Ethos Leaders: Fr. Ryan Rallanka, S.J. and Fr. Greg Celio, S.J.
Lisa Fernandez, Director of Communications & Marketing
They are mainstays on the Prep campus. Both teach theology classes, work in community ministry, and oversee the music ministry program at Prep. They preside at school Masses and serve as co-directors on retreats such as Kairos and Manresa. In addition, Greg coaches baseball and Ryan moderates the Dungeon and Dragons Club as well as serves on the Board of Trustees. They share their thoughts here on the Jesuit experience.
How does it feel to not be the youngest guy on the block nor the oldest? (A reference to retiree Fr. Paul Fitterer and Jesuit novice Cyrus Habib.)
G: Not being the oldest means I’m still working. I’m in the thick of it. In my second year at Prep, I still feel young. There is that excitement and enthusiasm getting to know the community and being in the space of having energy to give. We have been helpful to Cyrus. But he has so much to offer to us. It feels more like a partnership over the last few months rather than a mentorship.
R: This question makes me chuckle because I am technically the youngest in the group at Prep. In spite of that I’ve been at Prep for five years. I am the local superior at the Jesuit community so sometimes I do have experiences in ministry that make me feel older. Greg and I have been in the society for over 15 years and we have lots of experiences to share with Cyrus that are valuable as he looks ahead. But his wealth of experience also enriches our lives. There’s a mutual benefit.
How has Cyrus joining the Prep community impacted how you see your role and work as a Jesuit at Prep?
G: He has made a huge impact. Partly because he has been involved in so many things that we aren’t. I am learning more from him about the school because he is involved in different areas. He has accompanied students well and had many one-on-one conversations with them about significant decisions in their life. That accompaniment is so important.
R: From a vocational perspective obviously we all know he came in as former Washington State Lieutenant Governor. But he left that life behind and became a Jesuit — it’s hard to measure that type of influence. To even get students to think about, ‘what it means to be successful’? I would imagine his presence alone gives students pause about that question. He had it all, the success and fame, and the big question is why would he leave it all behind? His presence speaks to the impact of faith on his own life. We teach theology about concepts and ideas but there is something very profound about the witness of his very life in what he has chosen to leave behind. That’s very unique. The school has never had a blind student before. It’s been valuable witnessing how Cyrus navigates the school. Because many of us haven’t had any experience with blind people. It limits our imagination or what we think is possible for people like Cyrus. There were things that he was able to do that boggled my mind. I assumed that he needed more accommodation than he actually did.
What are your goals for this year?
R: Interesting question. There have been a lot of changes at the school this year. We are at a moment of opportunity. There is an uncertainty to what that looks like. But I think the vision forward requires us to know who we are. A large part of our work as Jesuits is to just simply remind people of who we say we are. We need to be rooted in our identity. Who we are as Jesuits, rooted in the life of Ignatius, who wanted to root his life in Jesus. What does it mean to be an instrument of the church and of the Society of Jesus? I’m on the Board of Trustees at Prep and I bring that perspective to conversations at that level.
G: I wanted to know the community better. Coming out of COVID I have felt more connected this year. I see many of our students as not having the same opportunities for experiences as in the past, particularly with people in the community who are marginalized. I think this is such an important thing for our students as they grapple with some of the questions and consider how to live their life as men and women for others. I think for me it’s important to facilitate those direct experiences whether its through immersion or service.
In a post-pandemic world what do you see that needs prayer and healing at Prep?
G: I think what we are doing for the kids now is great. We are making up for lost time. I feel like they need more of what we are giving them. But we need to continue discerning what really matters. I think COVID forced us to do that, but at the same time it stripped a lot of things away. Now we have a lot more in our life, but we still need to focus on what matters most.
Prep is at a leadership crossroads with the search for a new president. What qualities do you wish for this person to possess and what type of vision do you hope they have for Prep?
R: The position profile (on school website) articulates a lot. What you see there reflects the voice of the larger community. We are effectively looking for a unicorn. I don’t even think Jesus would qualify. We will just have to wait and see.
In spring 2020 Jesuit Superior General Fr. Sosa visited Seattle Prep and articulated more fully the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs). Do you feel Prep is successfully carrying them out?
R: I think we do a lot of the things mentioned in the UAPs really well at Prep already. When you look at, for example, walking with the excluded and marginalized, care for our common home, journeying with our youth to a hopeful future. Examples are our work with Urban Plunge and Restorative Justice. We try to inspire our students to analyze our society and who is experiencing marginalization. How do we uphold that god-given dignity that we are all created in the image of God? That work is never done.
G: During the sponsorship process we were asked to look at ourselves through the lens of the UAPs There is that reflection built into this process. That will then influence our goals at Prep for the next six years.
What advice do you have for Cyrus in the next steps of his journey as a Jesuit?
G: Take vows. Hold on to this Prep experience. I know it’s been really life giving for him. It’s confirmed his vocation. There will be moments ahead that are not as exciting, so he needs to remember this is why I am doing it.
R: As Cyrus goes into philosophy and theology studies, I think it’s good to be reminded of who he is studying for. For example, keep his students in the back of his mind as he is studying. How do you apply those concepts to a 15-year-old student? Why would it matter to them? If he can make those connections, he will be able to more effectively integrate what he is studying.
What inspires you about the leadership of the Jesuits who have come before you?
G: What inspires me is their humanity and goodness. They are not perfect men. But I think at our best we have a sense of our humanity and our weakness. We give people space to be human. That’s what the Jesuits, who have been my mentors, exhibit. The have helped me to accept myself.
R: St. Ignatius. I haven’t met him, but he allegedly had a moment where he was considering if the Church were, for whatever reason, to dissolve the Society of Jesus, he would just need 15 minutes of prayer and he would be able to let go. So, I think it’s important to have a sense of detachment. Let me frame it more positively. In the Spiritual Exercises and Principals and Foundations, St. Ignatius talks about this Ignatian difference. It’s not apathy, it’s a perspective to hold things lightly. Sometimes when we cling too tightly to reality it can stifle where God or the spirit is leading us.
If you talk to some Jesuits, they are doing work that they never could have imagined doing or pursued on their own. They were put in uncomfortable situations that did not necessarily feed their gifts or talents. They have an openness to challenges, difficulties, uncertainty. I’ve seen Jesuits who just fundamentally trust that God is present in the midst of brokenness. In my own life as a Jesuit I’ve come to trust in this process.
- cyrus habib
- greg celio
- ministry
- ryan rallanka
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