5. Jesuits

exploring the jesuit and catholic dimensions of the university's mission

St. Ignatius Loyola"Jesuits" are members of a Catholic religious order of men that is more formally called "The Society of Jesus" or, in Latin countries, "The Company of Jesus." The term "Jesuit" was originally meant to be a mocking nickname, but in time it has come into common use. For an introduction to terms and expressions associated with Jesuits and Jesuit education, see "Do You Speak Ignatian?"  


Jesuit History

Founded in 1540 by Ignatius Loyola, who was declared a Saint in 1622, the Jesuits are the largest Catholic religious order in the world, with more than 21,000 members working in 112 countries. Online resources can offer a quick impression of Jesuits, their history and the state of the Society of Jesus today. For a more leisurely read you might want to consult the chapter, "Ignatius, the Jesuits, and Jesuit Education," in What Are We? An Introduction to Boston College and Its Jesuit Tradition.

For a standard history of the Jesuits in English, see William V. Bangert's A History of the Society of Jesus (Institute of Jesuit Sources, June 1986). The most authoritative discussion of the early Jesuits is by John O'Malley, The First Jesuits (Harvard University Press, 1993)

There is not enough material on an important part of Jesuit history, namely, its suppression in the late 18th century. Recently, Loyola Press has done a great service in presenting On the Suppression of the Society of Jesus, A Contemporary Account, by Giulio Cesare Cordara, S.J., translation and notes by John P. Murphy, S.J. Perhaps the highest recommendation we can give this volume is that of John O'Malley who says that this volume is a "page turner -- it reads almost as if it were written yesterday."


Ignatius Loyola

Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, was born in the Basque region of what is now Spain in 1490 and died at Rome in 1556. He was one of a remarkable group of men and women who decisively influenced the Catholic Church at the dawn of the modern era.

Late in life Ignatius dictated an account of his life up to the founding of the Society of Jesus. It has been published as his Autobiography. The account, together with the text of the Spiritual Exercises and a number of Ignatius' letters, has been republished recently in a handy paperback, St Ignatius Loyola: Personal Writings (Penguin).  The texts of the Spiritual Exercises and some of Ignatius's noteworthy letters can now be found online, as well.

There are a number of biographies of St. Ignatius. Probably the best approach to his life to begin with is the so-called autobiography of St. Ignatius. There are various translations and editions of the autobiography, the most accessible of which can be found in Ignatius of Loyola: Spiritual Exercises and Selected Works, edited by George E. Ganss, S.J. This is a translation by Parmananda R. Divarkar and the Penguin edition mentioned above. While the autobiography is fragmented, it gives a retrospective narrative on the origins and development of Ignatius's religious vocation. There are sections that are invaluable for an understanding of the discernment of spirits, the centrality of mission in the Society of Jesus and the centrality of personal religious experience in the Spiritual Exercises.

There are three biographies that are accessible and readable. One is The First Jesuit: St. Ignatius Loyola, by Mary Purcell (Loyola University Press, Chicago, 1981-original edition, 1957.) The second one is Ignatius of Loyola, The Pilgrim Saint by Jose Ignacio Tellechea Idigoras, translated with a preface by Cornelius Michael Buckley, S.J. (Loyola University Press, Chicago, 1994). And the third is Ignatius of Loyola, Founder of the Jesuits: His Life and Works, by Candido de Dalmases, translated by Jerome Aixala (St. Louis Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, 1985). Of these three volumes, the second is by far the most pleasant to read. It gives a solid religious and cultural portrait of Ignatius written by a Basque non-Jesuit with sensitivity and wit. Much of what he presents is a gloss on the autobiography of St. Ignatius, and therefore it is helpful to read this volume along with the autobiography. Mary Purcell's volume is also readable. Her appendix (pages 273-278) is a helpful summary of the various biographies of Ignatius that were disseminated after his death. John W. O'Malley, correctly calls de Dalmases concise and factually reliable.

While Loyola's Acts: The Rhetoric of the Self, by Marjorie O'Rourke Boyle (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1997) this volume has a number of idiosyncratic features, it is an important critique of the autobiography.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), a product of Jesuit education at Cologne, was a close friend of the Jesuit order. His "Pictorial Biography of Saint Ignatius Loyola" is now available online.Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

There are a couple of editions of the other works of Ignatius that are worth knowing about, especially for their introductions and notes: Commentaries on the Letters and Spiritual Diary of St. Ignatius Loyola by Simon Decloux (Centrum Ignatianum Spiritualitatis, Rome, 1982) and The Spiritual Journal of St. Ignatius Loyola, translated by William J. Young (Woodstock College Press, Woodstock, (Maryland), 1958).

The standard edition in English of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus is translated with an introduction and commentary by George E. Ganss, published by The Institute of Jesuit Sources (St. Louis, 1970).

