“The Le Roux endowment gives us an opportunity to bring outstanding scholars to campus,” said Arts and Sciences Dean David Powers. “At the same time, the chair has time for research and writing that expands his discipline.”

The College of Arts and Sciences, Seattle University’s largest college, provides funding for the William F. LeRoux, S.J. Endowed Chair in Arts and Sciences. The endowed chair is awarded to a Jesuit academic in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. The appointment is for one academic quarter. The chair is required to teach one course and conduct a public lecture, with remaining time available to advance his scholarship and engage with the Seattle University community.

Fr. Pribek holds a master degree in English from Gonzaga University, two graduate theology degrees from Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, MA, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Anglo-Irish literature and drama from University College Dublin. He has been a Jesuit for 25 years and a priest for 13 years.

Built in 1997, the Chapel of St. Ignatius was immediately welcomed as Seattle University’s spiritual heart and has come to be a popular destination for visitors interested in joining the campus community in worship or simply marveling at its beauty.

Jesuit Father Jerry Cobb, currently provincial assistant for formation and the provincial assistant for higher education for the Oregon Province, chaired the planning committee that hired Holl and supervised the design and construction of the chapel. As the chapel celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2007, Father Cobb shared his thoughts with Broadway & Madison, the printed faculty and staff newsletter that preceded the University’s current publication, The Commons. Excerpts from the interview follow.

Broadway & Madison:  What’s something the average faculty or staff member might not know about the chapel?

Father Cobb:  Non-Catholics might be consoled to know that in 1995 we asked Steven Holl to design a chapel that would be “engaging for people of all faiths or no faith or faith-under-crisis.” The poet Rilke once advised that when people disappoint you, you should turn to nature because nature will not disappoint you, and I feel something similar about the Catholic Church. When it disappoints you, which is likely to be every day, you can turn to places such as the chapel where God’s saving presence seems tangible and life-giving.

People also may not know the key design concept for the chapel was “A Gathering of Different Lights.” It’s fun to go in there any day, any time, and try to count how many different kinds of light you can see—the polished flooring is watery-black so it reflects every light source from above. The hand-textured plaster of the walls resembles a painter’s canvas or the raked white sand of a Zen garden, so it shifts constantly with the movement of lights.

One architecture critic said that the interior curves of the chapel convey a subconscious sense of arms embracing the people in the space. I do think you feel embraced when you are in the chapel, whether it is by solitude, a caring community, or a faith tradition.

Broadway & Madison:  What moments in the chapel’s first 10 years have been most memorable for you?

Father Cobb:  Certainly nothing can touch the power of the weddings and the funerals and the baptisms that have taken place in the chapel. Nurses in nearby hospitals send families there for prayer and respite.

Broadway & Madison: What, for you, has been the most awe-inspiring “gathering of lights” moment in the chapel?

Father Cobb:  Mid-day in the fall there is a very dramatic streak of sunlight illuminating the crucifix in the chapel—but I also delight in the many “ordinary miracles” of light in the space. Steven Holl said he looked forward to moments when clouds pass outside to create a pulsing of light and shadow in the chapel.

Broadway & Madison:  Do you have any interesting anecdotes from when the chapel was being conceived or built?

Father Cobb:  In 1995, we involved SU students in the design process, and Steven Holl came to a Sunday evening mass in the old Campion Chapel to see how students prayed and to hear their views about what kind of chapel they wanted. In the following months, the Chapel Committee members argued at length about everything, but it was a very fruitful discussion, with spectacular results.

Broadway & Madison:  Complete this sentence: The first time I stepped into the chapel, I thought to myself…

Father Cobb:  “This is where God will keep office hours.”

Fifty years ago,  in 1961,  Jesuit Father Patrick Howell entered the Society of Jesus at Sheridan, Ore, the novitiate for Jesuits in the Northwest.Today, Fr. Howell is the rector (religious superior) of the Jesuit Community at Seattle University and professor of pastoral theology. In this piece for the Seattle Times, Fr. Howell looks back upon his time as a Jesuit and his own travails. 

