I know we are all stunned and horrified by Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in mass dislocation and suffering, and numerous deaths. I ask you to join me in praying for the people of Ukraine, and for those who are thrust into battle.
Pope Francis has called for “those with political responsibility to examine their consciences seriously before God, who is the God of peace and not of war.” He also called on people of all faiths worldwide to unite in a joint supplication for peace on March 2, Ash Wednesday, by praying and fasting.
The University is reaching out to the students of Ukrainian and Russian backgrounds whom we can identify to offer them support and resources. Various departments and offices across the University are also mobilizing resources for members of our community affected by the war. In the meanwhile, below is a list of Fordham offices for anyone who needs assistance.
Please know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers tonight.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Lincoln Center
140 West 62nd Street, Room G-02
Phone: (212) 636-6225
Rose Hill
O’Hare Hall, Basement
Phone: (718) 817-3725
Campus Ministry
Rose Hill
McGinley Center 102
441 E. Fordham Rd.
Bronx, NY 10458
Phone: (718) 817-4500
[email protected]
Lincoln Center
Lowenstein 217
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 636-6267
[email protected]
University Health Services
[email protected]
Lincoln Center: (212) 636-7160
Rose Hill: (718) 817-4160
Office of Multicultural Affairs
https://www.fordham.edu/info/20908/multicultural_affairs
Office of the Chief Diversity Officer
https://www.fordham.edu/info/29887/diversity_resources
Department of Public Safety
(718) 817-2222
I write to you this evening to inform you that Friday, June 19, will be a paid holiday for all Fordham employees this year, and every year thereafter, in observance of Juneteenth, the date upon which news of emancipation finally reached Galveston, Texas.
It was on June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger along with more than 1,800 federal troops arrived to take control of the state, nearly two months after the end of the Civil War, confirming the freedom of the last remaining enslaved persons in the deepest parts of the South. Gen. Granger actually read the Proclamation to the enslaved persons that day in Galveston. The 13th Amendment was ratified six months later, in December of 1865.
If you sense that we came to this decision suddenly, you are correct: in the wake of Governor Cuomo’s executive order recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday for state employees this year, a number of you in the University community today asked about Fordham’s intentions to follow suit. We heard you, and we are. (The governor will push for legislation to establish June 19 as an official state holiday next year and thereafter, making New York the 48th state to do so.)
I have attached two documents as aids to our shared day of thought and prayer. Happily, there are also many new and excellent anti-racist resources now available, including a Black Lives Matter resource guide from Rafael Zapata, our chief diversity officer. In addition, Campus Ministry, the Center for Community Engaged Learning, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs will be sharing details tomorrow about a slate of virtual programming to be offered Friday.
In many ways this new Fordham holiday is a symbolic measure, and I will be announcing more concrete actions by the University soon. But symbols matter. Symbols inspire, symbols console, symbols define what—and whom—we care about. I hope you will take this holiday in that spirit.
Finally, know that I keep all of you, and especially our Black brothers and sisters, in my prayers during these troubled and troubling times. I will truly pray that what we are seeing now are the birthing pains of a nation that lives up to its promise of freedom and equality for all.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.
]]>It is with a heavy and (let me be honest here) angry heart that I write to you today. I suspect that your hearts are also angry and heavy with sorrow. And how could we not be angry, dismayed and sorrowful at this moment? In the course of the past few painful months, we have witnessed the savage and senseless killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, as well as many other instances of violence—lethal and not—against people of color in the United States. That is not to mention the longstanding economic violence against people of color and their communities in this country, and the widespread, systemic and shameful disregard for the value of their lives in the eyes of others. (We have seen this systemic disregard quite clearly during the COVID-19 pandemic: amid the suffering across the country, and especially in the Bronx, communities of color were and are more vulnerable and more harshly affected than are white communities.)
