To
C
elebrate. To
H I onor. To
nspire.
THE LEO J. O’DONOVAN, SJ FUND FOR JESUIT EDUCATION
TO CELEBRATE. TO HONOR. TO INSPIRE.
T “Little by little, I realized … what I hoped I might be, if I were worthy of it, was a minister in the Church.” —Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ
Ordination, Woodstock College, 1966
he beloved prayer offered by generations of Jesuits begins: Lord, teach me to be generous. Father Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ embodies the spirit of generosity. Over his lifetime, he has given countless gifts—love, compassion, wisdom, leadership, humor and, above all, friendship. We are now asking Leo’s friends to give a gift in return. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, Leo’s home Province, is creating the Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ Fund for Jesuit Education. The Fund will help to support aspiring Jesuits on their journey of formation. This gift represents the culmination of Leo’s exceptional work. It celebrates his fidelity to his Jesuit vocation, and honors his service to the Church and those in his pastoral care. And it creates a legacy for all future Jesuits, who will continue to be inspired by Leo’s exemplary life. We invite you to join us in giving generously to the Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ Fund.
A MAN FOR OTHERS Father Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ
A
compassionate priest, a brilliant scholar, a consummate friend. There is no simple way to describe Father Leo J. O’Donovan. Perhaps his successor as Georgetown president, John J. DeGioia, said it best: “Everyone who comes into his presence feels better for having had that opportunity.”
the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters,” said his longtime friend Father Brian McDermott, SJ. “They were superb educators.” Leo then entered Iona Preparatory School and graduated with a dozen scholarship offers from colleges. He chose Georgetown. A Calling to Serve
After 80 years, Leo’s voice still resonates with the sounds of New York. The son of Margaret and Leo J. O’Donovan, Jr., he grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Early on, he acquired a great love of the arts, accompanying his parents to the opera, concerts, museums and classic films. The family belonged to Corpus Christi Church in Morningside Heights, where Leo met his first spiritual mentor, Father George Barry Ford, who also served as chaplain at Columbia University. Leo attended the parish grammar school. “Over all the years of his education, his finest experience was at Corpus Christi with
Leo O’Donovan arrived on the Hilltop in 1952 with the intention of becoming a psychiatrist. After two years, he switched to a double major in English and philosophy. “I had wonderful professors in the pre-med program,” he said. “Little by little, though, I realized it wasn’t psychiatry, but another service of people’s inner life that I was most interested in.” Leo graduated first in his class, earning a Fulbright Scholarship to study in France. There he made the life-changing decision to enter the Society of Jesus. “What I hoped I might be, if I were worthy of it, was a minister in the Church.”
1930
1940
1950
1960
1934 Born in Far Rockaway, NY
1940-48 Attended Corpus Christi Grammar School, New York City
1952 Graduation from Iona Preparatory School, New Rochelle, NY
1966 Ordination, Woodstock College, Woodstock, MD
An Isle of Joy
1956 Graduation from Georgetown University, summa cum laude 1956-57 Fulbright Scholarship, L’Université de Lyon, France 1957 Entered the Society of Jesus
Circa 1938
Circa 1946
Left to right: Freshman Class Officer, 1953. Graduation photo, 1956. Presenting Father Edward Bunn, SJ with Quiz Bowl award, 1956. (Source: 1953 and 1956 Ye Domesday Booke)
Priest, Scholar, Theologian
In September 1957, Leo embarked on the long spiritual and intellectual journey required in his formation as a Jesuit. He was ordained a priest in 1966 and pronounced his Final Vows in 1977. In the interim, he pursued graduate studies and received his Th.D. from the University of Münster in Germany, studying under renowned theologian Karl Rahner. After several decades of distinguished service as a professor of systematic theology, Leo was called to serve as formation director for the Maryland Province. “We shared a joy in being involved with the formation of younger Jesuits,” said Father McDermott. In 1989, with the retirement of Father Timothy Healy, SJ, Leo was named the 47th president of Georgetown. “Jesuits are called to be contemplatives in action,” he said. “I hope that my work may be in many respects a kind of applied theology.”
greatly enhanced the institution’s academic stature, crafted a new campus architectural plan, and launched the Third Century Campaign. Most significantly, Leo reinforced and reinvigorated Georgetown’s core identity as a Catholic, Jesuit university. Upon his retirement as president in 2001, Leo was presented with the university’s highest alumni honor, the John Carroll Award. Two years later, the Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall opened on campus—affectionately known as “Leo’s.” Forever a Pastor
Assuming the presidency in Georgetown’s bicentennial year, Leo had a profound impact on shaping the university’s future. He
Returning to New York, Leo dove into the next stage of his life: visiting professor, contributing author on theology and art criticism, board member and fundraiser. And he remains at heart a pastor, constantly in demand to officiate at weddings and baptisms. “People ask me all the time what it’s like to be retired,” he said, “and I wonder, ‘Who are they talking about?’” An inveterate correspondent, Leo closes his letters with a simple “God Bless.” In bringing Leo J. O’Donovan into our lives, God has indeed blessed us all.
