Those of us in Jesuit higher education often talk about ‘justice’ and its importance to our mission and work . . . but why is it such an integral part of Jesuit identity? And, what does ‘justice’ actually mean? In a keynote address in October 2000, Father Peter Hans-Kolvenbach, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, challenged Jesuit educational institutions to integrate justice and service into the core of student learning. In commemoration of the Year of the City and of our new office name, the Center for Community Service and Justice is sponsoring a series of events about justice—its meanings, its applications, and its implications for action—to create a forum for exploration of this important topic.

We are pleased to announce that our opening speaker of the “Why Justice?” series will be Sr. Charmaine Krohe, SSND, founder and former director of the St. Ambrose Center in the Park Heights neighborhood in Baltimore. For over 30 years, Sr. Charmaine lived and worked with residents of the neighborhood. Together they addressed the economic, social and political needs of the community. Most recently, Sr. Charmaine directed Loyola’s effort to receive and host over 80 university students from New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. She has devoted her life to the pursuit of justice, and we believe that her words and her spirit will challenge us to consider in a deeper way what justice means to each of us, and how we can operationalize it. In addition, Father Timothy Brown, SJ, Provincial of the Maryland Province, will offer some concluding remarks about the role of justice in Jesuit higher education. As co-founder of the Center for Values and Service (now the Center for Community Service and Justice), Father Brown has had a significant influence on the role of service and justice on Loyola’s campus.

We invite members of the Loyola and Baltimore communities to join us for lunch and conversation with Sr. Charmaine and Father Brown on Thursday, September 21 from 12:00-1:30 p.m. in McGuire Hall. We look forward to seeing you there.