Andy Rota/The Observer

The Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration in Bapst's Irish Room.

Andrew Rota, one of the organizers on the project, said that planning for this chapel began earlier in the semester after students expressed interest in having the Eucharist exposed for adoration throughout the week.

“Once the logistics were worked out, we invited students to commit to adoration for an hour each week, during one of 9am-5pm weekday hours. At first we were unsure that all 40 hours could be filled, but students’ enthusiasm surprised us and we filled the slots soon.” Catholics believe that the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist, is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Eucharistic Adoration is a devotional practice where Catholics pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass. Usually the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in a vessel called a monstrance.

“To see Jesus visibly present under the appearance of the small white host is much more conducive to intimacy than hidden away in the tabernacle,” explains an article by the Franciscan Friars of Marytown.

The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen committed at his ordination to complete a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration every day of his priesthood.

“The Holy Hour is not a devotion; it is a sharing in the work of redemption. ‘Could you not watch one hour with Me?’ Not for an hour of activity did He plead, but for an hour of companionship,” wrote Sheen.

The French Priest, St. Peter Julian Eymard, wrote “Eucharistic adoration is the greatest of actions. To adore is to share the life of Mary on earth when she adored the Word Incarnate in her virginal womb, when she adored Him in the Crib, on Calvary, in the divine Eucharist.”

The Eucharistic Adoration chapel is in the Irish Room of Bapst Library, to the left of the circulation desk on the first floor, and the Blessed Sacrament is exposed from 9am until 5pm every weekday on days when classes are in session.

“Though the chapel has been open for less than a week, the response has been amazing. Students and other members of the Boston College community have been stopping into the chapel throughout the day to pray for a few moments, an hour, or more,” said Rota.

“All are welcome to come to the chapel when it is open to pray before Jesus in this Most Holy Sacrament,” said Rota.

Kimmi Vo, CSOM ’14, walks the dusty road into Urroz-Villa in northern Spain during a pilgrimage in August 2011.

This past August, Kimmi Vo, CSOM ’14, traveled to Spain with a group of fellow Boston College students to participate in World Youth Day in Madrid and the preceding Magis program hosted in Loyola by the Society of Jesus. Magis is a week long spiritual experience designed to prepare Jesuit educated students for the impending World Youth Day by immersing them in various excursions, each one different but united by a common use of the Ignatian Examen as a daily means of reflecting on the relations between one’s own unique experiences and spiritual development.

Kimmi’s Magis experience was a seven day pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Ignatius from his birthplace in Loyola to Javier, the birthplace of his dear friend St. Francis Xavier. The mountainous terrain of northern Spain was challenging for hiking novices, but the climate was cool beneath the heavy canopy of Iberian pines which blocked out the blazing sunlight and locked in the moisture of the rains. However, by the third and fourth days the landscape began to change dramatically as the pilgrims approached the city of Pamplona, the site of Ignatius’ nearly fatal wounding in 1521. In this arid and desertlike region, many of the pilgrims, tired and weakened, were now truly feeling the pains of their long journey, suffering from blisters, sprained ligaments, colds, and heat rash.

The public water fountains in each city, town, and village where the pilgrims stopped to fill their bottles had potable water; however, on the sixth day as the mercury rose to a steaming 39°C (102°F), the group, which was typically jovial and prone to randomly breaking into joyful song, marched silently along the barren paths of the desert plains. It was a silence fruitful for reflection and prayer, but they were distracted from this by their longing to slake their thirst. F or the first time, the towns passed through had no water to offer the wearied travelers.

Through her thirst, Kimmi was reminded of a non-profit she had been following on Twitter. Charity: water w as founded in 2006 by Scott Harrison, a service volunteer who traced the many issues in developing countries back to a lack of clean drinking water. It is the mission of charity: water to help the one billion people worldwide who have limited access to clean water by drilling freshwater wells and developing rainwater catchments and sand filters.

Having completed her pilgrimage and having enjoyed the many excitements and graces of World Youth Day, Kimmi returned to the United States in late August with a mission in her heart. Back on the Heights only two weeks after touching back down in Boston, Kimmi rallied her classmates Luke Stephan, Matt Quinn, Melissa Incera, and Cristian Lopez to start exploring how the BC community could get involved to help charity: water. Employing the help of Andrew Boynton, Dean of the Carroll School of Management, as well as Fr. Tony Penna and Ms. Christine Cichello of Campus Ministry, Kimmi and her friends have formulated a program to raise awareness, involve students, and raise funds for charity: water.

The harsh realities faced by the billion people suffering from water scarcity can be alleviated. Aiming to raise $5,000 to support the drilling of a well in Ethiopia, the BC charity: water campaign pledges to send 100% of donations directly toward this effort. The drilling of such wells not only saves people from having to make a several hour journey in pursuit of water, but it also has the potential to save many lives. The 4,000 daily infant deaths and 1.5 million annual child deaths caused by consumption of dirty water can be avoided.

From her own struggle in August, Kimmi has started a crusade to help people who suffer daily from the pain she experienced for only a short while. In her suffering, she learned the virtue of true compassion and is now bringing Christian charity to those most in need. To make a donation to BC charity: water visit www.mycharitywater.org/Boston-College.

This young child is known today by his ordained name, Maximilian Mary Kolbe. On November 21, 1927 he and his fellow Franciscans moved from Grodno to Niepokalanow because the friary was too small to support his ever-expanding monthly review The Knight of the Immaculate whose goal it was to reveal and spread God’s truth. Once this monthly review skyrocketed into success, other publications such as The Little Daily, a daily Catholic newspaper, was produced. Furthermore, Niepokalanow acquired its own radio station, strengthening its mission to illuminate the truth. A few years later, Maximilian traveled to Japan continuing his publication of The Knight of the Immaculate and founded another Junior Seminary, his first in Japan. Despite his worsening tuberculosis, he always remained constant in his zealous approach to life. Through his devotion to Mary, the Immaculate Conception, Maximilian found the strength and bravery necessary to become one of the most inspiring men of the 20th century.

At the start of World War II, Niepokalanow had been taken over by Germans, forcing Maximilian to deport to Germany. Once in  ermany, he and the friars structured a rather large shelter for thousands of refugees. They took care of these refugees even when they were under Nazi suspicion.

Maximilian was arrested in February 1941 after essentially condemning the Nazi movement in his only 1941 edition of The Knight of the Immaculate. He was sent to Auschwitz where he was branded with the n umber 1 6670. Despite his poor health, he endured the torturous blows and painstaking work assigned to him by the SS guards with astounding patience. After an instance when Maximilian was left for dead by an SS guard, his inmates secretly brought him to the camp hospital. There he quietly heard confessions and preached about God’s love and mercy. In a time and place of great despair, Maximilian always maintained his joy and selflessness. Very often would he give up his place in line and therefore surrender his opportunity for food. His answer to why he did this was that “Every man has an aim in life. For most men it is to return home to their wives and families, or to their mothers. For my part, I give my life for the good of all men.”

Bruno Borgowiec, an interpreter in the Bunkers, was an eyewitness to the last days of Maximilian’s life. He informs us that this cell, filled with men being starved to death, was also filled with the sounds of the rosary, singing, and daily prayer, led by Maximilian. As days went by, the loud prayers became whispering prayers and the men became weak with hunger. Maximilian always kept a smile on his face, and constantly worked to keep high the men’s spirits. After two long weeks, everyone in the cell died except for Maximilian. Because the guards needed this cell for new prisoners, they decided to inject carbolic acid into Maximilian’s arm. While praying, Maximilian bravely gave his arm to the executioner and suffered death by lethal injection.

Pope John Paul II, a Polish native, had the great pleasure and honor of declaring his fellow countryman a saint on October 10th, 1982, a mere forty-one years after his death. Immediately following his death, Maximilian became extremely well known and well loved. He was called a “saint for our times” and a “giant of holiness”. Polish bishops wrote, “The life and death of this one man alone, can be proof and witness of the fact that the love of God can overcome the greatest hatred, the greatest injustice, even death itself.”

USCCB

Catholics participating in Mass on November 27th will experience the first use of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, a new translation recently prepared and distributed to parishes. Pope John Paul II announced the revision of the Missale Romanum over a decade ago, during the Jubilee Year 2000. This revision includes prayers for the observances of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces of the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Votive Masses, Masses and Prayers for various needs and occasions, as well as updates and revisions to the rubrics for the celebration of the Mass.

The English translation includes updated translations of existing, well-known prayers, responses, and acclamations of the people. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sees this new translation as an opportunity for the Church in the United States to deepen the understanding of the Sacred Liturgy and to grow in an appreciation of its meaning and importance. The Bishops call for all Catholics to seize the chance to deepen, nurture, and celebrate their common faith via the renewal of worship and celebration of the Liturgy.

Responses and acclamations receiving changes in the translation include the Greeting, Penitential Act, Gloria, Gospel Dialogue, Nicene Creed, Preface Dialogue, Holy, Holy, Holy, Mystery of Faith, Sign of Peace, Invitation to Communion, and Concluding Rites. The response et cum spiritu tuo has been translated “and also with you” since 1970. In an effort to make the English translation as literal as possible, the revision is “and with your spirit.” This change will affect the Greeting, Gospel Dialogue, Preface Dialogue, Sign of Peace, and Concluding Rites.

To prepare for the transition on campus, Boston College Campus Ministry has purchases the new Missal for each of the chapels managed by the department. Community response cards were made to assist the faithful in learning the new words. Campus Ministers have been preparing the community for weeks with information sheets included in the Worship Aid. The Liturgy Arts Group implemented some of the new music in advance to acclimate the community. Father Don MacMillan, SJ, a Campus Minister, hopes the transition will go smoothly. He compared it to the first couple of years after his ordination, when he needed to read the Masses to get to know them well enough to be more prayerful. He is also concerned that some of the new wording is awkward and will be a strange adjustment for the faithful. “Hopefully,” said MacMillan, “the celebrations of Mass will be prayerful and not a reading exercise for the celebrant and a turn off for the laity.”

