New Gandhi Statue Stands at Entrance of STM

Written by Megan Rauch Apr 5, 2011

Gandhi Statue at the STM

Recently, administrators at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (STM) inaugurated a new visiting statue at the entrance to the Brighton Campus: a ten-foot statue of Gandhi.

Students and passersby alike were puzzled by the choice of a non-Catholic to serve as the focal point of the entrance to a Catholic institution during the Lenten season.

The statue, which is on loan from the Peace Abbey, an interfaith nonprofit organization, serves as a part of STM’s “Lenten Focus on Gandhi, Peace, and Nonviolence.”

As writer Father Paul Zalonski remarked, “I wonder if anyone at a Jesuit school of theology and ministry ever thought of focusing on one of the great spiritual fathers and mothers of the Church for Lenten prayer and readings?”

He continues, “This is not only a question of Catholic identity at a supposed Catholic institution of higher education, but a question of formation for the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. It is a question of helping each other know their destiny in Jesus Christ.”

The University aspires to elevate the School of Theology and Ministry to “the world’s leading Catholic and theological center” through the 10-Year Institutional Master Plan.

As the School’s mission statement declares, “The Boston College School of Theology and Ministry is an international theological center that serves the Church’s mission in the world as part of a Catholic and Jesuit university.”

The Mission Statement also boasts that the School is committed first and foremost to “the Catholic theological tradition.”

Megan Rauch

Megan Rauch is a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Class of 2012, where she is an English major and a German minor. At The Observer at Boston College, Meg currently serves as editor-in-chief, and previously, she has been the New Editor, Opinions Editor, and Copy Editor. In the fall of 2010, Meg studied abroad at the University of Heidelberg, in Germany, the oldest university in the country. While living in Germany, she also interned at the birthplace of Friedrich Ebert, the first president of the Weimar Republic. In the summer of 2010, Meg worked as a research and production intern at PBS. She worked on two shows, Basic Black, which is a program that focuses on black issues in the greater Boston area, and One on One with Maria Hinojosa, an interview show during which Latino journalist Maria Hinojosa interviews prominent minority writers, politicians, actors, and thinkers. In addition to working for The Observer, Meg volunteers as part of 4Boston. She serves at a residence and community center for individuals living with HIV and AIDS. She is also training to run the Boston Marathon on behalf of the Campus School of Boston College for the second year in a row.

Megan has written 19 articles for The Observer.

1 Response for “New Gandhi Statue Stands at Entrance of STM”

Puzzled Student says:

April 10, 2011 at 9:19 pm

Clerly, Fr. Zalonski come from the “Hear no other, see no other” school of comparative theology. We cannot see God in all things, if we refuse to open our eyes to exemplary examples of love and compassion outside the Catholic faith.