Dated but invaluable as a background for understanding Ignatius and Jesuit spirituality is the English translation of Joseph de Guibert's The Jesuits: Their Spiritual Doctrine and Practice--A Historical Study, translated by William J. Young, S.J. and edited by George E. Ganss, S.J. (The Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, 1964). While de Guibert has been criticized as writing what is sometimes called "court history," the introduction and Part 1 of his work present a tradition that is important to understand in evaluating the revolutionary work that John W. O'Malley has done in The First Jesuits (Harvard University Press, 1993). O'Malley built on the older tradition of hagiography and spirituality to present a picture not so much of Jesuit thought but of what Jesuits were doing. In a real sense, O'Malley's book is a historical presentation of what we mean by the "Ignatian way of proceeding."

More venturesome souls may be interested in Ignatius of Loyola: The Psychology of a Saint, by W.W. Meissner, S.J., M.D., a member of the Boston College Theology faculty who is a psychoanalyst and writer about psychology and religion. (Yale University Press, New Haven, 1992).

A rich and immensely rewarding volume is The Jesuits: Cultures, Science and the Arts 1540-1773, edited by John W. O'Malley, S.J et al. (University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1999). This volume represents the papers that were given at an international conference by the same name held at Boston College in May 1997. The essays takes a variety of approaches, ranging form mathematics and science, to art and music. However, there is a focus in the volume, namely, how from the very beginning the Jesuits both engaged culture and were engaged by their cultures so that this mutuality of influences created something that was unique in the personality of religious orders within the Catholic Church. Among the essays that would be extremely helpful for people in higher education are those by O'Malley on the historiography of the Society of Jesus today, Steven Harris on mapping Jesuit sciences, T. Frank Kennedy on Candide and a Boat, Andrew Ross on Alessandro Valignano, Francis Clooney on Roberto de Nobili's Dialogue on Eternal Life, and Gauvin Bailey's "The Truth-Showing Mirror". So successful was this conference that the planners are organizing a second session to be held at Boston College in May 2002.

Through the years there has been a number of individual studies that trace the influences on St. Ignatius from the culture and the piety of his day. An older volume but still extremely valuable is Ignatius of Loyola, His Personality and Spiritual Heritage, 1556-1956, edited by Friedrich Wulf, S. J. (The Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, 1977). This volume is a symposium of scholarly and document studies in which a number of outstanding German Jesuits collaborated. Among these Jesuits are Hugo and Karl Rahner. Especially helpful for an educator is the article on "Elements of Crusade Spirituality" by Hans Wolter, S.J., "Toward the History of Ignatius' Teaching on the Discernment of Spirits", by Hugo Rahner, and "The Ignatian Process for Discovering the Will of God in an Existential Situation," by Karl Rahner. These essays are both important and helpful because they summarize scholarship in relevant areas up to 1956.

In more recent times, there have been studies on individual Jesuits from the early period of the Society. The most monumental of these is Georg Schurhammer's, Francis Xavier: His Life, His Times, a four volume work published in Rome in 1973 and again in 1982. The introduction of the first volume is a masterful summary of the early life of the early Jesuits and well worth any time given to it.

Two more recent volumes are those that have been written by William V. Bangert: Claude Jay and Alfonso Salmeron, Two Early Jesuits, (Loyola University Press, Chicago, 1985) and Jerome Nadal, S.J. 1507-1580, Tracking the First Generation of Jesuits (Loyola University Press, Chicago, 1992).

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Ignatian SpiritualitySeal of the Society of Jesus

The key to understanding Ignatius, the order he founded, and themes that inspire Jesuits in their work is a small book that Ignatius put together during his "pilgrim years," when he was slowly learning to understand himself and the life to which God was calling him. He called the book Spiritual Exercises. A variety of resources that will introduce you to Ignatian spirituality are available online.

For another approach to Ignatian spirituality, one adapted to undergraduates, look at the chapter "Spirituality and Life's Journey," in What Are We? An Introduction to Boston College and Its Jesuit Tradition.

Spirituality, and especially Ignatian spirituality, is a vast topic. There are a number of more popular presentations of Ignatian spirituality that do not dumb down the issues and are worth reading. Among these are: Listening to the Music of the Spirit: The Art of Discernment, by David Lonsdale, S. J. (Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame (Indiana), 1992) and The Way of Ignatius Loyola, Contemporary Approaches to the Spiritual Exercises, edited by Philip Sheldrake, S.J. (Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, 1991). An unusual but fresh approach interprets Ignatian spirituality as a theory of communication, Directions for Communication, by Willi Lambert (Crossroad Publishing Company, 2000).

Ignatian spirituality offers foundational principles that are especially useful for thinking about human development and education. In an article in America, Timothy Muldoon, '92 offers Ignatian Spirituality as a valuable resource for the young adults of "Gerneration X" and "Y" who are currently making their way through higher education ("Why Young Adults Need Ignatian Spirituality," 26 Feb., 2001) .