There is some debate over the new English translation; whether it is necessary and if it was the right choice of English words and phrases. Monsignor Anthony Sherman, executive director of the USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship explained the importance of the Missal, “The Roman Missal is a common treasure. It is the book that provides us with prayer text. It serves as a point of unity that keeps us all together, presenting the prayers that are used around the world, in many languages, during universal feasts of holy days.” Updating the English translation for the Third Edition of the Roman Missal was necessary because “The Roman Missal puts us into a tradition of prayer and creates an historical awareness in the roots of where we are now. When you study the background of these prayers, you become united” with the mission of the Church around the world at all times. Fr. MacMillan is concerned that some of the words used, like “consubstantial” are not commonly used English words. He recognizes the beauty and poetic nature but thinks it may be hard to use in public prayer. He worries that some of the translation was made to resemble Latin, sacrificing meaning for aesthetics.

The Third Edition of the Roman Missal and the English translation will be implemented universally on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27th. More information can be found on the USCCB website, www.usccb. org.

Bernadette was born on January 7th, 1844 into a home of poverty and sickness and therefore, was always a feeble child. She developed cholera as a young child and as a direct result suffered from asthma for the entirety of her short life. She was sick so frequently that it almost affected whether or not she would go into the religious life. She had received the Sacrament of the Sick three times in her life because of her extraordinarily poor health.

Bernadette and her family were all living in one room together in her mother’s cousin’s house for free at the time Bernadette first experienced her visions. On February 11, 1858 Bernadette went with her sister Marie and a friend to fetch firewood at the grotto of Massabielle when she experienced her first vision. Her sister and friend had crossed the stream to find firewood but Bernadette had to sit to take her shoes and stockings off in order to avoid getting them wet. Once she sat in the grotto, she heard the sound of forceful winds, but nothing was moving with the exception of a small wild rose within the grotto. Behind this rose was “a white figure” later described as “a small young lady”, but Marie and Bernadette’s friend had not seen anything.

A few days later, Bernadette returned with a few friends and her sister. Immediately she knelt down, began praying the rosary, and had another vision, which she later learned was of the Virgin Mary.  Bernadette described her as wearing a white veil, blue girdle, and yellow rose on each foot. “The Vision” asked her to come to the grotto every day and Bernadette obeyed. These daily visions came to be known as la Quinaine sacrée, or the “holy fortnight”.

When Bernadette first started seeing these visions, many people in her town were skeptical of her. Even her parents became embarrassed of her and tried to prevent her from going to the grotto. Some people believed Bernadette had a mental illness yet some people believed they were truly witnessing a miracle and became followers of Bernadette’s journey. She was interrogated constantly and always remained true to her story: That her vision told her there was a great need for prayer and penance.

One of the major miracles that occurred at the grotto was when the “small young lady” told her to “drink of the water of the spring, to wash in it and to eat the herb there” as an act of penance. From the outsider’s perspective, Bernadette kissed the muddy ground, ate grass, and rubbed mud all over her face. She claimed that she was told to drink from a spring. It seemed that she had lost her mind and therefore lost what little faith people had in her. To everyone’s incredulity, the next day the grotto became a place with clear running water.

Bernadette experienced a total of eighteen apparitions from Our Lady. The 13th apparition required that a chapel be built near the grotto. Bernadette then told her parish priest Father Dominique Peyramale that this needed to be done, and he told Bernadette that this “vision” needed to identify herself before any such construction could take place. After asking the small young woman many times what her name was, she responded, “I am the Immaculate Conception”. After hearing this response, many churches and chapels were built in Lourdes.

Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity of Nevers and spent her remaining years with them at the motherhouse at Nevers. There she contracted tuberculosis in her knee and inevitably died of her incessantly poor health. Bernadette died at the age of 35 on April 16, 1879, her feast day. Pope Pius XI canonized her 54 years later in 1933.

Ever since Bernadette had dug that spring, there have been almost 100 inexplicable cures verified by the Lourdes Medical Bureau only after thorough scientific analysis of the cured person and the water from the spring. Today, many people travel to Lourdes in order to bring Lourdes’ holy water back home with them. Many sick and injured people go to Lourdes to hopefully experience the healing power of the water driven by faith and prayers, started by a 14 year-old girl who listened.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “The reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.

Hence true witness of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” (CCC 1285) These gifts are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. Biblically, the gifts appear in the Book of Isaiah, listed as qualities of the ideal king. “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:2-3). Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologica, explains each of the gifts, breaking them into two units. Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, and Counsel direct the intellect, while Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord direct the will toward God.

Wisdom allows us to see God at work in our lives and in the world. Deeper meaning can be found in wonders of nature, historical events, and the fluctuations of life, helping us appreciate the dignity of others and find God in all things. Understanding leads to comprehension of how to live as a follower of Christ.

The conflicting messages of our culture do not confuse those with understanding. Reason and appreciation of truth are perfected. Counsel, or Right Judgment, is the knowledge of the difference between right and wrong. With it we are able to choose what is right and avoid sin, living out the values taught by Jesus. Fortitude, or Courage, helps to overcome fear and take risks to follow Jesus.

It is strength to stand up for what is right, even when facing rejection, abuse, or harm. With courage, a person can both do good and endure evil.

Knowledge gives us an understanding of God. More than just facts, we can learn who He is and what He desires for us and from us. Piety, or Reverence, imbues a sense of respect for God and Church. Recognition of total reliance on God, and trust, love, and humility before God come with the gift of Piety. Aquinas explained that through Piety, the Holy Spirit teaches us to worship God as our Father.

Fear of the Lord, also known as Wonder and Awe, leaves us aware of God’s glory and majesty, knowing He is perfect in knowledge, goodness, power, and love.

The “fear” is a fear of separation, a fear of offending God, not a fear of punishment. Aquinas also draws parallels between the seven gifts and the seven Capital Virtues. The Virtues therefore can be seen as the human embodiments of the gifts, they way we respond to the outpouring of Grace bestowed through the sacraments.

Saint Luigi Guanella was a Northern Italian priest who lived from 1842-1915. He devoted himself to the needs of the poor, and was the founder of two Catholic institutes, including Daughters of St Mary of Providence, and the Servants of Charity, which has the motto of In Omnibus Charitas or “In all things love.”

Guanella was beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1964, but couldn’t be recognized as a saint until it was proven that he performed a miracle. That miracle happened in 2002, when a 21-year-old man from Philadelphia, Penn., suffered a horrific, coma-inducing inline skating accident.

Doctors performed two brain surgeries on William Glisson and removed the left, front, and right sides of his skull, but considered him a lost cause. However, a family friend who worked at the Guanella Center for the Handicapped gave Glisson two Guanella relics. The family prayed to Father Guanella, and kept a small piece of his bone next to Glisson.

Nine days later, Glisson came out of his coma.

“You can’t really make any sense but to call what happened to me a miracle,” Glisson said. He was invited to take part in the canonization on Sunday, and carried bread and wine up the steps of St. Peter’s basilica during the mass.

Saint Bonifacia Rodriguez de Castro, 1837 – 1905, was a Spanish nun and the co-founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Saint Joseph. Named after Jesus’ father, the “holy laborer,” her congregation gave impoverished women occupational training and support. The order is now in ten countries.

She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003, and canonized on Sunday.

Saint Guido Maria Conforti of Parma was born in 1865 and died in 1931. He was afflicted by epilepsy and sleepwalking and, as a result, was rejected by the Jesuit and Salesian orders.

He eventually became a bishop for the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fontanellato, Italy. Then, after rising through the hierarchy of the Italian Church with the approval of Popes Pius X and Benedict XV, he founded the Missionary Union of the Clergy.

He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1996, and is credited with healing 12-year-old Kamarizada Sabina of pancreatic cancer in Burundi in 1965.

Up to this point, Christy had considered herself a non-denominational Christian.  The first time she heard about God was in a sixth grade religion class at her Lutheran school where she only spent two years, and hearing about God changed the way she thought about the world.  In the following years, she attended religious services of various Christian denominations every so often with her friends.  She developed a nebulous idea of God as someone who was nice, but she knew little about him beyond that.

An unexpected phone conversation with her uncle in the early weeks of her freshman year at BC led her to Mass that very night.  At that Mass, an announcement was made about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), a program which culminates in the conferral of the sacraments of initiation, and Christy decided to set herself on this path toward the Church.  She had many questions.  She had an idea of God, but she knew that her thoughts about him were nothing more than ideas which she had made up on her own to align with her own understanding of the world as she had known it.

Christy was baptized, received Communion, and was confirmed the week after Easter in 2008.  Her RCIA formation being complete, she was now a Catholic, but her Catholic journey was only just beginning.  She still strove after a deeper understanding of God, and so she purchased for herself a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Interestingly, Christy says, “At the time of my baptism, I didn’t change my lifestyle at all.  I thought myself a good person because I did service and went to Mass on Sunday, but there is so much more than that involved in being a Catholic.”  Like St. Augustine, she says she gained faith and joined the Church before she was truly converted in her heart to living out God’s will.  It was not until the time when she came to recognize in fullness the true reality of heaven and the true reality of hell and the true reality of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist that she began “to see the world and [her] life in the light of eternity.  From then on, there is no way to live life as before.”  This moment was at first “petrifying,” but she began “slowly but surely to trust in the love of God and in the Church.”

The impact of her faith on her life since then has been, in her words, “tremendous.”  In her junior year, she transferred from the College of Arts & Sciences to the Connell School of Nursing, giving herself a fifth year of college, but also leading herself into a profession that will allow her to serve the sick.  Her faith granted her the opportunity to discern for herself more clearly this true vocation which God has called her to.

