Fr. Haschka was called to eternal life on October 3, 2019, at St. Camillus in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. (Read obituary here)
September 3, 2014 – Does aging change your relationship with God? Does it transform your very identity?
These are questions many people deal with at various points in their lives; for obvious reasons, more so in the senior years. And Jesuits are no different.
Fr. Jonathan Haschka, SJ, superior at St. Camillus, explains, “Like many people in our culture, Jesuits have a lot of their identity wrapped up in what they do. When you’re teaching, for example, you can pat yourself on the back every day and say, ‘Look what I’ve contributed.’ So when our senior Jesuits come here, their identity is threatened. Most fear being unemployed.”
That’s why Fr. Haschka sees it as part of his job to convince these individuals who have given so much to others that they are still employed – praying for the Church and for the Society of Jesus.
Fr. John Libens, SJ, superior at Colombiere, adds, “The transition to a mission of prayer is easier for some of the men than for others. Once they make that transition, however, once they come to terms with their need to be here, they take their new mission very seriously. I recently overheard one of our elder Jesuits enthusiastically telling a couple how he prays for them.”
To a certain extent, the nature of their prayers has changed as well. Fr. Libens explains, “Our senior Jesuits continually talk of their prayers of thanksgiving that the Society and its benefactors have provided such a marvelous place for them at this stage of their lives.”
Fr. Haschka adds, “Ignatius insisted that gratitude be a bedrock of prayer. But in other communities, Jesuits’ apostolic work prevents overly abundant time for reflection. Here, Jesuits ponder the wonder of God’s work in their lives, and find themselves overwhelmed with gratitude.”
The movement of the Holy Spirit in this way also deepens these Jesuits’ union with God. “Among the men here, we certainly see a more intimate, more dependent relationship with God than in earlier phases of their lives,” Fr. Haschka explains. “What ultimately emerges is an enjoyment of God, on a simple level throughout the day, not just when it’s ‘time to pray.’”
These senior Jesuits’ relationships with other people have become more dependent as well. “I see a highly tangible outpouring of charity here,” says Fr. Libens. “While Jesuits almost always live in community throughout the time of their vocations, there is a heightened sense of community in these residences. Individuals offer each other their help and accept each other’s help (and Jesuits are not always good at that latter part!).”
“I think Ignatius himself would be very pleased that we are able to take care of our elder Jesuits in such a high-quality way – not to baby them or have them live in luxury, but to care for them with compassion and dignity,” Fr. Libens concludes.
