Jesuit, interrupted

A taste of chapter 2 of A Priest in Good Trouble

Footage of the Great Flood of 1927 (watch on YouTube). As I write in A Priest in Good Trouble, Louis J. Twomey, SJ’s encounters with the Great Flood’s refugees made a profound impact upon him.

With the help of your prayers, I’ve now completed chapter 2 of my biography of Father Louis J. Twomey, SJ, A Priest in Good Trouble. The writing is going more slowly than I’d like, but I’m very happy with the quality.

I’m eager to share an excerpt with you. It takes place as Lou Twomey is undertaking his first year in the novitiate, which is the first stage of Jesuit formation. The novitiate lasts two years, at the end of which the Jesuit makes his first vows.

At this point in the chapter, I’ve already described life in the novitiate, including the thirty-day Long Retreat. Apart from the retreat, the daily routine of Jesuit novices has changed significantly since the Second Vatican Council (to put it mildly). To gain an idea of Lou’s world at the time that this excerpt takes place, you might want first to read the chapter of my previous book Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.’s Spiritual Sponsor where I discuss Father Edward Dowling, SJ’s novitiate experience, which took place at nearly the same time. (If you don’t have a copy of Father Ed, you can find most of that chapter online, courtesy of the good folks at America, who licensed it from the publisher.) Although Twomey and Dowling made their novitiate at different novice houses—Twomey in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, and Dowling in Florissant, Missouri—the standards for the daily routine and customs that they observed were nearly identical, regulated by the Jesuit Curia in Rome.

N.B. Although I’ve included footnotes here, most of these notes are second references. The first references include full bibliographical information.

Before we begin, a few quick vocabulary notes:

• Juniors = Jesuits in the junior stage of formation, now known as first studies; it’s the next stage after the novitiate

• Prior to Vatican II, Jesuit novices were addressed by the Latin title “Carissime,” which translates roughly to “Dearly Beloved.”

• “Jebs” = Jebbies = Jesuits

And now, without further ado, the excerpt from the end of chapter 2. I’d love to know your thoughts on this, so please leave a comment. Thanks and God bless you. Onward and upward!