Reflections on 50 Years in the Society of Jesus
The Magis and Finding God in All Things
By Fr. Gene Donatelli, SJ
The magis and “finding God in all things” have remained guiding principles for me. Those two Ignatian characteristics have been the foundation of my vocation and ministry throughout my 50 years as a Jesuit.
As I grow older, the focal points of my life have become acceptance and gracefully surrendering to God’s will especially.
I’ve had three major assignments as a Jesuit: high school teacher, hospital chaplain, and parish priest. I thought that teaching in high school (which I did for 10 years) would be my primary ministry; I did not expect that I would be a hospital chaplain for eight years, and I never expected that I would spend more than 15 years assigned to parish ministry.
Fr. Donatelli during his time at Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington, Kentucky
Though I am an introvert, I enjoy ministering to people. I act with compassion, listen with empathy, and try to relate to others on a deeper level. I am creative and also gregarious, accepting, nonjudgmental, patient, and affirming.
Some highlights of my vocation and ministry include the long retreat meditation on Good Friday beneath the cross and the invitation to enter the Lord’s Sacred Heart; Composition of Place and Application of the Senses (two Ignatian formats for prayer that have formed, sustained, and deepened my relationship with the Lord); celebrating the Eucharist; and preaching (once during a homily a small child cried so much that his dad got up and placed the child on his shoulder and began walking down the center aisle. . .the child loudly said: “Goodbye Jesus”—I had the wisdom at that moment to say “Amen” and end the homily); hearing confessions; and 40 years of counseling and providing spiritual direction.
“Awe,” “Wonder,” and “Gratitude”
By Fr. John Ferone, SJ
Awe, wonder, and gratitude: I believe these three words embody my ongoing journey to become a true companion of Jesus in his mission and to do so in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
According to the Principle and Foundation, I was “created to praise, reverence, and serve God.” And “God created all other things on the face of the earth to help fulfill this purpose.”
For many years I have known, in fact, that I am at my best when I am living according to that Principle and Foundation. And one of the great gifts the Society of Jesus has given to me over the years is the ongoing experience of the Examen, the method by which I reflect daily on the many gifts that the Lord gives me each day and has given me throughout the various seasons of my life.
It is this reflection that leads me to a heartfelt sense of praise, an ever-increasing capacity for awe and wonder, and an ability to recognize and reverence the ongoing presence of God, especially in the beauty and diversity of nature and personally, in the power of the arts to inspire and activate and heighten the senses.
I am at my best when I am living according to that Principle and Foundation. And one of the great gifts the Society of Jesus has given to me over the years is the ongoing experience of the Examen, the method by which I reflect daily on the many gifts that the Lord gives me each day and has given me throughout the various seasons of my life. It is this reflection that leads me to a heartfelt sense of praise, an ever-increasing capacity for awe and wonder, and an ability to recognize and reverence the ongoing presence of God, especially in the beauty and diversity of nature and personally, in the power of the arts to inspire and activate and heighten the senses.
The Examen has also challenged me to recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of each person with his or her strengths and limitations, hopes and dreams, and cultures and histories, as well as what we share as human beings.
Such reflection has led me to an ongoing practice of gratitude and a desire to share the gifts that I have received and for which I am grateful. I believe this is at the heart of my understanding concerning service. It is to give generously of what we have received.
My hope is that in sharing my own experience of what I have seen, heard, touched, and loved, others might have their own eyes, ears, and hearts opened in freedom so that they too might have an experience of the Principle and Foundation and be led to praise, reverence, and feel a deep desire to share what they have received in awe, wonder, and gratitude in service.
BR.ADAM POREBA, SJ(PME)
Midwest Jesuit Fr. Stan Czarnecki says of jubilarian Br. Adam Poreba, SJ, “Over his 50 years in the Society, Adam has shown himself to be reliable, easygoing, open to people, a man of love, and at the service of others. He was missioned to Chicago 11 years ago as sacristan for the Jesuit Millennium Center and the Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His kindness, humility, great sense of humor, and openness are an evangelical magnet attracting many to come to Church more often.”
“You Have Given All to Me.”
by Fr. James Grummer, SJ
Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s phrase from the Contemplatio ad amorem sums up my life: “You have given all to me.” Awe and amazement fill me as I recall the privileged opportunities that God has continually provided me as I’ve experienced the breadth and depth of Jesuit life and ministry. I never imagined when I walked through the door of the novitiate on Finn Street that I would work with so many people in so many places and so many different ways.
Teaching at Marquette University High School, Creighton University, Creighton Prep, and the Gregorian University in Rome has allowed me to serve hundreds of wonderful young people and their families. God showered me with grace as I accompanied retreats in Omaha; Milwaukee; Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Demontreville, Minnesota; Malta; Sri Lanka; and Italy. I have also heard the spirit at work in everyday life as a spiritual director. I also cannot forget the blessings of life as a parish priest not far from my mother’s birthplace in Ireland.
Fr. Grummer (second from left) during his Jesuit formation
Ministry in the province office and at the General Curia brought me in contact with fantastic Jesuit companions from throughout the U.S. and the world, including places like South Korea, East Africa, and India. Colleagues who embody the traditions of St. Ignatius and the Society of Jesus—whether Jesuits or not—have inspired me unceasingly.
Gifts beyond measure have cascaded over me, insistent as the tide but gentle as a mountain spring, never pausing or abating, always surpassing my fondest dreams.
God has truly given all to me.
Fr. Grummer with the late Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, Superior General of the Society of Jesus
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Photo: Steve Donisch