QUOTE:
From: Fr. Fessio, S.J.
Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 1:54 PMThis morning, (Monday, July 20th) Dr. Jack Sites, Academic Vice President of Ave Maria University, flew from Houston, where he was attending a meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, to San Francisco, to inform me personally that I was being dismissed from Ave Maria University. Our meeting was amicable and Dr. Sites, as always, acted as a Christian gentleman.
He said that the reason for my dismissal stemmed from a conversation I had in November of 2008 with Jack Donahue, then chairman of the board of AMU. At that time I felt it an obligation to speak to the board chairman before the upcoming board meeting, to make sure he was aware of the urgency of the university’s financial situation. After I had informed him, using projections based on publicly available documents and statements, he asked me what I thought was the solution. I told him that there were policies being followed that were at the root of the problem, that the present administration was irrevocably wedded to those policies, and that without a change of administration the university was at great risk.
Dr. Sites said that Jack Donahue related this conversation to Tom Monaghan, and it was decided (I don’t know specifically by whom) that the university could not have a faculty member making these criticisms of the administration and thus undermining the university.
Dr. Sites told me that there were unspecified others who had similar substantive concerns that I was undermining the university.
I continue to support the university. I pray for its success. I have great admiration for the faculty, students, and many of the staff. I do disagree with some of the policies of the administration. This seems to be the reason I was fired the first time, in March 2007, since the official explanation was “irreconcilable administrative differences”.
Nevertheless, I think it is an accurate summary to say that I am being dismissed as a faculty member because of a private conversation with the chairman of the board in which I made known my criticisms of the university administration; and because of allegations which have not been made known to me and to which I have not been given an opportunity to respond.
I will continue to recommend AMU to students and parents. And I will continue to think my dismissal is another mistake in a long series of unwise decisions.
Sorry, what’s the context? Should I know this gentleman or is this a scoff-at-Jesuits blog? How was this blogworthy – and who’s the source (i.e., was this sent publicly?) for this letter’s disclosure? Please help someone.
Ben,
Fr. Fessio is one of the best-known theologians in the U.S. From his bio at the Ave Maria website:
Fr. Fessio is professor of theology and theologian in residence at Ave Maria University. He is founder and editor of Ignatius Press. He also founded both the St. Ignatius Institute of the University of San Francisco and Campion College before coming to Ave Maria University. He has taught philosophy and theology courses at several schools. Fr. Fessio wrote his dissertation on the ecclesiology of Hans Urs von Balthasar under the direction of Pope Benedict XVI (then Professor Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger). He holds the degrees of B.A. and M.A. from Gonzaga University; M.A. from the Fourvière Jesuit Faculty of Theology in Lyons, France; and Th.D. from the University of Regensburg in Germany.
The letter is publicly available on the Ignatius Press website.
Fr. Fessio was extremely humble in returning to this institution after his initial dismissal, and to do this to him a second time for merely expressing his concerns is a scandal. This problem is very similar to the ongoing problems in the Legion, where money has destroyed the lives of faithful Catholics. This is another aspect of faithless Catholic universities in that Monahan feels that he needs to control every aspect of AMU in order to protect its orthodoxy, and in the end, he destroys the good will of many of the faithful.
One of this blog’s sweet spots is discussing Catholic theological issues, which is why I would imagine most visitors know of Fr. Fessio.
In any case, it may be much easier, I suppose, to post a snarky comment than run a simple Google search.
This makes the second time in as many posts regarding Fr. Fessio and AMU that I have seen a comparison between the LC and AMU. While there are obvious and very serious differences between the two, at the heart of the issues surrounding both is the rise of a cult of personality, leading to a wandering from the original charisma that supported ventures.
It is a powerful warning, I think, that before any of us become too secure in our own righteousness, just as those on the “Left” of the church have found themselves falling from their charisms and subsequently failing (think of the current visitation of the women religious in this country) those of us on the “Right” can fall, too. No one is immune to these very human failings.
