These were special teens who were open to the Spirit. They felt deep pain, daily witnessing neighborhood youth, sometimes their friends, choosing drugs and violence over school and jobs. Many faced situations at homes that included fatherless families, joblessness, and alcohol and drug abuse. Still, they wanted to believe and to live in hope. I began to dream about what we could do together if I had more time.
Dreams do come true.
In 1993, two years after that novice experiment, I returned to Brooklyn as a regent. For about three years now I've been relying on help from Fr. Hyatt and the other Jesuits at St. Ignatius, including Cuban-born Fr. Alfredo Quevedo, and Fr. Steve Pugliese, both associate pastors, and the young people of St. Ignatius Parish to discover what I can do as a Jesuit in Brooklyn.