Posts Tagged ‘Marquette University’

Walk into the Jesuit Residence during lunchtime and it’s likely you’ll see the Jesuits hootin’ and hollerin’ with each other. Jesuit Father John Donnelly is no exception. He comes through the door that separates the Jesuits’ dining area from the lobby with a glass of beer in his hand.

“I left some of my remaining pizza back there in order for us to chat,” Donnelly says jokingly. “Now let’s talk.”

Donnelly sits in a reclining chair and begins to share the reasons why he became a Jesuit.

“In 1952 I graduated from Campion Jesuit High School and that summer I was doing a lot of reflecting on the fact that my friends were going into the seminary and then I thought, ‘Hey! That’s a really good idea,’” Donnelly said.

After traveling for educational purposes before his ordination in 1965, Donnelly found his way to Marquette University in 1971. He served as a full-time professor of history until retiring last year. Before Marquette, Donnelly served as a TA while working on his Ph.D. at UW-Madison. He described his time there as “rambunctious” due to the heated political times of the Vietnam War. Donnelly recalled a memorable Saturday morning while in the campus Jesuit house.

“I remember waking up and seeing the police with tear gas and their body protection on,” Donnelly said. “Each threw four (tear gas cans) in different directions to make sure no riots occurred that day.”

Donnelly said the history department at Marquette is refreshing in comparison to his few years at Madison. He prided the department on its respect and harmony.

“I am very happy to be a part of this history department,” Donnelly said. ”We are really blessed with mutual respect and honesty. It is one of my biggest joys here at Marquette.”

Donnelly said he’s taught five courses throughout his tenure here at Marquette: History of the Renaissance, World War II, History of the Reformation Period and the two introductory History of Western Civilizations classes.

Molly Edwards, a sophomore in the College of Communication, had Donnelly in Western Civilization. She said Donnelly’s class was dense in subject manner but brought to life by his relating material to present-day issues.

“The topic was 1700 to present day history and was really dry,” Edwards said. “But he knows an infinite amount of knowledge about it that astounds you.”

Edwards said Donnelly encouraged his students to take a passion about the history and use the ties to modern day history as a tool to create a more tangible connection. She was specifically a fan of a paper where she had to research a historical person. She chose Charles Darwin.

“It was 10 pages long,” Edwards said. “But I am glad I did it because it provided you with a bigger understanding on how people have an impact on society, and he related it back to the Jesuit ideal.”

[Marquette Tribune]

In his first official speech as Marquette University‘s 23rd president, Jesuit Father Scott Pilarz challenged the Jesuit university to provide greater access to higher education while maintaining excellence.

“For Marquette to remain authentically Marquette, access and excellence cannot be viewed as an either/or proposition, but rather a both/and situation in order to serve God’s greater glory and future generation of students,” Fr. Pilarz said.

Fr. Pilarz noted during remarks that he was the first in his family to graduate from college. Twenty-five percent of Marquette’s freshman class this year also are the first in their families to attend college, he said.

The new Marquette president praised Milwaukee and Marquette for their “authenticity and utter lack of pretension,” saying the culture here reminds him of his home state, New Jersey.

Pilarz’s long commitment to Catholic education began in his youth in New Jersey and at Camden Catholic High School, where he now serves as chair of the board. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Georgetown University in 1981, the same year that he entered the Society of Jesus. As part of his Jesuit formation, he earned a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University and master’s degrees in divinity and theology from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. He was ordained a priest in 1992.

Pilarz previously served as president of the University of Scranton from 2003 until his selection to lead Marquette. He succeeds Father Robert A. Wild, who attended and participated in Friday’s inauguration.

The 3,000 Magis pilgrims have now fanned out across Spain, Portugal and North Africa for their 100 unique Magis experiences. In small groups of about 25, the experience teams are composed of people from different countries which gives the pilgrims an opportunity to work with people from other cultures and backgrounds and who share in their faith.

The 100 experiences range from working amongst the poor, with immigrants, traveling along a religious pilgrimage “camino” or volunteering with the infirm. Accompanying the pilgrims are Jesuit chaperones like scholastic Michael Rossman, who is currently in his First Studies as a Jesuit at Loyola University Chicago, and is chaperoning a group of pilgrims from Marquette University.

Before they departed from Loyola, Rossman and three Marquette students shared what Magis 2011 is all about  in this video below. You can continue to follow along with the Jesuits at Magis and the students they are chaperoning by visiting our microsite or following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Jesuit Father William Kelly has been lending his Jesuit influence to Marquette University’s men’s basketball team for 26 years as the team chaplain.

What does the role of team chaplain entail?

“Show your alums some Jesuit presence. Be available to the coaches and the team in good times and in bad. … Sacramental presence, availability, a willing ear and encouragement,” Fr. Kelly said.

“I take these losses much harder than the kids,” he said. “They have to go right back to work the next day. I have to linger with the loss and put up with all of the nitpicking that the newspapers do with why we lost.”

For more on Kelly, watch the video below.

Jesuit Father William Kelly has been lending his Jesuit influence to Marquette University’s men’s basketball team for 26 years as the team chaplain.

What does the role of team chaplain entail?

“Show your alums some Jesuit presence. Be available to the coaches and the team in good times and in bad. … Sacramental presence, availability, a willing ear and encouragement,” Fr. Kelly said.

“I take these losses much harder than the kids,” he said. “They have to go right back to work the next day. I have to linger with the loss and put up with all of the nitpicking that the newspapers do with why we lost.”

For more on Kelly, watch the video below.