Category : IPS

Guest Post: The Eucharistic Call to Active Nonviolence in a Wounded World

For this week’s post, we would like to feature an essay by IPS student Charissa Qiu. This past fall she wrote a reflection on the Eucharist and the call to justice and solidarity. In light of current world events, her words below help us remember what our pastoral response should be in times of trouble and controversy.

The Eucharistic Call to Active Nonviolence in a Wounded World

There is no denying that the historical Jesus was a controversial figure in his time – he ate at the same table with sinners; he touched lepers; he performed miracles on the Sabbath, and he challenged the status quo and the authority of those in power in his society. The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, especially in Matthew 5: 38-42, illustrates Jesus’ creative nonviolence clearly – responding to violence and injustice not with retaliation, but rather, to bring the injustice to light by finding creative ways to reveal it and have it speak for itself.

The restorative and reconciliatory justice of God that we are called to through partaking in the Eucharist is very different from the retributory justice of the world. The Eucharist calls us to right relationship and unity, which calls us not to segregation and retaliation, but rather, to respond with truth and love. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” There has been a lot of attention in the media lately surrounding two cases of white police violence against black unarmed men, and the grand jury’s decision not to indict the police officers. That has brought up a lot of various emotional responses of the public, with various people supporting either side. There have been riots to express outrage, forums for people to express and discuss feelings and opinions – people have felt the need to express themselves, and rightfully so. In the middle of all this chaos and emotion, a 12-year-old boy by the name of Devonte Hart (image below) chose to stand out holding a sign that read “Free Hugs,” and that courage and expression of love brought a moment of peace – a tiny glimpse of the Kingdom of God. It is when we start to see the humanity within each other that we share that we begin to stand together in solidarity, in the celebration of the Eucharist, and live into the Kingdom of God.

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We can acknowledge that we live in a world right now laden with violence and injustice, one that is filled with pain and woundedness. We are suspicious and afraid of “the other,” so we respond by distancing ourselves even more from what we are unfamiliar with, and continue to live in fear. The call of the Eucharist is to vulnerability, to openness, to transformation, and ultimately, to relationship. We cannot overcome our fear of the unknown through distancing ourselves – we need to overcome our fear by getting in touch with the unknown and “the other.” Jesus taught and lived out active nonviolence, and it is important to clarify here that nonviolence is not the same thing as passivity. To “turn the other cheek” does not mean to allow abuse to continue – in turning the other cheek, we are forcing the other person to slap us with their open hand (the left hand was only used for unclean purposes in Jesus’ time and so would not be used) which is a statement of equality – it is demanding to be treated fairly and equally; an act of active nonviolence.

As we accept the reality of our wounded world, we need to, at the same time, go beyond that reality and ground ourselves in hope, and with faith that love is stronger and more sustainable than hatred. That is the call of the Eucharist – into the darkness, but also into the light. Jesus hung on the cross between the tensions of the world and the Kingdom of God, and there was darkness, but after patiently sitting in the darkness and allowing it to transform us, there will be light.

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.


Student Feature: Meet DeVona

Earning a dual degree at IPS, DeVona Alleyne has great advice for future students and shows that hard work pays off. Read below to find out some interesting and wonderful things about DeVona.

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Nickname: None, but DeVona often gets shortened to Dee for the sake of quick conversation.

Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

A favorite of yours: My favorite color is red, but my favorite color to wear is black – the standard East Coast uniform.

A bible verse that has significance to you? 
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” – Romans 12:5 (NKJV)

Previous education:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – B.A. in English and in Journalism in 1999
Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. – started M.Div. in 2005

What were you doing before beginning your IPS journey?
I was a newspaper editor, most recently at the Chicago Tribune, who was laid off and considering where my passion existed outside of journalism. From my work as a hospice volunteer, I considered being a nurse and worked in a hospital for a year then went back to editing at a Christian publishing company. There, I met my mentor who steered me toward finding a program like mine at IPS.

What made you decide to come to Loyola IPS?
My manager at the Christian publishing company where I worked in 2012 would ask me about my interests from time to time that had less to do with my editing tasks. She took note of my practical theological perspectives and my care for understanding and positively shaping others’ motivations. In talking through it, she suggested I find a master’s program that combined spirituality and psychology. Thinking it was nearly impossible, I started Googling anyway and was pleasantly surprised, already living in Chicago, to find IPS’ pastoral counseling program right in my front yard!

What are your studies focused on/what degree plan are you in?
I’m in the dual degree program, pursuing the M.A. in pastoral counseling and the master of divinity. If all continues to go well, I’ll have both by May 2016 – three and a half years from when I started.

What are you most looking forward to accomplishing during your time here at Loyola IPS and how does that relate to your future goals?
I’ve learned so much in the two years I’ve been here that I couldn’t have predicted any of it. One of the things that broadened my understanding of pastoral counseling in this program is that my future career will be less about what I do and more about who I am.

That’s important for recognizing what God means to me and how, as a minister, I reflect that very practical understanding for someone else’s individual translation of their own spirituality. Through my divinity program, I hope to build upon that foundation for future chaplaincy work. Further, I look forward to being even more aware of myself in relationship to anyone I encounter — whether it’s a client in individual therapy, a group or couple – to provide the best therapeutic care leading people to their greatest capacities to love.