Christy says that the gift of her faith was a free gift of God, in other words a pure, heavenly grace.  God worked in many modes throughout her life, at each turn mysteriously moving her soul toward a relationship of love with him.

For those who are currently contemplating joining the Church or returning to the Church, Christy encourages (1) prayer throughout the discernment and (2) the seeking of accurate information about the truths which the Church teaches.  Above all, she recommends to those people that they completely trust in God to guide them in the proper direction, keeping in mind that it will not always be easy because they must sacrifice their pride, but it will be rewarding as they reorient their lives entirely around the truth, entirely around God.

Saint Francis of Assisi was one of seven children born to Pietro di Bernardone and his wife Pica. Pica had him baptized Giovanni di Bernardone after Saint John the Baptist in hopes that he would one day pursue the religious life. Pietro however, did not want that at all and chose to call him Francesco, “The Frechman” in hopes that his son would develop a love for France and become a man of business like his father. Little would anyone know that Pietro’s son would one day receive the stigmata; sharing in Christ’s passion with the wounds that Christ suffered from in his own body. Before this would happen however, Francis would go through a tremendous conversion.

As Francis grew older, he became known for his charm and born leadership. Everyone loved him. He could act in anyway and be excused for it because of how adored he was. He excessively partied and Thomas of Celano, his biographer said, “In other respects an exquisite youth, he attracted to himself a whole retinue of young people addicted to evil and accustomed to vice.” Like Pietro had hoped, Francis became a lover of France and gained much wealth through his knowledge in business, but Francis wanted more. He desired nobility and wanted to become a knight. In his ambition of gaining glory, he joined Assisi’s troops in war. Despite much suffering and witnessing countless deaths in battle, Francis did not change his ways when he returned home. He still behaved selfishly and wanted more than ever this so called “honor” and fame, and so he rode off to fight in the Fourth Crusade, expecting to gain this prestige.

He did not get very far when he had a vision of God in which he was told that he had it all wrong and should return home. Once he reached Assisi, he did not acquire a warm welcome. He suffered humiliation by the people of his town and his father shamed him for buying expensive armor in order to gain knighthood, since clearly it was a waste of money.

Francis’ conversion took time. He began to delve himself into prayer and wept for his sins. He began to change as evidenced through a story of how he, a picky man who “hated deformity” got down off his horse and kissed a leper on his hand, and from that gained peace. The moment Francis looked back at the leper, he was gone and it was apparent that Francis had passed God’s test and was ready to do His work.

While praying in the church in San Damiano, Christ on the crucifix spoke to him saying, “Francis, repair my church”. After this visit, Francis rebuilt the church in San Damiano and then worked to repair the Catholic Church throughout the world. Francis devoted his life to the teachings of the Gospel and many people followed his lead. Once Pope Innocent III granted permission for his brotherhood, in a span of 10 years, his brotherhood grew to 5,000 people. Francis led by example through his fasting, sleeping outside, wearing rags, constant prayer, and being free of material possessions. G.K. Chesterton writes on his fasting, “He devoured fasting as a man devours food”. Francis, now known as the patron saint of animals and the environment, loved immersing himself in nature and truly believed all of God’s creations to be a part of his brotherhood. There are even stories that tell us of how birds would walk with him while he preached and only flew away when he told them to leave. Francis was a remarkable man who learned to wholeheartedly love everything by having nothing.

Francis died on October 4, 1226 at the age of 45 due to illness caused by his impoverished, yet active lifestyle. Francis only felt free and complete when he rid himself of all that he owned. He thought he wanted lavish armor and ultimate glory, but he found true happiness without any of it. He is unquestionably an inspiration in today’s world of commerce and materialism. As G.K. Chesterton put it simply, “It is truly said that Francis of Assisi was one of the founders of the mediaeval drama, and therefore of the modern drama.”

In his homily, Cardinal Wuerl said to those gathered, “The Church is the body of Christ, the beginning of the Kingdom, the family of God, and the way to salvation.  Today, as part of your faith journey, you come to the Church to complete your initiation into the body of Christ.”

Mark Lewis, the former Episcopal pastor of St. Luke’s, guided his community toward this decision, and he made this leap of faith along with them.  He was an Episcopal priest, and he is now working in an expedited program to receive his ordination as a Roman Catholic priest within a few months.  He is a husband, father, and grandfather, and under the guidelines laid down by the Holy Father’s 2009 Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, married Anglican ministers will still be allowed to receive a Catholic ordination upon conversion to the Catholic faith.

The abovementioned Apostolic Constitution delineated the regulations for the reception of groups associated with the Anglican Communion who desired reunion with the Catholic Church.  The most prominent feature of the document was its allowing for the creation of ordinariates, administrative districts similar to a diocese, to create a space in the Church for those Anglicans who wish to be united with Rome while retaining some unique aspects of their liturgical patrimony.

One such ordinariate was created in England this past January, and this recent move down in Washington signals the formation of a forthcoming ordinariate in the United States.  Cardinal Wuerl has been named the Vatican delegate for a U.S. ordinariate, and on a recent trip to Scotland, he remarked that the formation of an ordinariate in the U.S. was imminent this fall.  The move made by the St. Luke community is indicative of the desire of many other Episcopal communities in the U.S. who have dialogued with Cardinal Wuerl recently.

Among many dissatisfied circles within the Church, Benedict XVI has been much maligned; however, none can deny that the nickname “The Pope of Christian Unity,” given to him by an intrepid Catholic blogger, is quite apt.  His allowing for the reception of these various Anglican churches proves his great desire to unite all Christians as Vatican II, with its great missionary zeal, called on the Church to do.  The Pope’s work with the Anglicans and his emphasis on the New Evangelization both point toward his loving desire for the conversion of peoples, so that they may come to know Christ as the Light of the Nations.

Of the 44 Presidents we’ve had here in the United States, 43 of them were Protestants. Only one of them was a different religion, and that was John F. Kennedy. A Catholic, he had to fight back many who feared he would somehow be controlled by the Pope and be in cahoots with him when making decisions for the country. President Kennedy deflected that criticism by asserting that there was a separation of church and state in the government of the United States, and that his religion was a personal matter. It would have no bearing when making decisions for the country. People believed him and he was elected, becoming the U.S’s only non-Protestant president. But can that defense, where one claims the separation of church and state, still be effective? Can the candidates claim that religion is personal and will have no bearing in their decision making?

Unfortunately for them, the answer is no. Whether they like it or not, religion does have a big part in today’s issues. Issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and capital punishment all have strong religious connotations. Both the religious right and the religious left have their opinions on the issues, and believe that having a candidate with their religious ideals will share the same views. So for people like Romney, he will face opposition because people feel his different religion will clash with their religion’s views. It’s unfortunate for the candidates. There is a separation of church and state in this country, but now, the candidates are going to have to find a way to let the public know that.

Initially the term referred to any priest permanently assigned to a church. The term, which comes from the Latin word cardo, “hinge,” was applied in the 9th century to priests of the parishes of the diocese of Rome. By the 12th century, priests from outside of Rome were appointed cardinals, and were assigned a church in Rome as a titular church while remaining in their personal diocese.

This practice of each cardinal in the world having a titular church in Rome still occurs today.

The right to elect the pope was bestoIn the hierarchy of the church, the ecclesiastical princes are called Cardinals, senior ecclesiastical officials who counsel the pope. As a collective group, they form the College of Cardinals, which serves the function of electing a new pontiff when necessary. Individually cardinals are bishops or archbishops of dioceses and some administer departments of the Roman Curia.

Initially the term referred to any priest permanently assigned to a church. The term, which comes from the Latin word cardo, “hinge,” was applied in the 9th century to priests of the parishes of the diocese of Rome. By the 12th century, priests from outside of Rome were appointed cardinals, and were assigned a church in Rome as a titular church while remaining in their personal diocese.

This practice of each cardinal in the world having a titular church in Rome still occurs today.

The right to elect the pope was bestowed solely upon the College of Cardinals by the papal bull In nomine Domini in 1059, with the advent of political independence for the pope from the Holy Roman Emperor. But cardinals did not escape political influence at this time. Temporal rulers, especially those of Austria, Spain, and Portugal, traditionally nominated trusted clerical subjects to be created cardinal.

By early modern times, cardinals’ roles in secular affairs had grown, sometimes serving in powerful governmental roles. Cardinal Wolsey served as Chief Minister to England’s King Henry VIII. Cardinal Richelieu effectively ruled France for King Louis XIII.

Pope Sixtus V limited the number of cardinals at 70, but Pope John XXIII expanded that number, and it has increased under successive pontiffs.

In 1971, Pope Paul VI established 80 as the maximum age for papal electors, and set the number of electors at 120, but did not limit the number of cardinals as a whole. Since 1630, cardinals are styled Eminence and traditionally place the abbreviation Card. between their personal and surnames. The Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, for example is Sean Cardinal O’Malley.

The scarlet, blood-like color of a cardinal’s vestments symbolizes the willingness to die for the faith. The ordinary dress includes a black cassock with scarlet piping and buttons, a scarlet sash, a pectoral cross on a chain, and a scarlet zucchetto.

When the pope creates new cardinals, he gives a symbolic gold ring to signify the bond between pope and cardinal. Each pontiff selects the exterior image and the pope’s coat of arms is displayed on the inside. Pope Benedict XVI chose a modern depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus with Mary and John to each side.

While being a cardinal is not a requirement to be elected pope, the College of Cardinals usually elects one of their own for the sacred position.

Cardinals have a “privilege of forum” under canon law, deeming only the pope competent to judge them in matters of ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Cardinals are frequently portrayed in popular culture, especially in religious period pieces.

