28 Years

It was twenty-eight years ago that I entered the Society of Jesus with 14 others. Many of the fifteen of us remain, beating the statistics re: perseverance in religious life/priesthood.

I don't have a lot of memories of our entrance day except this one -- forgive me, Jim O'Leary, SJ, for telling it.

Jim took a long puff on a cigarette before going into a Mass for us and our parents/families. He was standing with his parents, my mom, my Aunt Rita, and me. After taking that puff, he exclaimed as he flicked the butt into the flower pot (such was done in those days!), "Well, that's my last cigarette." Chapter Two of this vignette takes place after Mass. My mother, my aunt, and I were standing outside, and Jim came up to us: "Mrs. Connell, can I bum a cigarette."

Incidentally, Jim, whom I haven't seen in some years, remains among the top five funniest Jesuits I know. An example of his wit: In theological studies preparing for ordination there was a decree from the superior of the scholastics that under no circumstance were they to step foot in a bar. Jim, a good Irish lad known to step foot in a pub now and again, was heard to say on the way out of the meeting where this was decreed (so it was reported), "Any establishment that sells a bag of chips is a restaurant in my mind."

Happy Anniversary classmates!

Usiku mwema. (Good night)