[about the club]
Education never ends, even for teachers, so once each semester De Smet Jesuit faculty members gather for a book club. Topics vary, but all speak in some way to the mission of the school as a center of academic and religious education. Pete Musso, assistant principal for staff development, prepares a list of books for members to vote on and develops discussion questions. “Books might deal with the diversity or Catholic identity of the school or the future of the church,” says science and forensics teacher Mariette Baxendale, who has been attending the book club since she started teaching at the school in 2007. “Sometimes we choose books that focus on developing the classroom so we understand our students better. Every student will have a different background and set of experiences, and if we understand where they’re coming from, we can better access them. If faculty are enlightened, the students are, too.”
[about the book]
Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle tells of his two decades running Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program in Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights neighborhood. Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion includes touching and tragic vignettes and describes how Boyle found humanity in the hardened, violence-prone gang members.
[opinions]
>> “Tattoos on the Heart is inspirational and heart-wrenching. The growth and success of Homeboy Bakery, the first business started by Fr. Boyle to employ former Latino gang members in Los Angeles, was truly amazing, and the interwoven stories of individual gang members’ lives tug at your heartstrings. Ultimately, it is a story of hope and the inherent worth Fr. Boyle finds in all individuals.” —Mary Klaric
>> “What I found most moving are the stories that Father Boyle weaves together around several central themes: We need to trust in the slow work of God; hope is always possible; and we experience real meaning in life when we are open to authentic encounters with the people around us.” —Mike Callahan
>> “Fr. Greg Boyle demonstrates that the love and redeeming grace of God will not be confined to the boundaries and limitations of our preconceptions and biases about people.” —Rev. Mr. Frank Olmsted
[favorite]
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum
[up next]
Pope Francis : Why He Leads the Way He Leads by Chris Lowney
By Stephanie Zeilenga
Photo by Bill Barrett
Pictured: Shelley Ripplinger, Ken Luecke, Nancy Hillhouse, Laurie Kohler, Mike Callahan, Mary Klaric, Rev. Mr. Frank Olmsted | Not pictured: Lynn Maitz, Mariette Baxendale