There are two basic reasons for this misconception. First, large campus service groups tend to resonate with “low Masses.” These groups undoubtedly do great work and they present an excellent example to others. Students who frequent “high Masses,” however, tend to frequent St. Joseph’s project, the St. Thomas More Society, Sons of St. Patrick, and Gratia Plena, groups which also perform excellent works, albeit less publicly because the groups are smaller. Second, is the influence of liberal theology on campus, which has brought frequent misreadings of the Bible to the student body. Prime among these misreadings is the concept that Christ disapproved of the Sadducees and the Pharisees because of their mode of worship. Consider, for example, Matthew 15:8, which states: “these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” and Mark 7:6, which states “…Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”

A careful reading of Christ’s words reveal not that the high form of worship was condemned, but rather that any form of worship is dead without the other half of the Gospel, namely the love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness preached by Christ. In fact, the higher forms of the Mass have several conceptual advantages over the lower forms.

While wearing ties to Mass, kneeling before the Sacrament, and participating in the pageantry of the cult may seem stuffy to some, these formalities do present a profound sense of the supernatural and reverence for what the Sacrament conveys. This profound sense of and reverence for the supernatural strengthens the seriousness of the charge Christ gave humanity regarding love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, and reinforces that these virtues are not niceties to be striven for, but rather commandments by which we are ordered to live.

Thus while some see Luke 10:25-37 as a condemnation of the higher forms of worship, the proper interpretation sees the Parable of the Good Samaritan as Christ’s warning to Catholics that they should not be comfortable in correct worship alone. This sense of comfort, though, while present in all forms of worship, is possibly even more prevalent in lower forms of worship which strive to see Christ as a friend, an equal, or a being who finds satisfaction in all we do. Not only is this theologically and philosophically incorrect when taken to the extreme, but this self-endeared message also endangers Christ’s central message of love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness by fostering a culture of informality around it. The mandate from the Creator thereby becomes a mere suggestion, an idea which we are free to accept or reject as if it was some byproduct of a CSOM brainstorming session. A seriousness in worship leads to a seriousness in Christ. A seriousness in Christ leads to a seriousness in His message.

A seriousness in His message will lead to the establishment of the Gospel as the rule of society, something Catholics must continue to strive for.

Father Joe Laramie

Fr. Joe Laramie is a graduate student at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, having earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree a nd working towards his Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.). He has been at Boston College for four years, and he was ordained a priest this past June for the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus.

Q: How and when did you hear the call to become a priest?

A: I went to a Jesuit high school and college [SLU High, ‘96 and St Louis U, ‘00]. I was really impressed with some of the young Jesuit teachers. Also, at SLU, there were young Jesuits taking philosophy classes, as part of their training. I had classes with those guys; they were only a few years older than me—kind of like big brothers, you might say. I admired how they worked together, prayed together, ate dinner together. I enjoyed hanging out with them, and I felt like God was slowly calling me into Jesuit life.

Q: Was there anything in particular about your liturgical life growing up that inspired your vocation?

A: I was a server at my parish in grade school. I always found the Mass a peaceful, prayerful place. I did some community service in high school and college, as well as a service trip to Honduras in college. I briefly thought about being a social worker, but felt that I could serve others best in the Church, as a priest.

Q: Why did you choose to become a Jesuit rather than a diocesan priest or a priest of another religious order?

A: I certainly admire diocesan priests and other orders. All religious have a lot in common—we take vows, live in community, pray and work together. I considered the Franciscans and even Benedictines as I was discerning. I love our missionary spirit as Jesuits—that I can be sent anywhere in the US or the world, to do just about anything to serve God and the Church. St Ignatius always got me fired up: his zeal for Christ, his spirituality, the global mission of the Jesuits. I like the idea that I can work at a high school for a while, then maybe do some missionary work in Central America, then serve at a university—Jesuit mission mirrors the Church’s mission: multifaceted, rich, international, beautiful. Short answer— I knew lots of Jesuits, admired them, and wanted to be one!

Q: Can you say a little about what you do here at BC?

A: I finished all of the language requirements [Latin and Spanish] and coursework [8 graduate classes] for the S.T.L., so I’m just writing the thesis [on St Ignatius] this semester. I celebrate the 10pm Thursday Mass at St Joe’s Chapel on upper campus. I help at a parish in Medford, MA on the weekends. I am chaplain of the undergrad pro-life club. So, several things. I love meeting and serving BC students.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your vocation?

A: It’s a beautiful life. Challenging at times, but awesome. Time for prayer, both alone and in community—really taking time with Christ each day. I enjoy celebrating Mass, and having Mass with brother Jesuits. Our community has dinner together 5 nights a week; how many families even do that anymore? It’s a great time to chat, laugh, eat, check in with each other.

Q: Do you have a favorite saint?

A: St Ignatius is right up there. I was in Loyola, Spain for a few days this summer. It was blessing to see where it all began, his hometown, the room where he had his conversion. St Therese of Lisieux, too. She is the exact opposite of Jesuits—cloistered nun, lived in the same town her whole life. And yet, she too has this really global vision of the gospel. Her writings are emotional and powerful. Her love and prayers were a kind of fuel to the fire of the Church’s work—and she is still praying for us.

Q: Do you have a favorite passage from scripture?

A: Lately, I’ve been praying with Matthew 14—Jesus walks on the water. There is a big storm, and the disciples are terrified. Then Jesus calls Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water, too. It’s a great image for us today, I think. There’s a lot of chaos, craziness in the world today, and in our lives. And Jesus is right there in the midst of it, in the storm. He’s not afraid. He will never abandon us. And he’s getting wet and cold, too, but he’s also powerful, strong, truly God. If we keep our eyes on him, and listen to him, we can walk on water, too. The storm is swirling, but it won’t overcome us. And then we can share his strength and grace with others.

Q: Do you have any advice for someone considering the priesthood?

A: It’s awesome. Listen to Christ. Really put your gifts, your life in his hands. Pray that prayer of Ignatius: “Take, Lord, receive all my liberty.” Christ wastes nothing. He will use every gift, every experience for his glory—if you let him in. As he tells Peter in Matthew 14: “Do not be afraid! It is I.” Talk to a friend, or a religious. Make your discernment a real discussion, a spiritual dialogue—not just thinking by yourself, alone in your room. “Do not be afraid.”

After Vatican II, the pre-Vatican II traditional Latin Mass was rarely celebrated. That has begun to change since Pope Benedict XVI issued a decree that allowed the pre-Vatican II Mass to be celebrated if the parish so chose to. Here at Boston College, after seeing many faithful who had an interest in Mass in Latin, a group of students decided to make it happen, and Una Voce took charge. I was able to speak with president of Una Voce, Andy Rota: “We host the celebration of two Masses in Latin, both the Ordinary Form and Extraordinary Form. The Ordinary Form in Latin is the Mass most celebrate today, except the it is in Latin. The priest also has the option to face the alter instead of the congregation, but that is up to his discretion. The Extraordinary Form, on the other hand, is the pre-Vatican II Mass that was celebrated in the 1962 missal,” said Rota, “We have been very fortunate. There has been great interest in the Latin Masses, and we have had the full support of campus ministry in our goal,” said Rota.

Una Voce’s advisor is Father Gary Gurtler, S.J., who has been with them since the beginning. The club is even offering altar server training this semester, for those who are interested in assisting the priest during Mass. I asked Rota if there were any major challenges, considering that the club was so new: “It takes time to get things like this off the ground, but there have been a lot of requests for Mass in Latin, so it makes the effort worth it. We are currently working on offering more celebrations of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and currently, we offer the Ordinary Form in Latin every Wednesday at 6:30pm in St. Joseph’s Chapel, located on Upper Campus. Everyone is welcome to attend, and for those of you who don’t know Latin, don’t worry. We have books to help you follow along.” Rota sees the Mass in Latin as an invigorating breath to the liturgy. “Celebrating the Mass in Latin allows us to focus on the liturgy in a way new to many of us.” So for those of you who want to experience the Mass in Latin, whether it is for the first time or for the first time in years, come to St. Joseph’s Chapel on Wednesday nights. Laudetur Iesus Christus, nunc et in aeternam. Amen.

For those of us who were born after 1962, or were very young around that time, going to church has not changed much. It starts with the celebrant of the Mass walking in, giving an opening prayer, commencing the Liturgy of the Word, transitioning us into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, giving a closing prayer, and the Mass is over.

To us, it has been the same since we first could comprehend what was going on. But for those born before 1962, and can remember those days, this was not the Mass they were used to. Mass used to be in Latin and the priest would face the alter, not the people. This was changed after Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican council, and Mass would be changed into the celebration we know today.
Alas, people out there still cry for the Latin Mass, finding more authentic, more spiritual, or even just nostalgic and would love to go to the Mass they went to as children. For all those people out there, allow me to introduce Una Voce at Boston College. Founded in the spring of 2011, Una Voce promotes the use of Latin in the liturgy in Masses at BC. They host Latin Masses in both the ordinary and extraordinary form.
Una Voce also promotes sacred art and music around campus, enabling opportunities for those on and off campus who want a Latin Mass or are interested in experiencing it.

After Vatican II, the pre-Vatican II traditional Latin Mass was rarely celebrated. That has begun to change since Pope Benedict XVI issued a decree that allowed the pre-Vatican II Mass to be celebrated if the parish so chose to. Here at Boston College, after seeing many faithful who had an interest in Mass in Latin, a group of students decided to make it happen, and Una Voce took charge. I was able to speak with president of Una Voce, Andy Rota:

“We host the celebration of two Masses in Latin, both the Ordinary Form and Extraordinary Form. The Ordinary Form in Latin is the Mass most celebrate today, except the it is in Latin. The priest also has the option to face the alter instead of the congregation, but that is up to his discretion.

