Moon Landrieu

While it is always tempting to cozy up to powerful graduates, Loyola University in New Orleans might have done better on the occasion of celebrations for the Jesuit institution’s 100th anniversary to avoid singling out for praise a prominent “pro-choice” graduate.

Loyola notes in its official anniversary announcement:

"Loyola has been nurturing the social and intellectual milieu of the community for the last 100 years,” said Jesuit Father Gregory Lucey, president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. That impact is especially potent when Loyola graduates move into positions of power, such as Xavier University President Norman Francis, former state Supreme Court Justice Pascal Calogero, former Mayor Moon Landrieu and Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Lucey said. “It makes a difference in the culture of a community, the social awareness and good public policy of a community,” he said.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu, also a former lieutenant governor, had a “pro-choice” voting record when serving in the Louisiana state legislature. When Loyola honored the Landrieu family at commencement exercises in 2005, former New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes skipped the event, citing the “pro-choice” positions of Mitch Landrieu and his sister, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.

Link (here) to the full post at The Cardinal Newman Society

Radical Protestant To Speak At NOLA Loyola

Loyola University in New Orleans will honor Pulitzer Prize-winning author, presidential historian and former Newsweek editor Jon Meacham with an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree, and he will speak at the May 12^th commencement ceremony. Meacham wrote a column last year for the Daily Beast declaring “A Victory for Liberty in California” when the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on same-sex “marriage.” Arguing that “the religious case for gay marriage is a strong one,” Meacham compared the ban on gay marriage to Jim Crow laws: “If a person is homosexual by nature — that is, if one’s sexuality is as intrinsic a part of one’s identity as gender or skin color — then society can no more deny a gay person access to the secular rights and religious sacraments because of his homosexuality than it can reinstate Jim Crow.” “Scripture is not inerrant; believers are called to interpret biblical texts in light of tradition and reason,” Meacham also wrote. “For now the debate is about civil marriage, but much of the opposition to opening the institution to gays and lesbians comes from those who profess a faith of charity.” Although Meacham is an Episcopalian, he has advocated with the utmost snobbery what the Catholic Church needs to change in the future. In his May 2002 article “S@x and the Church: A Case for Change,” he encouraged the Catholic Church to embrace homosexuality (including, by implication, sexual activity), gay priests, married priests, female priests, same-sex “marriage” and adoptions by same-sex couples.

Link (here) to read the full report at The Cardinal Newman Society

Gayola

Though some members of the student body have less than positive experiences to relate, some still think that the gay lifestyle is accepted at the university.

"I mean, our nickname is ‘Gayola.' That goes beyond being gay. In my mind, that means being accepting of people of all kinds and that means a lot to me," said Mackenzie McMillan, political science junior. 

McMillan chose to come to Loyola because of the community service opportunities available. After experiencing the accepting atmosphere at Loyola, he said that he finds it difficult to picture going to school anywhere else. McMillan encourages students to be themselves and to take advantage of the fact that Loyola will be one of the most accepting places they will experience in their lives. Though he is not associated with the Catholic religion, McMillan said, "Once I got to Loyola, I realized that the Jesuits embrace and love you for who you are."

Link (here) to The Maroon

What To Do With A Republican Businessmen's Donation?

Fr. Fred Kammer, S.J.

According to Fr. Fred Kammer, S.J., Catholic social teaching takes the position of a market framed by justice and not the free market the Austrian economists propose. There are also specific conflicts, he said, between Catholic social teaching and the Austrian view of government, unions, taxations, human life and the place of Christianity in the public sector. Kammer said he also found problems in the Austrian economics master's program's funding. He said he believes Loyola would make a mistake by letting the Koch Foundation, the charitable organization derived from Koch Industries, donate such a large sum of money for the master's program. Koch Industries is one of the largest private companies in the United States and owns operations such as pipelines and chemical refineries. It would be a mistake, Kammer said, because of the Koch brothers' controversial political values, which often conflict with the values of Catholic social teaching.

The Koch Foundation would donate a large portion of the $9 million endowment to fund the program, according to the program's proposal. D'Amico said that the College of Business already accepts money from the Koch Foundation to fund the Economics Club.

Link (here) to read the full article at The Maroon of Loyola New Orleans

New Jesuit Chapel To Be Built At Loyola New Orleans

Most Holy Name of Jesus Church

Local architecture firm Holly and Smith has been chosen to design Loyola University New Orlean's new  8 million dollar Jesuit Center. The firm has been based out of Hammond for the last thirty years and recently opened an office in New Orleans. Holly and Smith architects have worked on numerous academic, governmental, commercial and religious institutions across southeast Louisiana. Projects similar to Loyola's Jesuit Center include Fayard Hall at Southeastern Louisiana University and the redesign of the interior of the Saint Scholastica Academy Chapel in Covington.

