The Mother Jones House at Wheeling Jesuit University
Students working and living in a community to make a difference
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40 Do you know what the poor and needy look like in your community? Look into a child’s youthful eyes. They seek the gift of guidance and an education. Look into the face of an elderly shut in, lonely and helpless. Every wrinkle on their face waits to tell a unique story of a laugh, tear, or struggle. Look at the hands of the worker who toils day after day, but still cannot afford to properly feed and clothe their child. These people live just minutes from the Wheeling Jesuit campus, yet most students have never stepped foot into their neighborhood to hear or see their struggles. As a Jesuit institute in the state of West Virginia, Wheeling Jesuit University has a duty to serve the poor and mistreated. The Mother Jones House is one of the ways WJU students can be women and men for others in the community. Just above the community dinner table in the house hangs a portrait of Mother Jones and a quote, “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.” As an advocate for workers’ rights, Mother Jones, fought like hell for safe working conditions, and better pay for coal miners in the region. She was a strong voice for the poor and mistreated. Life at the house centers around five values inspired by Mother Jones and the Jesuit philosophy: faith, simplicity, service learning, community, and social justice. Kelley Asbury a senior currently living in the house says working in the community and performing service for others was one aspect that drew her attention.“I feel service is a very integral part of a Jesuit education, just living on campus I didn’t really come into this area and I didn’t really know the problems that existed in the community. I feel that the WJU community can really help the East Wheeling community and vice versa.” Each member of the house is required to do at least ten hours of service weekly. They minister in soup kitchens, prison ministry, after school programs, and serve shut-ins. The Mother Jones Students even open their home once a week for community dinners. The house exemplifies Wheeling Jesuit’s mission to educate women and men for life, leadership, and service.“You just learn so much extra here that you can’t learn in a classroom,” says Jonathan Kolks, house mentor, and WJU graduate student. “It’s really getting the hands on experience and understanding why it is that we study the things we do at Wheeling Jesuit.” The emphasis of the house values gives students living the house the opportunity to not only give back to the community, but grow individually. Things like weekly faith/spiritual nights give students the opportunity to discuss and deepen their faith, while living simply helps the students to mature and appreciate the gifts they have. "We try to live simply here by maybe not having the most up to date technology, conserving water by taking quick showers, car pooling or riding bikes to class,” says Kolks. “We do things that might not be normal for a college student to do, but we want to do things that challenge us to live more simply and see what it is we really need in our lives.” |
Photos: WJU/Stacy Keller 2012
Program Objectives
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