Hospital Experiment

Today officially began our "Hospital Experiment". The name of the experiment is a holdover from times gone by, it would be more accurate to call it our nursing home experiment. A vestigial name is in keeping with working at the nursing home, a place where memory of times past is far brighter than the reality of the present.

At the regular nursing facility we visit, our duties are limited to being present to the residents by talking, holding their hands, reading, and praying with them. Some of the residents I've been assigned to visit are responsive, many are difficult to speak with, a few are close to death and almost entirely uncommunicative. The residents are overwhelmingly female, though this is common for nursing homes.

One day a week we'll be working at the Jesuit retirement facility starting Monday. There we take a more active role in the care of the men, both literally and figuratively getting our hands dirty.



Today is the memorial of St. Francis Borgia SJ, the third superior general of the Society. Speaking of superiors general, our current general, the Very Reverend Peter-Hans Kolvenbach SJ, will be visiting this lowly novitiate come Saturday. I'm looking forward to meeting Fr. Kolvenbach, reports are that he's a very holy and insightful man. Though before he arrives, I need to make sure my room is ship shape. He's been known to inspect novices' rooms from time to time and mine could do with a bit of sprucing up. Originally from the Netherlands, Fr. Kolvenbach taught linguistics and ministered in the Middle East before being called to Rome to assist our previous Father General Pedro Arrupe. Fr. Kolvenbach was elected Superior General by the 33rd General Congregation in 1983. Last year Pope Benedict granted his request to step down, normally Superior Generals hold the office for life. In 2006, the 35th General Congregation will choose a new Superior General to succeed Fr. Kolvenbach. More about Fr. General some other time.

One final note, I think I've finally acclimated to the novitiate schedule because 11pm now seems impossibly late and 7am is no longer particularly early. Amazing how that happens.

AMDG