Past Issues
A Message from our President
Dear Alumni,
Since our last issue of The Scranton Journal, we — as a people, nation and faith — have experienced tumultuous, often uncertain, times. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., and the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, we have been challenged to question, to prevail and to find God in all things. These are not meant to be lighthearted undertakings, nor have they been.
As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, we strive to instill in our community a desire to be “men and women for and with others.” We demand more of our students by challenging them to make Ignatius’ charge — his notion of service — their own. Once learned, we expect our students — our future alumni — to take this belief out with them into the world.
It is with the utmost gratitude and respect that I can say this charge has been widely accepted by our students, faculty, staff and alumni, who are accomplishing so much in so many areas. In the following pages, we recount not only the harrowing days following Sandy, but also the faith-filled journey by members of our “Christianity in Africa” course in Uganda. These endeavors cast light on the good that can come forth in the face of despair.
We pause to celebrate the appointment of Kathleen Granahan Kane ’88 as Pennsylvania’s first female attorney general, the contributions of William Parente, Ph.D., during his 43 years of loyal service, and the relationship — both economically and culturally — between the city of Scranton and our University.
May we also pray for the success of Pope Francis’ papacy and the continued vitality of the Church in service to the people of God. His Holiness shares a special bond with Scranton and all Jesuit colleges and universities as the first member of the Society of Jesus to be so elevated.
Remember, there is no better time to display our faith than when confronted with uncertainty. As my colleague and friend Ronald H. McKinney, S.J., addresses in his essay, “The Idea of Hope,” we have to embrace “the hope in a better world to come.” Embrace the fact that we are always part of God’s plan, even if that plan is not revealed to us at first.
Sincerely,
Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.
President
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