Do you have a favorite class or one you look forward to taking?
I thoroughly enjoyed my Social Context of Ministry course taught by Dan Rhodes, though it was perhaps the most depressing and challenging of any that I’d taken – even over Michael Bland’s psychopathology. (The latter is a close second for favorite and, ironically, depressing.) More than any other course, it framed the real world and all the intangible forces that determine public and private thought with not-so-great consequences. The challenge of the course was to rethink my worldview by deconstructing its origins and then step up to the world by considering ways to make a real difference for people.

Do you see any challenges you will have to overcome during your time here? If so, what is one of them?
The only challenge I see at IPS will be the race against time. I juggle a lot with school, church and family, and precision is necessary to get everything done. It’s gone well so far, despite a crazy schedule. I’ve taken 12 hours most semesters and just focused and prayed – prayed a lot, actually.

Do you have any recommendations for future students?
Take advantage of every experience IPS offers: Get to know and connect with classmates, have a meal on campus, talk with professors, attend events and spend time physically in the library. It’s easy to get caught up in such a studious mood that you miss out on the full experience of your studies. Debate ideas, put them into practice and question what’s happening around you. And as for the libraries, well, I’m a former journalist. There’s no reward like actually using a little shoe leather to find the information you need. All of that is a part of learning and will give you the full Loyola and IPS experience.

In what way will you go forth to “change the world?”
That’s simple: The world I encounter will change when and as I change myself and allow my experiences to change me for the better. With others, I will encourage positive transformation and expose the benefit of unexpected, undesirable or uncontrollable change.

Are you currently working on an interesting project that you wish to share?
It won’t happen until next year, but I’m tossing around a few ideas for my M.Div. project paper that will likely center on the intersection of Christianity and general understanding of human sexuality.

What is a fun fact or story about you?
I have an uncle whose name is King Solomon and an aunt whose name is Queen Esther, each on opposite sides of my family tree.

Any additional information you would like to share:
I’m a married mother of 2-year-old twins, who were 5 months old when I started attending IPS full-time. They show me every day that anything is possible.

You can connect with her via Twitter: @devonaara

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.


Student Feature: Meet Tom

Between computer science, cooking, family and training for triathlons, Tom Micinski has found a way to pursue his MAPS degree from IPS. Find out more below about his many talents and work with St. Teresa of Avila Parish. Happy to have you Tom!

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Photo of Micinski at graduation from the Lay Ecclesial Ministry (LEM) program with the Archdiocese of Chicago.

 

Hometown: Mishawaka, Indiana

A favorite of yours?
My favorite hobby is cooking. I worked as a personal chef and caterer for about 10 years, but now cooking is just a hobby.

A quote that has significance to you?
“Whoever has God lacks nothing; God Alone Suffices” – St. Teresa of Avila

What is your previous education?
I have a BS from Northern Illinois University in Computer Science and I have a MS from DePaul University in Computer Science (Data Communications).

What were you doing before beginning your IPS journey?
I have been working as the Facilities Manager at St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Lincoln Park for the past six years. Before that, I was a cook for a religious community in Chicago.

What made you decide to come to Loyola IPS?
I was accepted to the Lay Ecclesial Ministry (LEM) program with the Archdiocese of Chicago. Part of this program includes a masters level education component and I chose Loyola for my studies within the LEM program.

What are your studies focused on?
My studies are focused on pastoral work, especially as they relate to Catholic parish-life. I am enrolled in the MAPS program at Loyola. At the end of my education, I hope to work as a Pastoral Associate within the Archdiocese of Chicago.

What are you most looking forward to accomplishing during your time here at Loyola IPS and how does that relate to your future goals?
Right now, the biggest accomplishment I am looking forward to is graduating! With a full-time job and children in middle school, completing the MAPS degree program is proving to be a challenging endeavor.

Do you have a favorite class or one you look forward to taking?
I have enjoyed all my classes at Loyola. The teachers have been very knowledgeable about the subject matter and the classroom discussions have been engaging. If I had to pick one, I think I would pick Christian Moral Theology because many of the components of this class pertain directly to my life and work. Introduction to Canon Law, which I am currently enrolled in, is proving to be a close second because it will have direct applications to my future work as a Pastoral Associate.

Do you see any challenges you will have to overcome during your time here? If so, what is one of them?
The biggest challenge I face is balancing my time between work, family and studies.

Do you have any recommendations for future students?
Ask a lot of questions and engage with your professors and fellow students. You never know what ‘spark’ will come out of a conversation.

In what way will you go forth to “change the world?”
The progression of my life has not been a straight path; it has been more like a winding road. Therefore, I have a hard time picturing exactly what lies ahead around the next curve. I just hope I can help meet the needs of the parishioners at a parish, bringing them closer to God’s Kingdom.

Are you currently working on any interesting project(s) that you wish to share?
The parish where I work, St. Teresa of Avila Parish, is currently working on a major church renovation. The parish has been in Lincoln Park for 125 years and many people can drive by the church without knowing it is a Catholic church. It was rebuilt in the 1960s after a fire, so the structure is more modern than the typical Catholic church in Chicago. One goal of this renovation is to make the parish’s presence more visible within the community by replacing the front brick wall with a variety of glass windows, including some stained glass windows from the original convent. It has been an exciting project and is scheduled to be completed before Easter!

What is a fun fact or story about you?
I love the outdoors and staying active. After heart surgery about four years ago, I got involved with triathlons as part of my recovery. I am now hooked on the sport because it allows me to enjoy the outdoors in a variety of ways; running, biking and swimming.

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.


Faculty Profile: Meet Fr. Madden

Father Patrick Madden is returning for a fourth semester at IPS. He will be teaching an online course: Introduction to the New Testament.