A recent graduate of Gonzaga University, I was only 21, but my peers, most of whom had entered directly from a Jesuit high school, such as Seattle Prep or Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, considered me one of the “old men.”

The years pass swiftly, but they have been full of grace and certainly much more joy than sorrow.

I was blessed with first-class opportunities for advanced education. After initial studies in spirituality, prayer, Jesuit tradition and a dose of Latin and Greek, I studied philosophy and English literature at Boston College.

Then came three years of high-school teaching at Jesuit High in Portland. I survived the trials and testing by high-school boys and grew to love the personal interaction and challenge of teaching English, creative writing and poetry and advising the high school newspaper.

This “formation” period of teaching in high school probably accounts for why most Jesuits are such good teachers and homilists. Survival demands that you develop rhetorical skills and a flair for the dramatic — even though it’s not native to your personality — in order to grab the attention of 28 sophomore boys for 50 minutes each day…

But another significant portion of my life has been spiritual care of those who have suffered severe mental illness.

All this arose as a surprise, when I suffered a psychotic breakdown myself at age 35 and then recovered through excellent psychiatric care and the good graces and support of family and friends…

This “grace” led to an amazingly rich ministry with people with mental illness and their families.

Years ago, Jesuit Father Michael Buckley, in an address to Jesuit seminarians asked, “Is this man sufficiently weak to be a priest?”…

Why weakness? Because, according to the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is in this deficiency, in this interior lack, in this weakness, that the efficacy of the ministry and priesthood of Christ lies. “For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)

I think, after 50 years, I can rejoice in being “weak enough” to allow the grace of Christ to shine through and carry the load.

More of Howell’s life as a Jesuit can be found in this piece in the Seattle Times.

Jesuit Father Patrick Howell, rector and professor at Seattle University, wrote recently how despite the fact that the university has relatively few Jesuits as teachers compared to the 1950s and ’60s, they still have a strong impact because they are in key positions, including president, chaplain for faculty and staff and campus ministry director.

Fr. Howell explained that the Jesuits’ focus has changed to adapt to the smaller numbers of Jesuits on campus: “Instead of being almost 100 percent devoted to students, Jesuits now assist lay faculty and staff in understanding, embracing and leading the Jesuit mission. In this age of the laity, Jesuits value collaboration in mission so that everyone here becomes devoted to a more articulate, better understanding of the Jesuit mission for the sake of students.”

While the old era where Jesuits lead every facet of the university may be over, he wrote, “The great gift that the Society of Jesus brings to this enterprise is the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. At the heart of this spirituality is the desire to share the love of Christ with others.”

To read more of Howell’s article, visit the Seattle University Spectator.

The idea had actually been on Fr. Anderson’s mind for awhile. As an undergraduate at Gonzaga University, he’d observed Jesuit Father Tony Lehman taking a seat as chaplain alongside the players and coaches at men’s basketball games. “What it said to me,” says Anderson, “was that the Jesuits are involved in all aspects of students’ lives.”

At Seattle University, Anderson was welcomed onto the basketball team. Later in that first season, when the Redhawks played the University of Washington, Anderson had occasion to meet Cameron Dollar, then assistant coach for the Huskies. Dollar would be introduced as SU’s new head coach a month later, and one of his very first orders of business was to ask Anderson to continue on as chaplain. The Jesuit enthusiastically re-upped.

A similar arrangement would soon be made on the women’s side. Not long after Joan Bonvicini was hired as SU’s head coach of women’s basketball in 2009, she found herself at a staff meeting, sitting next to Jesuit Father Natch Ohno, assistant to the vice president for Student Development. Fr. Ohno asked Bonvicini if there was anything the Jesuit community could do for the team. “Without missing a beat, she said, ‘Well, I want a Jesuit on the bench,’” Ohno recalls. He checked with his rector, and it was decided he would join the team.

What exactly does it mean to be team chaplain? Read more at Seattle University’s online magazine.

