for presecondary and secondary education. “They bring a deep commitment to Catholic Jesuit mission, care for student growth, and a fresh vision for the future.”

Huerter, Taken Alive,
and Mackey 


New Presidents and Principals Begin at Midwest Jesuit Schools

Several Midwest Jesuit schools welcomed new presidents and principals in the 2016–2017 academic year. Father Michael Marco, SJ, became president of Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, while Fr. Theodore Munz, SJ, became president of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy and Fr. Jeff Putthoff, SJ, became president of St. John’s Jesuit High School & Academy in Toledo, Ohio.

New principals include Sylvia Beevas-Smith at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School – Twin Cities in Minneapolis; James Bopp at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha; Clare Huerter at Red Cloud High School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; Juliana (White Bull) Taken Alive at Red Cloud Elementary School; Alex Mackey, assistant principal at Red Cloud High School; John Meuler, director of the middle school at Nativity Jesuit Academy in Milwaukee; and Vanessa Solis, director of the elementary school at Nativity Jesuit Academy.

“The Midwest Jesuits are thrilled to welcome our newest presidents and principals,” said Matthew Couture, the Midwest Jesuits’ provincial assistant for presecondary and secondary education. “They bring a deep commitment to Catholic Jesuit mission, care for student growth, and a fresh vision for the future.”


Photo courtesy of Willi White/Red Cloud Indian School 

Fr. Lukas Laniauskas, SJ
Fr. Lukas Laniauskas, SJ
Jesuit Connections Hosts Inaugural Chicago Area Mass
Jesuit Connections, a young professional speaker series sponsored by the Midwest Jesuits and Charis ministries, hosted its first-ever Chicago Area Mass on Sunday, October 23, at Holy Family Church. The Mass was part of a broader, nationwide celebration of Jesuit-affiliated individuals. Father Lukas Laniauskas, SJ, vice president of mission integration and implementation at Saint Ignatius College Prep, served as presider. 

“It was so exciting for Chicago to be a part of this national Jesuit celebration in October,” said Anne Williams, executive director of Charis. “Whether a parent, grandparent, student, alumni, staff, or lover of Ignatian spirituality, we are all part of the Jesuit family.” 

Jesuit Connections launched earlier this year, bringing together young Jesuit alumni, staff, and volunteers. Previous events included a talk on balancing faith and work by Fr. Pat McGrath, SJ, president of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill.; a presentation on the lives of migrants by Fr. Sean Carroll, SJ, executive director of the Kino Border Initiative on the US-Mexican border; and a talk on putting faith into action by Fr. Dave Mastrangelo, SJ, director of mission and identity at Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School in Chicago. 

“So many of the young adults we talk to are looking for connection and a community to explore their faith,” said Williams. “What better way than a community of those with shared Jesuit values.” 
Kathleen Groh, regional director of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter, was presented with the Leading with Faith Award by The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Kathleen was honored with six other recipients at an August 18 luncheon at St. Catherine University with the Most Rev. Bernard Hebda, archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. According to The Catholic Spirit, the Leading with Faith Award was established as a way to celebrate business and community leaders “who integrate their Catholic faith in their workplaces.” Under Kathleen’s leadership over the past five years, IVC has experienced significant growth in the Twin Cities. “I was once told that volunteers will always be attracted to a ‘warm fire,’” Kathleen told The Catholic Spirit. “That is what I have tried to provide as I lead IVC. Watching the steady growth of IVC from 10 volunteers to 25 and sending them into the nonprofits that serve those who are poor and vulnerable is most gratifying. We are called by St. Ignatius to ‘set the world on fire,’ and these men and women are lighting them all over the metro area.” IVC provides mature men and women the opportunity to serve the needs of people who are poor, to work for a more just society, and to grow deeper in Christian faith by reflecting and praying in the Ignatian tradition. To learn more, visit www.ivcusa.org or www.thecatholicspirit.com.
Kathleen Groh
IVC Regional Director Receives Leading with Faith Award

Kathleen Groh, regional director of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter, was presented with the Leading with Faith Award by The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Kathleen was honored with six other recipients at an August 18 luncheon at St. Catherine University with the Most Rev. Bernard Hebda, archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

According to The Catholic Spirit, the Leading with Faith Award was established as a way to celebrate business and community leaders “who integrate their Catholic faith in their workplaces.” Under Kathleen’s leadership over the past five years, IVC has experienced significant growth in the Twin Cities. “I was once told that volunteers will always be attracted to a ‘warm fire,’” Kathleen told The Catholic Spirit. “That is what I have tried to provide as I lead IVC. Watching the steady growth of IVC from 10 volunteers to 25 and sending them into the nonprofits that serve those who are poor and vulnerable is most gratifying. We are called by St. Ignatius to ‘set the world on fire,’ and these men and women are lighting them all over the metro area.”

