Boston College made significant progress on Wednesday to advance its goal of becoming the world's foremost Jesuit university, taking a major step in bringing the prestigious Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass. under its wing.
The Provincials of the Society of Jesus in the United States, acting as the board members of Weston Jesuit, unanimously voted to authorize the signing of a formal letter of intent regarding re-affiliation with BC.
The signing of the letter marks a critical milepost in achieving University President Rev. William Leahy's mission. Last September, at the University Convocation, Leahy introduced his goal for BC to become the world's leading Catholic university.
"The University is pleased that the provincials unanimously approved signing the letter of intent to authorize re-affiliation. When completed, the re-affiliation will solidify BC's position as the world's premier Jesuit University," said University Spokesman Jack Dunn.
In 2004, Leahy announced plans to merge with the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. The New York Times published an article following the announcement claiming that "such a merger would further Boston College's quest to become the nation's Catholic intellectual powerhouse."
Rev. Robert E. Manning, S.J., president of Weston, emphasized the significance of this merger.
"If we move, they [Boston College] would become the center for the study of Roman Catholic theology in the United States," Manning told the Boston Globe.
According to University officials, the re-affiliation of the schools would relocate Weston Jesuit from its prized 12,000 square feet of land in Harvard Square to St. William's Hall on BC's 43-acre Brighton Campus.
The University must obtain approval from the city of Boston for the use of St. William's Hall.
The next step, according to Dunn, is for a committee to iron out the details.
"We are confident the committee can easily work out the remaining details to ensure the success of the re-affiliation," said Dunn.
Weston Jesuit would become part of a new School of Theology and Ministry at BC. The school would also include BC's Institute for Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry and the Church in the 21st Century initiative, which engages significant issues facing the Catholic community.
Weston Jesuit and BC became affiliated in 1959. Weston Jesuit was designated a constituent college of BC, giving the University the ability to grant degrees to students completing Weston programs.
In 1974, this affiliation ended when Weston Jesuit received its charter as an independent institution from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
"The re-affiliation of Weston Jesuit and Boston College will enhance each school's ability to fulfill its unique mission of serving the Church and the Catholic intellectual tradition," said Rev. Bradley Schaeffer, S.J., president of the Jesuit Conference, USA, in a press release.
"This new relationship promises new opportunities for the Society of Jesus and the Church," said Manning.
"Weston Jesuit and BC share a similar heritage and mission, as well as a clear commitment to theological education of the highest quality."
Leahy said, in a press release, "I am confident re-affiliation will strengthen both schools and enhance their efforts not only to prepare future priests and lay people for ministry in the Church but also to engage critical issues of our day."
The merge would reinforce BC's Catholic identity and academic esteem by bringing prominent theologians to campus to expand the University's Catholic studies offerings. It would also increase the number of Jesuit priests and seminarians at BC, which already boasts the largest Jesuit community in the world.
For Weston, the move would secure its financial future. It would also ensure access to the resources of a large university and benefit from BC's national name recognition.
"Every freestanding theological school is fragile, either from the point of view of finances or enrollment or church support, and even though we're in good financial shape now, that danger is always down the line, so consolidation really would guarantee our future," Manning told the Globe. "But we wouldn't be coming here as beggars. We'd be coming here with a good endowment and with an astonishingly good faculty."
"This is very early in the process, but the [BC] board has very high regard for Weston, and we think that it would be very attractive to the future offerings of Boston College," stated Jack Connors Jr., chairman of BC's board of trustees, in the Globe.
Founded in 1922, Weston Jesuit School of Theology is an international theological center that prepares men and women, both lay and religious, to become leaders in the church community.
Keith Evans, Editorial Assistant, contributed to this report.
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