LMU Magazine - The Magazine of Loyola Marymount University

LMU Campaign Surpasses $400 Million

Published: May 10, 2012
By LMU Magazine Staff

Loyola Marymount University’s capital campaign has raised more than $400 million, exceeding its campaign goal by more than $20 million.

The campaign was put over the $400 million mark by a $1 million donation from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, which will be used to establish a Center for Reconciliation at LMU.

This gift, on the occasion of the congregation’s 100th Jubilee and in recognition of LMU’s Centennial, honors the C.S.J. heritage and the sisters’ many contributions to the university since they came to the Westchester campus with Marymount College in 1968. The order, which is based in the City of Orange, Calif., traces its beginning to Eureka, Calif., in 1912.

The new center will reflect the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph, which is based on the Gospel of St. John: “that all may be one” (17:21). This spiritual orientation is at the heart of the congregation’s work for reconciliation and unity in the world, and their efforts on behalf of justice, said Mary Beth Ingham, C.S.J., an LMU trustee and emerita professor of philosophy.

Ingham called it an important moment in the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph at LMU. The Jesuits’ Center for Ignatian Spirituality promotes “the spiritual heritage that is common to all three religious communities present at LMU and shapes our distinctiveness as a Jesuit institution,” she explained. “For many years the Marymount Institute for Faith, Culture and the Arts has celebrated the special gifts of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. Now, the Center for Reconciliation will make better known the many ways in which the Sisters of St. Joseph reach out to fulfill their mission of responding to the unmet needs of ‘the dear neighbor.’ "

From the earliest conceptual stages, President David W. Burcham encouraged development of the Center for Reconciliation and expressed the university’s appreciation for the $1 million gift that will make it a reality. “We are very grateful for this generous donation. It is fitting that the Sisters of St. Joseph should have a dedicated presence at LMU. The new center will mark their place in both our history and our future.”

A permanent director for the center has not yet been announced, but pilot programs will be started next year, building on the Voices for Justice series initiated by Judith Royer, C.S.J., professor of theatre arts, as part of this year’s Bellarmine Forum.