Above: Former Xavier President Rev. Jim Keenan, S.J., and current President
Jack Raslowsky with Fr. Berrigan in 1999.

May 5, 2016

Dear Parents, Friends, and Sons of Xavier:

Fr. Daniel Berrigan, S.J., was called home to the Lord on Saturday. He died peacefully at the province infirmary at Murray-Weigel Hall on Fordham’s campus in the Bronx. For Americans of a certain age, the mere mention of Dan’s name calls forth either a saint or a sinner. I can imagine Dan smiling.

I first came to know Dan through my friend Rico Raulli, S.J., who lived with Dan in the old West Side Jesuit Community on 98th Street. Over the years, Dan and the 98th Street community were a great support to me in my work. They became friends, as did the many who passed through—some for long stays, some for shorter ones; some on the run, some not. When I first took on leadership in our schools, the primary concern was ensuring our Jesuit mission. Dan Berrigan, Rick Raulli, Bob Keck, and their brothers embodied the mission of the Society and the Church with a dedication and zeal often hoped for, but seldom achieved. They shaped my work in deep and important ways. It is good and right that we pause to note Dan’s passing.

Controversial to some, lionized by others, there is little to be said about Dan that has not already been said. If you know of Dan Berrigan, and especially if you don’t, I encourage you to take some time to read about him, to pray with him, to pray for him, and to pray for the peace for which he worked so fervently. The Ignatian Solidarity Network, America, and Pax Christi all have excellent resources on Dan’s life and work.

Given Xavier’s military history and the distinguished military service to our nation of many of our graduates, Dan can be controversial to some in the Xavier community. There may be disagreements. There should be no disagreements, however, about the Gospel’s call to peace and justice and the responsibility we all share to create a more peaceful and just world.

Peter O’Driscoll speaks about the great gift of his Jesuit education: It made him uncomfortable. I hope their time at Xavier makes all our Sons and their families uncomfortable—uncomfortable with injustice, with war, with terror, with homelessness, with a disrespect and disregard for life, with things that divide rather than unite. Dan Berrigan was uncomfortable, and he made others uncomfortable. He was a consistent, prophetic witness for peace and often asked questions that were easier for most to ignore.

I suspect Dan’s witness, as does Arrupe’s, will challenge me until I too am called home. I will long remember his commitment to community life and the desire of the men of 98th Street to really find God in the gritty reality of their lives and to share those lives with one another. They were truly friends in the Lord. I will remember his faith and his prayer and his poetry. I will remember his ability to bring the love of God to the damnedest of places. Saint and sinner. Indeed.

Fr. Berrigan’s wake will continue from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight. His funeral will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday in the Church of St. Francis Xavier. A reception in the Xavier gym will follow.

Please join me in prayer for the Society, the Church, and the nation Dan served with distinction, and for peace in our world. May our prayers be accompanied by our work for the same.

Sincerely,

Jack Raslowsky
President