To a Higher Degree: Gratitude to Central Minnesota
On June 30, I will conclude a year as transitional president of St. John’s University. As my wife, Mari, and I return to retirement, we share the excitement of welcoming Brian and Carol Bruess to St. John’s and St. Ben’s. We are also very grateful for the year we have spent in Central Minnesota.
We will always carry with us the memories of this year. We learned quickly that this is a great place to hike and to embrace a beautiful environment. We learned that once the weather warms (and we wondered for a while this winter if it would), the mosquitos populate quickly, and some people’s blood is more desirable than others. And, of course, as native New Englanders, we found it best not to talk a lot about the Patriots. Finally, in this beautiful heartland of America, we have watched with admiration as farmers plant, grow and harvest in order to sustain our families and communities.
We have also become deeply connected in a very special way to the monastic communities of St. John’s and St. Ben’s. The monks and sisters have reminded Mari and me every day of the best of our Catholic faith tradition – welcoming, caring and always thankful to God. They will remain a blessing in our lives.
It was these monastic communities that gave birth to St. John’s and St. Ben’s and who continue to carry on their Catholic Benedictine traditions. St. John’s and St. Ben’s hold a very special place in American higher education and it has been a great privilege for Mari and me to be inspired by the faculty, staff, administration and, most of all, the remarkable young people who are students on these campuses. They have all given us a great gift of hope for the future.
For Mari and me, our time in this area has been a tremendous privilege and honor. The land, the lakes, the health care, as well as the amazing industry and unique identities of each town barely 5 miles apart from each other make for a rich and abiding contribution to the American spirit. Nothing of our time here will be forgotten, the friendships will go on and we will return often to visit.
At the risk of sounding pretentious, I leave you with a bit of humble advice: Cherish what you have here. Here, there is room to breathe, an exhaustive list of places to explore and extraordinary beauty of your everyday surroundings. Appreciate the fertility of this land and those who have managed it over the centuries, in particular the indigenous peoples who called it sacred. Give thanks for the abundance of food, minerals, water and forests that have been at the heart of the area’s growth and sustenance. And, most of all remember always how hard your ancestors worked to make this all happen, from field to factory, from hospital to hotel, from kindergarten to university – it took unbelievable effort and faith to make it grow into the wonderful part of the country that is Central Minnesota.
And, finally, I hope that the deep historic relationships between this region, St. John’s and St. Ben’s will continue to deepen and, in doing so, each will thrive in the decades to come. Central Minnesota and these two great institutions of higher learning have grown up together and their futures will be stronger when built together.
In so many ways, Mari and I have come to realize that Central Minnesota establishes a blueprint for the future of our country: a place where all are welcome, where all have the same opportunities for success achieved through faith and hard work; where people can live together safely, happily and productively. May it continue to grow stronger as it has for hundreds of years.
Our thanks to everyone who have made us feel so welcome and so at home. We look forward to seeing you again in the years to come. Go Johnnies and Go Bennies.
— Dr. James Mullen Jr. is the transitional president of St. John’s University, Collegeville. To a Higher Degree features opinions from the leaders of Central Minnesota's four largest institutions of higher learning and is published the fourth Sunday of the month.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: To a Higher Degree: Gratitude to Central Minnesota
