Jesuit Spotlight: Fr. Pat Lee, S.J.
Written by Ali Johnston, Coordinator in Mission and Ministry
Father Pat Lee, S.J. is the new Vice President for Mission and Ministry at Gonzaga University. Fr. Lee, who previously served as Gonzaga’s Vice President for Mission (2005-08), is a Gonzaga alumnus (B.A. ’69, M.Ed. ’74) who also earned an M.Div from the Weston School of Theology and an Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco. In 2008, Father General Nicolás appointed Fr. Lee as Provincial of the Oregon Province (2008-2014), and for the past two years he has served as the Superior of Community of the Holy Land – Jerusalem.
Fr. Lee is excited to be back at his Gonzaga home, primarily because of the community of people. “We have good people here…people who show a sense of love. Gonzaga is a place where you are encouraged to be love and talk about loving others,” said Lee.
A Glimpse into His Faith-Life:
When asked how God is moving in his life at present, Fr. Lee responded:
“This is a time of deep integration for me. I’m trying to listen to the Holy Spirit in how to bring my life experiences together into a place of wisdom. I feel called to share the wisdom God has given me with others, particularly the students, staff, and faculty here at Gonzaga. Also, in reflecting upon the presence of Christ in my past as a whole and in my everyday life, I’ve found a call to move towards greater simplicity, freedom, and an ever-expanding knowledge of God.”
His Vision and Work Now:
In his second time as Vice President for Mission (and now Ministry), Fr. Lee is trying to give greater depth and understanding to the university’s mission statement. He is asking the question, “What does it really mean to be a Jesuit, Catholic and humanistic institution?” To better grasp and integrate the mission, Fr. Lee is striving to establish a culture of discernment in the university. This kind of culture aspires to “listen to what others are actually saying before responding—it aims to be countercultural in a world that speaks before it listens.” Lee and his colleagues desire to integrate this listening-oriented culture into the whole university.