Jersey City, N.J. – Saint Peter’s College will hold its first Ignatian Heritage Week, a weeklong celebration honoring the College’s Jesuit heritage and tradition, as well as the historic presence of Jesuits around the world. Taking place from Tuesday, March 23, 2010, to Tuesday, March 30, 2010, on the College’s Jersey City campus, Ignatian Heritage Week is a collaboration of performances, films, lectures and presentations that focus on Jesuit identity and principles.
Sponsored by the College’s Jesuit honor society, Alpha Sigma Nu, the celebration begins on March 23 with a campus scavenger hunt for Saint Peter’s College students. On Wednesday, March 24, the Oscar-winning film “The Mission,” a fictionalized but fact-based look at the Jesuit mission to protect the indigenous people of South America, will be shown outdoors in the Quad at 7:00 p.m.
James T. Fisher, Ph.D., professor of theology from Fordham University, will discuss “Jesuit History in Jersey City” on Thursday, March 25, at 7:00 p.m. in Pope Lecture Hall. Dr. Fisher will share how the classic film, “On the Waterfront,” and the work of the late Rev. Peter Corridan, S.J., were major forces in reducing corruption on the docks of Hoboken and New York.
A performance of “The Witness,” a one-act play by Rev. Ernest Ferlita, S.J., will take place on Friday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. in Pope Lecture Hall. The performance is a depiction of the murders of the six Jesuits and their two companions in El Salvador, witnessed by a single woman. On Sunday, March 28, a Mass and social will be held at 9:00 p.m. in Saint Peter Chapel.
On Monday, March 29, at 11:00 a.m. in McIntyre Lounge, Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries, will discuss the topic, “Tattoos on the Heart: Strategies for Working With At-Risk Youth.” He will explain how his work with Homeboy Industries provides love and support for individuals who joined gangs seeking a surrogate family because their homes were emotionally impoverished or destructive.
Closing the week of events on Tuesday, March 30, is Rev. Michel Marcil, S.J., the executive director of the U.S. Catholic China Bureau, who will discuss “China’s Religion Policy Today.” Fr. Marcil will discuss the evolving attitude of the Chinese communist government toward religions, in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the death of missionary Rev. Mateo Ricci, S.J. This event will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the Degnan conference room.
With the exception of the scavenger hunt, all Ignatian Heritage Week events are open to the public, and admission is free.
Saint Peter’s College, founded in 1872, is a Jesuit, Catholic college in the liberal arts tradition located in the heart of Jersey City, N.J., with a branch campus in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and course offerings on the Jersey City Waterfront and at various corporate sites throughout New Jersey. Educating over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 50 programs, Saint Peter’s College is committed to academic excellence and individual attention, preparing students for a lifetime of learning, leadership and service in a diverse and global society.