Jesuits and McKinney brothers support Saint Ignatius College Prep's Greater Glory Campaign
 

In response to the recent announcement of Saint Ignatius College Prep's Greater Glory Campaign, several individuals have quickly and generously answered the call to support the goals of this ambitious undertaking.
To start, it is inspiring to think that those who dedicate their entire lives to educating the students of Saint Ignatius College Prep are still finding more ways to "give." The Jesuit priests and scholastics who teach at the school are one example of such selfless charity. They not only give their wisdom and their time, but they also give of their treasure.

Fourteen Jesuits live at the Taylor Street residence behind the school. Each man works and draws a salary, and the resources are pooled to fill the basic needs of the residence. Once the necessities are determined, the major share of the "surplus" is donated back to the establishment that provides work for the majority of the men in the house.

Thus, Saint Ignatius College Prep is the fortunate recipient of a generous gift each year since eight of the 14 Jesuits from Taylor Street work at the school, including Fr. Joe Brennan (Rector and Counselor), Fr. Pat Fairbanks (Director of Pastoral Ministry), Mr. Peter Nguyen (Religious Studies), Fr. Brian Paulson (President), Fr. Ross Pribyl (English and Theater), Fr. Bob Thul (Math), Fr. Jim Vorwoldt (Chair of the Department of Fine Arts), and Mr. Andrew Wawrzyn (Religious Studies). The school is blessed to benefit from the ministry of both Jesuit priests as well as Jesuit scholastics in formation and on their way to ordination. The other Jesuits include four hospital chaplains, a prison chaplain, and a clinical caseworker in AIDS ministry.

Their $200,000 gift will be divided equally between several priorities of the Greater Glory Campaign. $100,000 will go to programmatic endowment for teacher salary support; $30,000 to support the Saint Ignatius Higher Achievement Program (SIHAP); $20,000 will support the Jesuit Alumni Volunteer Program at Saint Ignatius; and $50,000 will be added to the existing $1 million endowment for tuition assistance which the community has created over the past twenty years.

Said Fr. Joe Brennan, the rector of the Jesuit residence and faculty chaplain at Saint Ignatius, "It is a joy to be able to provide support for the wonderful programs at Saint Ignatius. The school embraces both the secular and religious with a diverse student body. You can't get a better education anywhere in the Midwest!"

He then went on to talk about SIHAP, which is also supported by the Jesuits' funding.

"We're always happy to contribute whatever we can to programs that help our underprivileged students. It's great to help kids who would otherwise be unable to attend Saint Ignatius. One student I remember, as a freshman, was so quiet she wouldn't say a word. During sophomore and junior years, some friends of hers and I tried to encourage her to do some community service to break out of her shell, but she wasn't really keen on the idea. Finally, after more coaxing, she tried it and took off like a rocket! These days, she's a social worker and just enrolled for two-years of service in the Peace Corps. She is one who would have never been able to attend or benefit from a Saint Ignatius education without tuition assistance."

The amount of the Jesuits' generous gift was matched earlier in the year through pledges made by brothers Jack McKinney '64 and Jim McKinney '65. Each of these brothers has pledged $100,000 in the initial phase of the Greater Glory Campaign.

Jack, a commercial real estate agent, has always been involved in organizing his class reunions and was recently invited to join the Board of Trustees. He's been a member of the Development Committee of the board for the last three years. He has a close affinity for Saint Ignatius College Prep, where he was encouraged to meet other people, to develop an appreciation for learning and to have compassion for others. "And those things have stuck with me for over 40 years!" said Jack.

Jim, too, remembers the "good old days" as a student at Saint Ignatius and the wonderful friends that he made. He noted how he and his brother would never have attended had it not been for the insistence of his mother, who felt it very important that her sons receive a top-notch education. They lived just around the corner from Br. Rice, but instead attended Ignatius, which was 15 miles from their home. He and Jack would hitchhike to school and often "beat the bus" while saving the 15 cent fare each way.

"Jack and I are both really grateful to our parents for allowing us to attend St. Ignatius. It's been an honor."

Like Jack, Jim kept connected by serving nine years on the Board of Trustees. He was named a Life Trustee in 1999, and is currently serving on the Greater Glory Campaign Executive Committee.

"Getting involved and watching the school make a comeback [after the "troubled" times in the 70s] has been a gift back to me," said Jim. "I've been involved in investment banking for over 30 years and the biggest return I have ever received was my investment in Saint Ignatius. I've enjoyed seeing it become the incredible institution that it is today-physically and educationally. The place is doing great!"

Both Jack and Jim agree that more people should consider getting involved and being supportive of the school.

Said Jack, "Our contributions help the school to maintain a quality level of new programs and scholarships. By being supportive, financially or otherwise, we can help the place that helped us early on in life. Helping to improve things for future students and alumni makes me happy. And wouldn't everyone like to leave some sort of legacy? Saint Ignatius provides many ways to do that through financial or leadership support. It's accretive-it helps the school but also makes our own legacy so much more meaningful."

Jim added, "My only disappointment is that, for whatever reason, we have trouble reaching a lot of people out there. We really need to see broader giving by our alumni. Whether it's $10, $100, $1,000 or $100,000, we need that help. Also, many people haven't been by the school in 20 years. Come by and visit! Go to a basketball game! It's fun and you can see the ways your gifts are being put to use."