The Extraordinary Form, on the other hand, is the pre-Vatican II Mass that was celebrated in the 1962 missal,” said Rota,
“We have been very fortunate. There has been great interest in the Latin Masses, and we have had the full support of campus ministry in our goal,” said Rota.

Una Voce’s advisor is Father Gary Gurtler, S.J., who has been with them since the beginning. The club is even offering altar server training this semester, for those who are interested in assisting the priest during Mass. I asked Rota if there were any major challenges, considering that the club was so new:

“It takes time to get things like this off the ground, but there have been a lot of requests for Mass in Latin, so it makes the effort worth it. We are currently working on offering more celebrations of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and currently, we offer the Ordinary Form in Latin every Wednesday at 6:30pm in St. Joseph’s Chapel, located on Upper Campus. Everyone is welcome to attend, and for those of you who don’t know Latin, don’t worry. We have books to help you follow along.”

Rota sees the Mass in Latin as an invigorating breath to the liturgy. “Celebrating the Mass in Latin allows us to focus on the liturgy in a way new to many of us.”

So for those of you who want to experience the Mass in Latin, whether it is for the first time or for the first time in years, come to St. Joseph’s Chapel on Wednesday nights. Laudetur Iesus Christus, nunc et in aeternam. Amen.

Andy Rota/The Observer

St. Therese of Lisieux

This past Saturday, October 1st, the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast Day of a very inspiring young saint. Just twenty-eight years after her death, Therese Martin was canonized as Saint Therese of Lisieux. She was born January 2nd, 1873 in Alencon, France and died September 30th, 1897. Therese of the Child Jesus or “The Little Flower” had shown the world the way of betterment in small accomplishments of their daily lives.

Therese was the youngest of nine children, but only one of the five who lived to adulthood. When she was about four-years-old, her mother died and her older sisters took care of the household. The second oldest, Pauline, gave religious instruction and read aloud pious works, guiding Therese to lead a faith-filled life. Once Pauline entered the Carmelite convent of Lisieux, at nine-years-old, Therese had a burning desire to follow her.

On Christmas Eve 1886, Therese experienced what she calls her “complete conversion”. She saw a vision of the infant Jesus and in her account stated, “In an instant Jesus, content with my good will, accomplished the work I had not been able to do in ten years.” Apparently after her mother’s death, Therese’s personality changed and she became introverted and reclusive; but in that moment, a decade after her mother died, Therese claimed to have recovered the strength of her soul she had lost and became “girded with [Christ’s] weapons”. She further describes the infant Jesus and the effect He had on her: “By becoming weak and little, for love of me, He made me strong and brave”.

In the succeeding year, Therese decided to pursue her vocation and become a Carmelite. The Carmelite authorities and Bishop Hugonin of Bayeux, however, would not consider it because of her young age. She was very disappointed and saddened by this, but by the Pope’s blessing (Pope Pius XI) and her fervent, incessant prayers, she was granted permission and joined her sisters on April 9, 1888 in the Carmel at Lisieux at age fifteen.

We learn a lot about Saint Therese through her accounts and letters. To our benefit, she immersed herself in writing up until the end of her life. From the first chapter of Histoire d’un Ame (History of a Soul), Therese writes about her understanding of prayer: “With me prayer is a lifting up of the heart, a look towards Heaven, a cry of gratitude and love uttered equally in sorrow and in joy; in a word, something noble, supernatural, which enlarges my soul and unites it to God…Except for the Divine Office, which in spite of my unworthiness is a daily joy, I have not the courage to look through books for beautiful prayers…I do as a child who has not learned to read, I just tell our Lord all that I want and He understands.”

Her simple understandings of prayer and her sincere faith caused her to live a life of attending to everything and everyone with an immense love. She believed that we should have a childlike focus and a completely attentive love. She wrote, “What matters in life, is not great deeds, but great love.” Her spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love. The rose or “the little flower” is a common representation of her spirituality because Therese viewed herself as the “little flower of Jesus” giving praise to God. Because of this analogy, the “little flower” label attached itself to Saint Therese.

Therese quietly and gracefully suffered from physical ailments throughout her young life, and inevitably died because of her escalating tuberculosis. Shortly before she died, she wrote to Pere Roulland, a missionary in China, “Leaving to great souls, great minds, the fine books I cannot understand, I rejoice to be little because only children, and those who are like them, will be admitted to the heavenly banquet.” This captivating statement encapsulates the profound and valuable ideology that the Church recognizes today-that great love is just as, if not more important, than great deeds.

On May 17, 1925 Pope Pius XI canonized Therese, who left a tremendous mark on the world with “the little way”. Whatever we do wholeheartedly for others and for God, no matter how small, is a wondrous and meaningful gift because it descends from love.

Chaired by the Most Reverend Jaime Soto, Bishop of Sacramento, the CCDC’s mission is to develop a greater ecclesial unity in the diversity of the nation by means of “celebration, prayer and worship, interaction, information, story-telling, inspirational moments.” Other members of the committee are the Most Reverend Gerald Barnes, Bishop of San Bernardino; the Most Reverend Randolph Calvo, Bishop of Reno; the Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia; the Most Reverend Martin D. Holley, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, DC; the Most Reverend Rutilio del Riego, Auxiliary Bishop of San Bernadino; the Most Reverend Joseph W. Estabrook, Auxiliary Bishop of Military Services.

Subcommittees were established to meet the needs of several individual cultural groups, including Hispanic Affairs, Asian Pacific Affairs, Native American Affairs, African American Affairs, and Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers. These subcommittees help fulfill the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and promote the life and dignity of each and every human being which has much to do with insight into cultures and heritages. Paying individualized attention to these cultures allows the CCDC to encourage the inclusion and fuller participation of all God’s People in the life and ministry of the Church.

The Cultural Diversity Committee Mandate outlines the key mission responsibilities, including studying issues related to the faith and life of Catholics in culturally diverse communities and being a resource and advocate to other USCCB committees and offices on these issues and pastoral needs. One such way to do this was the Catholic Cultural Diversity Network Convocation that was held in May 2010 at the University of Notre Dame. The members of the CCDC as well as Catholic leadership from the many cultures and races that constitute the American Church gathered in South Bend for a two-day celebration of dialogue and collegiality, providing opportunities to exchange hopes, dreams, and challenges. Several Catholic Universities, including Fordham University, The Catholic University of America, DePaul University, Santa Clara University, and Boston College co-sponsored the event. Media highlighting the success of the Convocation can be found at nccbuscc,org/ccdnc.

October is Respect Life Month, calling for respect and dignity for life at all stages. The Bishops recognize that this means promoting insight into cultures and respecting languages, customs, and style of worship. The mission of the Church in the US is to evangelize, not Americanize. The priority of recognition of cultural diversity is a response to the New Evangelization proposed by Pope John Paul II and developed by Pope Benedict XVI.

Just before students began returning to classes, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a new policy that would require all group health care plans provided by employers – including many Catholic institutions – to cover prescription contraceptives and sterilization for women.

The Interim Final Rules on Preventive Services (76 Fed. Reg. 46621, Aug. 3, 2011), consider contraceptives and sterilization to be “preventative” services that must be provided free of charge in insurance plans.

The HHS policy does contain a “conscience clause” for religious employers who wish to abstain from covering contraceptives for religious reasons.  However, the exemption is very narrow, with organizations qualifying only if:

(1) The inculcation of religious values is the purpose of the organization.  (2) The organization primarily employs persons who share the religious tenets of the organization.  (3) The organization serves primarily persons who share the religious tenets of the organization.

Andy Rota/The Observer

Mass of the Holy Spirit 2011

Typically held outside in O’Neill Plaza, the Mass was celebrated in Conte Forum on September 15 due to a rainy forecast.

All noontime classes were cancelled, so faculty, students, and staff filled the many seats of Conte Forum.

To the tune of “Come, Holy Ghost,” the processional began with the entrance of the various deans and several other distinguished faculty members in academic dress.

These were followed by countless priests of the Boston College Jesuit community who were present to concelebrate the Mass.

Fr. Kalscheur, Associate Professor at Boston College Law School, who was ordained in 2001 and recently professed his final vows in the Jesuit order, was the homilist.

“God is at work in the depths of all things…in the midst of our study and teaching and research,” said Fr. Kalscheur.

He spoke of the hidden presence of God working ever tirelessly in the world.

It is a special dimension of the Ignatian worldview that God can be found always and everywhere through the machinations of the Spirit, and so Fr. Kalscheur emphasized that all Jesuits at Boston College are dedicated to the idea that “there is no reality that is only profane for those who know God’s people.”

The Spirit is alive among those here at Boston College, and Fr. Kalscheur invited those present to put aside superficiality and rather to cooperate with the Spirit, which lies on a deeper level, in order to bring about “freedom, wholeness, and the fullness of life that God desires for all of us and the whole world.”

Following the prayerful and mysterious act of the consecration in which the Holy Spirit is invoked to come down upon the bread and wine, those present went forth to receive in physical form the Body of Christ in order to anchor and nurture the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

For the recessional hymn, the Liturgy Arts Group played “Now Thank We All Our God.”

How fitting a song it was for such an occasion; for, as Boston College has now officially kicked off another academic year, the community has been reminded of the power of God in daily life here on campus and how thankful all should be for the grace and blessings received therein.

Claudio Coello (1642-1693)

“Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” St. Rose of Lima, patroness of America, was famous for uttering and living these words. Born to wealthy parents in Peru, Rose was baptized as Isabel de Herrara. Her name later changed to Rose, inspired by the belief that her face changed when it was exposed to a mystical rose.

She was beautiful, but she feared that this beauty would distract her and others from their true focus: God.  When complimented on her complexion, she rubbed her face with hot peppers to ruin it. She always fought vanity and used extreme measures to maintain her devotion. She ruined her hands, cut off her hair, and wore rough clothes.