I do not think I have to convince any of you that these acts and this state of affairs are sinful and immoral, and that they go against everything that a Jesuit university stands for. I do, however, think that some of our fellow citizens need to be reminded that they are happening every day in our very midst—in our own communities. Although we don’t all like to admit it, people of color—and let’s be frank, especially Black people—live lives of relentlessly hostile scrutiny, and they have been telling us so since the ink on the Thirteenth Amendment was barely dry. Four years ago, when we were confronted with a sadly similar shameful moment, former President Obama wrote that, “When incidents like this occur, there’s a big chunk of our fellow citizenry that feels as if because of the color of their skin, they are not being treated the same. And that hurts. And that should trouble all of us. This is not just a black issue. It’s not just a Hispanic issue. This is an American issue that we should all care about. All fair-minded people should be concerned.” And he was and is right. The problems that we must confront belong to all of us. Therefore, we need to own up to them. We have to own them. All of us. Their solutions also need to be owned by everyone, but especially by our leaders and those in positions of authority and influence.
Yesterday, in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s death former President Obama once again issued a statement that said, in part, “…we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly ‘normal’ — whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.”
As you might imagine, I found myself returning to President Obama’s haunting reflections over and over again in the course of the past few days. And I was made uneasy by them—in the best possible sense of that word. For you see, I heard in them the unmistakable ring of truth. And that truth pierced me to the heart. Therefore, I asked myself how the Fordham family can and should respond to the challenges that the events of past week have presented to us. Of course, as a community of faith, we will pray for the repose of the souls of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. We will also pray for their families as they wrestle with the losses they have suffered in and through the deaths of those whom they loved so dearly. That goes without saying, and I ask you to join me in those fervent prayers.
But, let’s be honest. That is not enough. We must do more. We are a university community. Therefore, we must also recommit ourselves to the work that is proper to us as an academic community. A university’s greatest strength is its intellectual capital—the research, teaching, and learning that occurs both in and outside of the classroom. It is our central mission, and the one on which we expend the great majority of our budget and most of our energy—intellectual and moral. Tapping into these strengths and assets, we must recommit ourselves to the work of educating for justice and to doing all we can to figure out how our beloved nation, to paraphrase President Abraham Lincoln, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all are created equal, has allowed itself to stray from the ideals (and the promises those ideals hold out to all) upon which it was founded.
We are not, however, merely a university community. We are a Jesuit university community. And what does that mean for us and the work we must undertake? As I have told you before, I believe that the issues that divide and challenge our nation are moral issues. Therefore, I believe that precisely because we are a Jesuit institution, we have a special responsibility to reflect on the events of the past week and on the challenges that they have created for our nation in particularly moral terms. What do I mean? Just this: We can remind our students (and ourselves) that the situation in which the nation now finds itself is one that requires us to engage in an honest examination of conscience and consciousness so that we can be what God wants us to be. If we are willing to engage in this examination of consciousness, we will be able to take the first step toward the conversion of heart that will free us from the bondage of anger, frustration, and suspicion that holds us back.
I will not lie to you. The work of conversion is hard. And frequently it takes time. A long time. But I assure you that it is worth the exertion that it requires. The death of innocents calls us to it. The Gospel that has always stood at the center of our life and mission calls us to it. Therefore, let us all look into our hearts and see what justice would look like for the communities of color that are languishing and being crushed under the weight of racism in our country. Let us take to heart the loving invitation contained in the message issued on Friday by the United States Catholic Conference: “Encounter the people who historically have been disenfranchised [and]continue to experience sadness and pain and more authentically accompany them, listen to their stories, and learn from them, finding substantive ways to enact systemic change. Such encounters will start to bring about the needed transformation of our understanding of true life, charity, and justice in the United States.”
As I said, the work of conversion is hard, but if we commit ourselves to its rigors, we will be able to redeem the promises of our founding ideals for all of our citizens, who are (in the eyes of God) our brothers and sisters. Our beloved brothers and sisters.
You are in my thoughts and prayers today and every day.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.
]]>The pain and suffering visited upon innocent children can never be redeemed. Whatever paths their lives have taken, they will always bear the scars of their abuse. In using their spiritual authority to justify the abuse, these priests have despoiled the Gospel and diminished their victims’ capacity for love, trust, and faith.
As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Fordham unequivocally condemns the actions of the clergy and others who perpetrated and enabled the victimization of so many innocent children. In the coming weeks and months, we will explore how the University can rebuild trust that has been strained or broken by the horrific actions beyond our campus but within the Catholic community. I hope you will join our community as we pray for the victims’ healing and recovery.