Fr. Madden holds a degree in Biblical Studies from The Catholic University of America and currently serves as a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana. Previously, Fr. Madden was a full-time hospital chaplain for eight years and has experience teaching at both St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and the University of Dallas. In addition, he served as Director of the Greco Institute and remains there as adjunct faculty.

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During his time at IPS, Fr. Madden hopes that his students get to understand that God’s dealings with His people are a historical development.

“The main mistake that beginners make is that people think they will find the teachings of the church in the Bible. Nobody who wrote the Bible believed in Original Sin or the Blessed Trinity or the divine nature of Jesus, but all of these are legitimate developments of biblical thought,” noted Fr. Madden.

One of his favorite phrases is, “What did it mean when the ink was wet?”

“A concrete example of this would be the meaning of the phrase ‘Son of God.’ Every author of the NT agrees that Jesus is the ‘Son of God,’ but each understands this differently. For example, Matthew and Luke understand ‘Son of God’ as involving a miraculous conception. By contrast, knowing nothing of a miraculous conception, Paul links Jesus’ divine sonship with the resurrection (Rom 1:4). John also displays no awareness of a miraculous conception, but has no hesitation to link Jesus with the ‘Word’ that existed with God in the beginning. The richness of the NT is revealed when we examine the details of precisely what each author means. A common mistake of beginners is to ‘read right past’ such a phrase, and think, ‘I know what Son of God means: I say it every Sunday in the creed: eternally begotten of the Father, true God from true God, etc.’ However, importing this later (valid) development of Christian theology back into the NT will result in a misunderstanding of what the biblical authors were teaching.”

Fr. Madden hopes that he and his students can remember to be humble because “we know a lot less than we think we know.”

Moreover, he believes that the evolution of the church is not over. He poses the questions:

  • If Paul in Romans 16 calls the woman Junia an apostle, what would successors of the apostles look like in the church today?
  • What is our pastoral response going to be to the questions that we are facing today?

“We honor the great saints and those who have gone before us, not by repeating their answers, but by doing what they did – getting the core message of Christianity into dialogue with the events and the spirit of the times,” said Fr. Madden. “There is continuity, but there is also diversity.”

Above all else, he wants this class to be pastoral. “I can show them the evolution, but it is up to the students to take what they learn in my class, and other classes, to find out how the gospel gets incarnate in each of their chosen ministries,” said Fr. Madden. “For me, the study of scripture has been immensely liberating, and I love to teach adults because they are here because they want to be.”

Fr. Madden says his favorite part about teaching is that it forces him to learn. “They say if you want to learn something, teach it. You don’t really understand something until you have to explain it,” stated Fr. Madden. “I learn from the research I do and I also learn from the feedback I get from students. They keep this 66 year old young. I love to learn. It keeps my mind active.”

IPS is happy to welcome Fr. Madden back and is looking forward to this new semester with great faculty.

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.


Student Feature: Meet Eliza

Eliza Stucker is currently seeking a dual Masters degree from IPS. From the beginning, she has welcomed and embraced the new challenges and experiences that higher education brings. Find out more about Eliza and her future goals below:

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Nickname: Liza

Hometown: Irmo, SC

A favorite hobby: Cooking – Italian cuisine in particular

A favorite quote:
“Perhaps everything terrible is, in its deepest being, something that needs our love.” -Rainer Maria Rilke

What is your previous education?
Furman University, Bachelors in Chemistry and Bachelors in Biology (2012).

What were you doing before beginning your IPS journey?
I was in college, doubling in Chemistry and Biology, planning on applying to veterinary school.

What made you decide to come to Loyola IPS?
I began by realizing that religion is often used as a weapon to judge, demean, or harm others as opposed to being a source of healing. I have experienced God as One who heals, and I wanted to learn more to be able to be a source of healing and counter this trend in our world. I also wanted to work with people and became intrigued by the idea of psychotherapy. IPS’s dual degree in Divinity and Pastoral Counseling matched my interests, and I applied!

What are your studies focused on?
I am in the dual Masters program, getting my Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling degrees. I like to describe the MDiv as a degree focused on how religion/theology play out in the world at large, on the ground. This degree teaches me how to stand beside people as God would and how to be a resource for those who are on their own personal journey and are in need of a companion.

My MAPC degree is a bit more specific to the mind. Pastoral counseling is essentially psychotherapy with a pastoral lens, and it is a unique approach to the psychological issues many people in our society face daily. This degree teaches me about basic psychology, yes. More than that, though, it teaches me how to attune to others, to truly listen and to help someone find his/her own answers. One of the most healing techniques I have found is how to be able to be a calm, supportive person for someone as they face their own suffering, becoming a witness to the life of another. This is not something many feel comfortable doing; we are almost wired to move away from suffering. My field and vocation, however, asks me to stand my ground and face the suffering of life alongside those who need me as a witness and support.

What are you most looking forward to accomplishing during your time here at Loyola IPS and how does that relate to your future goals?
I am looking forward now to my clinical internship in counseling that will begin either this summer or next fall. It will be my first opportunity to act in a psychotherapeutic role, and I’m very excited for this real-world, hands on experience. Thus far, I am most proud of my completed CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) unit I just completed this past summer. I learned so many things about ministry and chaplaincy, met some amazing people and learned a lot about myself.

Do you have a favorite class or one you look forward to taking?
Hebrew I and II were my favorite classes that I’ve taken at Loyola as a graduate student. Within IPS, though (Hebrew is in the Theology department), my favorite class has been either Human Relations Skills or Psychopathology…I can’t decide! Both are pastoral counseling classes. I’m looking forward to Testing and Measurement and, as aforementioned, Internship.