She practiced mortification of the flesh as a way to bring her closer to God, though this practice was never encouraged by the Church. She revered the Blessed Sacrament and modeled herself after St. Catherine of Sienna.

As she grew older, her dedication only grew and at the age of 20, she joined the Third Order of St. Dominic. She practiced extreme acts of penance, going without nourishment for days, except for Holy Communion and water. In her weakened state, she did not even allow the comfort of rest, sleeping on a bed made of “broken glass, thorns and stone.” But though her physical body suffered, she often experienced revelations from God.

Throughout her life, St. Rose helped the poor of Lima and was renowned for her charity. She is considered the patron saint of embroiders, florists, gardeners, needle workers, people ridiculed for their piety, the Americas, India, Peru, the Philippines, and the West Indies.

On Mondays, between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm, STM participates in Benediction and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which the society believes to be the most integral part of their club. During the adoration of the sacrament, silent personal prayer is employed during the first half hour. In the latter half of the hour, the Holy Rosary is recited, with the opportunity to receive the sacrament of confession available during the entire adoration. On special occasions, STM hosts a Koinonia during the adoration, in which music is played during reflection.

After the services have concluded, STM invites everyone over to Gasson Hall, from 7-8pm, to participate in talks called “Theology by the Slice.” Here, participants can talk about theology, what is going on in the Catholic Church, and about living a good life (also, free pizza is served, hence “by the slice”).

The St. Thomas More Society also hosts events and lectures. Along with other Catholic clubs on campus such as working with the Pro-Life Club in leading Pro-Life demonstrations, and invite guests to lecture during their “Theology by the Slice” segment, with topics varying from discussions about chastity and other moral issues to other philosophical and theological topics. STM also participates in one overnight retreat a semester, with the purpose being that members have an opportunity to get away from campus and spend some quality time with the Lord and each other.

In wanting to find out more about STM, we were able to sit down and talk with their President, Ben Martin. Ben reiterated the society’s availability to provide a strong Catholic community with traditional and intellectual character. He also stressed that the St. Thomas More Society is not only for Catholics. The club is open to everyone who leads a life, or is looking to lead a life, of traditional and intellectual character, regardless of faith. He also encourages members to participate in other clubs, not just limiting them to one activity.

It became clear throughout the course of the interview that Ben is very proud of his time spent with the group. “It’s been a strong catholic community,” said Martin, “something I’m glad to be a part of, and I’m glad we have it on campus. It’s important to live a life on faith and community and friends are important in that.”

Martin encourages those with curiosity to come check out the club. They are available every Monday at St. Mary’s and in Gasson, and would love to have new members.

A Catholic university is one which attempts to prepare its students for their future careers, challenges them to be liberally educated, and further asks them to explore the “big questions” of life.  Being a Catholic institution, by definition the institution begins with a certain set of presumptions, namely that there is a God, that God is Jesus Christ, and that Jesus Christ ordained the Catholic Church to continue His ministry both on earth and in heaven.  These presumptions are certainly not institutionally irrefutable, nor should they be.  Refusal to reexamine these presumptions from time to time encourages decay and lassitude, which is why BC should reexamine its core curriculum in order to ensure that its students have the opportunity to grapple with such questions in the university setting.

While the university mandates that students take two semesters of philosophy and theology, the variation in the core curriculum is too broad to ensure that all students receive a basic education in Catholic thought and values.  While trying to force this Catholic thought on students would be counter-productive, exposure to Catholic thought would allow each student to decide on their own, in a critical classroom setting, what he or she believes in, and would fulfill the mission of the university.  The university needs to reexamine the philosophy core curriculum, in particular, ensuring that each student reads a minimal amount of Catholic thought, perhaps consisting of pieces of Aquinas, Pope Benedict XVI, Augustine, Chrysostom, and Athanasius of Alexandria.

I wish I could understand exactly why BC will not expose all of its students to some elemental level of Catholic thought.  From my experiences at BC, I think there are two prevailing schools of thought employed by the university; diversity and plurality.  Contemporary Catholic thought is undoubtedly identified most closely with western civilization, but mandating classes in philosophy deriving from western thought would not inhibit students from taking classes in other schools of philosophy, such as East-Asian philosophy, with their electives.  The two classes are simply not mutually exclusive in a four-year BC experience, where there is plenty of room for each student to pursue his intellectual passions.

Second, since Vatican II, the Church has effectively disregarded the phrase, “No salvation outside the Church.”  I disagree with this phrase when it is used in a manner inconsistent with the notion that those outside of the Church may be saved through the Church after death, because the phrase presumes to know in which manner God judges the individual.  However, just because we do not know every criterion upon which God judges individuals does not mean that we do not know any of the basic criteria on which God judges.  In fact, the Church professes that she does; otherwise there would be no Church.  Therefore, BC should not be afraid to mandate some reading of Catholic thought, because the Church inherently confesses that correct Catholic philosophy is inherently closer to the fulfillment of the truth than schools originating from pagan or non-Christian roots.

Finally, a definitional point.  Boston College really should not claim that it gives students a Catholic education if students are never exposed to anything Catholic in their education.  A Catholic education does not give students an opportunity to explore religion if they reach out to the Jesuit community.  A true Catholic education is assertive to the point that it is proactive in exposing students to the Jesuit tradition.

BC is beginning to reap what it sows.  Many of the university’s most complex debates are irresolvable because the two opposing parties walk into discussions with different philosophical views and presumptions.  For example, the conflict between this newspaper and the Students for Sexual Health or the Vagina Monologues is not one about whether or not condoms on campus encourage sexual behavior, or even if a play which degrades women to nothing more than their sexual elements is frankly sexist, inappropriate, or demoralizing.

Rather, this is a debate which should have begun in theology, philosophy, and perspectives.  The differences in opinion are dissolvable to questions such as “Do I believe in God?  If so, what type of God do I believe in?  Does this God reflect what I personally want God to be or what God actually is in reality?  How does this realization impact how I treat my body and the bodies of others?”

Does this mean that all differences will go away if BC changes its core curriculum? Of course not, but the first step in having a meaningful discussion on differences of opinion is to recognize just how deep these differences are and what lies at their core, and that’s something that BC should be facilitating.

Andy Rota/The Observer

McNellis lectures on the qualities of a leader.

Father McNellis began his talk by pointing out our society’s obsession with becoming good leaders and how to do this. He noted that, in many bookstores, whole shelves are dedicated to the topic, while a simple Internet search will yield millions of hits. He defined a leader as someone that you are willing to follow because you respect him. Whether one is a leader, claimed Father McNellis, is not something that is self-assessed, but something that other people see in us. Leadership is a role of responsibility, not a privilege. He then recounted three examples he observed in his own life of genuine leadership.

The first occurred during the Vietnam War, in either December 1970 or January 1971. During one night, the North Vietnamese attacked a village. Usually at sunrise, they retreated, but in this instance, they did not—it was clear they really wanted to decimate this village. Now, during the war, command/control helicopters shuttled generals around. They were neat and clean—not to be used for transporting ammo or the wounded. Father McNellis remembered that the American major to whom he reported did not have an especially remarkable command presence. However that day, things would change.

Over the radio, the American major said he had a wounded person. A nearby helicopter asked, “Victor November or Uniform Sierra?” a coded way to determine if the wounded was Vietnamese, or American, respectively. It was understood that the helicopter only intended to help an American. The American major responded, “Neither, he’s a human being.” After a pause, the helicopter radioed back, “Put out smoke,” an indication he intended to land because helicopters had to land into the wind. Father McNellis commented that while this American major, to him, had seemed devoid of command presence, he was “12 feet tall” after this incident.

The second example of leadership Father McNellis told involved the BC hockey team. He revealed how after the team won the National Championship in Detroit, one of the players skated over to the BC Band and thanked them for being there. He didn’t have to, but still did. The final example Father McNellis offered was a high school memory. He had been in a group of 10 or 12 men, and as conversations can tend to do with men, it became inappropriate. Something said made his friend uncomfortable, who quietly got up and walked away. This friend was not an official leader in any way, but he did the right thing.

Father McNellis pointed out that there is a certain element of character that is present in these three instances. None of the individuals trained specifically for these circumstances, and they weren’t just matters where it was the application of some sort of leadership theory. Rather, they each were a spontaneous response to the situation, naturally arising from the kind of person each man was.

There are two main ways for men to become good leaders. First, in order for men to become good leaders, they first have to become good men. Second, they have to think of the good men in their own life—relatives, teachers, and coaches—and assess what they admire about each of them. Father McNellis then listed some traits probably common to them—integrity, having their word mean something, being just, accepting responsibility, and being serious, sober, and sensible.

Father McNellis cautioned the audience about the trap of thinking that college is somehow not the real world. To the contrary, the choices we make here form the kind of habits and person we will become. He noted that sometimes someone could be less mature as a senior than he was as a freshman.

St. Anselm of Canterbury, author of one of the most famous arguments for the existence of God

“God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be thought.’” This is part of, perhaps, St. Anselm’s most famous contribution to philosophy—his argument for the existence of God in his “Proslogium.”

Anselm was born in Aosta, a Burgundian town. His mother was the first cultivator of his piety. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Eadmer, Anselm’s biographer, conveys how his mother taught him about “God, Who dwelt on high ruling all things.”

In Eadmer’s Life of St. Anselm, he conveyed an anecdote about the young Anselm’s spirituality. The young Anselm imagined that heaven was on the summits of the mountains surrounding where he lived. In a dream, he had to scale a mountain and go greet God, the King. However, he was soon distracted by the negligent work of God’s handmaidens in the plain beneath the mountain. Anselm felt he had to report this inefficient work to the King. Once he got to the court, he was hospitably received and questioned as to his purposes.