To mark the 20th anniversary of their murders, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution 761, “Remembering and commemorating the lives and work of (the Jesuit Fathers, their housekeeper and her daughter) on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their deaths at the University of Central America Jose Simeon Canas in San Salvador, El Salvador.” The resolution was sponsored by Rep. James McGovern (D) of Massachusetts.

Killed in the attack were Ignacio Ellacuria, S.J., 59; Amando Lopez, S.J., 53; Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, S.J., 71; Ignacio Martín-Baró, S.J., 50; Juan Ramon Moreno, S.J., 56; Segundo Montes, S.J., 56; Julia Elba Ramos, 42, the housekeeper of the Jesuit residence, and her daughter Cecilia Ramos, 15.

In remembrance of those who lost their lives, various Jesuit apostolates, including colleges, universities and parishes, are commemorating November 16th, 2009 with memorials, Masses and religious services. A list of institutions participating appear below with events listed if available. Please check back regularly as this list is ever growing.

Xavier University:
http://www.xavier.edu/news/Xavier-commemorates-the-20th-anniversary-of-six-Jesuit-priests-martyred-in-El-Salvador.cfm

• Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:00 p.m. in Bellarmine Chapel: A live feed from El Salvador allowing viewers to see the procession and vigil in San Salvador in remembrance of the Jesuit martyrs.
• Sunday, Nov. 15, at 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.: Student Masses in Bellarmine Chape with Mass petitions for the Jesuit martyrs in El Salvador.
• Monday, Nov. 16, from 1:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m. on Xavier’s Academic Mall: Human display of martyred Jesuits.
• Monday, Nov. 16, at 8:00 p.m. in Room 330 of the Gallagher Student Center: Showing of the film “Question of Conscience” to learn more about the six Jesuits and what they died for.
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Kelley Auditorium in Xavier’s Alter Hall: Brian Derouen discusses his act of civil disobedience crossing the line at the School of the Americas and how it has affected his life.
• Thursday, Nov. 19, at 8:30 p.m. in Bellarmine Chapel: Solemn procession and reflective vigil. Those traveling to Georgia for the annual School of the America’s protest from Nov. 20-Nov. 22 are meeting at Xavier’s Brueggeman Center and processing to Bellarmine Chapel in remembrance and to reflect on their role in this struggle.

Fordham University:
http://www.fordham.edu/Campus_Resources/eNewsroom/topstories_1711.asp

University of San Francisco:
http://www.usfca.edu/usfnews/news_stories/Stand4Conference.html

The Stand 4 Conference, with events scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., will provide a forum to discuss issues of justice, workshops, and a candlelight vigil on Monday, November 16, 2009.
•    9 a.m. – A Reflection on Ignatian Spirituality, Jesuit education, and the martyrs of UCA. (Maraschi Room, Fromm Hall)
•    10:30 a.m. – Mass of Commemoration by Fr. Privett (St. Ignatius Church)
•    12:30 p.m. – Keynote speaker Kevin Burke, S.J., academic dean and acting president of the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, and author of The Ground Beneath the Cross: The Theology of Ignacio Ellacuria. (St. Ignatius Church)
•    1:45 p.m. – Workshops: A series of workshops on lobbying, advocacy, civil rights, and litigation presented by the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, the Central American Resource Center, and the Center for Justice and Accountability. (McLaren Complex)
•    6:00 p.m. – Candlelight Vigil: Procession from St. Ignatius Church to Lone Mountain.

Creighton University:
http://www.creighton.edu/publicrelations/newscenter/news/2009/november2009/november122009/martyrsnr111209/index.php

On Monday, Nov. 16, Creighton University, along with Jesuits and the world-wide Catholic community,will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the assassination of six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador. A special 5 p.m. bilingual Mass will be held at St. John’s Church on Creighton’s campus.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m., students will construct a Martyrs Memorial on the church steps that will include visual displays honoring the victims and their commitment to faith. The memorial will be available for viewing over the weekend through Monday, Nov. 16.

