Letter from Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. to members of Ignatius Press email list

I have been assigned by my Jesuit superiors to become associate chaplain at Santa Teresita Hospital in Duarte, California, beginning May 1, 2002. At the same time they confirmed my ongoing mission as director of Ignatius Press. I am to have no role, public or private, in the latest initiative of Ignatius Press, Campion College of San Francisco, which is a wholly owned subsidiary.

The Board of Directors of Guadalupe Associates, Inc. (which does business as Ignatius Press) has elected as President and Chief Operating Officer, Mark Brumley, the Director of the Magazine Division of Ignatius Press. Mark will assist me in the ongoing work of Ignatius Press and he will take over my role in the establishment and operation of Campion College. He will work closely with John Galten, the President of Campion College.

I am confident that the Lord will continue to bless the work of Ignatius Press and will bestow abundant graces on Campion College, which is so full of promise for the Church. I am grateful for your past support and ask that you continue to support both Ignatius Press and Campion College.

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The Board of Directors of Guadalupe Associates (Ignatius Press) has unanimously voted to continue its support for Campion College of San Francisco, a two-year college with an integrated Catholic liberal arts and great books curriculum, which offers a degree in Catholic Humanities.

Hailed by Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as "a beautiful enrichment for the vast field of Catholic education" that "will provide an excellent formation in the best tradition of Christian humanism", the college is slated to begin classes in the Fall of 2002 with campuses in San Francisco and Washington, DC.

The reaffirmation of Ignatius Press's commitment to Campion College followed the appointment of Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio as associate chaplain at Santa Teresita Hospital in Duarte, California. Father Fessio is the director of Ignatius Press and one of the founders of Campion College. In a letter from his Jesuit provincial Father Thomas Smolich, Father Fessio was forbidden to have a role in Campion College.

According to Mark Brumley, President of the Board of Directors for Guadalupe Associates, the Jesuit ban on Father Fessio's involvement will not prevent Campion College from going forward.

"Father Fessio will have no role in Campion College, although his superior has confirmed his ongoing mission as director of Ignatius Press and therefore Father will continue to be involved in other aspects of Ignatius Press' work," said Brumley.

"It's unfortunate that Father Fessio has been prohibited by his order from working with Campion, but that's not going to stop it from proceeding. John Galten, the former director of the St. Ignatius Institute at the University of San Francisco, is the President of Campion College. John certainly possesses the faith, vision, leadership skills, professional experience, and administrative abilities needed for the college's success," he added.

In 2002, a group of administrators—including Galten—as well as some former faculty members and alumni of the St. Ignatius Institute of the University of San Francisco decided to found the independent Campion College, in part because of their dissatisfaction with changes to the Institute made by a new university administration. Campion College embodies both the spirit and the curriculum of the original St. Ignatius Institute, free from the constraints of a larger university that does not share its goals.

Support for the college has poured in since Ignatius Press announced the new school two weeks ago. In fact, the day Campion College's website went up, an anonymous donor pledged $500,000 in scholarships. Other scholarships are available, as well. Henry Howard, the president of the U.S. Education Finance Corporation, said that on the basis of Campion College's impressive curriculum, his confidence in the profiles of Campion's students, and the integrity of Ignatius Press, his bank would extend loans to all Campion students up to the total amount needed to cover their room and board expenses.

Campion College continues to receive inquiries from parents, potential students, and donors from around the country. For more information, go to www.ignatius.com/campion, or call 1-415-387-2324.

"Evidently the Jesuits are still determined to commit corporate suicide. It's a sad business when people who refuse proper obedience to their own superiors take advantage of the vow of obedience to tyrannize a loyal subordinate."

I agree.

And the reason I posted this letter is that we can read, in Fr. Fessio's own words, his peacefully obedient reaction to this persecution.

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This week’s guest:

Brothers to the Rescue founder, José Basulto

On February 24, 1996, three light aircraft left Miami on a routine flight. Their missions, to search the waters off the Florida Coast for rafters trying to reach the US shores, and bring them help by guiding the US Coast Guard to their location. That day in February, only one plane would return to its home base in Miami.

Tune in to Radio FreeRepublic this Thursday, March 14, at 9 PM EST, and listen to the actual sounds of a terrorist in action, murdering unarmed American citizens.

Sr. José Basulto, founder of Brothers to the Rescue and pilot of the surviving Cessna, will shed light on the events of that day, and detail how the Clinton administration withheld advanced knowledge of the attack from the humanitarian volunteer group, helping seal the fate of these four courageous flyers.

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Why should anybody, Catholics included, care about this?

Because Father Fessio is such a great example of what it means to be a servant of God and the Church and because his great talent will not be utilized in the founding of of a college that has great promise for the Church, particularly in a time when there are so few orthodox Colleges in existence today. It was jealousy and fear that led them to get rid of him. Father's obedience is exemplary and a great sign of hope for those who have been driven to the edges by AMChurch people who have seized the reigns of power.

"What does it take to found a new order?"

Actually, that is a very simple question.

It takes a special charism from God.

New orders arise from within the Church at all times, but most of the well-known orders have come along at times of difficulty for the Church.

For example, the Franciscans and Dominicans began in the 1200's during a time of widespread corruption in the Church. Many of the laity were being alienated because of this. The Dominicans- "teachers and preachers"- were founded by St. Dominic and the Franciscans- "poor little brothers"- were founded by St. Francis of Assisi. The Dominicans obviously taught and preached the Faith. The Franciscans ministered to the poor and offered a powerful message of peace and reconciliation.

In the 1500's, the Jesuits were founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola. During this time of Martin Luther and the birth of Protestantism, the Jesuits were of critical importance to the Church. They defended and propagated the faith. The work of the Jesuits stopped the rapid spread of Protestantism. Several Jesuits were martyrs in America.

These are only a few examples.

Without that "special charism" I mentioned earlier, these guys wouldn't have had thousands of people decide to join them, including many who died for doing so.

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