Settling In

This past Tuesday, along with another scholastic who joined the Jesuit community at Holy Cross for the summer while studying English, I moved to Boston to begin three years of theology studies. Our new home is a community of nearly 70 Jesuits from more than 20 countries, all of whom engage primarily in theological study and reflection, while also serving in a variety of religious and social ministries in Boston and its surrounding communities. Having visited New England's largest city frequently over the past four years while living just down the road in Worcester, I'm quite familiar with the layout, culture, and feel of Boston. Yet I'm also feeling the excitement and anxiety that accompany the move to a new home, the tasks of getting settled, and the uncertainty about how new friendships and activities will unfold.

Chapel of the Holy Name of Jesus
Blessed Peter Faber Jesuit Community
Boston MA

After traveling rather lightly in Brasil (25 pounds of gear in my pack) for three weeks, I felt quite weighed down by possessions that half-filled a Honda Element, despite my efforts to thin out my stuff last spring. Once I arrived in my room, I quickly went about lightening and scattering that perceived load– unpacking my boxes, arranging my bookshelves, and hanging various items on the walls. Making a space my own– even if I change rooms in the house during my stay, I'll be in this room for at least a year– is a process that I tend to complete quite rapidly in a physical sense, but pursue more gradually in a relational and spiritual sense. Knowing that I'll have three years here, and being already in touch with a strong desire to put down roots and become involved in the life of the city, allows me to be patient with myself in these first days and weeks as a Boston resident.

Wonderful bookshelves!

I'm conscious of so much that the city and school have to offer, but I'm even more intent on embracing the friendships that will develop with my brothers, my fellow students, and the people with whom I'll do ministry. While I look forward to hanging out in the cozy neighborhood library branch a short walk from my house, cycling to various cafés when I need a break from studying on campus, and experiencing some great music and art, I'm even more eager to get to know the people with whom I'll share these places and activities. My prayers about Boston– in the days before moving and the days since my arrival– continually call me to see the city as a vibrant community that is itself "settling in," as a new wave of students arrives at various universities, as state and national issues play out on a local scale, and as longtime residents continually adapt to the changing faces of their neighborhoods. Even though studies, ministry, and recreation will surely keep me busy, I hope to find time regularly to share my experiences and reflections over the coming years. I also extend my prayers and best wishes to all who, like me, are settling into a new environment as the summer draws to a close.