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.
]]>From the statement: “The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the direction of Pope Francis, has instructed Cardinal McCarrick that he is no longer to exercise publicly his priestly ministry. Cardinal McCarrick, while maintaining his innocence, has accepted the decision.”
The Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., also issued a statement, revealing that Cardinal McCarrick had been accused of engaging in sexual behavior with adults: “This Archdiocese and the Diocese of Metuchen received three allegations of sexual misconduct with adults decades ago; two of these allegations resulted in settlements.”
Joseph Cardinal Tobin, archbishop of Newark, wrote in the statement:
I recognize that the people of our Archdiocese meet the announcement by the Archdiocese of New York of a credible and substantiated claim of abuse of a minor by Cardinal McCarrick with a range of emotions. I am thinking particularly of those who have experienced the trauma of sexual abuse by clergy – whose lives have been impacted tragically by abuse. To those survivors, their families and loved ones, I offer my sincere apologies and my commitment of prayer and action to support you in your healing.
Accordingly, the University Board of Trustees has voted to rescind Cardinal McCarrick’s honorary degree and other honors the University has conferred upon him. In taking these steps, we acknowledge the extraordinary and long-lasting harm done to children who were sexually abused by clergy members. While we can never fully repair the sins of the past, we must respect the experience of abuse survivors, and accord them all the love and compassion of which we are capable.
Joseph M. McShane, SJ, President
]]>It is with profound sorrow that I write to tell you that Dr. Stephen Freedman, beloved Provost of the University, died suddenly at his home in Hastings on Hudson last evening.
It is hard to overstate what a shocking and terrible loss this is to Stephen’s wife, Eileen; his sons, Zac and Noah; his grandson Aaron; and his friends and colleagues here at Fordham and in the academic community.
For more than a decade, Stephen has served Fordham tirelessly. He was known for his devotion to the faculty, students, and the academic community, and for his commitment to research and a global university. He was a warm and insightful friend and colleague, and a man of deep conviction and rectitude. Stephen’s death is a grievous loss not just for his family and Fordham friends, but for everyone who knew him. We will miss him terribly.
I have asked Dr. Jonathan Crystal to serve as interim vice president and chief academic officer. We will form a search committee in the following weeks.
We will share information on services for Stephen as soon as they are available. In the interim, I know you join me in keeping his family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.
It is hard to understand, much less countenance, the failure of empathy that such a policy represents. To traumatize children and their families for attempting to enter the United States is not merely the amoral application of national policy, but an unambiguously evil act which must be understood for what it is, and vigorously opposed by people of good will.
As a Jesuit, Catholic University, we are committed to the care of, and compassion for, the most vulnerable members of society, regardless of their race, religion, citizenship, or national origin. We will be judged not just by our actions in these troubled times, but by our lack of action. Therefore, I urge that you contact your elected representatives to state your opposition to this heartless and despicable practice, and to lend your voice to those who are committed to ending it.
While we cannot cure all the suffering in the world, our collective conscience calls upon us to do whatever we can to bring to an end the miseries inflicted upon vulnerable, desperate children and their families through these despicable actions.
Joseph M. McShane, S.J., President
Fordham University
The leadership of Fordham University, and indeed all people of good will, are horrified by the losses of innocent lives in the Parkland shooting, as well as the many other school shootings that have occurred in recent years. The University stands with Fordham students who demonstrate against this horrific violence, as do so many students across the country.
The University strongly advocates that our students turn their concern into action by leading letter-writing campaigns to Washington and to the legislatures in their home states. This is an essential step if we wish to effect change. Fordham University affirms that it is not only a civic responsibility to curtail gun violence, but a mandate dictated by Catholic, Jesuit teachings on the the sanctity of life.
In accord with that position and the University’s demonstration policy, currently enrolled Fordham students will face no student conduct sanctions for peaceful and respectful demonstrations against gun violence on or off campus.
Students who apply for admission to Fordham University should be confident that being disciplined for participation in peaceful demonstrations against gun violence will have no adverse effect on their admission decisions.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.