IVC provides mature men and women the opportunity to serve the needs of people who are poor, to work for a more just society, and to grow deeper in Christian faith by reflecting and praying in the Ignatian tradition. To learn more, visit www.ivcusa.org or www.thecatholicspirit.com.
Photo: Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit
St. Francis Dental Clinic and Creighton Receive Award The St. Francis Mission Dental Clinic and Creighton University School of Dentistry were selected as recipients of an American Dental Association Foundation E. “Bud” Tarrson Dental School Student Community Leadership Award for the 2015–2016 school year. The award recognized the excellent care offered to the Lakota people on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. “The partnership between the St. Francis Mission Dental Clinic and Creighton has been a study in caring and compassion,” said Jesuit Fr. John Hatcher, president of St. Francis Mission. “The dental students who lead this effort bring renewed hope and possibility here.” The four-chair clinic offers care with help from volunteer dentists and hygienists. Aside from the local hospital, the clinic stands alone in serving the oral hygiene needs of the 26,000 Lakota (Sioux) people on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Creighton dental students, alumni, and faculty have made four annual trips to the clinic, providing an average of $15,000–18,000 in dental care over several days. Despite its successes, the clinic and its patients face challenges. “Because we don’t have a permanent dentist on staff, we rely solely on volunteers,” said Fr. Hatcher. “We also have been using equipment that was outdated when we got it.” To learn more about St. Francis Mission and support its dental clinic, visit www.sfmission.org

Molly Brombach,
a Loyola Academy student 
Jesuit Schools Participate in Ignatian Carbon Challenge 

Jesuit high schools throughout the country are participating in the Ignatian Carbon Challenge with the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN). The program began with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1, and will extend through the academic year. 

The Ignatian Carbon Challenge provides resources for action and reflection to support a more sustainable lifestyle and campus environment. Individual challenges offer tools to educators and student club moderators, allowing them to incorporate Pope Francis’ 2015 environmental encyclical, Laudato Si, into their curriculum. Institutional challenges invite school administrators to commit to making strides toward greater sustainability in their organizations. Progress is tracked by ISN staff and publicized on social media using #IggyCarbon.

Participating Midwest Jesuit schools include Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill., Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School – Twin Cities in Minneapolis.

An ecumenical initiative, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation was followed by the Season of Creation, which extended through the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4.

To learn more about the Ignatian Carbon Challenge or the Season of Creation, visit www.ignatiansolidarity.net/ignatian-carbonchallenge, www.seasonofcreation.org, or www.catholicclimatemovement.global.
An ISP Retreat Group
An ISP retreat group
ISP Shares Stories of Hope in New Book
Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) recently published Stories of Hope, a book featuring powerful, first-hand accounts of struggling individuals whose lives changed as a result of an ISP retreat.

Stephen Hopkins is one of these retreatants.

“My life was chaos,” he wrote. “I’ve been shot three times, I’ve been stabbed, and that still didn’t get my attention to stop using [drugs].” He made his first retreat with ISP when he was 56.

ISP Stories of Hope
“The retreat experience was about serenity. The retreat opened my eyes up to show me that I was right where God wanted me to be.” Stephen now works on ISP’s Washington, DC, team.

“I want to give back,” he explained. “I just ask for God to lead me.”

ISP began offering retreats in 1998. Blending elements of Ignatian spirituality and the 12-step recovery program, ISP lays a foundation of hope, community, and healing.

Retreatants come to see that they are not alone in their struggles and that they are loved both by God and those on retreat with them. There are currently teams of ISP volunteers offering retreats in almost 30 cities across the United States and Canada.

For more about Stories of Hope and Stephen Hopkins, see ISP Shares "Stories of Hope" in New Book here on our website.

All book sales help cover production costs. To purchase a copy, see Stories of Hope at Amazon.com 

Jesuit School Alums Compete in 2016 Rio Olympics - Jimmy Butler (right)
Jimmy Butler (right)
Jesuit School Alums Compete in 2016 Rio Olympics 

Many athletes who competed in the 31st Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have ties to Midwest Jesuit universities and high schools. From alumni to coaches, Jesuit-educated athletes could be found on the court, in the pool, and on the field.

Some of the athletes included Jimmy Butler, a basketball standout at Marquette University in Milwaukee, who now plays for the Chicago Bulls and won a gold medal this summer; Thomas Jaeschke, a former Loyola University Chicago volleyball player who won a bronze medal; Joshua Konieczny, a rower and graduate of St. John’s Jesuit High School & Academy in Toledo, Ohio; Conor Dwyer, a graduate of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill., who won gold and bronze medals on the US men’s swimming team; and Gregory Echenique and David Cubillan, alums of Creighton University in Omaha and Marquette who played for the Venezuelan men’s basketball team.

“A Jesuit education forms the whole student: mind, body, and spirit,” said Deanna I. Howes, director of communications for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. “Jesuit school graduates who competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio truly lived up to this ideal and represented our institutions well on a global scale. We are proud of our Jesuit alumni and congratulate them on their stellar performances in the Olympics!”

For more information, visit www.ajcunet.edu
Photo: Courtesy of Marquette Athletics
 



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