Do you see any challenges you will have to overcome during your time here? If so, what is one of them?
I feel as though education always comes with its challenges, and in my 2.5 years at IPS I can say I have underwent some challenges. For the future, though, I cannot predict what will happen next. I rest in the fact that I can come to IPS staff to help me with whatever issues I may come across for the remainder of my time here.

Do you have any recommendations for future students?
I recommend that students come to a class in the program(s) they are interested in and speak to the students about their experiences. While I enjoy what I do, the reality of my programs are very different from what I had imagined going in; it’s hard to understand a program through paper. Since we all have 20/20 hindsight, I think talking to some students about the programs would be very informative for prospective students!

In what way will you go forth to “change the world?”
My hope is to be able to provide therapy for all different kinds of individuals that will improve their body, mind and spiritual health.

Are you currently working on any interesting project(s) that you wish to share?
Well, a final paper for a class that I’m currently finishing up has me researching/writing about the impact of a female victimization narrative on the recovery of battered women. I am weaving together feminist theology with social context and a bit of psychology to speak to how this large, societal problem (domestic violence) can be understood through lenses that can be harmful or unproductive.

What is a fun fact or story about you?
I think one of the funniest facts about me in the context of IPS is that many of my MDiv classmates thought I was Jewish my first year in the program because of how often I cite the First Testament and/or Hebrew!

Connect with Eliza:
Prospective students are welcome to email me at estucker@luc.edu if they have further questions or comments for me!

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.

 


IPS To Launch New Digital Concentration

Loyola University Chicagos Institute of Pastoral Studies is pleased to announce a new concentration available to students beginning Fall 2015Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies degree with a Concentration in Digital Communication.

The first program of its kind in the US, the Concentration in Digital Communication combines courses from Loyola’s IPS and its School of Communication. As the contemporary world – and with it, today’s Church – is ever more driven and influenced by content delivered through digital platforms and social media, it is critical that pastoral leaders be skilled in the use of the newest tools for effective evangelization and outreach.
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This degree concentration will allow students to hone their communication skills and learn best practices for using digital media in the dissemination of parish/congregation/diocese news, events, and the message of the Gospel in order to reach a wider audience than is possible through, but doesn’t exclude, legacy print and broadcast media.

On February 10, 2015, IPS will host a launch event featuring a panel discussion to introduce and celebrate this new concentration.

After opening remarks from Archbishop Blase Cupich (tentatively scheduled), the event will be moderated by Don Wycliff, distinguished journalist in residence at Loyola University Chicago. Wycliff was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing in 1996, has been inducted into the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award from the Chicago Journalists Association. He was also a long time editor for the Chicago Tribune and is a nationally recognized expert on ethics.

Panelists for this event include four prominent leaders in Catholicismdigital revolution:

  • Bishop Christopher Coyne (@bishopcoyne) – On his 2011 appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Indianapolis, then-Fr. Coyne became global Catholicism’s first blogging priest to become a bishop. In the time since, Bishop Coyne has expanded his digital ministry to podcasting, Facebook and Twitter – an outreach which saw him featured on the Today show. A former director of communications for the Archdiocese of Boston and a host on the CatholicTV cable network in late 2014, the US bishops elected Bishop Coyne as chair of their Communications Committee.
  • Rocco Palmo (@roccopalmo) – The voice behind the influential Whispers in the Loggia news blog site and a former US correspondent for the London-based international Catholic weekly The Tablet, he’s been a church analyst for mainstream print and broadcast outlets including the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, BBC, CNN, and National Public Radio. In 2011, Palmo co-chaired the Vaticans first-ever conference on social media, convened by the Pontifical Councils for Culture and Social Communications, and guided the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ national seminar on the “digital church” in 2012. 
  • Kerry Weber (@Kerry_Weber) – Currently the managing editor of the Jesuits’ America Magazine in New York, she is a graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Providence College in Rhode Island. A former associate editor for Catholic Digest and The Catholic Observer, as well as a onetime TV producer and reporter, Webers account of daily spirituality for the Millennial generation, Mercy in the City, was recently published by Loyola Press.
  • Fr. Manuel Dorantes (@TweetingPriest) – Known affectionately around Chicago as “Fr. Manny,” he is La Voz del Vaticano (“The Vatican’s Voice”) as the Holy See Press Offices chief liaison for Spanish-speaking media. A priest of the Chicago archdiocese and MBA candidate at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management, Dorantes is a veteran of NBC and Univision and can now be heard worldwide via Vatican Radio as its Spanish narrator and translator for major papal events. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A at the end of the event, and opportunities for real-time engagement through social media are being planned. Check the IPS website, Facebook and Twitter for more details about the event as it gets closer.

 

For more news and updates, follow @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram!  

 


Student Feature: Meet Timothy

Timothy Delong joins us from Michigan and brings a great personality, a dedication to the community and a passion to learn with him. Find our more about Timothy and his work below. Also, “if you see [him] around campus, just say hey!”

Timothy and the Mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan
Timothy and the Mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan


Nickname:
Funny story: I’m named after my dad, so my family assumed, before I was born, that my nickname would be TJ (Tim Jr.). When I was born everyone took one look at me and said, “nope, not a TJ”. Most people know me as Tim, although my mom still calls me Timmy or Little Tim to avoid confusing my dad.

Hometown:
I was born and raised in Troy, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit. That said, since I lived in the city for a short period of time and worked with various non-profits in the city, I consider myself a Detroiter through and through.

