By Debra K. Mooney
In this Ignatian Year (May 20, 2021-July 31, 2022), Superior General Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J., has called all Jesuits and companions in the Ignatian family to continue in the “service of faith and promotion of social justice” and advance the four Universal Apostolic Preferences 2019-29 (UAPs). This challenge is made amid a global pandemic which certainly makes the charge especially difficult.
I know. While in the depths of the lockdown with no vaccine in sight, I had the wonderful privilege of facilitating campus leaders in weekly gatherings at which we deeply reflected upon the UAPs and considered our leadership in light of each of them. As we were discussing the third preference, “To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future,” one of my colleagues burst out, “If we are going to help our students feel hopeful then WE need to be hopeful. We need to be models!”
I think her insight is quite profound and much weightier than may appear; and we all know that she is right. As the colloquial sayings state: “You can’t take care of anyone else unless you first take care of yourself” or “You can’t give what you don’t have.” So, unless we, first, take care of ourselves, we can’t effectively move on the UAPs and (1) show the way to God, (2) walk with the poor and the outcast, (3) accompany young people, or (4) care for our earth. Conversely, when we are thriving, our deepest humanity radiates and we can effectively be in compassionate service and solidarity with others.
At the present time, personal care and attention is essential. Although we are leaving the COVID-19 pandemic world, social scientists have stated that we are entering a psychological pandemic. A snapshot of college students revealed that 95% had mental health struggles specifically associated with the pandemic. The symptoms include loneliness, anxiety, depression, inattention, and unhealthy eating, sleeping and physical activity; 20% have had a friend or family member die. Globally, 32% of college students desire more well-being and mental health resources from their institution.
Moreover, faculty and staff are similar to students. A survey conducted by the American Council on Education in fall of 2020 found that the top concern of university presidents, from a list of 18, was the mental health of students (70%), next was the mental health of faculty and staff (60%). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 36% of adults report feeling anxious, up from only 6% before the pandemic.
With this psychological pain, how can we be the hopeful and hope-filled models our students need us to be? Feeling as we do, how can we meet Fr. Sosa’s call to address “the large and complex problems like equity and inclusion for those who have been excluded because of race, gender or sexual orientation”? How do we muster the courage to ask necessary justice questions and, as the late Fr. Walter Burghardt, S.J., invited, truly take a long loving look at the real?
Jesuits and companions in the Ignatian higher education family are familiar with cura personalis, Latin meaning “to care for the whole individual person” and with cura apostolica, meaning “care for the ministry or institution.” In this difficult time, I propose a new Ignatian virtue for effective justice advocacy and education: it is cura propria (PROHP-ree-ha), care for oneself.
As I was noodling on this concept of self-care, I consulted my friend and colleague, a professor of classics, Dr. Shannon Byrne; propria is what she considered the best noun-adjective Roman paradigm matching to personalis and apostolica. More importantly, she exclaimed, “If EVER there was a time we needed a ‘curia propria,’ it’s now!”
After sharing my concept of cura propria in a presentation at the Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Education conference, Fr. Daniel McDonald, S.J., Midwest Provincial Assistant for Higher Education, contacted me to discuss the importance of this value. He noted that when St. Ignatius Loyola emphasized the values of cura personalis and apostolica “it came at the light of his time and perhaps a disordered idea of self-abnegation, humility, and service-for-the-other.”
In fact, Ignatius had a period of depression and guilt regarding his vain former life, which included self-denial of adequate food, shelter and clothing, before his spiritual and vocational conversion was completed. This cultural pressure toward maladaptive selflessness also impacted St. Francis Xavier, a fellow founding member of the Society of Jesus. He experienced depression as a young adult and, at the time of his death, was known to be lying “exhausted” and spent from compulsively working and excessive fasting on the shores of an island off of mainland China, his aspirational destination. (To be clear, this extreme deprivation is not the religious customs of fasting and atonements enacted to strengthen one’s faith and relationship to the Divine.)
Unfortunately, similar normative standards exist today. Too often, attention to personal care and wellness is perceived as selfishness, self-absorption, even narcissism. This socio-cultural stronghold is why I consider cura propria a moral good and a contemporary virtue for post-pandemic well-being and service to others. In light of the history of the early founders and with the current societal circumstances, McDonald agrees that there is essential value to cura propria; “Much wiser today is that we take care of ourselves in order to serve, in order to share in the sufferings of others, in order to become genuinely humble.”
I believe that in “reading the signs of the times,” loving care for oneself should be our (new) Ignatian “way of proceeding.” Consequently, I offer four Ignatian tools for curia propria and the strength to build a community of people characterized by love, mercy, equality, and equity:
Identify daily gratitudes Research finds that when we focus on gratitudes we experience many benefits. Intra-personally, we are more optimistic and happy. Interpersonally, we are more empathic and forgiving, helpful and compassionate. Physically, we are more likely to stick to an exercise plan, get good sleep, choose healthy foods and have lower blood pressure. Spiritually, when we attribute the daily uplifts and blessings to the transcendent or Divine, we are “seeking to find God in all things,” which is the foundation of Ignatian spirituality.
Find Inspiration “Inspiration” literally means divine influence and breathing or "God-breathed." So when we are inspired, we are encountering the divine. And when we are inspired we are likely to be inspiring.
Be Patient Fr. James Martin, S.J., shared an important message he received from the late Fr. Daniel Berrigan, S.J., a leading peace activist. When people asked him how many times he’d been in jail, his response was “not enough.” Martin offered the advice that he received from Berrigan when he asked for ways to cope with a specific advocacy setback. Berrigan’s response was surprising given how radical he was known to be. His advice to Martin was to remember that you’re in it for the long haul. This message is a good reminder that justice advocacy and education work is a commitment, like a marathon. It is not a moment.
Engage in an Ignatian Examen Daily This Ignatian prayer helps us to identify gratitudes, find inspiration and God, and to be patient.
In short, it is imperative that we care for ourselves in order to have the spiritual, psychological and physical well-being necessary to be social justice educators, advocates, allies, and promoters. In other words, to fully express our commitment to justice and to live the UAPs in a post-COVID-19 psychological pandemic, we can collectively demonstrate cura personalis and apostolica by forwarding cura propria.
Debra K. Mooney is the chief mission officer at Xavier University and a licensed clinical psychologist. This article is adapted from a statement offered at the virtual “Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education” conference on June 8, 2021.