Being the Difference

“Camille is a creative, dedicated woman who lives her Ignatian spirituality through her love for family, friends and the poor,” says Fr. Kevin Flaherty, SJ. “She brings joy to all who share in her life.”

Camille Devaney’s deep connections with the Jesuits reaches back to her time as an undergraduate at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

“As a sophomore in 1961 I met the late Fr. Bill Kelly in a theology class,” she says. “From a student-professor relationship, a long-lasting friendship developed. Father Kelly officiated at my wedding and remained a friend, a confidant and a source of strength throughout his life. It was his guidance that allowed me to develop into the woman I became as a wife, a mother and a professional.”

After earning a master’s in biomedical sciences and completing a successful career in immunology—as an academic and later a scientist at Abbott Laboratories in Lake County, Ill.—Devaney jumped right into volunteering. For the past two decades, she has lived the Magis by giving of her time, talent and treasure to several Chicago-area Jesuit apostolates, including Ignatian Volunteer Corps and its Meals on Wheels program.

Aside from her active membership at her parish, Church of St. Mary in Lake Forest, Ill., Devaney has participated in the Ignatian Spirituality Project and Jesuit Friends and Alumni Network (JFAN). She is a longtime sponsor of students at St. Aloysius School of Hope in Nairobi, Kenya, and is a proud member and friend of the Marquette University Alumni Association. She also cheers on the Golden Eagles women’s and men’s basketball teams. Her children attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill.

Devaney has been a retreatant at several Jesuit retreat locations, including the Jesuit Retreat House on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis., the Cave of St. Ignatius Manresa in Spain, and Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, Ill., where she has developed deep connections with visiting and resident Jesuits.

In 2018, Devaney joined the Midwest Jesuits’ pilgrimage to Peru, where she was introduced to several of the communities served by the Jesuits, most notably Virgin of Nazareth Parish in Lima, which she continues to support.

“Camille is a creative, dedicated woman who lives her Ignatian spirituality through her love for family, friends and the poor,” says Fr. Kevin Flaherty, SJ. “She brings joy to all who share in her life.”

She gives of herself because she believes in the Jesuits’ distinct approach in carrying forth their sacred mission. Living out the Marquette motto—“Be the Difference”—she is a quintessential companion to the Society of Jesus.