Previous education:
Albion College – Class of 2014 (Go Brits!), BA in Religious Studies, Concentration in Public Service, Minor in Economics and Management

A favorite of yours:
I hate to be derivative of my dear friend Alicia (previously featured), but I love to cook. There’s something about playing with flavors that’s incredibly exciting to me. On the weekends I’ll pick out a recipe for each day, get the ingredients, and start cooking. If I’m cooking something for the first time, I’ll follow a recipe; if it’s something I’ve made a couple of times, then I’ll get weird with it.

Plus, I just started brewing my own beer!

A quote/motto that has significance to you:
I like to remember that life is about the little things. A lot of people (myself included) constantly look towards the big events in their lives as markers of success or happiness (when I get married/buy a house/graduate from school I’ll be happy). I would much rather focus on happiness in the here and now by appreciating the little miracles that life presents to us every day. Some people refer to the concept of mindfulness. I also try to tout this message in the struggle to live a good life. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been proud of myself for participating in some large service event and then come home and act rude towards my parents. Those big things are great, but life presents us with a million opportunities a day to do good for others. Those “little goods” often go unnoticed, but they’re the ones that really count. I’ve heard it said, “how you spend your days is how you spend your life.” Something like that…

What were you doing before beginning your IPS journey?
I’m fresh out of Albion; I graduated this past May. During the summer and part of the school year, I worked as an AmeriCorps Volunteer as a community organizer with Wayne State University’s Center for Urban Studies, forming block clubs and tenant organizations while also managing large service projects like house board-ups, community clean-ups, and creating safe walking routes for kids going to school. Before that I took a summer to live in an intentional community in Detroit and work for the United Methodist Church. I also spent a semester in Chicago, doing research at the Newberry Library. Little did I know that I would be working on my Master’s degree only a couple blocks away! So, in conclusion, I was all over the place doing all sorts of things.

What made you decide to come to Loyola IPS?
I didn’t see another program like it. I was working for all of these non-profits, and when I saw Loyola’s program, I said: Wait, you can major in that? It was really interesting to see a combination of the practical and theoretical in one program.

Plus it’s Chicago…so there’s that.

What are your studies focused on?
Social Justice right now; I’m also looking into the School of Social Work’s certificate in Non-Profit Management

What are you most looking forward to accomplishing during your time here at Loyola IPS and how does that relate to your future goals?
I’m interested in theory and application. There’s this drive that I think all of us in the program have to do good things for the world, but sometimes it’s hard to articulate why. Hopefully I can use my time at Loyola to build a framework around my work and develop a fuller understanding of myself in the process. I need to ground my work in something, that’s what will make it sustainable over my lifetime. Now I’m realizing that I used “framework” and “grounding” analogies, which seem contradictory. I never said I was an English major.

Do you have a favorite class or one you look forward to taking?
Right now I have Rabbi Goldstein in Leadership for Social Justice Organizations. He does a great job of bringing real-world experience to the topic of leadership. Right now we’re working in groups to create our own, fictitious non-profit!

Do you have any recommendations for future students?
Another Social Justice first-year, Daniel Guzman, gave me some great advice when we first started. He told me that you have to have a purpose going into graduate school, you have to know exactly what you want to get out of it, and why. I would echo his advice to future students.

In what way will you go forth to “change the world”?
One house at a time! Let me explain…

I work full-time for a non-profit organization in Winnetka called Open Communities as a Housing Counselor. If people start to have trouble paying their mortgage, they come to our office and we advocate on their behalf to the bank. Sometimes it feels like you’re drowning in a pile of paperwork or running into a brick wall, but at the end of the day, I remember that we’re helping people save their homes, which is pretty humbling. I don’t know if that’s “changing the world,” but it’s a step in the right direction.

Are you currently working on any interesting project(s) that you wish to share?
I started at Open Communities a little over a month ago, so I’m still learning every day, which is exciting and challenging all at once.

In the future, I’m going to have the opportunity to sift through foreclosure data for Cook County to look at different trends in terms of predatory and fair lending practices. I get really excited about trend analysis, so that will be a fun project.

What is a fun fact or story about you?
I was a bit of a rabble rouser back in my community organizing days….

There was one apartment building owned by a man who kept the structure in terrible conditions: lead paint, the elevator never worked, and infestations. After working with some of the residents and hearing about all of the issues, our team decided to show up one morning with an inspector from Building Safety and Engineering. I was met at the front door by the building’s security guard, as the inspector started issuing thousands of dollars’ worth of fines….

To this day, I am still banned from the building.

Any additional information you would like to share:
Detroit is one of my favorite places in the world. Don’t believe the negative hype: go there and check it out for yourself. If the spirit moves you, ask me for a tour, I love showing people around when I’m in town!

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.


Study Abroad and Take a Roman Holiday with IPS

Registration is now open for our Rome Program, Summer 2015.

Occurring June 21 – July 1, the focus of study will be “Peacebuilding in a Global, Interfaith Context,” taught by Dr. Marian Diaz.

This course will explore the theory and practice of peacebuilding from a primarily Catholic perspective. Catholic Social Teaching and interfaith perspectives on peacebuilding will be emphasized in light of contemporary situations. A focus on a variety of Catholic organizations engaging in peacebuilding will help students explore current approaches to peacebuilding.

