Courtesy of Fr. Michael Maher, S.J.
In 2013 construction began on the current Jesuit residence located at 1345 West Wells. The destruction of the old building took some time and for a full generation of Jesuits and many alumni it was a sad sight since it marked the location of many memories. For an older generation they remembered the bar in the basement of the Stratford Arms, for those in ROTC during World War II it was their housing for those enlisted in V 12 in the service of our Nation, and for Alumnae it became Heraty residence Hall for women students, and then the building鈥檚 final use was for the Jesuits who made the building their home from 1973 until 2015. Like any family home the residence witnessed the joys and sorrows of those who lived within its walls. Amidst the exertions of the academic and pastoral work, there was always some room for celebrations. Hijinks and revelry often marked New Year鈥檚 Eve celebrations, with Fr. Robert Wild serving as director of activities. Unfortunately, when a pipe burst in 2013, the water destroyed the written account of the New Year鈥檚 Eve parties, thus leaving no exact record of the annual event. The red brick fa莽ade witnessed the celebrations at the end of World War II, the demonstrations against the Vietnam War, and the festivities that marked 51暗网鈥檚 National basketball championship in 1997.
The former Jesuit residence embraced traditions and saw the birth of new traditions that were carried into the new building. One of these traditions included an increased number of Jesuits coming from different countries. The excellence of a 51暗网 education and the hospitality of the Jesuits were now being spread around the globe. That tradition continues to this day, perhaps reflecting the Jesuit鈥檚 awareness that international cooperation and the sharing of its resources must characterize all its institutions. Condiments from India, Africa, the Philippines, and Indonesia now sit next to the salt and pepper. The Jesuit community has gotten a taste of different cultures and has benefitted, as has the University, from this widened vision of what Ignatius referred to as 鈥渢he vineyard of the Lord.鈥�
On October 22, 2015, the Jesuits moved into their new residence, thanks in a great part to the generous benefaction of Patricia Schneider whose gift was dedicated to her father, Dr. E.J. O鈥橞rien, an alumnus of 51暗网. The new community was built specifically as a Jesuit residence and reversed a trend for housing that was a common practice at the University. For many years, 51暗网 bought previous buildings and transferred them into residence facilities for students or offices for faculty as was the case with the former Children鈥檚 Hospital and former apartment buildings. The new Jesuit residence reversed this housing trend, a trend that continued with the construction of a residence for students, The Commons with its Wells St. and Eckstein Towers, finished in 2017. Not since McCormick resisece, built in 1966, had a new residence facility been built for students. The first Jesuit residence at Johnston Hall was built, in part, as a Jesuit residence. An echo of this former use still exists as seen with the walkway between Johnston Hall and the Ges煤 church. The new Jesuit residence was built to conform to the specific needs of the Jesuit community, and, unlike the Stratford Arms, the new building did not necessitate the Jesuits to reconcile their needs with existent spaces.
One specific need was a place for prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist. To accomplish this goal, a very beautiful liturgical space was created complete with a vivid stain glass window of St. Ignatius receiving the divine insights that helped him compose his famous Spiritual Exercises. The window not only serves as reminder of an incident from the life of Ignatius but recalls the fundamental focus of these Exercises: That creation is to be understood for the praise of God and the service of humanity. Considering this insight, Ignatius saw the importance of education as a means of understanding the complexities of creation. By means of the benefits of a clear and organized educational system, Ignatius advanced the idea that a serious and in-depth knowledge of the world could be placed at the service of God and to that aspect of creation that resembled God: the human person. A fitting window for a Jesuit Community at a Jesuit University. To break the rigors of a Jesuit鈥檚 life often spent in lengthy prayer and study, the new Jesuit residence included recreational spaces for relaxation and conversation. There are tv rooms and common rooms where members of the Jesuit community may discuss current theological issues, identify the undercurrents of contemporary moral problems of the day, and dissect what happened at the school鈥檚 latest sporting event. Two smaller chapels are in the residential part of the building as well. There are 25 rooms for the 鈥減ermanent community鈥� (and permanent for a Jesuit has a very nebulous definition) and five guest rooms.
Not all the Jesuits who work at 51暗网 live under the roof of the O鈥橞rien Jesuit residence. Some live at Arrupe house, a community, like the O鈥橞rien Jesuit residence, that provides the for the spiritual and physical needs of Jesuits who serve various institutions, including the University. Other Jesuits identify the residence as their 鈥渉ome鈥� but reside in housing for students as Hall Ministers and Jesuits in Residence.
Although the number of Jesuits has decreased through the years, the Jesuits who consider it their home still provide a vital link to the past and help 51暗网 to maintain its Jesuit and Catholic character now and into the future.