A number of web sites offer resources for exploring Ignatian spirituality:

  • Boston College's Center for Ignatian Spiritualtiy
  • Sacred Space is a website run by the Irish Jesuits. They invite you to make a 'Sacred Space' in your day and spend ten minutes praying here and now, as you sit at your computer, with the aid of passages and reflections they provide.
  • Creighton University's Collaborative Ministry Office offers daily reflections on Scriptural passages written by members of the Creighton community; weekly reflections on the liturgical reading from the upcoming Sunday; and the opportunity to make a 34-week version of the Spiritual Exercises on-line.
  • The U.S. Jesuit Conference web site offers a variety of largely informational resources about Ignatian spirituality at their web site: http://www.jesuit.org/
  • Ron Anderson, SJ, of BC's Philosophy Department, has created a page of links to a variety of readings dealing with the spiritual journey and to sites elsewhere that offer spiritual resources: http://www2.bc.edu/~anderso/sr/sr/html
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General Congregations of the Society of JesusIgnatius pilgrim

The General Congregations of the Society of Jesus are its legislative body. They are held for two reasons: either to elect a general and/or to address matters of greater moment, hence, the title of a collection in English of the first thirty General Congregations, For Matters of Greater Moment, The First Thirty Jesuit General Congregations--A Brief History and a Translation of the Decrees, by John W. Padberg, S.J., et al  (Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, 1994). The major value of this volume is that John Padberg has given a very succinct introduction to these General Congregations and has provided a readable translation of their decrees. The post-Vatican II congregations, GC 31, 32, 33 and 34 are all available through the Institute of Jesuit Sources. One will note immediately that there is a quantum leap between the first 30 congregations, with their focus primarily on common life and juridical questions, and the post-Vatican II congregations, which are efforts to bring a spiritual theology into the reflections of Jesuits and their colleagues.

There have been 34 General Congregations since the founding of the Society in 1540. The ones that are best know today are the 32nd General Congregation (1974-1975), because it linked "the service of faith" with "the promotion of justice" as constitutive elements in every Jesuit ministry, and the 34th General Congregation (1995) for several documents: on inter-religious dialogue, on inter-cultural dialogue, on partnership between Jesuits and lay men and women, and on Jesuits and women. Cf. the relevant headings below.


Jesuits at Boston College

The Jesuit Community at Boston College is one of the largest in the world. It comprises some 120 members (these figures are for the academic year 2001-2002). Some 34 of these are full-time faculty members at Boston College and 12 have full-time administrative appointments. Another 12 have part-time teaching or administrative appointments. There are 26 Jesuit graduate students from a variety of countries, the majority from Africa and Asia. Four Jesuits staff St. Ignatius Church, which is a parish of the Archdiocese of Boston. Ten members of the BC Jesuit Community are engaged in ministries outside the BC campus. Twelve are retired. The rest of the 120 are Jesuits doing sabbaticals or engaged in administration of the Jesuit Community.

The Rector, or religious superior, of the Jesuit Community at Boston College is the Rev. Francis Herrmann, S.J., who is also a faculty member in the Law School. The Administrator of the community is the Rev. James Collins, S.J.

The offices of the Jesuit Community are in St. Mary's Hall, which is also the main residence of the community. Other residential communities within the overall Jesuit Community are Roberts House, 246 Beacon Street, across from the gate at McGuinn and Campion; Barat House, on the Newton Campus; and Matteo Ricci House, 30 Quincy Road, adjacent to Williams residence hall. Jesuits also live in several smaller houses around the Middle Campus.

Jesuits in the United States are divided into ten administrative areas, called provinces. The BC Jesuit Community is part of the New England Province, whose superior is the Rev. Robert Levens, S.J. His office is in downtown Boston. Many of the Jesuits in the BC community belong to this province, but a significant number of the Jesuits working at BC comes from other provinces in the U. S. The ten provinces in the United States form the Jesuit Conference, whose offices are in Washington, D.C.

The New England Province is one of 85 Jesuit provinces (and nine dependent regions) across the world. The superior general of the worldwide Jesuits is the Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.

Until 1970 the Jesuit Community and Boston College were the same legal entity, and the Rector of the Jesuit Community was also President of the university. In that year the Jesuit Community became an independent charitable corporation under Massachusetts law and the offices of Rector and President were separated. The president is elected by the board of trustees. By university statute the board of trustees must include at least eight Jesuits, out of some 40 members. Since the founding of the university all its presidents have been Jesuits but this is not required by university statutes.

The Web site of the Jesuit Community is a useful source of information. Here one can also find links to several documents that embody the views of the Jesuit Community and of individual Jesuits about their work at Boston College. There are also links to a variety of other Jesuit Web sites.


Further Resources on Jesuits

Several Jesuit publications can be at least partially accessed via their Web sites: National Jesuit News, America Magazine, and Company Magazine. Links to many other sources of information can be found on the Jesuit Web, Jesuit Resources on the Web ,and on the site of the Conference of US Jesuits. International sites include Jesuits in Europe, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and the Jesuit Conference Office of Social and International Ministries.


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