Moving Forward in Gratitude

Dear Loyola Community,

Welcome to a new academic year and a semester that will in many ways look quite different. Much about our circumstances and ways of coming together have changed over the past several months, but as our community has proven time and time again, the things that make Loyola such a special place remain constant.

We begin the term in a place of gratitude for this commitment of Loyolans — students, families, faculty, and staff—as they embrace opportunities for learning and serving with new modes of education, research, and engagement.

We are grateful for the technology, intelligence, and creativity that enable us to connect across distances. We are thankful for the efforts of scientists, public health professionals, health care workers, and others who equip us to act as people for others; protecting the most vulnerable, keeping ourselves and our communities healthy, and motivating us to deepen and broaden our own work.

Our Ignatian heritage connects the wisdom and experiences of the past to the circumstances and opportunities of the present. Loyola’s Jesuit tradition challenges all of us to go to places that are not easy to reach and where others have not gone. For the early Jesuits, that meant arduous journeys to remote parts of the world. For us today, it means connecting, intentionally and tenaciously, from remote locations. It means navigating uncertainty, juggling multiple demands, and taking care of our families and neighbors. It means reaching deeply and doing all that is required to educate new generations of leaders. It means continuing to focus our energies and resolve on addressing urgent social needs and issues.

At a time when it might have been easier to just withdraw, Ramblers have responded, adapted, and continued to excel. In the days ahead, we will embrace new knowledge, connect with new colleagues, encounter new points of view, and discover new insights about ourselves and the world. We face a new frontier that will challenge us to navigate the constraints and uncertainty with imagination and innovation.

As we begin this new academic year, we are reminded of how critical our Jesuit mission is to our daily work and actions. Each and every member of our community plays a vital role in fulfilling and animating this calling. Please accept my deep and abiding gratitude for your dedication, courage, and love of this commitment. 

Best wishes for a safe, healthy, and successful semester.

 

Sincerely,

Jo Ann Rooney, JD, LLM, EdD