10 July 2018

Gratitude to benefactors is an important element of a Jesuit life.  In this family we are taught to genuinely and continually thank and pray for our earthly benefactors, without whom we could not be formed as well or carry out our mission as fully.

Jesuit Women is not a non-profit organization; it is still at the stage of passionate, personal inquiry in dialogue with God and others.  Nonetheless, as I deepen my own path of prayer and service, letting go of control and security, I have already experienced the humbling generosity of others making that path possible.

Thank you:

• Rosalie Wright, for contributing financially and spiritually to the novitiate space, and for partial financial sponsorship of the upcoming long experiment;
• Ryann Hansen, for tender, unwavering friendship and for financially supporting this website;
• The Bennie L. Williams Spiritual Voices, for prayers and the offer of financial support during the upcoming year;
• Daniel and Lynne Wright, for the gift of two guitars whose use brought joy and whose sale made the long experiment possible.
• Jesuits Central and Southern, for subsidizing certain retreat centers that offer long retreats.  Generous policies like this make it possible for laypeople to be more fully formed in our tradition.  I could not have made a 30-day retreat without this financial support.

The Society of Jesus estimates that it costs almost $50,000 a year to form a Jesuit man.  In my opinion, this is money well spent on a human being.  The contributions of these men to our apostolates and to our world, whether they remain members of the Society or discern out of it, are worth it.  I believe that there will also be a day when we recognize, as a family, the value of investing that same care and financial resource into the formation of Jesuit women.  We are not there yet.  But we are on the way. With prayer and perseverance, we can make God’s dream a reality, greatly increasing the depth and reach of Jesuit ministries.

If you feel called to prophetic support for the gathering and training of Jesuit women, please contact me.  There are many ways to give your time, prayer, presence, money and expertise.  The most immediate need is to connect women with each other, and the next most immediate need is to help these women discern their commitment by making the 30-day Spiritual Exercises, which are the foundation of the path.  I realize that I am utterly dependent on both God and on our benefactors for any progress I have made so far along this pathway to love!