Father Jim Duffy Talk

In Father Jim Duffy’s talk on January 23, he discussed human identity, Jesuit identity, and his experiences as a Jesuit priest and physician in relation to Loyola’s commitment to the “Year of the City.” He talked about the levels of human consciousness and how identity is formed. Most importantly, he brought up how he has tried to integrate the Georgetown Medical School with his primary apostolate, the Spanish Catholic Center in Mount Pleasant, Maryland, just as Loyola College in Maryland is working to unite itself with the city of Baltimore.

Father Duffy discussed the dichotomies in his life. He is a priest and a physician and must deal with the controversies between science and religion. He lives in the wealthy Georgetown area, yet he works in the impoverished Mount Pleasant area. He said, however, that these aspects of his life do not have to be an “either/or” choice. According to Father Duffy, he can do both because these dichotomies that act as barriers can be overcome with prayer and love. Love allows these “hybrids” and has allowed him to maintain his unique identity. Love and prayers can break down the barriers so people like Father Duffy can continue doing what is right in spite of the tension that could result from two different aspects of their lives.

Father Duffy also discussed breaking down barriers when he told about his work with providing medical care to the poor in the Mount Pleasant area at the Spanish Catholic Center. First, he had to break down a very significant boundary, the language barrier. The center speaks Spanish so that there can be a link between the cultures and so people who only speak Spanish and worry they will not be able to receive medical attention can be reassured also. Second, Father Duffy broke down the barrier between the rich and the poor by including Georgetown medical students in his work at the Spanish Catholic Center. He encouraged oneness with all people and considered the “cross-fertilization” between Georgetown and the Center to be for the “greater glory of God.”

These barriers that Father Duffy spoke of reminded me of the barriers we discussed in class while reading The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs and poems such as Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall.” Just as these reading selections suggested, Father Duffy said that the barriers can be taken down or overcome by people who sought to let others into their lives.

Father Duffy also described the levels of human consciousness and identity, including the aspects of experience, understanding, judgment, and action. Everyone brings their unique experiences to the table. Experiences lead to understanding, which in turn, leads to judgment. With prayer and good intentions, this judgment can result in actions done for the glory of God. Father Duffy brought up the necessity of action “for and with others,” which was a reference to Father Peter-Ham Kolvenbach’s description of “men and women for and with others” in The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice in American Jesuit Higher Education.

Father Duffy made it clear that God can be found in all things and experiences. He thought it was very important that people were open to these experiences that could lead them to a deeper love of their neighbor, and therefore, a deeper love for God. He stressed the importance of prayer and love, saying that they could tear down all barriers between people. Just as he has destroyed the barrier between the Spanish Catholic Center and the Georgetown Medical School, he encouraged the students of Loyola College to break down the barrier between the college and the people of the city of Baltimore.