Hung above the door to the Arrupe Center for Community Service and Social Responsibility on Thursday evening was a banner reading “Happy Birthday,” signaling an invitation for students to join the party inside. The party, however, was not for any of its staff or student employees, but rather the center’s namesake.
The Arrupe Center held a celebration for Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J., recognizing the 117th birthday of the late superior general of the Society of Jesus.
Arrupe served as superior general from 1965-1981, living out Jesuit values in his approach to serving others. He was known for his commitment to putting faith and love into action, which could be seen in his community work. Attitudes held by Arrupe included service without distinguishing between class or race and defending those experiencing suffering.
“It’s just a really great testament to his work [and] his values,” Jess Verdejo, director of the Arrupe Center, said. “He really stresses that we, as a Catholic, Jesuit institution, should go forth and do really good work.”
Laid out on tables in the Arrupe Center were coloring pages related to community service, including one that featured a quote from Arrupe himself which said, “What you are in love with, seizes your imagination, will affect everything.”
Mara McAndrews, a graduate assistant at the Arrupe Center, said it is important that Marquette remains committed to celebrating its Jesuit roots.
“We are an institution that cares a lot about the academic side, but we do actually invest a lot in our students developing as people,” McAndrews said. “I think that this connection to our great people who are connected to the Jesuit mission is really important.”
The festivities for the birthday party included music and an array of food featuring assorted sodas, candy bars, chips and cakes.
“Being able to have passion and the service we do here at the Arrupe Center I think is important,” Maxwell Iwuc, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and student director of the Arrupe Center, said. “If you’re actually putting in the effort [and] understanding why you’re doing service and what communities you’re impacting, that makes a lot of difference.”
This story was written by Lance Schulteis. He can be reached at [email protected].
