Over 30 years ago, I found myself at a pleasant juncture. I was newly ordained, but my assignment had not been finalized. I suddenly had two semesters for myself, so I decided to increase my theological education. I enrolled at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley for a licentiate in sacred theology, a Roman diploma, not the usual course of study for an Eastern Orthodox cleric. Soon I was in classes with Jesuits from America, Africa, and Asia, and alongside laypeople from all walks of life. The environ- ment was stimulating, to say the least, yet it was always friendly and professional.
My understanding of Jesuit educational values was so limited when I arrived, as my focus was on books and papers, and becoming an academic. However, the interac- tions in the courses, the thoroughness of the welcoming (what we call accompaniment nowadays) touched my affections and my thinking followed suit. I recall two Jesuits who were unabashedly scholarly, the sort of minds that could get lost in thought, though they always kept our attention on the less fortunate. Their experience in missions certainly informed their teaching, but they also served the poor locally, without fanfare. They modeled the values of the education they were offering us. I had enrolled at the Jesuit School for a diploma, but came away with a formation in values.