The most powerful moment was about to transpire. Eadmer wrote, “at the Master’s command some moist white bread was brought him by the cupbearer and he feasted thereon in his presence, wherefore when morning came and he brought to mind the things he had seen, as a simpler and innocent child he believed that he had truly been fed in heaven with the bread of the Lord, and this he publicly affirmed in the presence of others.”

Sadly, after his mother died he lost some of his youthful piety. As Catholic Encyclopedia noted, “it seemed that his anchor was lost, and he was at the mercy of the waves.”

After much resistance from his father, Anselm, desiring religious life, set out. He came under the tutelage of the Abbey of Bec in Normandy. Following reflection as to whether he should become a hermit, perhaps, or a monk, Anselm was finally made a monk in the Abbey of Bec. Throughout his entire life, Anselm would progress from monk, to prior, abbot, and finally archbishop. This was partly a burden for Anselm who originally longed for the contemplative life.

Catholic Encyclopedia corroborated, “Remembering his attraction for the solitude of a hermitage we can hardly wonder that he felt oppressed by this busy life and longed to lay aside his office and give himself up to the delights of contemplation. But the Archbishop of Rouen bade him retain his office and prepare for yet greater burdens.”

One notable prerogative of his spiritual leadership was the council he convened at Westminster. Strict canons were ratified to combat the contemporary problems of the time. An example of his fortitude occurred in the dynamic between him and the King, “Anselm was required to consecrate bishops invested by the King, but he firmly refused, and it soon became evident that his firmness was taking effect” (Catholic Encyclopedia).

Though St. Anselm died on April 21, 1209, his intellectual and spiritual legacy perdures. He was even named a Doctor of the Church, to whom we have access and recourse today through his writings. In the biography he authored, Eadmer painted a picture of Anselm’s death. Catholic Encyclopedia wrote, “Eadmer, the faithful chronicler of these contentions, gives a pleasing picture of his peaceful death. The dream of his childhood was come true; he was to climb the mountain and taste the bread of Heaven.”

Q: How and when did you hear the call to become a priest?

A: It was during my senior year at Boston College–1969.  That year I’d become serious about the Faith and started going to Mass regularly.  I remember vividly.  It was on April 21, just after the noon Mass at St. Mary’s that the thought came into my head: I should be a priest.  I’d never ever considered that before, never really thought about it before.  After that thought came, it was impossible to shake, and I figured that if I didn’t at least give it a try, I might be saying no to something God wanted for me–and maybe something I, deep down, wanted for myself.

Q: Was there anything in particular about your liturgical life growing up that inspired your vocation?

A: No, not at all.  I didn’t enjoy going to Church.  I found the Mass tedious and unintelligible, even though I was an altar boy (everybody was in those days).  The Christmas liturgy was nice enough, as I remember; however, I had a special dread of Holy Week.  I always knew in the cramped pit of my stomach that the excruciating, unending Holy Saturday Vigil Mass loomed inexorably ahead.  So, I’d have to say that my “liturgical life,” such as it was, did not inspire my vocation–except maybe on the invisible level of God’s grace; maybe, on that level, going to Mass and serving as an altar boy did inspire my vocation, but on the level of sense-experience…nooooooooooooo.

Q: Why did you choose to become a Jesuit rather than a diocesan priest or a priest of another religious order?

A: I didn’t think of the Jesuits right away.  Since I heard the call on April 21, the Feast of St. Anselm, I thought God might want me to be a Benedictine monk, but the silence and stasis of monastic life didn’t appeal to me at all.  The Jesuits I knew at BC–great guys like Dick Shea, John A. McCarthy, and Ed Murphy–did appeal to me; their way of life appealed to me.  So, I entered the Society of Jesus, and…well, here I am.

Q: In what year were you ordained?

A: Let’s see.  I entered in 1969 and was ordained in 1982.  I can’t complain I didn’t have enough time to discern, eh?

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your vocation?

A: It’s funny you should ask that.  I was just thinking how much I love my life, all of my life.  I don’t think there is one thing I could single out as the most rewarding. Saying Mass, hearing confessions, visiting the sick, teaching Philosophy at BC–all those things are rewarding, and they’re all parts of the vocation I’m living.  So, I can’t say there’s some one thing I find the most rewarding.

Q: How long have you been at BC?  Also, please say a little about what you do here on campus.

A: It must be more than 25 years because the administration presented me with a clock a couple of years ago.  Let me see.  I arrived in 1983.  So I’ve been here for 28 years!  Gosh, that’s a depressingly long time.  I may need Zoloft after this interview.  Anyway, what I do here on campus: I teach Philosophy–in fact, I’m director of undergrad studies for our department.  I teach Perspectives I, Does God Exist, and Modern Philosophy.  I used to teach Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, but I’ve handed that off to the great Mary Troxell, God bless her!  In coming years, I’d like to teach courses on Thomistic Personalism, and maybe upper level courses on Kant’s moral and religious thought.  I’m faculty advisor for the St. Thomas More Society.  It’s a group for undergraduates who’d like to explore the Faith in some depth.

Q: Do you have any hobbies?

A: Yes, I love horror movies.  Now don’t you go raising your eyebrows in pious disdain!  The horror movie is a real art form.  Why are you laughing?  I’m being honest here! Well, maybe that is why you’re laughing!  Look, it’s as difficult to make a good horror movie–I’m not saying splatter movie or torture porn, that’s something else–as it is to make a good comedy.  I used to say I liked horror movies because they presupposed absolute morality.  Well, yeah, I believe they do, but honestly, I just like being scared, jumping-out-of-my-seat scared.  And I don’t scare too easily.  The Exorcist (the original version, not the lame Director’s Cut) is the greatest horror movie ever made, but old Tobe Hooper’s Chainsaw hasn’t aged badly at all.

But enough about horror.  I like-really love-listening to classical music, especially Bach.  I never listened to classical music before I turned 50.  I used to listen to hard rock; then I moved to soft rock; then I moved to pop tunes–talk about advancing decrepitude!  Anyway, when I turned 50, I acquired one of those Bose radio-CD players, but I didn’t have any CDs.  So a buddy of mine, Steve Schwarz, gave me some of his.  The first thing I played was Bach’s Brandenburgs.  There was no turning back after that.

I also like studying the German language, and reading the Roman historians Livy, Tacitus, as well as Lucretius (the greatest Latin poet, in my opinion).

Q: Do you have a favorite passage from Scripture?

A: Yes:  “God is love” from the first letter of John.  That says it all.

Q: Do you have a favorite saint?

A: Let me think.  Theresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Mother Teresa-it’s hard for me to pick a favorite from among them.

Q: Do you have any advice for someone considering the priesthood?

A: Sure.  Get yourself a good spiritual advisor-someone like, say, Fr. Paul McNellis in the Philosophy department-and be honest with him about yourself and your search.  It’s good to have a companion on that kind of journey.

Kelley began her talk with a look at what “pastoral care” means.  The very roots of the word come from the word for “shepherd”, and we’re reminded specifically of the image of Christ the Good Shepherd.  The shepherds who provide pastoral care are most typically religious leaders and lay ecclesial ministers but can also be the work of any of the faithful.  Kelley prefaced her more in depth look at that work with a quote from Milton Vahey: “Cast the bread of gentle compassion upon the troubled waters of other peoples lives.”

The presentation continued with a look at the “what, the where the when and the how” of pastoral care.  What pastoral care heals, Kelley said, is “brokenness”.  Brokenness can manifest itself in everything from our hearts, to our relationships, our dreams and even our images of God and ourselves.  People often use the words and imagery of “brokenness” when they express grief after loss, and it is specifically this brokenness that the pastoral caregiver needs to recognize and work through.

The “where” of pastoral care was where Kelley’s talk began to take on its full scope.  She insisted that pastoral care does not simply take place in a one on one setting.  True pastoral care encourages, and indeed requires us to “think globally” as Kelly put it.  Care needs to be given as much to individuals as to groups, communities, and environments.

Kelley’s thoughts on when pastoral care is important were equally as interesting.  Usually pastoral care takes place after the fact.  Kelley, however, wanted to make it clear that pastoral care can be even more effective when it anticipates and staves off suffering in the first place.  The sorts of suffering that need to be predicted and prevented are many, but the two largest ones that Kelley brought attention too were what she termed “grief born of suffering” and domestic violence as the other.  She talked about these sorts of suffering as “grief not part of the natural order of things; grief that didn’t need to happen.”  She pointed out the scope of these forms of suffering, noting that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.  The effort to combat these types of grief calls for a fusion of “prophetic and pastoral” elements of ministry together as a means of both anticipating and preventing suffering.  Justice needs to be worked for on the part of the pastoral caregiver at the level of the community or society for this to happen.

As Kelley’s talk wound down she hit on some of the finer points of just how pastoral care is given.  She talked about how people who look back on periods of grief say they don’t remember what people said to them, they usually just remember “who showed up.”  The emphasis in pastoral care is always on relationships, and that is why the particular methods used by caregivers is never quite so important as the simple human bond created between caregiver and receiver.  The pastoral caregiver works to not only to repair or prevent brokenness, but to ultimately make the other begin to “sense how God holds us in our brokenness” and to allow God to do the healing.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “in heaven the just will see God by direct intuition, clearly and distinctly. Here on earth we have no immediate perception of God; we see Him but indirectly in the mirror of creation.” There is no end to the happiness of the blessed in heaven—“it is a dogma of faith that the happiness of the blessed is everlasting.” The reason for this is that “the ultimate cause of impeccability is the freedom from sin or the state of grace in which at his death man passes into the final state (status termini).”

There is a general lackluster perception of heaven in today’s society of a static eternity sitting on a cloud—an image commercially ubiquitous. This is because of people’s failure to listen to the longing of their hearts. Peter Kreeft, from the BC Philosophy Department, echoed this article’s opening Scriptural passage on his website.

