Mission
Inspire & Ignite Blog

MORE THAN JUST COLLOQUIAL

Charisse Broderick King
It was late June in Chicago when more than 500 people from 96 different schools and institutions in North America arrived on the lakeshore campus of Loyola University to bunk in dorms for the week. Though there was a level of nostalgia in going back to college and reliving dorm life for a short while (though those plastic-covered mattresses are even worse in middle age), the call to colloquy with colleagues across the country and beyond was the true purpose of this gathering.
It was late June in Chicago when more than 500 people from 96 different schools and institutions in North America arrived on the lakeshore campus of Loyola University to bunk in dorms for the week. Though there was a level of nostalgia in going back to college and reliving dorm life for a short while (though those plastic-covered mattresses are even worse in middle age), the call to colloquy with colleagues across the country and beyond was the true purpose of this gathering.

Starting in 1995 and every three years since, the Jesuit Schools Network holds a Colloquium for Ignatian educators on a significant current issue in Jesuit education. Rooted in the Latin word colloquium meaning conversation, the Colloquium offers an opportunity for people committed to the mission of Jesuit education to engage in meaningful conversations with each other on topics pertinent to education at the secondary level.

Colloquium 2019 offered keynotes, panel discussions, breakout groups, immersive experiences, inquiry sessions and prayer around the theme of Building Communities of Justice & Hope with ample opportunity for companionship and relationship building as well. And the 14 members of Regis Jesuit’s contingent (listed below), including me, took advantage of it all.

Two months out from this experience, I asked my Colloquium companions to reflect on our shared experience—what inspired them, where they were challenged, what surprised them and what they have brought back to their work here at Regis Jesuit. Here are a few of their thoughts:

Alicia Ziegler: This was my second Colloquium. I am always encouraged by the sense of oneness. There is a common language and value that proliferates the body of Jesuit educators. It’s nice to meet other language teachers to gauge where they are in the traditions of language acquisition. I found that this time we [RJ] are leaders and are ahead of the curve a bit which was a nice surprise! I enjoyed the camaraderie with colleagues—we laughed a lot, shared some stories and made some memories.

Nick Fagnant: I am constantly inspired by the diversity of teachers who feel called not only to Jesuit education, but to love and serve our students in such a myriad of ways. Accompanying youth to a hope-filled future means walking alongside them in their brokenness and serving and loving them as Jesus would (and does). There are so many challenges to doing so, not least among these being a culture that tells them they are never enough. Tackling this problem together is what gives me the fuel to continue to “accompany.” A friend from college asked me the other day why I came back to Regis Jesuit to teach and why I have chosen to stay for so long. My answer: my relationships. The Colloquium is a way to strengthen existing and build new relationships with Ignatian educators from around the hemisphere. We work with amazing people!

Kelli Mattacchione: Though this was my first Colloquium, I enjoyed meeting new and reconnecting with friends from other schools. I truly enjoyed hanging out with RJ people and the fellowship together. Being from different buildings and departments, I never get the chance to just laugh and talk with each other while bonding over our love for this school. I felt challenged over the broader Jesuit issues all the schools are facing. It was enlightening to hear other viewpoints and know we all want what is best for everyone. I brought back more appreciation and love with and for my fellow colleagues. Through the good times and the bad, we are all in this together as a family.

Tim Bauer: Being my sixth Colloquium, it’s always great to reconnect with colleagues from near and far –those who are engaged in our same mission around the world. Also, I wish I were as brave and inspirational as Fr. Boyle. [Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ was one of the keynote speakers.] I was challenged by how many schools and colleagues are wrestling with our students’ mental health issues. It is a terrible shock to realize how vulnerable our students are. I brought back some programmatic pieces to inform our affective curriculum, but more importantly, I found a renewed hope for our continued good work.

As for me, this was my first Colloquium and I am a planner who likes to envision an experience fully before engaging. But I tried to go into this one with no preconceived notions and a heart and mind open to what the days would bring, invoking the phrase we use with our students prior to retreats—don’t anticipate, just participate. I am so grateful I did. I engaged in amazing and unforeseeable ways, including deepening relationships with our colleagues across town from Arrupe Jesuit. The a connections made through this shared mission of educating youth as we accompany them to a hope-filled future is powerful stuff—challenging, enlightening, reinvigorating. The experience re-centered me for my work here and re-ignited my hope for what we can do when we work together.

As you probably already know, Ignatius’ original followers are referred to as the First Companions as he recognized how important camaraderie—having friends in the Lord—would be to the success of their nascent work as the Society of Jesus. That same idea lives on in experiences like Colloquium. Though our work can be daunting at times, knowing we are doing it together with people to whom we are personally connected and who share our love for the mission along with our God who loves and leads us through it all makes the yoke easy and the burden light—oh yeah!

Regis Jesuit Colloquium 2019 Delegation

Tim Bauer ’88 – Girls Division Head | Bob Bowers – English Teacher | Charisse Broderick King – Director of Communications | Nick Fagnant ’02 – Theology Teacher | Garrett Loehr – Language Teacher | Kelli Mattacchione – Math Teacher | Paul Muller – Director of Admissions | Matthew Ortiz – Math Teacher | Eric Ramirez, SJ – Pastoral Director and Theology Teacher | Bryan Timme – Assistant Principal for Student Life | Jimmy Tricco – Principal | Christina Vela – Diversity Director | Karen Wuertz – Boys Division Head | Alicia Ziegler – Language Teacher

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Charisse Broderick King is the Director of Communications and usually just edits the entries for the Inspire & Ignite blog. She has worked at Regis Jesuit since 2008.
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