This is an opportunity not to be missed! Previous participants have said:

  • “All of the tours were excellent and the sites were well chosen. There was a great variety and very relevant to the course work.”
  • “I thoroughly enjoyed all of it, from the class, the dinner, the tours and the mass celebrated with father Krupa. The fellowship of the students was also wonderful and enriching on so many levels.”
  • “I would just encourage each IPS student to try and make this trip during their time in the program, it is a once in a lifetime experience.”
  • “The schedule of events for sightseeing/excursions were second to none. I felt like I had the insider’s view everywhere we went. Everyone was thoughtful to be inclusive as the days unfolded. No one was left behind. The group looked out for one another and truly made a community.”

Visit the Rome program’s website to find out more about:

  • Early bird discounts (register before Dec. 19)
  • Alumni discounts
  • How to register and make payments
  • International Study Scholarship opportunities
  • The itinerary & course description
  • Answers to frequently asked questions

To learn more, you may also contact Gina Lopez at 312.915.7450 or glopez@luc.edu.

Enjoy these photos from our last trip:

For more exciting news and updates, follow @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! 


Fr. Jon Sobrino on the 25th Anniversary of the Martyrs of the University of Central America (UCA)


The Martyrs of the UCA: A Community of Work and of Blood
What they worked for and why they were killed

I would like to begin by sincerely thanking Loyola University Chicago for its recognition of the UCA martyrs over the course of these past few days. Obviously the honor that you grant me today only makes sense when situated within the greater honor bestowed upon my Jesuit brothers and all of the Salvadoran martyrs. And with deep gratitude I accept this recognition.

One Community

I will speak of the UCA martyrs as one group. In more precise language, they came to form one connected body, diverse in its capacities and functions and coming together to form a larger body, which was the UCA. We have become accustomed to saying “the UCA,”, but not in vain. In this sense, and if you understand me well, it does not seem sufficient to speak of “Father so and so and his martyred companions.” Because we are speaking of one community, one body. I will, however, share a few short words about each one of them and how old they were when they were murdered.

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JoaquínLópez y López was 70 years old and the founder of the UCA and was its first Secretary General. During his final 20 years he worked in direct service to the poor in schools created by the Jesuits to serve the poorest of the poor known as Faith and Joy schools.

Ignacio Ellacuría was 59 years old and rector of the community as well as a professor of philosophy and theology. He was known for his exceptional intellectual creativity as well as his religious and ecclesial abilities.

Segundo Montes was 56 years old and a sociologist who founded the Institute of Human Rights. He was a researcher and accompanied many refugees and migrants.

Juan Ramón Moreno was 56 years old and a professor of theology, spiritual director, and expert on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Amando López was 53 years old and was a professor of theology as well as the former rector of the diocesan seminary of San Salvador. He was also the rector of the UCA in Managua, Nicaragua during the Sandinista Revolution.

Ignacio Martín-Baró was 47 years old, a social psychologist and focused on the social-psychological consequences of poverty, violence as well as the liberating effects of religion.

Aside from their respective tasks within the university, each person, in his daily activity, took great care in attending to the needs of the people outside the university. During the weekends, they served rural and urban parishes without exception. Additionally, Ignacio Ellacuría was close to the reality of the people but not always directly rather, he was involved and affected by the oppression and poverty that permeated Salvadoran society on many levels.

Two women who worked in the Jesuit communities, Julia Elba, 42 years old, and her 15 year old daughter Celina, were killed alongside the 6 Jesuits. They were poor Salvadorans and symbols of the crucified majority the Salvadoran population.

This group of Jesuits worked and died together in community. I would like to discuss what these men worked for and the reason why they were killed. I usually think about what they did in dialectic terms. That is why I tend to explain not only what they loved but what they despised; not only what they worked toward but what they struggled against. In other words, we understand things better at times (sub specie contrari) under the contradictory form. Additionally we understand their lives better not just by remembering what they said, but by what they did, although, as we will see, there is a saying here that implies effective absolute action.

The Words of a Peasant

Paradoxically, I would like to begin with the words of a campesino, a peasant and landless farmer, a wise man, but nothing like an academic. They asked him “Who was Monseñor Romero?” And he responded elegantly, and concisely: “Monseñor Romero spoke the truth. He defended us, the poor, and for that, they killed him.”

It is not an arbitrary point that we mention Monsignor Romero when we speak of the martyrs of the UCA. First, although it tends to not be mentioned, the fact is true. Romero and the UCA worked together very closely for three years on many important things. Father Ellacuría solemnly proclaimed that this collaboration personally filled him with immense satisfaction. According to Father Ellacuría “In that collaboration there was no doubt who the teacher was and who the student was, there was no doubt who was the prophet and who the one that followed, no doubt as to who was the voice and who was the echo.

It is useful for us to refer to Monsignor Romero in order to speak of the martyrs of the UCA. It is equally useful to use the words of the landless farmer to organize our own words. The Jesuits of the UCA spoke the truth and defended to poor, and for that they killed them.

1. They Spoke the Truth

These words can appear to be too abstract, but in this I want to suggest it is crucial to speak of truth in order to know and understand the martyrs of the UCA, but to also to help highlight and comprehend the sad state of how we encounter the truth in El Salvador. Seen from its opposite view, the martyrs of the UCA wanted El Salvador to be stricken with and soaked in truth.

