Over the past year, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (R.S.H.M.) and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange (C.S.J.) have made gifts of $1 million each to Loyola Marymount University. The R.S.H.M. gift supports the Marymount Institute for Faith, Culture, and the Arts, an institution dedicated to preserving the legacy of women religious at LMU and the Marymount tradition of education. Through its interdisciplinary programs, the institute explores the relationship between faith, culture, and the arts. The C.S.J. gift will benefit the C.S.J. Center for Reconciliation and Justice, an interdisciplinary and interfaith space that supports the LMU community’s work for reconciliation and justice by offering a forum for dialogue, a place of education, and a resource for reflective action. Both gifts will be added to the projects’ endowments, supporting them in perpetuity.
In 1973, the historic merger of the all-female Marymount College with the all-male Loyola University resulted in the creation of the new, co-educational Loyola Marymount University. To this day the traditions and values of the Society of Jesus, R.S.H.M., and C.S.J. together form the rich fabric of LMU life. Both gifts were inspired by a desire to honor and celebrate the merger’s 50th anniversary; in the case of R.S.H.M., the sisters also wished to celebrate the 100th anniversary of R.S.H.M.’s arrival on the West Coast and the 175th anniversary of the founding of their religious institute.
“On such a momentous anniversary for LMU, there are no more meaningful gifts than these,” said LMU Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas Poon. “The combined traditions of R.S.H.M., C.S.J., and the Jesuits are what truly make LMU special. As essential resources on campus, the Marymount Institute and the C.S.J. Center help us to fulfill our mission pillar of educating the whole person.”
“We wanted to commemorate and celebrate every partner’s contribution to this exceptional educational partnership in Catholic higher education,” said Mary Genino, R.S.H.M., former Superior, Western American Province, and a current member of the LMU Board of Trustees. “This gift signifies our continuing support of LMU’s vision and mission: providing academic excellence, shaping future leaders, and offering formation for a faith that does justice and contributes to creating a better world for all.”
The R.S.H.M. strive to keep their traditions and legacy at LMU alive through the Marymount Institute, which stresses the dignity of each person and the call to contribute to the “fullness of life for all.” They hope it stands as a reminder of the societal contributions and impact of women and will spur more opportunities for women to excel. As Sister Genino says: “Dialogue and debate are part of the intellectual pursuit. In addressing contemporary social issues and global concerns through the lens of faith and in an inclusive and culturally diverse context, I hope what the institute offers sparks imagination and passion, moving one to respond in ways that bring what is good, right, and beautiful into our world.”
General Superior Mary Beth Ingham, C.S.J. ’73, also an LMU trustee, joined Sister Genino in celebrating their partnership. “Our relationship with the Jesuits and with the R.S.H.M. is a deep friendship that spans decades. C.S.J.’s commitment to LMU’s mission is part of our DNA. Milestones like the 50th anniversary of the merger offer us opportunities to give witness to the power of relationships and to celebrate the wonderful diversity of gifts within the Ignatian spiritual world.”
The C.S.J. Center for Reconciliation and Justice addresses the critical needs of society by “being the change we want to see.” Events sponsored by the center strive to bring people together, provide educational experiences, and address practical action steps. Recent forums and lectures have explored the Israel-Gaza conflict through an interfaith lens and the continuing spiritual relevance of the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi.
From LMU
The photo says it all.
Oh, I’ve got a better picture for you that shows what makes LMU “special”. Go here, and pay particular attention to the “lady” – ahem – in the middle:
https://newsroom.lmu.edu/community/lmu-celebrates-latinx-heritage-month/
I’m convinced that a lot of Catholics, including vowed religious, involved in higher education are fake Catholics.
Money donated to LMU is wasted, if it’s intended to support Catholic education. LMU doesn’t offer a Catholic education.
fake?: If LMU is not Catholic, what is it?
Two dying congregations might as well give their money away. They won’t need it for a new novitiate.
Too bad they don’t give it to younger and growing congregations of women religious who could use it.
Examples: the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia (the “Nashville Dominicans”) are growing. The latter has experienced 64% growth since the year 2000. And, the average age in the former is 37.
How many vocations to religious life and the priesthood have come out of LMU in the past half-century?
I know of a female LMU student from the 90s who, although she was raised Catholic from infancy and graduated from LMU as a Catholic with a BA in theology, apostasized less than ten years later and became an Episcopal priestess and is now pastoring a Lutheran congregation in Camarillo, if that counts as a vocation. Do you count that?
Nope. I don’t think heretic is a vocation.
So much for an LMU theology education.
The sinning queers in that pic should tremble in fear at the prospect of God’s judgment coming down on them like it just did upon Asheville, North Carolina in the form of total devastation from Hurricane Helene. The formerly most gay friendly city in the US is now nothing more than a pile of rubble. Wiped away, just like what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah.
All of California should tremble in fear at what God can bring about in an instant via a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, and the faithful who value their lives should move to an inland state pronto. Modern-day Lots need to leave the cities and state of depravity and wickedness in California.
The Lord knows there is lots of sins happening in Florida too. The destruction is just starting.
Lemmings have a far better sense of self-preservation than those nuns.
Why didn’t the Sisters donate their money to the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa to help the poorest of the poor throughout the world?
LMU stopped being a Catholic university many years ago, as did the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and the Society of Jesus.
Not all who have been baptized in Christ belong to Christ. Not all who have vowed lives to Christ belong to Christ. Not all who claim to be in Christ are in Christ.
St. Augustine pointed that out in his book “The City of God”.
LMU does not belong to Christ. The nuns in the story don’t belong to Christ. The Jesuits at LMU don’t belong to Christ. What a bunch of frauds.
I’m afraud you are correct!
It is true, baptized persons, including ordained men, can separate themselves from Christ and go to hell.
In addition to being apostates, heretics and losers, their rhetoric has not yet emerged from the 1960’s.
The bishops tell us to give money for the retired religious every year to support their housing, feeding, health care in their later years because they do not have enough to live; and these 2 orders are giving away money. Perhaps those who direct the distributions need to cull the list to those religious, male and female, who really are in need.
The religious of these liberal, dying communities consider their donors to be saps.
Fr. Richard, how could each of those two religious orders possibly amass $1Million to blithely give away, especially to an unworthy recipient? I’m constantly stunned by the hypocrisy of these plaster saints within our Church.
Money is received through the collection for religious. Also, many own property which they can sell since convents are empty and vocations are none.
These nuns qualify as “nones.”
When I first arrived at my current parish in Downey, CA there was a Jesuit Priest who would come once a month to celebrate Mass. One morning after his Mass I asked him where else he helped with Masses. He said “None”. So I asked if he celebrated Mass on Sundays at L.M.U. He said that he didn’t, as Mass didn’t interest him. He only did it for the money.
That was his last Sunday with us.
I am not at all surprised that LMU has gone Alphabet Soup and WOKE. I’ve known former students from there who think the Catholic Church is archaic and not worth even a visit. I would never recommend anyone visiting the place, let alone become a student there.
It’s well known that the Jesuit community at LMU these days is not attracting men of intellectual heft anymore; they are attracting gay community organizers who are interested in the cozy gay life that Jesuit residences afford while promoting liberal social justice instead of growth in holiness and evangelization.