Yet another Jesuit has left Fairfield University. Prof. Joseph MacDonnell, S.J., a mathematics professor, retired about two weeks ago and has left to live at the Jesuit retirement home in Massachusetts.
With the steady decline in Jesuits teaching at Fairfield University and with many older Jesuits ready for retirement, Fairfield faces a potential problem with the number of Jesuits it has on campus.
Fairfield currently has 37 Jesuits assigned to the Jesuit community on campus. Of these 37, 10 work full or part-time at the Prep, 13 are retired or work outside of the university and Prep, and 14 work full or part-time at the university. Of these 14, seven are involved in administration and seven in teaching, according to Father Charles Allen, S.J. executive assistant to the president.
“The Jesuits also work at the Prep, on campus, in parishes in the community, and in other organizations of campus ministry outside of Fairfield University,” said Mary Frances Malone, associate academic vice president. “There are no requirements to live on campus because the Jesuits are separate from the university,” she added.
Consequently, there are not too many Jesuits to be seen either on campus or in the classroom.
“Finding qualified Jesuits will be an increasing challenge, because all of the Jesuits will retire eventually. However, in recent years we have hired several younger Jesuits at the university,” said Dean Timothy Snyder of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Indeed Fairfield has hired three young Jesuits to oversee the improvement of the media center on campus. Over the past few years, Father Mark McGregor S.J., Father Mark Scalese S.J., and Father Jim Mayzik S.J, have all been hired for their expertise in visual and performing arts.
As more Jesuits reach the age of retirement and with fewer men entering the priesthood these days, some might question the tradition and principles that many Jesuit universities boast.
Father James Bowler, S.J., a facilitator for Catholic and Jesuit Identity and Mission, has found that no matter how few Jesuits there are on campus the mission of a Jesuit education does not disappear.
“I work to consult with the lay faculty and Jesuits in various programs to further the Jesuit identity on campus,” said Father Bowler, S.J. “We hold seminars and workshops to integrate both lay administration and faculty with the Jesuits.”
Some students feel that having a Jesuit as a professor made the class much more attentive.
Sara Flaherty ’04 said that as a freshman taking philosophy, she certainly paid more attention in class and listened more when her professor was a Jesuit.
“At first I was intimidated by him when he walked into the class, and the class certainly paid him much more respect than I think they would have a lay-professor,” she said.
Erin Devaney ’04 and Mary Olivieri ’04 both have Father Paul Carrier, S.J. for their Profits of Non-Violence class this year.
“I think that having a Jesuit as a professor is almost the same as having a lay professor, because both are quite knowledgeable in their fields,” said Devaney.
Olivieri added, “I do feel guilty if I do not do my work for Father Carrier’s class. However, that is also because I love the teacher…if I did not like the professor then it would not matter if he was a Jesuit or not,” she said.
Fairfield seems to have one of the highest declines in Jesuits out of all 28 Jesuit universities in the country.
According to Fairfield’s website, in 1980 there were 18 Jesuits teaching full time on campus, yet in 2003, a mere five were teaching undergraduate courses. From Boston College and the College of the Holy Cross’ websites, there are 45 and 30 Jesuits teaching undergraduates on each of their campuses, respectively.
“We have been getting, on the average, one Jesuit each year. One has to remember that there are not many more than 20 Jesuits who get their doctorates each year and there are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities who are hoping to hire them,” Father Allen said.
In spite of the declining number of Jesuits at Fairfield University, the goal of keeping our students in the mindset of the Jesuit mission remains difficult yet attainable, with both lay faculty and Jesuits coming together to explore options to instill Jesuit traditions of a solid education and community service.
“As the number of Jesuits declines, the responsibility of those remaining Jesuits grows in terms of making themselves more visible to the University Community,” said Father Allen, S.J.
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