The Tom Benson Jesuit Center will serve as the center for spiritual life on Loyola's campus, addressing all facets of what it means to be a Jesuit and Catholic university.  

One plan is to use part of the building to house the department of Mission and Ministry. It will also be home to a new chapel on campus.

Link (here) to read the full story at The Maroon

With The Economy In The Tank Loyola New Orleans Raises Tution Three Time The Inflation Rate

The Loyola New Orleans 2011-2012 school year will bring an undergraduate class of 850 students, and a 5.9 percent tuition increase and 6 percent room and board increase. 

Currently, on-campus Loyola students pay an estimated $ 42,002 and off-campus students pay an estimated $31,754, according to Loyola Admissions. 

During the spring convocation speech, the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., brought up the plans to raise tuition and the expected benefits reaped from the allocation of incoming revenue. "Next year's budget would result in a surplus of $660,000," he said. "I directed Jay Calamia to set up a Plant Fund to address ongoing maintenance issues and we will transfer $560,000 to the fund at the end of next year." The remaining $100,000 will be surplus for next year's budget allocation, said Wildes.

Link (here) to the Maroon.

New Orleans Jesuit House Caught On Fire

Things really heated up at the Jesuit house this year for feast of St. Ignatius. Around 9 a.m. July 31st a fire started on the third floor of Loyola’s Jesuit house located on St. Charles Avenue. Loyola Professor and Rector of New Orleans Jesuit Community, The Rev. Peter Rogers S.J., went to the scene after receiving a call from The Rev. John Stacer, S.J., a former Loyola professor, telling him “the fire alarm has gone off and there’s smoke coming out of the house,” Rogers said. The New Orleans Fire Department was quick to respond to the alarm. “By the time I got into the parking lot, two fire trucks had already pulled up,” Rogers said. One of the first fire crews into the building was Squrt 16. Among them was former Loyola student Capt. Jon Bialas. “I didn’t realize it was their building until I arrived on the scene and saw the Jesuits out front,” Bialas said. “But it only distracted me for a brief second.” Rogers recognized him as a former student in the moments before Bialas entered the burning building. “When you’re in the fire you’re trying to think of a thousand things at once and prevent yourself from having tunnel vision,” Bialas said. “That’s when you get into trouble.” According to Rogers the fire started on the third floor and spread to the attic, damaging the roof. “We did a good job,” Bialas said. “All the men worked their hearts out and we were able to salvage most of the house.”

Link (here) to The Marooon

Telling It Like It Is

Jesuit Scholastic Nathan O'Halloran at Whosoever Desires blog has written his thoughts on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. In a post entitled, Some Cautions While Watching "The Passion of the Christ"

Here is an excerpt of where O'Halloran kind of likes the movie.

I realize that many will be watching Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ throughout this week.  I myself have been showing parts of it to my students. So I am not opposed to watching it.

Here is an except where O'Halloran criticizes extra biblical additions to The Passion of the Christ. 

Gibson adds to the movie from the Gospels, though subtle, is important.  For example, Satan is often seen flitting behind the high priest and other priests of the council.  The implication seems clear: Satan is directing their actions. The demon children run Judas to his death.  Neither of these are in the Gospels.  The implication is that most of the Jewish people in Jerusalem were in on this (except for Mary and John). and were excessively cruel.

O'Halloran then goes into the directional choices of Gibson.

To ignore interpretation in dramatizations can lead to distortions of the real meanings of these carefully crafted narratives. There are also differences between the narratives.  His directorial moves reveal his choices.  We must simply be aware of this and keep in mind that he chooses to highlight certain ways of looking at the Passion story and chooses to downplay others. 

On Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich.

It is helpful to keep in mind that alongside the Gospels, Gibson was using the private revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich.  An example of some of her more anti-Semitic writings,

"I perceived the yawning abyss of hell like a fiery meteor at the feet of Caiaphas; it was filled with horrible devils; a slight gauze alone appeared to separate him from its dark flames. I could see the demoniacal fury with which his heart was overflowing, and the whole house looked to me like hell."

O'Halloran concludes with this statement.

To keep in mind while watching the film.  Again, this is not to say do not watch.  I find parts of it to be edifying.  But we need to be careful what we get out of it.  To think of it as a film that “tells it like it was” is dangerous and inaccurate.

