The Jesuit tradition calls us to think deeply on the intersections between faith and knowledge, and between our experiences and the experiences of those around us. At Holy Cross, we confront these unknowns by asking questions and learning from one another. There is humility in asking more, because none of us has all the answers; there is always more to learn, appreciate, contemplate and celebrate.
Broadly and Deeply
A Jesuit, liberal arts education promotes wide understanding across a broad spectrum of academic disciplines. It also challenges reliance on surface-level knowledge — what the Superior General of the Jesuits calls the “globalization of superficiality” — and encourages students to engage deeply with the questions they encounter. By remaining simultaneously attentive to details and aware of the broader context, we are able to explore diverse topics, make informed comparisons and uncover the underlying — and sometimes universal — truths that connect them.
A Jesuit, liberal arts education helps free students from prejudice, bias and ignorance. By becoming open-minded, inquisitive truth-seekers, they gain the freedom to make mistakes, question their beliefs and grow as men and women of faith, as scholars and as global citizens.
Jesuit education champions the education of the whole person — including each individual’s intellectual, social and spiritual dimensions.
Cannonball Moments
When a cannonball struck St. Ignatius during the Battle of Pamplona, it changed the course of his life. While recovering from his wounds, he asked for books to read. The only two available were about the life of Christ and the lives of the saints. Reading and reflecting on these books led Ignatius to ask the daunting questions that transformed his conception of what it means to be an engaged and caring human being, and that set him on a journey toward God.
Holy Cross seeks to create a place where students can also reflect on who they are and how they wish to live (while leaving their limbs intact, of course). We call the moments of insight and realization born of these reflections “cannonball moments.” Many students believe they have their path in life carefully planned, only to find during their time here that they want to try something different. It could be a new activity or career direction — or simply a new perspective on their current course of action.