This fall, during the weekend of Halloween, the Jesuit community at Loyola University Chicago hosted ten men to a “Come and See” experience. The participants, from the areas of the Wisconsin and the Chicago-Detroit Provinces, were welcomed by Jesuit scholastics to stay in one of three Jesuit communities to sample Jesuit life, examine Jesuit spirituality, and have their many questions answered.
Friday evening’s Eucharist included heart songs, a memorial of the Apostles, Simon and Jude, and a lively reflection by Mr. Curtis Leighton, S.J. of the California Province. During the evening and next morning, the visitors probed into the life of Ignatius Loyola and history of the Society. The group had a chance to meet many Jesuit scholastics and professors and administrators from Loyola University. Saturday’s “Emmaus Walk” paired each candidate with a Jesuit for a one-on-one time for deeper conversations about vocation, discernment, and the life of the vows. The men also enjoyed free time to rest, pray, or tour the campus.
Saturday’s dinner, a sumptuous meal of stuffed peppers, was created by Mr. Adam Rosniski, S.J. and included a dessert of home-made pies. After an hour of prayer and Benediction, the candidates gathered at Gonzaga House for a viewing of the award winning film “The Mission,” a story about the work of the Jesuit missions in South America. On Sunday, the men heard the options about what next steps they might make towards a Jesuit vocation; the weekend concluded with mass at the university chapel of Madonna della Strada.
You may view pictures of this and other recent Come and See weekends at http://picasaweb.google.com/jesuitvocation.
