Tom McKiver/The Mirror
Banners. Lectures. A new statue?
From October 22 to October 27, Fairfield University is celebrating Ignatian Heritage Week for the first time in years to honor St. Ignatius and his contributions as a Jesuit by dedicating a statue of him entitled “Examen”.
“It’s our essence as a Jesuit Catholic school. It’s what distinguishes us. We reflect for a reason. We want to find out how we get the better out of us,” said Assistant Vice President of Administration and Student Affairs Jim Fitzpatrick.
The week began on Saturday with the unveiling of the statue of St. Ignatius, which replaced the statue of St. Francis in front of Egan Chapel.
Masses on Saturday and Sunday were focused on St. Ignatius and lectures on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night address different topics involving St. Ignatius and the Society of Jesus.
Ignatian Heritage Week is not an annual event. Why did the University decide to celebrate Ignatian week this year? What makes this year different from all the rest?
The process began about 18 months ago when Michael J. Doody, SJ and Gerald Blaszczak, S.J. decided that a statue of St. Ignatius should be added to campus. Because this event would be so powerful and influential to the history of the University, they wanted to dedicate a week to celebrating St. Ignatius. After reviewing many ideas and conducting interviews, the committee chose the statue designed by two young artists from Brooklyn.
“One of the challenges of universities is to try to enable young people to start to look at themselves and say ‘Who am I? Whose am I? Who am I called to be?’,” said Fitzpatrick.
The statue is based on one of the prayer components of spiritual exercises. The statue is supposed to have multiple meanings and be open to interpretation.
“If you go out to the statue and you spend one minute… reflecting on St. Ignatius by reflecting on the statue, then you’re reflecting on him reflecting which allows you to be part of a puzzle inside the puzzle,” stated Fitzpatrick.
Parts of the statue represent a deeper meaning of St. Ignatius. The two images are identical, made from the same cast. It depicts St. Ignatius looking at himself but in a much more reflective way than simply looking in a mirror.
The feet of the statue are purposely large and powerful to show that St. Ignatius was on a journey. His hands are clasped with specific detail, appearing very strong. By placing them behind his back, he is in a state of wonder, says Fitzpatrick.
The five aspects of “The Examen,” the method of prayer involving an examination of conscience of which this statue is based, are placed around the bottom of the statue. These include thanksgiving, illumination, examination, contrition and hope. By placing the words around the image, onlookers should be guided in their reflection.
“I feel 100 percent correct that it’s the most unique portrayal of St. Ignatius at a Jesuit college. … We now have a commissioned piece of art that speaks to who we are,” said Fitzpatrick.
The Media Center created a DVD documenting the whole process, Fitzpatrick explained, beginning with the ideas for the statue and ending with the unveiling of it this past Saturday.
By dedicating a statue to St. Ignatius, “the University as a whole is saying to the Jesuit community, you matter greatly… even though your numbers are not what they used to be, … you still matter greatly to us. In a special way, maybe this was our opportunity to say thank you to the Jesuit community,” stated Fitzpatrick.
Senior Rich Wolf commented on his interpretation of the statue. “I think the statue makes you think,” said Wolf. “And in whatever context you do it in, thinking and reflecting are at the core of Ignatian spirituality.”
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