Dear Parents, Alumni, Alumni Parents, Benefactors, and Friends of Jesuit High School:

As we approach Thanksgiving, I am reminded of this Thanksgiving Prayer by W.E.B. Dubois.  It is his take on Psalm 100:

Give us thankful hearts, O God, in this the season of Thy Thanksgiving. 
May we be thankful for health and strength, for sun and rain and peace. 
Let us seize the day and the opportunity and strive for that greatness of spirit that  
     measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities,
and let us ever remember that true gratitude and appreciation shows itself neither in
     independence nor satisfaction but passes the gift joyfully on in larger and better form.

This Thanksgiving, I have a grateful heart for all the members of the greater Jesuit High School community.  Thank you for your belief in, support of, and commitment to our mission of the education and formation of the young men we are so blessed to have in the school year after year. 

In renewing our “Ignatian Spirit”— that spirit and tradition of St. Ignatius Loyola, the Founder of the Jesuits — our faculty, staff, students, and members of our Board of Trustees have had opportunities to deepen and strengthen our faith in the God of life and love.  We are now expanding this renewal to include all of you.

As we move into the holiday season, I invite you to enjoy celebrations of our spirituality and the arts along with our students. One special tradition, now in its eleventh year, is Lessons and Carols: An Evening of Prayer and Song, on December 9 and 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Jeffrey ’80 and Elizabeth Phelan Chapel of the North American Martyrs on the Jesuit campus. This traditional Advent and Christmas program is arranged and performed by the Jesuit Chamber Singers, Jesuit Drama, and the St. Francis High School Chamber Singers.

Additionally, before the Tuesday, December 10 performance, we will have a special Ignatian Pre-lection: Praying with Lessons & Carols, at 6:45 p.m. in the Chapel; this 20-minute presentation will include a brief history of Lessons & Carols and will provide an opportunity to prepare for the experience of the music and texts that follow. All are welcome.

I hope you can join us for one or both of these renewal opportunities.  We look forward to welcoming you to the Jesuit campus. And, in the new year, we will be providing several more opportunities for our broader Jesuit community to come together in the tradition of St. Ignatius.

Please know that when I celebrate Mass on Thanksgiving Day, I will remember all of you in my prayers of gratitude. 

Sincerely,

Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J.
President

P.S. Words of gratitude are often inspiring; I invite you to watch the video recording of the testimonials shared recently by alumnus Tim Jeffries ’81 and current student Edgar Benitez ’20 at Jesuit’s 2nd Annual Scholarship Luncheon.