Stray from the true goal that should always be Christ and you will inevitably fall.
I pray for both AMU and the women religious that they rediscover that which made them so successful in the past. In the case of both, I truly believe that the Church specifically and the world in general will be poorer without them.
And just how does this firing undermine the AMU less than him being on the faculty and expressing his concerns? It had, eventually, to become public knowledge. Is there any official (or unofficial) comment from the administration about Fr. Fessio’s letter?
“Dr. Sites said that Jack Donahue related this conversation to Tom Monaghan, and it was decided (I don’t know specifically by whom) that the university could not have a faculty member making these criticisms of the administration and thus undermining the university.”
Interesting. Does AMU care if former students comment on the administration, as well?
Honestly, if a professor can’t speak to the Chairman of the Board of the university for which he works & share concerns (which were apparently, per Fr Fessio’s letter, shared in a private conversation with the Board Chair & not before the Board itself), then that university has some serious problems. They could have simply told him, “Thanks for your input & we’ll consider it.” But, cause for dismissal? Hardly. After all, this is a man who was educated by our current pope – shouldn’t that count for something in having that person as a member of the faculty?
I hope Fr Fessio finds a new position elsewhere soon & I wish him all the best. I think he needs to finally put AMU behind him.
AMU is still Orthodox Catholic, he was let go not because of his faith but for administrative purposes. These things happen. Get over it. Fessio is a Geat Person and AMU is till a great institution.
Fr. Fessio is also founder of Ignatius Press, and a former student of then Cardinal Ratzinger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fessio
Now that Fr. Fessio is available for other pursuits,
I think he would be excellent in the following positions.
President of the University of San Francisco
Editor-in-Chief at America magazine.
Provincial of the California Province
Archbishop of Los Angeles
After all, this is a man who was educated by our current pope – shouldn’t that count for something in having that person as a member of the faculty?
Not at all. What should count would be: 1) Orthodoxy
2) Pesonal conduct
3) Ability to teach a subject they are qualified in
4)Proper respect for an institution and its administation. It appears to me, from Fr. Fessio’s letter, that he did not transgress this last condition.
AMU is still Orthodox Catholic, he was let go not because of his faith but for administrative purposes.
mmm… No. He was let go due to Pride, and that is a very differnet matter entirely. And I do wonder how long AMU will continue being a “great institution” when they are unwilling to accept criticism of such import as finances.
WOW…I guess I am not willing to judge somebody as being prideful, maybe wrong in their judgment, but not prideful.
I think ‘refusal to tolerate or consider thoughtful criticism’ is pretty abundant evidence of sinful pride. Not to mention institutional incompetence.
I have no comments to make of my own. Just wanted to clarify: David Omaha, did you mean the pride of Fr. Fessio or the pride of the administration?
The Chicken
Masked Chicken,
I meant pride of the administration. Chris has an excellent point, and I debated that, but could not think of any other explanation for the action taken. If Fr. Fessio made a simple, sober assesment of the financial policies (as he implied), then the Board of Directors and/or administration had a responsibility to take a hard look at those policies, not throw out a professor. Smacks of Pride to me. Dangerous waters, I know, but that’s my assesment.
“Smacks of Pride to me.” seems to me a fairer assessment than “He was let go due to Pride“.
I am sure Fr. Fessio is an upstanding guy. What is not said, is that Mr. Pizza Monaghan is a dictator. I have visited the Ave Maria and I am very impressed with the facilities, however during these dark economic times, I doubt if it will survive long term.
I think more realistically, Fr. Fessio should be appointed as bishop of Cheyenne. Wyoming Catholic College could use his academic expertise as chief shepherd.
Things like this are basically the reason I do not recommend Ave Maria to my kids as a possible destination for them, but I pray that the university may succeed despite the…ahem….leadership. BTW, I’m on a roadtrip with my kids right now, and we just visited Texas A&M and Belmont Abbey. Great things going on at both places!!!