“No one longs for fluffy clouds and sexless cherubs, but everyone longs for heaven. No one longs for any of the heavens that we have ever imagined, but everyone longs for ‘something no eye has seen, no ear has heard, something that has not entered into the imagination of man, something God has prepared for those who love him.’”

Today’s theologians further exacerbate the problem of any discussion of heaven. Kreeft noted, “Because these leading theologians are really following theologians, with their noses to the tail of the modern world. They are in fact upside down: not only are their eyes stuck in the mud, but their feet are kicking up in rebellion at the sky.”

In a sense, he explained, they have completely changed the telos and meaning of Christianity. “They want to turn Christianity—which in the clear teaching of its founder was an otherworldly religion of faith, hope, and charity—into a this-worldly religion of prosperity and success (the Right with its electronic Church) or of political revolution (the left with its liberation theology).”

Whether one believes in heaven will make a world of difference to the here and now. Either people see men and women as pilgrims on this Earth, ultimately meant for their homeland in Heaven with God, or they see Earth as all there is, a summum bonum in itself.

Professor Kreeft so articulately conveyed this difference, “So if we see life as a road to heaven . . . the world is charged with the grandeur of God and every event smells of eternity. But if it all goes down the drain in death, then this life is just swirls of dirty water, and however comfortable we make our wallowing in it, it remains a vanity of vanities.”

No one can earn their way to heaven. It is not a tally sheet about how many brownie points one can earn with God. Rather, it is about responding to God’s continual call to repentance and His graces, ever mindful of our need for Him, not our ability to “deserve” heaven of our own doing.

To do this, it is essential to commit oneself to frequent reception of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession. Jesus’ message of Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina is one we should continually remember and upon which we should meditate.

Jesus said, “My mercy is greater than all the sins of the world… For you I descended from Heaven to earth; for you I allowed Myself to be nailed to the Cross; for you I let My Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come then with trust and draw graces from this fountain… I never reject a contrite heart … You will give Me pleasure if you hand over all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace.”

Now, obviously that wasn’t serious, and just as obvious should be the fact that this bit of wisdom from Jesus needs to be read carefully.  Take Bill Gates for example, he should be going straight into the lake of fire after he expires if this is taken literally.  His exorbitant stash of over 50 billion isn’t going to fit through any needles any time soon.  However, consider that Mr. Gates and his wife have established the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has spread dozens of billions of dollars around the world to causes from education to AIDS medications.  It could even be said that if Gates had just given his whole pile away in one swoop he might not have done as much good as he has by holding onto it and establishing a long-lasting force for charitable good.

So clearly there is a place for people who own things in the world, Jesus couldn’t have expected everyone to be homeless disciples… who would he and the apostles lived in dependence upon if everybody stopped working and sold their things? There is always a place in the Church for people who have possessions and homes and the like, provided they’re generous and not miserly with the money they make.

There ought to be a difference, however, between Bill Gates and the Society of Jesus.  As our Jesuit school’s own reserves reach the dizzying heights of over 1.6 billion dollars (recovered from a low of around 1.45 in the depths of the recession) this distinction becomes important.

The difference is that Jesuits, unlike Bill Gates, have dedicated their lives to the example of Jesus with vows of poverty and, in earlier times, against “ambitioning prelacies.”  Of course, the money isn’t the Jesuits’ money; it’s the money of the school, and for a school to remain academically great requires money, nobody would say otherwise.

The question is not really a radical one then, and it only arises because the school is Jesuit, that is, founded in the name of the poorest most humble man in history.  Put as simply as possible: is sixteen thousand million dollars really necessary?  When seen against the stark light of something like the suffering in Japan, are BC’s bank accounts, and collections of rare artifacts and books the sorts of things that Christ would have kept?

These questions aren’t easy, and it should be noted that the author himself doesn’t pretend to know the answers.  Of course founding a school is a good thing for society, and in defense of that school it makes sense to have some money for a “rainy day” that might otherwise ruin it.  Also, the financial policies and moves of a modern prestigious university are incredibly complex, and there is no intent here to over-simplify them.  That said, maybe we should consider that if BC is going to be Jesuit, perhaps we could spare one or two of our thousands of millions.

Ricci, born in Italy in 1552, is famous for his missionary work in China and his embrace of the Chinese culture during his mission. He is noted for his mastery of the language and manners, and the effect this had on evangelization.

After entering the Society of Jesus in 1571, Ricci joined the missionary expedition and was sent to China in 1582. His skills as a mathematician and cartographer preceeed him and Wang Pan, the governor of Zhaoqing invited him to establish a mission there. In Zhaoqing in 1584, Ricci composed the first European-style world map in Chinese. With the help of fellow Jesuit, Michele Ruggieri, Ricci complied the first European-Chinese dictionary by developing a system to transcribe Chinese characters into Portuguese. The manuscript was discovered in the Jesuit Archives in Rome in 1934 and published in 2001.

Ricci received appointment as Major Superios of the mission in China in 1597 and maintained that position until his death in Beijing in 1610. In 1601, he became the first westerner to be invited into the Forbidden City when the Emperor invited him to serve as an advisor to the Imperial court. Although he never met the Wanli Emperor, he received patronage and a stipend to help the Jesuits in China. While in Beijing, Ricci established the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. His contact with officials and important members of Beijing culture led to many conversions to Christianity.

The code of the Ming Dynasty held that foreigners who died in China should be buried in Macau, but the Emperor granted special permission for Ricci’s burial in Beijing and a Buddhist temple was designated for Ricci’s tomb. Following his death, fellow Jesuit Nicolas Trigault, S.J. translated Ricci’s papers into Latin, compiling them into the book De Christiana Expeditione Apud Sinas or “The Christian Expedition Among the Chinese Undertaken by the Society of Jesus from the commentaries of Fr. Matteo Ricci of the same Society.” Ricci had accumulated one of the earliest histories of China’s culture and society by a Westerner, dating it back to the Tang dynasty.

De Christiana sits on display in Burns as part of the current exhibition, coordinated by history professor Jeremy Clarke, S.J. to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Ricci’s death. Other works on display include history, science, and philosophy, the Chinese Rites Controversy, and the significance of Ricci. These works have been collected into the Jesuitana Collection by scholars and librarians at Jesuit institutions throughout the world. In an introduction to the exhibit, Clarke says, “The current exhibition picks up this theme of friendship and reflects upon the way in which the work of the Jesuits and their companions in China was a cross-cultural exchange that exerted much influence in both China and other parts of the world.” Digital copies of the displayed works, lesson plans and activities for visiting the exhibit, short films, and music are all available at www.bc.edu/sites/bindingfriendship. To see the exhibition, visit Burns Library before October 2011.

The reconstruction of the ancient church’s baptismal niche

Boston College Catholics, or really anyone with an interest in the church or its history, has reason to make their way to Devlin hall from now until June 5th.  This semester, BC’s McMullen Museum of Art has hosted the Dura-Europos: Crossroads of Antiquity exhibit, which is on loan from Yale’s collections.

The truly unique exhibition has far more to offer than just a look at the early church, and it would be best to look at some of this other history for a background from which to start.  The museum currently holds artifacts and recreations from the actual ancient city of Dura-Europos.  Roman artifacts from any ancient city would have been interesting enough, but the unique history of Dura-Europos meant that excavators were greeted with a virtual attendance-sheet of ancient military and cultural forces, all of which had left a strikingly well preserved mark on the city.

The city seems to have been first settled around 300 BC by Macedonian war veterans.  It was to change hands, however, in 113 BC when Parthian invaders captured and fortified it, making it into a flourishing center for trade.  The Roman army held the city for some time as well; its strategic location on the eastern frontier, and on the Euphrates River made it a very important city.

It was this chaotic past that ironically led to such great preservation of the city’s history.  Tunnels and mines dug by invading and defending forces provided the perfect conditions for preservation of some of the museum’s military artifacts.  More interestingly, the city’s ancient house-church (the oldest surviving one in the world) was also preserved, largely due to the rubble and soil it was filled with to support the city walls during attack.

The reconstruction of the church at Dura-Europos is undoubtedly the most breathtaking part of the display.  The building was a home that was converted to a church some time around 240 AD.  However, the Christians of that time still had to be wary of persecution, and so the outside of the building was apparently left unchanged and made to blend in with all of the adjacent ones.  The interior, however, is a different story.  The building was given a rich series of paintings all over the walls depicting important scenes from both the Old and New Testaments (one shows Jesus walking on water, and another has David’s battle with Goliath).

The heavy use of imagery also brings insight into what being a member of the early church was like.  Short of simply beautifying the church, illustrations would have been practical considering the small percentage of members who were literate and could read the important stories for themselves.  A baptismal niche displays the figures of Adam and Eve as well as an image of Christ as the good shepherd.

Looking beyond the church building itself, though, provides even greater insight.  The amalgam of competing religious traditions represented at Dura-Europos would have been probably atypical considering its hectic history, but this exaggerated mash of cultures helps to show the religious landscape of the times and how they all look placed up against one another.  A temple to the cult of Mithras stood only a few blocks from the church.  The cult of Mithras was known for its lavish ceremonial banquets.  One can imagine the difficulty of trying to draw converts away from the revelry of competing religious movements like this and into the humble, exteriorly unadorned Christian church down the street.

A Jewish synagogue was found and excavated on the other side of the city, adding to the air of religious diversity.  Other religious artifacts include inscriptions and carvings of pagan Gods from Zeus, Gad, and Nemesis, to Nike.  A copy of the ancient Diatessaron was recovered as well.  The Diatessaron was a famous ancient attempt to combine the four gospels into one story.  Artifacts like these remind the modern observer that the Church did not always have the respect and acceptance it has now, it was forced to compete and rise up from amongst competing and disparate religious forces.