A New Path to Reconciliation: the Jesuits and Slaveholding
Speaker: Fr. Timothy Kesicki, SJ
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Detroit Athletic Club Pavilion
241 Madison St.
Detroit, Michigan
Jesuits have been at the forefront of Catholic Education in the United States since we first reached the Chesapeake Bay in 1633. The Jesuits have labored not only to teach, but to form young women and men to become moral leaders. The Jesuits in the United States are grateful to have an American heritage but know that the earliest foundation was built on enslaved labor and the sale of human life. In 2016 leaders began to meet the living Descendants of this tragic history and they have invited the Jesuits to partner with them in a mission of truth, reconciliation, and justice. Father Kesicki will share the vision of this partnership and the hope it offers for our nation and our Church.
Speaker Bio: Father Timothy P. Kesicki, SJ, works with the Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Foundation, a new partnership between Descendants of Jesuit slaveholding and the Society of Jesus in the United States. He just completed his tenure as president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States in September 2021. Prior to leading the Jesuit Conference, Fr. Kesicki served from 2008 through 2014 as the Provincial of the Chicago-Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus.
Father Kesicki has ministered and taught in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and worked with Jesuit Refugee Service in Adjumani, Uganda following his ordination. In Detroit, Fr. Kesicki taught at both University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Loyola High School, and served as a weekend assistant at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower. Fr. Kesicki served as president of Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland from 2000 – 2008.
Program Details
11:30 a.m. – Doors Open (check in and registration)
12:00 p.m. – Lunch Begins
12:15 p.m. – Program Begins
Please note that all Covid protocols in place at the time of the event will be followed. The Detroit Athletic Club Pavilion is an outdoor venue.
Save the Date
Upcoming Joint Grand Traverse / Detroit JFAN event
Speaker: Fr. Patrick Kelly, SJ
Saturday, August 20, 2022
Omena, Michigan
Speaker Bio: Father Patrick Kelly, SJ, is associate professor of religious studies at University of Detroit Mercy. A native of the Detroit area, he had a passion for playing sports when young and played three sports in high school as well as football in college. His first book was Catholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times (Paulist Press, 2012), about which the prominent social scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi said, “It would be a great loss if this book were to be read only by historians of religion, because the clarity, vigor and profound knowledge contained in it will inform and fascinate anyone who is interested in the broader context of mind and society where religion evolves.” In addition to many other writings, he subsequently edited the book Youth Sport and Spirituality: Catholic Perspectives (Notre Dame Press, 2015). His latest book, Play, Sport and Spirit: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry, will be published by Paulist Press in 2023. Fr. Kelly’s writings have led him to be invited to work in collaboration with Vatican offices about the topic of sport over the years, including helping to revise the first-ever book length document published by the Catholic Church about sports, “Giving the Best of Yourself”.
Stay tuned for more information and event registration.
Past Events
On Tuesday, May 11, Coach John Beilein spoke on “The Impact My Jesuit Education Has Had On My Life As a Leader and Coach” before a sold out crowd at the Detroit Athletic Club. If you missed his presentation, you can watch the video below.
Past Events
For a description of past JFAN Detroit events, click here.
About JFAN Detroit
The Jesuit Friends and Alumni Network (JFAN) of Detroit serves as a networking and fellowship organization for those with connection to the Jesuits. The Jesuit Friends and Alumni of Detroit gathers for food, fellowship, and inspiration.
Facebook: facebook.com/jfandetroit
Tom Szczepanski– Chair
Email: Tom.Sz.Det@gmail.com
Phone: 734-276-5850
Frank Brady, Chair WUJA Congress
Email fjbradyjr@gmail.com
Phone: 313-909-4381
Gary Wright, SJ – Jesuit Liaison
Email: wrightgr@udmercy.edu
Phone: 313-993-1680