Warmer Times

I spent a week with my community at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts to plan for our 2013 calendar. The hospitality of the community was very warm. They went out of their way to welcome us and to make us feel very comfortable.

I was particulary impressed with one senior professor who began to study the art of giving spiritual direction a year and a half ago. He is thrilled with the added dimension it brings to his life. He is honored in learning about spiritual seekers to a greater depth. As he was energetically speaking about it, I could plainly see that it brings him much joy.

I am now in Washington, D.C. and it feels terrific to be in a place that is so warm. Outside of the dining room windows at Holy Cross, two feet of packed ice and snow remains. At Georgetown, spring is just around the corner. I can smell it in the air. The temperatures are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Flowers are surely to come soon.

I am impressed with the work of the Jesuits at our colleges and universities. The building programs are quite good too. The College of the Holy Cross is building a stylish and sensible student residence with a capacity of 200. When it is complete, ninety-five percent of the student body will live on campus.

Boston College is erecting Stokes Hall in the former dustbowl. It will have a dynamic architectural presence. The City of Boston has presented many obstacles for development of residences and classrooms. I don't understand why city governments fail to see the positive effect these universities have for its citizens. The contributions of an educated citizenry is enough, but the economic, cultural, and sports contributions provide many intangible benefits.

Georgetown University has changed greatly in the eleven years since I lived here. They have reshaped the campus and it is a tight little city that has a bustling energy throughout each corner of the property. Restaurants and gathering spaces complement the stately building that continue to rise. Jesuits are rightly proud of what the university has built.

My time here is merely to relax and to take a break from the retreat house and to visit some friends and family. I also want to take in a few museums and walk the mall. It will help me prepare for the two retreats I give in Maine next week.

Finally, the rehearsals for Carmina Burana are going very well. It is a great piece to sing and our performance ought to be as stately as the new buildings of Georgetown, BC and Holy Cross.