Page 27 - Gonzaga at 60
P. 27
Peter Sutherland and Fr Joe Kelly SJ
I never liked IQ tests and this aversion probably started when I did one to get into Gonzaga. I
never understood the result. However, apparently I passed and moved into an environment that
certainly greatly inluenced my life in many ways. I hope that there was no mistake in atribuion
that resulted in a deserving boy being declined. I suspect however that there was.
In 1954 Gonzaga was a very inimate place. The relaionship with teachers was close and
coninuing in a way that I imagine is not found in larger schools. The ethos was created by Jesuits
such as the O’Conor Don, Wally White, Joe Kelly, Frankie Kavanagh, Joe Veale, Stephen Redmond
and Jack Hutchinson but its disincion I now think was founded more on the tradiions of the
Society itself than merely on the great merits of the individuals themselves. More great Jesuits
were to follow. Later I have met alumni of various Jesuit schools from diferent parts of the world.
It is clear that there is a shared heritage that has a meaning that is itself a profound expression of
the value of our educaion and the ideniiable common elements in our experience.
I have been siing for a long ime on a September morning relecing on what the essence of
that heritage actually is. Jesuits ater all are not in the least homogenised by their long noviiate.
REFLECTIONS ON As individuals they remain very diferent but they share, of course, a common vocaion and a
remarkable educaion and training. We were the beneiciaries of their remarkable learning and
wisdom. What they shared with us obviously combined a belief in God and in His Church and
GONZAGA’S a liberal educaion. Liberalism may have been in the 19th century the great beseing evil for
in its values, but that of course could be said of Catholic educaion generally. They also gave us
the Church but many of its disposiions, though of course not all, were core and difereniaing
elements of the Gonzaga ethos and I believe the Jesuit ethos more generally. We were taught
to think for ourselves and to quesion independently the great issues of life and our ime. There
60th ANNIVERSARY was something more: the Church was not presented as an authoritarian church. This does not in
any way imply an acceptance of relaivism but simply the self-conidence to be open to others
and tolerant of their opinions. Our reading included some who were more radical in their views
than Rome might fully approve. But apart from religion our required reading lists were eclecic
and oten stretching for our years, as was the teaching more generally. If there was a lacuna in
our educaion, it was shared by virtually every Irish school at the ime; namely, the absence of
economics and business related subjects (even though this is belied by some illustrious products
of the school such as Brendan Walsh).
I never liked IQ tests and this aversion probably started when I did one to get into Gonzaga. I
never understood the result. However, apparently I passed and moved into an environment that
certainly greatly inluenced my life in many ways. I hope that there was no mistake in atribuion
that resulted in a deserving boy being declined. I suspect however that there was.
In 1954 Gonzaga was a very inimate place. The relaionship with teachers was close and
coninuing in a way that I imagine is not found in larger schools. The ethos was created by Jesuits
such as the O’Conor Don, Wally White, Joe Kelly, Frankie Kavanagh, Joe Veale, Stephen Redmond
and Jack Hutchinson but its disincion I now think was founded more on the tradiions of the
Society itself than merely on the great merits of the individuals themselves. More great Jesuits
were to follow. Later I have met alumni of various Jesuit schools from diferent parts of the world.
It is clear that there is a shared heritage that has a meaning that is itself a profound expression of
the value of our educaion and the ideniiable common elements in our experience.
I have been siing for a long ime on a September morning relecing on what the essence of
that heritage actually is. Jesuits ater all are not in the least homogenised by their long noviiate.
REFLECTIONS ON As individuals they remain very diferent but they share, of course, a common vocaion and a
remarkable educaion and training. We were the beneiciaries of their remarkable learning and
wisdom. What they shared with us obviously combined a belief in God and in His Church and
GONZAGA’S a liberal educaion. Liberalism may have been in the 19th century the great beseing evil for
in its values, but that of course could be said of Catholic educaion generally. They also gave us
the Church but many of its disposiions, though of course not all, were core and difereniaing
elements of the Gonzaga ethos and I believe the Jesuit ethos more generally. We were taught
to think for ourselves and to quesion independently the great issues of life and our ime. There
60th ANNIVERSARY was something more: the Church was not presented as an authoritarian church. This does not in
any way imply an acceptance of relaivism but simply the self-conidence to be open to others
and tolerant of their opinions. Our reading included some who were more radical in their views
than Rome might fully approve. But apart from religion our required reading lists were eclecic
and oten stretching for our years, as was the teaching more generally. If there was a lacuna in
our educaion, it was shared by virtually every Irish school at the ime; namely, the absence of
economics and business related subjects (even though this is belied by some illustrious products
of the school such as Brendan Walsh).
