To our Holy Cross community,
This time of year, one of my favorite activities is to sit with my lunch in one of the snow white Adirondack chairs on the Fenwick Hall porch. As the weather warms and the green of spring seeps across the hills beyond campus, I can enjoy the beauty of our surroundings on Mount Saint James and watch the bustle of campus, removed from it for just a moment.
I treasure these moments of quiet thought. This week, my thoughts have been about the end of the Lenten season. It is customary for Catholics to mark Lent with a gesture of sacrifice, by giving something up. This can be a valuable, even transformative, experience. But in recent years, I have been pulled more strongly towards what I can take on or add to my life. How can I be a better friend, a better colleague, a better partner? What can I do to better live out the Gospel in my own life?
Of course I don’t always have the answers. But the time spent in reflection is invaluable, nonetheless.
There’s a tendency to think of reflection and activity as opposing forces. If we’re thinking, we’re not doing. It should not surprise you to learn that, as president of a Jesuit liberal arts college, I have a different view.
So as we move into our Easter break, I hope you too are able to find some moments of quiet reflection, all too rare in our busy lives. I hope this weekend provides you with a sense of rejuvenation, as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the renewal of spring.
May you find a white Adirondack chair and a moment of peace.
I wish you and your family a happy Easter, a blessed Ramadan, and a joyous Passover.
Sincerely,
Vincent D. Rougeau
President