FATHER LUCEY REMEMBERS
A flood of feelings rise within me as I look through the blooming magnolia tree, across the fresh green of spring and hear the sounds of the young life of Campion in its last days.
To me, Campion has been the goal of my childhood, the cornerstone of my sense of self-worth, the occasion for my friendships, the font of my faith, the source of my ideals, the home of my vocation, the challenge of my manhood, the focus of my ministry, the tap root of my life. There is in me a fear of the sense of loss I am to know, the rootlessness that may be mine for a time.
Yet I know the institutions of man are finite. We who are Campion have served well. But the priorities of our culture, our economy as well as the apostolic concerns of our ministry have changed. We have faced these realities with honesty, we have evaluated with courage, we have concluded with justice.
We must realize, as one alumnus wrote, "that in the decision to conclude lies the responsibility to continue. From one accomplished task can come the knowledge to begin another, a different role and perhaps with greater purpose."
It is not by default that we close; it is after having made a concerted effort at every level. It is with deep gratitude for those who have shouldered that effort with us. It is with a knotting pain for those who feel the hurt and need more time to understand; it is with peace that we live with this decision, knowing it was right.and necessary, made with dignity and integrity. Anything less would be out of step with the tradition we have ended and the tradition we continue to live as we scatter to begin anew.
Rev. Gregory F. Lucey, S.J.