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Issue Home > Choossing A Path
Choosing a PathWith quiet purpose, nine Holy Cross graduates have chosenan exclusive path that will change their lives—and, they hope,the lives of many others. They will become Jesuits.
Michelle M. Murphy Illustrations by James Steinberg
Many holy cross men and women have heard and responded to the call to a religious life. For young men who feel their place is with the Society of Jesus, also known as Jesuits, the call is not one to be answered lightly. Men who enter the Society undertake years of intensive training, academic study and pastoral work, walking along a path that takes an average of 10 years to traverse before they are ordained as Jesuit priests. They join a group known for exceptional dedication to education as well as service, and, like all priests, they must accept sacrifice as well. As the number of young men entering the priesthood has dropped (50 percent since 1965 according to Georgetown’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate), the Society has seen growth in its ranks in Africa and India. At the same time, however, Jesuit numbers have declined in the United States, Canada and Europe, points out Rev. James M. Hayes, S.J., ’72, rector of the Jesuit Community at Holy Cross. In the last 10 years, Jesuits worldwide have made a more conscious and concerted effort to encourage men to consider joining their order. That encouragement happens in many ways; here on the Hill, it happens perhaps most obviously in the Vocation Discernment Group. Started by Rev. Edward Vodoklys, S.J., ’72 and Rev. Gerard McKeon, S.J., ’76 in 1999, the group initially included eight-to-10 young men who met weekly to discuss readings, to pray and to help one another explore their vocations—to the priesthood or to other careers; half of the men who joined at the outset are now in religious life. “Obviously it’s been gratifying to see how many guys end up entering since we started this whole thing,” says Fr. Vodoklys, senior lecturer in classics. The “recruiting” also occurs one-on-one in courses like Contemporary Christology, on College-run retreats and through students’ relationships with faculty. Fr. Hayes says he believes in being direct when he knows someone who would make a good Jesuit: He invites the person outright to consider whether he might have a vocation. “People can often see things in us before we can see them in ourselves. We Jesuits must at least plant the seed,” he explains, adding that sometimes the Holy Spirit works through people. “We need to cultivate. Invite. Encourage.” Fr. Vodoklys, meanwhile, works differently: “I’m very much more laid back,” he says. “There are certain people I will say something to. But it’s not something that I’m going to foist on them. The big thing is to be attentive to what’s going on with somebody in terms of their relationship with God. Invite them in to see what it’s like. Sometimes, the most influential “invitations” don’t come from Jesuits at all. Several of the new Jesuits refer to the influence of Alice Laffey, associate professor of religious studies. In response to this compliment, she reflects, “Twenty-seven years ago when I came to Holy Cross, there were many more Jesuits. The witness of their lives could serve as the ‘invitation.’ Now, with fewer Jesuits, I have sometimes offered that invitation. All I have done is to suggest to some men that their relationship with God may be drawing them in that direction.” An on-campus group called MAGIS has also played a role in helping students discern their life’s mission. Aimed at identifying and mentoring students who have the potential to be Church leaders, MAGIS derives its name from the Ignatian concept of the “magis” (which means “the more”) found in the Jesuit motto AMDG (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, “for the Greater Glory of God”). By rallying around the concept of being “men and women for others in imitation of Christ,” Holy Cross invites its community to live the Ignatian pursuit of “the greater service,” whether that is in a lay ministry or in an order. MAGIS helps those interested in either of these areas find avenues for service. The prevalence of mentors in various roles as well as an assortment of groups that helps students discern their true callings are part of the reason Holy Cross has fostered a sizable group of young men for the vocation in recent years. “The more of us who are involved, the better it is,” Fr. Vodoklys notes. “You have to have complementary approaches because something’s going to work with some that’s not going to work with others.” Making the decision to pursue the life of vocation in the Society is only the first small leg of the Jesuit path. Today, perhaps more than ever, it is just not easy to choose a life of poverty, celibacy and obedience. For some young men planning to join the Society, one of the most difficult hurdles is sharing the news with their families. In generations past, it was often a source of pride for a family if a son became a priest. Not so in more modern times, Fr. Hayes explains: “Families are very different. Fewer kids, the desire for grandchildren and the stigma of a scandal-ridden church are the chief factors, I believe. But I also keep telling people: ‘You are not losing your son, you are gaining the Society as part of your family.’”
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