In order to speak the truth: 1) They had an primordial intuition that “things cannot be this way,” this is how they thought about the country, just as Karl Rahner had said fifty years prior about the traditional theology of the trinity. To say the truth meant not to be an accomplice to those who hide such important facts. 2) This truth, in its natural state, demanded a reversal of the reality, to be delivered through the university with its commitment to academic excellence in research and instruction, but also with a more comprehensive academic excellence: one with a social projection that enters society in order to reverse it. In short, “to speak the truth” meant to actively ensure that reality became that what it should actually be. 3) One could not speak of truth, however, without taking on the consequences of such work, which does not need further explanation on this the anniversary of the martyrs. 4) However, what is not often taken into account is that in speaking the truth they felt carried by it, working at the university, totally committed to the truth and with a profound sense of joy.

The martyrs publically spoke the truth through the magazine of Central American Studies (ECA), through the radio program YSAX that once belonged to Archbishop Romero, and increasingly they spoke on television. Those of a certain generation in El Salvador would remember the important moments when they publically spoke the truth. For example in 1974 they wrote a book about the electoral fraud, and in 1976 in an article about Liberation Theology, and also in an editorial called “At Your Service, My Capital.”

They founded the University Institute of Public Opinion in order to know and analyze the real truth about what the people were thinking. They founded the Radio YSUCA to make the truth publically available and open a space for people to participate publically in speaking the truth.

Many people are not aware of the biblical roots of their testimony to the truth: to profess the word and administer justice in order to defend the oppressed. As the psalms state: “justice and truth kiss.” I also heard them speak in secular language, stating: “we are free and objectively partial.” In El Salvador, where the defense of the oppressed does not exist, one can doubt, and they doubted at times that there actually was truth. And where there was defense of the oppressed is the space they would open a path to the truth, which would be completed through study and research, and through economic, political, religious, technological and scientific projects at the UCA. And they believed that one could verify in a quasi-scientific way if the knowledge produced and the projects carried out were good and true or not and if they did or did not defend the oppressed.

They spoke the truth with authority, which is a necessary condition (sin qua non) at a university based in a serious and profound pursuit of knowledge. However, in order to communicate with authority one requires credibility. This was expressed with honor and a real consistency between what they said and what they did –all of which overflowed into a defense of justice and a love for the people. This took its maximum form in their final moments characterized as a complete handing over of self to the struggle for the truth.

In a country ravaged by poverty, replete with violence and war, they spoke the truth conscientiously, mentioning the names of the victims, the murders and massacres. They also named perpetrators of the violence and the various branches of the military, paramilitary and security forces that they belonged to. In similar fashion when the perpetrators were from popular organizations they spoke of the exact circumstances, times and places where the events took place. They demanded reparations as an obligation of justice and condemned all forms of impunity.

Each one of them, according to their temperaments, spoke affectionately of the victims. They published their stories in the magazines Process and Letters to the Churches. They were moved by the goodness and hope of the poor.

In putting it all together, the UCA was a vehicle for speaking the truth and in this way it provided an important good to the country. The UCA embraced the idea that the country be filled with and wrapped in the truth. And that it overflows with institutions, associations, trade unions, universities, and churches.

2. They defended the Poor

The essence of speaking the truth goes directly along with the task of the university, and yet, historically, the defense the poor has not been directly associated with the university. Nevertheless, the martyrs of the UCA did exactly that; they defended the poor.

Like Monsignor Romero, they defended the poor in many ways, including university projects that leant technical support, through their teaching and health projects. They poured their efforts into a social trajectory that had a long reach, working for a third social force, or a third way, which brought together all those who wanted an end to the war. They worked in such a way that the people believed in them, so that the people could “have a voice.” And from 1982 onward, they set off in a totally concrete and urgent direction which required them to work first for a dialogue, and later for negotiation. It was a full and complete university response to the defense of the poor.

I think that the word university was fundamentally instrumental for the defense of the poor just like the word pastoral was fundamental for Archbishop Romero. And this was the same on a public level as it was on a private level in terms of words of influence. The Christian inspiration of the UCA also made it possible for the word “university” to be expressed in such an important way. It was present in the way one pronounced the word and dialogued with others as well as the actions that the word gave rise to: which was to put an end to the war and humanize the country. It is important to remember that Christian inspiration – and here I do not mean simply belonging to a particular Christian church or being completely enmeshed in a hierarchy – was and is an essential dimension of the UCA, as recognized in its statutes. Without this inspiration, no institution would have energy or direction. If that inspiration is Christian, it promotes an energy of love and total gift of self which leads to the society of the Kingdom of God based on the equality of everyone, always starting with the least of all. The most important aspect of the Christian Inspiration is that it inspires the truth. The martyrs were convinced that such an inspiration is good for the university and more concretely for a Salvadoran university living daily horrors and embracing hope.

That a university should come to the defense of the poor, as did Archbishop Romero, is not an obvious task. This is an important concept, and many people do not see it this way. It is important to think of the university as a good for the poor. This is similar to the way in which the Puebla document speaks of the “option for the poor.” To add that this option is preferential is to take a step further, because it emphasizes that it is a real option, which is something that is not commonly taken into account. But we still have not arrived at the same clarity and perception of the peasant farmer from earlier who is in total agreement with what the bishops said in Puebla in 1979, when they spoke of what God does with the poor: “For the mere fact of being poor God defends and loves them.” This is what the UCA martyrs did. Yes, they loved them. However, they emphasized a logical priority in the defense of the poor.

