By Barbara D. Kiernan, M.A.'90

When Dr. Debnam Chappell, dean of freshmen, said yes to attending a weeklong program of spiritual reflection for faculty and administrators of Jesuit universities, one of the things she needed to bring with her to John Carroll University was a Bible. "I had a big family Bible at home, but I decided to get a new one for the retreat," she says, pausing momentarily as a twinkle lights her eyes. "Do you know how many choices there are at Barnes & Noble? I spent two hours trying to find the ‘right' one." She settled upon a traditional King James Version, in a size that felt comfortable and in a format true to her Episcopalian roots.

Joining Dr. Chappell for the Magis National Faculty Retreat were 25 participants from a dozen Jesuit colleges and universities. Among them was Fairfield's Dr. Philip Lane, associate professor of economics in the College of Arts and Sciences, who says he went because he can't say "no" to a good Jesuit. In this case, the good Jesuit was the Rev. James Bowler, facilitator for Jesuit and Catholic mission and identity. "Jim is doing such special things on campus," says Dr. Lane. "How could I not want to help?"

The five days of prayer, reflection, and focused conversations created fertile ground for participants to experience Ignatian spirituality and integrate its blessings into their personal and professional lives. For Dr. Chappell, the latter centers on trying to ensure the academic success of firstyear students. To that end, she monitors their progress, advises them on courses, and connects those who are struggling to the proper resources. "For some, adjusting to the demands of college courses can be overwhelming," she says. "Working with them is very satisfying."

For four years now, Dr. Chappell has managed to follow some of "her" freshmen into sophomore year by serving as a mentor in the Ignatian Residential College. This learning/ living program helps students explore life's deeper meaning and make connections between the academic, social, and spiritual facets of their lives. Mentors - who include alumni, faculty, administrators, and friends of Fairfield - meet monthly with their students. "I'm very interested in the spiritual aspect of students' lives," says Dr. Chappell. "By encouraging them to be more in touch with theirs, I am better able to keep in touch with my own," she observes.

"I was grateful for the chance to take stock of where I am in life - within my profession, my family, and my spiritual life," says Dr. Lane, who early in the retreat earned a dubious nickname: The Reader. "I offered to be the lector at our first Mass, not realizing that the reading was from the Book of Tobit," he explains. "I massacred the names of all those ‘begats' and didn't hear the end of it for the rest of the week." That spirit of camaraderie carried over into the group's explorations of how and why the Jesuit tradition matters, as well as into the reflection time built into the daily schedule.

"It gave me time to reflect, and affirmed my own belief that teaching doesn't happen just in the classroom," he says. "As faculty, we also teach by example. If we're going to educate young men and women for lives of service, we have to show them what that means." For Dr. Lane (also a mentor in Ignatian Residential College), it means making a real effort to know his students well. His office door is always open, he's a familiar figure at campus functions, and he attends sporting events of the student-athletes he teaches - "one per student except swimming, because those meets take all day," he quips. "Believe me," he adds, "they notice when you're there."

Dr. Chappell seconds the notion that walking the talk really matters. She appreciated the nature of the questions the group was asked to ponder: What am I looking for? Where do I dwell? Where is God in all this? What gives me life? "We need to ponder Who it is that sparks through us to our students," she says.

According to Fr. Bowler, that's precisely the awareness the retreat was meant to empower. "In light of the teachings of Vatican II and of subsequent Jesuit documents, we are responding to the ways we see the Holy Spirit at work," he says. "For Jesuits, this means providing opportunities for lay colleagues to assume leadership roles in the faith dimension of the Jesuit educational ministry."