1970
1980
1990
1971 Th.D. in theology, University of Münster, Germany
1985-88 Province Assistant for Formation, Maryland Province Jesuits
Returning to the Hilltop
2000 2009-12 Co-chair of St. Claude La Colombière Jesuit Community campaign 2014 Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ Fund for Jesuit Education established
1971-74 Assistant Professor of Theology, Woodstock College, NY 1974-89 Professor of Theology, Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Cambridge, MA (on leave 1985-88 for formation work) 1977 Final Vows, Weston Jesuit Community, Cambridge, MA
1989-2001 47th President of Georgetown University, Washington, DC
1971
2002-13 Visiting Professor at Fordham University, Union Theological Seminary, General Theological Seminary
CELEBRATING A LIFE, CREATING A LEGACY The Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ Fund for Jesuit Education
F
rom the time of his entrance into the Society of Jesus in 1957, the centerpiece of Leo O’Donovan’s life has been his Jesuit calling as a priest and an educator. The greatest gift we can give in celebration of his life is to perpetuate his extraordinary legacy of service. New Frontiers Beckon
The Society of Jesus today is the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church. In their ministries, Jesuits “go anywhere in the world where there is hope for God’s greater glory.” Since the election of Pope Francis, we have been gratified to see an increase in the number of men who are considering becoming a Jesuit, providing us a unique opportunity to extend our outreach and meet the demands of a changing world. The Formation of a Jesuit
The path for Jesuit preparation lasts approximately a decade, focusing on prayer, service and engagement in the world. At the same time, it is an intensely personal journey, as each member in formation seeks to discover his “availability for mission.”
The formation process unfolds in five stages, beginning with a two-year Novitiate program leading to First Vows. Three years of graduate study in philosophy and theology and several years of active ministry known as Regency follow. In the fourth stage, individuals pursue additional graduate studies in theology in preparation for ordination. The final stage of formation, a year of spiritual renewal called Tertianship, leads to Final Vows and full incorporation in the Society of Jesus. Your Gift to the Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ Fund
Each Jesuit in formation is fully supported by his home province, which assumes all costs for education, housing, travel and other expenses. These costs average $45,000 to $50,000 per year, totaling approximately $500,000 for each individual over ten years. Your generous gift to the Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ Fund will help us to meet these costs as we welcome new young men to the Society of Jesus. You will enable us to carry forward our critically important work, preparing future generations to minister, teach and provide comfort to all those in need. You will also be contributing to a vital legacy that will honor, in perpetuity, our friend Leo.
“It is essential to give young Jesuits a human, spiritual, intellectual and ecclesial formation as deep, strong and vibrant as possible …” — 35th General Congregation, Society of Jesus
THE LEO J. O’DONOVAN, SJ FUND FOR JESUIT EDUCATION
S
ince his entry into the Society of Jesus in 1957, Father Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ has devoted himself wholly to his Jesuit calling as priest and educator. To celebrate his 80th year, we are creating the Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ Fund to support the education of future generations of Jesuits. This Fund will honor Leo’s life of service and ensure that his legacy endures. GIFT OPPORTUNITIES
Our goal is to secure $500,000 in initial contributions to establish the Fund. We invite you to consider one of the following gift opportunities, donating individually or as a group by class year or other affiliation. • Hoya gift of $1,000 to commemorate Leo’s graduation
from Georgetown University, 1956 • Entrance gift of $5,000 to commemorate Leo entering
the Society of Jesus, 1957 • Vow gift of $15,000 to commemorate Leo taking
First Vows, 1959 • Ordination gift of $25,000 to commemorate Leo’s
ordination as a Jesuit priest, 1966 • Leadership gift of $50,000 to commemorate Leo’s
election as president of Georgetown University, 1989 • Birthday gift of $100,000 to commemorate the 80th
anniversary of Leo’s birth, 1934 All gifts will be recognized in a commemorative booklet to be presented to Father O’Donovan in celebration of the Fund’s establishment.
WAYS TO MAKE YOUR GIFT
We invite you to contribute to the Leo J. O’Donovan, SJ Fund in one of the following ways: Cash or Check: Using the envelope provided, you may
make a cash gift or contribute by personal check, cashier’s check or money order. Please make checks payable to Maryland Province Jesuits Fund. Online Donation: To make a gift online using your credit
card, go to http://www.mdsj.org/donations.html. Please select “Formation Fund” in designating your gift. All online gifts are processed through our secure server. Gift Pledge: You may make a pledge that is payable over
one, two or three years. Please contact Sherri Weil, Director of Advancement at the Maryland Province, for further information (see below). Bequest: A bequest may be made in your will or trust
directing a gift to the Maryland Province Jesuits. Matching Gift: If your employer provides matching gifts,
you can double or triple the impact of your personal gift. If you itemize on your tax returns, your gift to the Jesuits will allow you to receive a full charitable income tax deduction. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sherri Weil Director of Advancement Maryland Province Jesuits 8600 LaSalle Road, Suite 620 Towson, MD 21286 443.921.1331 sweil@mdsj.org www.mdsj.org
ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF JESUS AND THE MARYLAND PROVINCE
Love ought to show itself in deeds more than words. —St. Ignatius Loyola
F
ounded in 1540 by St. Ignatius Loyola, the Society of Jesus serves educational, pastoral and spiritual ministries in 127 nations around the world. The foundation of Ignatian spirituality is the understanding that God is present and active in our everyday lives. In the United States, there are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities, 60 high schools and 15 middle schools with a shared goal of developing competent, compassionate and committed leaders in the service of the Church and the Society of Jesus. With roots dating back to the 1600s, the Maryland Province is the oldest Jesuit province in the U.S. and supports more than 300 Jesuits in a variety of missions. It encompasses nine states from Southern New Jersey to Georgia, and the District of Columbia. For further information, contact Sherri Weil, Director of Advancement, at 443.921.1331 or sweil@mdsj.org.
Maryland Province Jesuits 8600 LaSalle Road, Suite 620, Towson, MD 21286 www.mdsj.org
Maryland Province Jesuits • 8600 LaSalle Road, Suite 620, Towson, MD 21286