| Left to right, Acting President Rev. George Sullivan, S.J., Board Chair Peter Mullen, Vice Chair Ellen Shafer and newly elected President Rev. Robert O'Toole, S.J. |
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July 2003: Contents
Rev. Robert O'Toole, S.J., Named Gregorian University Foundation President
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Rev. Robert O’Toole, S.J., Elected Foundation President
At the May 5th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Gregorian University Foundation, Rev. Robert F. O'Toole, S.J., was elected president. He will take office on September 1, 2003.
Foundation chairman Peter Mullen said, "We are very enthused about Fr. O'Toole's appointment. His experience as Rector of the Biblical Institute in Rome, together with the skills he already possesses as a fundraiser make him an ideal choice to lead the Foundation."
Fr. O'Toole: Accepting the Challenge When asked if I would be willing to serve as the President of the Gregorian University Foundation, I did not hesitate to accept the challenge. The three Jesuit institutions of higher education represented by the Foundation are truly academically outstanding both intellectually and in service to the Church. My many years of studies, teaching and administration have demonstrated over and over again the real financial needs that these fine institutes have and the many reasons why they deserve the support of the People of God. My second motive for being willing to accept the challenge is the members of the Board of Trustees and our many generous benefactors. When I reflect on the sacrifices that these remarkable individuals make financially and with their talents, energy and time, I can only see my own service as President as an imitation of their dedication. Together we will be able to continue the committed efforts of Frs. Eugene O'Brien and George Sullivan and to benefit these institutions significantly. |
Fr. O'Toole said, "When I was asked if I would be willing to serve as the President of the Gregorian University Foundation, I did not hesitate to accept the challenge."
Fr. O'Toole, a native of St. Louis, MO, is well-equipped to meet the Foundation's challenges. In 2002, he completed six years as the Rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, where he received his Licentiate and Doctorate, and where he has been a professor since 1991. Before that he was a theology professor at St. Louis University, his alma mater, where he earned a Bachelor's in Philosophy and Letters, a Licentiate in Philosophy and a Masters in Classical Languages and taught from 1974 to 1991.
Despite all the time spent earning degrees and teaching, Fr. O'Toole authored the books: The Christological Climax of Paul's Defense, The Unity of Luke's Theology: An Analysis of Luke-Acts, and Who Is a Christian? A Study in Pauline Ethics. He also has written dozens of scholarly articles for many publications.
Fr. O'Toole entered the Society of Jesus in 1954 and was ordained in 1967.
Institute for the Study of Religions and Cultures Founded
The Institute for the Study of Religions and Cultures is a new venture of the Pontifical Gregorian University, set up at the request of the 34th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, which is the highest legislative body of the Jesuits. The Institute is a collaborative venture among the various elements of the Gregorian Consortium, along with Jesuit universities and faculties in various parts of the world.
The Institute's aims are to provide a service for the Catholic and other Christian Churches by preparing people able to engage in dialogue and to provide a similar service for people of other faiths — Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc., — to offer broader formation to students of other faculties, and to provide an institutional base and an academic forum.
The Cardinal Bea Center for Judaic Studies is within the Institute for the Study of Religions and Cultures. Its specialization is the study of Judaism. First, it offers specialized studies in Judaic history, culture and religion. Secondly, as part of the full program at the Gregorian University, it offers a yearly introduction to those students who, though not desiring to become specialists in Jewish Studies, can receive a solid background course in Judaism and its relationships to the Catholic Church.
New Jewish-Christian Library Collection at Gregorian University
Under an agreement between the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion and the Gregorian University, a specialized library and documentation collection in the fields of Jewish-Christian Study, SIDIC, was transferred to the Gregorian this past fall.
The SIDIC collection, established in 1965, contains over 6,000 volumes, 17,000 monographs and 360 periodicals in areas such as Sacred Scripture, anti-Semitism, Jewish-Christian relations and the Diaspora. Its mission is to promote understanding between the two religions by making known the heritage Christianity has received from the Jewish people and encouraging the study of Jewish tradition. The collection will serve as a valuable enhancement to the academic program in Judaic Studies being offered by the University's newly established Institute for the Study of Religions and Cultures.
Visit SIDIC online at www.sidic.org.
Rev. John O'Donnell, S.J., named Dean of Theology
Rev. John J. O'Donnell, S.J., was designated dean of the faculty of theology of the Gregorian University on February 26, 2003. He officially took up his duties on March 24th. Fr. O'Donnell, from Baltimore and an alumnus of Loyola Blakefield, entered the Maryland province of the Society of Jesus in 1962. He was ordained a priest in 1974. He studied theology for the D.Phil. degree at the University of Oxford under the direction of Prof. John Macquarrie. There followed several years of teaching Christian doctrine at Heythrop College, University of London.
In 1984, Fr. O'Donnell was called to be professor of dogmatics at the Gregorian. For ten years, he taught Theology of the Trinity. At the same time, he served in the College of the Gesu, six years as spiritual father and four years as prefect of studies. In 1994, Fr. General Peter Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., named him rector of the Weston Jesuit Community in Cambridge, MA. In addition to being superior of the community, he continued to teach systematic theology. Fr. O'Donnell also developed a theology of the priesthood.
Rev. John Blewett, S.J., Celebrates 50th Priestly Jubilee
Rev. John Blewett, S.J., who helped guide the establishment of the Gregorian University Foundation, celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest in the Society of Jesus on June 17th. He marked the occasion with a Mass with his immediate family in St. Louis.
Born in 1922, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1940 from Fond du Lac, WI, studied Japanese from 1947 to 1950 for the Jesuits new work in Japan and was ordained a priest at St. Mary's, Kansas on June 14, 1953. With a St. Louis University doctorate on John Dewey he set off for Japan where he spent seven years as Professor of Education and Academic Vice-President at Sophia University, Tokyo. In 1967 Very Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus named him the Society's first international Secretary for Education. This included over 1,000 Jesuit educational institutions worldwide from elementary schools to graduate schools. In addition, he helped establish international networks and centers for educators.
In 1967 Very Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus named him the Society’s first international Secretary for Education. This included over 1,000 Jesuit educational institutions worldwide from elementary schools to graduate schools. In addition, he helped establish international networks and centers for educators.
From 1978 to 1988 he worked full-time for the Gregorian University Consortium, first as Director of Development and from 1984 to 1988 as president. He suffered a massive coronary in 1988 and has been in limited health since.
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