Boston College:
http://www.bc.edu/offices/pubaf/news/Jesuit_Murders_Anniversary20091028.html

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m., Gasson 100: Boston College Chancellor J. Donald Monan, SJ will moderate a program titled “Living Legacies: the 20th Anniversary of the Martyrs of El Salvador.” The panel will include Rodolfo Cardenal, SJ, former vice rector at the University of Central America who lived with the six Jesuits; Elizabeth Lira, a faculty member and director of the Centro de Etica at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile; and US Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), who as an aide to the late US Rep. Joseph Moakley (D-Mass.) was instrumental in reshaping American policy toward the nation where the murders occurred.

Monday, Nov. 30, 4:30 p.m., Robsham Theater: Fr. Monan will moderate a discussion with historian Noam Chomsky and University of Central America co-founder Jon Sobrino, SJ — who was away from the Jesuit residence the night of the murders — titled “Memory and Its Strength: The Martyrs of El Salvador.”

Loyola New Orleans:
http://www.loyno.edu/news/story/2009/11/13/1970

•    Martyr’s Mass, Sunday, Nov. 15, 9 p.m., Ignatius Chapel in Bobet Hall.
•    General LUCAP Meeting, Monday, Nov. 16, 5– 6 p.m., Magis Lounge, with torture survivor Carlos Maurico and friends, who will speak about their experiences and the School of the Americas peace vigil caravan, Journey for Justice.
•    “Refugees and Asylum Seekers: Human Rights and Catholic Social Teaching” lecture, Danna Student Center St. Charles Room, 7:30 p.m., with Katrine Camilleri, Ph.D., assistant director, Jesuit Refugee Services, Malta.
•    “Romero” film screening, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m., Magis Lounge.
•    Prayer Service for Peace, Thursday, Nov. 19, 5:30 p.m., Peace Quad.

Holy Cross:
http://www.holycross.edu/publicaffairs/features/2009-2010/el_salvador_anniversary

“Twenty Years Later: A Reflection on Holy Cross in Light of the University of Central America Martyrs” on Monday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Rehm Library.

Seattle University:
http://seattleu.edu/events/detail.asp?sID=26800

The greater Seattle University community, including alumni, students, faculty, staff and the public, is invited to this event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the tragic murders of six Jesuit priests and two women at the University of Central America in El Salvador. Please be sure to join us in this very special commemorative event.�
When: Monday, November 16, 2009  (7 PM – 9 PM)
Where: Student Center
(LeRoux Room and Chapel of St. Ignatius)

University of Scranton:
http://matrix.scranton.edu/news/elsalvador/index.shtml
Banners commemorate Jesuit Martyrs: http://matrix.scranton.edu/news/articles/2009/11/Banners-Commemorate-Jesuit-Martyrs.shtml

Spring Hill College:
http://www.shc.edu/news-and-events/news/2009/november-2009/spring-hill-college-to-commemorate-20th-anniversary-of-jesuit-martyrs

Rev. Ted Arroyo, S.J., rector of the Jesuit community, will present “Reflections on the Martyrs of El Salvador” at a Table Talk luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The student liturgy at 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15 will remember the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit martyrs. The Mass will commission students, faculty and staff to participate in the Ignatian Family Teach-In in Columbus, Ga., Nov. 20-22.

LeMoyne College:
http://www.lemoyne.edu/JESUITHERITAGE/tabid/482/Default.aspx

Grewen Hall at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York
Monday November 16 2009, 5-6 p.m.
 All are welcome at a candle vigil at dusk and brief ceremony to be held in solidarity with the Society of Jesus and the UCA-JSC, as we mark the 20th anniversary of the massacre in El Salvador and commemorate all who give their lives in the long struggle for justice. 

Gesu Parish Detroit:
(in partnership with their SHARE Sister Community) will be have a commemoration of the 20th anniversary on November 16th at 7:00pm;  A recollection will be offered by Bishop Tom Gumbleton.