Nathan O'Halloran is a Jesuit Scholastic of the New Orleans Province. Read his full piece in context (here). He makes some valid points in not substituting the movie for the Gospel accounts. A place where he could have explored was the fact the movie was translated into Latin and Aramaic by the renowned (pictured with Mel Gibson) Jesuit, Fr. William Fulco. If you have watched the latest definitive version of the DVD their is an extensive and positive interview with Fr. Fulco about The Passion of the Christ.

Gratitude, Reverence and Compassion

“Who has God called me to be?” That is the question the (pictured) Rev. Gerald M. Fagin, S.J., ponders in his new book “Putting on the Heart of Christ: How the Spiritual Exercises Invite Us to a Virtuous Life.”

Fagin, along with Sister Noël Toomey, O.P., and the Rev. Mark Thibodeaux, S.J., will discuss his book on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m., in the St. Charles Room of the Loyola University New Orleans Danna Student Center. Proceeds from sales of the book that night will benefit the Loyola Institute for Ministry Scholarship Fund. The discussion and reception following it are free and open to the public. Fagin will sign copies of his book during the reception.

Fagin, who is an associate professor of systematic theology and spirituality in LIM, teaches courses on spirituality, morality, ethics, church sacraments and ministry and Christian discernment and decision-making. His book explores and explains 15 virtues, including gratitude, reverence and compassion, the life of St. Ignatius Loyola and his “Spiritual Exercises,” all within the context of Scripture.

Link (here) to the full press release.

Saints Owner Celebrates Mass With LOY-NOLA Jesuit

On Super Bowl Sunday, Loyola held its own event in the St. Charles Room where students could receive free food and t-shirts as well as a safe place to watch the game. In addition, students scattered between dorm rooms, houses and local bars and restaurants to root for the New Orleans Saints.

Some, including Loyola president the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., who the Maroon recently reported celebrates Mass with Saints’ owner Tom Benson every game day, flew to Miami to enjoy the game.

The game itself started off on a somewhat underwhelming foot, with the Saints going into halftime never having led on the scoreboard and still four points behind the Indianapolis Colts. It wasn’t until head coach Sean Payton called for an on-side kick to start off the second half that the Saints gained — and held — the lead. With a pick-six by Tracy Porter in the last minutes of the game, the Saints solidified their 31-17 victory.

While the win may have been in Miami, the party was in New Orleans.

Link (here)

Jesuit To Give Lecture March 17th At Loyola University New Orleans

“American Culture, Religion, and Spirituality,” lecture by the Rev. Joseph A. Tetlow, S.J., 7 p.m., Ignatius Chapel in Bobet Hall.

Tetlow is the director of Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House in Lake Dallas, Texas,

and former head of Jesuit Secretariat for Ignatian Spirituality in Rome. He is also the author of many books on Ignatian spirituality.

Link (here)

No, No, No Not In New Orleans

The web site of the Student Health Services office at Loyola University New Orleans includes Planned Parenthood among its list of local clinics and offers a link to Planned Parenthood of Louisiana and the Misssippi Delta. The university’s web site also notes that students who have taken the sociology department’s capstone course (Sociology Internship/Practicum) “have interned at Planned Parenthood.”

Founded in 1912 by the Jesuit Fathers, Loyola University New Orleans has 4,474 students, 2,658 of whom are undergraduates.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Student Health Services (Loyola University New Orleans)
• Planned Parenthood of Louisiana and the Misssippi Delta
• Sociology Internship/Practicum (p. 2) (Loyola University New Orleans)
• Illinois Catholic college: Major in women’s studies, work for Planned Parenthood (CWN, 1/4)

Link (here) to the Catholic Culture.org article

On Loyola University New Orleans

Loyola University New Orleans was ranked No. 6 among master’s universities in the South in the U.S. News & World Report 2010 edition of “America’s Best Colleges,” which hit newsstands Thursday, Aug. 20.

“America’s Best Colleges” includes rankings of 1,400 colleges nationwide, which are grouped into categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This is the 19^th year Loyola has ranked in the “Top 10 Southern Region Schools.”

Loyola was also ranked second place on the report’s “Great Schools, Great Prices” list of southern master’s colleges. The magazine cited the stellar quality of Loyola’s academic programs, combined with the comparatively low cost of attendance for students who receive need-based financial aid. According to the description of the rankings, the magazine works “on the premise that the most significant values are among colleges that are above average academically.”

The great news comes as no surprise to Loyola President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Wildes said Loyola’s continued presence in the rankings is a testament to the quality and commitment of students, faculty and staff.

Link (here)