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March 3, 2022

Dear Loyola community,

For many of us, the shift from Fat Tuesday revelry to Ash Wednesday somberness can feel like an abrupt and unwelcome change of pace. But just as we enjoyed Carnival together, we now embark on this Lenten journey as a community of faith and find strength and joy from one another.

Lent is an invitation to use the days ahead for personal and communal conversion of heart, the kind that leads to greater joy of life and allows us to deepen our relationships. Many of us celebrated in that spirit yesterday, heeding Pope Francis’s call “to everyone, believers and nonbelievers alike” to make March 2—Ash Wednesday—“a day of prayer and fasting for peace.”

Today we observe the feast of St. Katharine Drexel, a passionate voice for educational access and social justice who left a lasting legacy on our nation. She dedicated her life to serving Black and Native American people, establishing missions and founding schools, including Xavier University right here in New Orleans.

Our Jesuit principles and St. Katharine’s values are grounded in a shared vision of biblical justice. In keeping with these shared beliefs, Dr. Kedrick Perry and I invite you to join the , a 21-day racial justice sponsored by the . By continuing to educate ourselves through programs like this, we work together for a more just world.

A brighter future may seem out of reach as we all watch with horror the events in Ukraine and other war-torn countries and the recent violence that injured one of our community members, but by uniting in our prayers for peace, we build up God’s Kingdom. Regardless of your faith or spirituality, I hope that you will take time during this Lenten season to engage in the spiritual practices that lead you to greater joy. Our Families, Our Church, Our Loyola, our New Orleans, Our Nation, Our World need us together now more than ever before.

All my best,

Father Justin Daffron, S.J.
Interim President Select