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When Ignatius and his early companions gradually recognized that the greater good would be served by educating young men to become leaders and a leaven for good in the world, Ignatius in the late 1540s began assigning Jesuits to the educational apostolate. The founding of Boston College in 1863 reflects that commitment to schools and to identifying and meeting the needs of the times. For one hundred and forty years, Boston College has sought to be an institution that links intellectual excellence and religious commitment, graduating students who bring talent, integrity, and generosity wherever they work and live. Today, Boston College is a strong, nationally known institution of higher education, a thriving partnership of Jesuits and lay people. The Ever to Excel Campaign celebrated in this Annual Report has already had a major impact on Boston College. The Campaign has provided funds for scholarships, research and teaching, facilities, and the religious and personal formation of our students. With these resources, Boston College is a stronger university and more able to achieve “the greater good” so desired by St. Ignatius. Often during the Ever to Excel Campaign, its leaders spoke of Boston College’s history as a set of responses to kairos moments: places in time when opportunity and strength meet in a unique way and call out for a response. To each person who contributed to this kairos moment, to each of you who helped strengthen Boston College’s ability to meet the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century, I extend my sincere gratitude. WILLIAM P. LEAHY, S.J. |
