The Gift of Time: Companions to the Companions

By Grace Rice

The notion of Jesuits as “companions” dates back to the earliest days of the Society of Jesus, when St. Ignatius of Loyola and his circle of friends came to see themselves as each other’s companions, as well as companions of Jesus.

“We are companions to the companions of Jesus,” Pat Gillick says, describing his work at the St. Camillus senior Jesuit community. Gillick works alongside his old friend, Pete Donegan. As former Jesuits themselves (pictured with their former classmates in this magazine’s table of contents), they can connect with the Jesuits at St. Camillus in a way that the typical lay person might not be able to. Donegan and Gillick’s work varies from day to day, from excursions to Milwaukee to helping the men cook their own meals, to hearing the Jesuits relay stories of their years in the Society.

The job is rooted in occupying the Jesuits’ days meaningfully, which can be a challenging task after the colorful lives these men have lived. Gillick says, “It’s a privilege to be a companion to great men who are coming to the end of their days and letting go.”

For other Jesuits, slowing down at St. Camillus can mean having the time to learn new skills, specifically drawing and painting. Janet Merkel, mother of Creighton University’s Fr. Thomas Merkel, SJ, has been teaching art classes to the Jesuits at St. Camillus for 14 years now. The endeavor began somewhat serendipitously. A Jesuit happened to be admiring a painting done by Janet Merkel’s mother one day. Merkel explains, “He said to me ‘This is a really lovely painting. I’d always wanted to learn how to draw, but I never had the time or the opportunity.’ I said ‘Really? I think I could teach you.’ And that is how it began.”

Merkel’s students start off with the basics: drawing with graphite. From there, they can move onto watercolor pencils and eventually, watercolor and acrylic paints. Different Jesuits have different skill levels, and she tailors her course to each individual. Although Merkel had taught classes to seniors before, she finds that there is something different about her time with the Jesuits. “It started off simply as teaching, but it became a mission. I like to see people be happy drawing. I think that the art has a lot of reflection in it and time for the creativity of God to be explored,” she says.

Return to Jesuits Magazine Summer 2020 Index

David Inczauskis, SJ

David was born in Hinsdale, Illinois, and raised in Homer Glen, Illinois. A graduate of Wake Forest University, he met the Jesuits while studying liberation theology at Oxford University and joined the Society after graduation in 2014. 

As a Jesuit, David has been particularly active in academics: studying or working at a university every year since taking first vows in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2016. He published two books in Spanish, one in 2019 on Honduran theater and one in 2022 on Honduran cinema. His current research as a doctoral student in philosophy at Loyola University Chicago focuses on critical phenomenology and Latin American liberation philosophy. Also at Loyola Chicago, he serves as chaplain to the men’s volleyball team and to the Spanglish Christian life community. Off campus, he works as a community organizer with the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership.

After ordination, David will continue as a doctoral student in philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.