How does one defend him or herself with words? A good lawyer can do it with professional ability and the necessary intelligence to find the argument that will favor the person he or she defends. But for a university the fundamental piece is something else. It defends the poor, fighting as an institution against the lies that cover up and hide the truth. A thinker from the first century who we call John wrote one of the gospels. And in that gospel he says: “the evil one is a murderer and a liar,” and in that order. The victims of the evil one are the poor, of course. They are the ones who do not enjoy a full life because they lack basic goods, which condemns them to a slow death. And then there are those victims of unjust violence who die a quick death. To defend their lives is to defend them from death. As John insists, the nature of this kind of death is that it tends to get covered up in such a way that where there is murder there are lies. To defend the lives of the poor is to fight against those cover-ups and lies. Both tasks for us are central to the university.

The martyrs did many things to combat lies and to unmask that which was being hidden. I also think that, just as in the case of Archbishop Romero, it was the most specific way to defend the poor. And they soon experienced that there is no defense of the poor without taking several risks.

3. And for that they killed them

The landless farmer I referred to earlier spoke of what Monsignor Romero did. Romero told the truth and defended the poor, and the campesino concluded correctly by saying and “for that they killed him,” precisely “for that,” because of what he did. Monsignor Romero could have been killed by someone looking for personal revenge, or by someone in the street who was not thinking clearly. But the peasant put his finger on the deepest part of the wound: they killed him for doing two things highly necessary for the country and worthy of praise: “speaking the truth” and “defending the poor.” They killed him for doing good things. This injustice was an ethical scandal, it was a metaphysical scandal, and it was an absurd act of senseless violence.

In addition, the murder of the martyrs of the UCA also has a “for that.” In life they were viciously persecuted in different ways and they were killed in a calculating and hateful manner. And there was a reason for this, a “for that.” It goes without saying that there is a great parallel with the murder of Monsignor Romero and the many other women and men that were martyred. Nonetheless, it is good to remember these scandals and injustices on a universal level as well.

Here in the United States, where we are tonight, it is important to remember that in our world today there continue to exist many victims who die from hunger, malnutrition, the absence or poor quality of health care, and from a lack of access to education. There are innocent victims who die just because they live in places like Iraq, Pakistan, The Congo, in El Mozote and the Ixil Triangle of Guatemala. These are innocent people who die blamelessly. These are some of the horrors that characterize our world, but the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization of American States, the leaders of the G-7 and G-20 and the emerging super powers of Asia and other places do not speak in these terms.

Every now and again these groups form generic ideas and theses about how the poor have certain rights to life (to healthcare, education, vacation days, migration, work, equality of gender, the care of children and peace). Something is better than nothing, but all of that does very little to set straight the reality of this life and what is required to promote it. And occasionally, they tend to praise and honor those who speak the truth and defend the poor. In 2010 the United Nations declared that March 24th, the day that Monsignor Romero was killed, would be the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. And a few days ago, on November 14th, UNESCO unveiled the incorporation of the academic work of Ignacio Ellacuría, into the national committee of El Salvador as part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World program. All of these things are good and useful. However, these big institutions practically do next to nothing, especially if in doing something it means giving up some of what it has or risks the loss of prestige and achievement.

Ignacio Ellacuría was right when he said in is final discourse that “This civilization is gravely ill and in order to avoid a fateful outcome it is necessary to change oneself from the inside out, only a hopeful and utopian person can have the energy to try this in communion with all the poor and oppressed of the world, to reverse history, to subvert it and to launch it in another direction.”

Ultimately, and not in a perverse way, we have to thank the martyrs of the UCA. But that does not always happen. They were killed precisely for speaking the truth and defending the poor. That is the intuition of the peasant “they killed them for doing good.” This is the scandal and the senselessness that we also live with in the Twenty-first Century.

The martyrs of the UCA lived and died so that the opposite would occur. Our responsibility is to continue their struggle by speaking the truth and defending the poor. Our hope is that Archbishop Romero and all the poor and oppressed of the world energize an encourage us. In the little known words of Ellacuría “More and more now, it is the university’s turn to stir up hope.” And in the words of don Pedro Casaldaliga, “If they take hope away from us, they have taken everything.”

The legacy of the martyrs will always remain. “They spoke the truth” and “defended the poor.” For many people this means metanoia, a changing of one’s life toward the praxis of justice and taking a step toward a utopian hope.

I think that the activities that have been organized here at Loyola University Chicago during these recent days are a promise toward those ends.

 

Jon Sobrino
Mundelein Auditorium
Loyola University Chicago
November 20, 2014

 

For more news and updates, follow @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! 


Student Feature: Meet Mary

This week, we would like you to get to know a little more about Mary Hahn and her experience with IPS thus far.

MaryHahn

Hometown: I currently live in Roselle, IL

A favorite thing: I enjoy running and have completed a half marathon

Previous education: I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education

What were you doing before beginning your IPS journey?
I have been a junior high school language art teacher for the past 26 years

What made you decide to come to Loyola IPS?
Loyola has the best hospital chaplaincy program in the Midwest

What are your studies focused on?
I am pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies, health care/hospital chaplain concentration

What are you most looking forward to accomplishing during your time here at Loyola IPS?
I would really like to graduate the program with honors

Do you have a favorite class or one you look forward to taking?
I am really looking forward to the class, Ministry of Suffering

Do you see any challenges you will have to overcome during your time here?
Just having enough time in the day to be a student, a teacher, a wife and a mother at the same time

Do you have any advice for future students?
Don’t rush the program, allow enough time to absorb what you are learning in your classes, not just trying to get them done

In what way will you go forth to “change the world?”
I would like to be working in a behavioral health center with teens

Are you currently working on any interesting project(s) that you wish to share?
I am part of a Marian Bible Study right now that is really beautiful

 

For more exciting news and updates, follow @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram!