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A Family Passion for Ignatian Spirituality Leads to a Legacy Gift

Anne Marks

Anne Marks, M.P.S. '95

There comes a time when we begin to reflect on the people and places that hold special meaning in our lives—places like Loyola. This is a time when our charitable plans begin to take on a deeper, more personal meaning. We want our legacy to express what is in our hearts, how we feel, and why we care. And, most of all, we want our legacy to have a meaningful and lasting impact on future generations.

Liturgical dance, an artistic expression of faith, first led Anne Marks, M.P.S. '95, to investigate Loyola Institute of Ministry, or LIM. She and her husband, Paul, have remembered Loyola through a gift in their will that will establish an endowed scholarship for students enrolled in LIM. Anne benefited from a scholarship for Jesuit education created by an anonymous donor through her church. She and her husband now want others to have the same opportunity for a Jesuit education, especially those who may not be able to afford it.

Anne studied ballet in her formative years and continued her dance classes in college and beyond. She later turned her interest to liturgical dance and attended summer workshops on religion and dance in Berkeley, California. Back in her hometown, she found others who were dancing in churches. Putting their ideas together led to the formation of an ecumenical dance ministry.

Anne was excited about sharing this new passion with others, but soon sensed resistance from them. She found herself unable to articulate the experience with skill. She wanted to describe verbally how dance communicated a powerful experience in the liturgy, but she could not find the words. Nuns who had experience with dance in the liturgy celebrated within their communities encouraged Anne to enroll in the LIM Extension program, which allowed her to pursue her studies online from Baton Rouge and earn a master's degree in pastoral studies from Loyola.

Anne joined a LIM group that had begun coursework the year before. Immediately upon joining, she was struck with the diversity of her classmates. One was a priest, two were nuns, and yet another was a principal of a school. All were pursuing the LIM degree for different reasons. The course material was intellectually stimulating. They watched films together, discussed books, and wrote papers. Anne had to complete the two courses of the first year on her own by attending summer school sessions on campus in New Orleans. She lived in a dorm; attended Mass every day; and jogged in Audubon Park, her own personal retreat. She fell in love with Ignatian spirituality and Loyola.

While Anne was being introduced to the teachings of St. Ignatius Loyola, so was her son. She laughs today, recalling the time as "a constellation of experiences." While taking a year off after graduating from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, her son joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. He was assigned to Sacramento, California, where he lived a simple, practical life in an intentional community while helping others less fortunate. According to his mother, it was the hardest thing he had ever done. The experience included an open, honest engagement with spirituality and faith. It broadened his perspective and confronted his boundaries. It changed his life.

Anne and her family continue to serve their communities, applying Jesuit principles to their everyday lives. Since earning her LIM degree, Anne has worked at the United Way Speakers Bureau; served as director of ministries at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church; and served as program director at The Red Shoes, a center for personal and spiritual growth. At The Red Shoes, she helped build communities through collaboration using a practical understanding of theology. For the past 10 years, she has facilitated workshops using The Artist's Way at Work, a tool to cultivate creative thinking in the workplace, and grown her business Art at Work LLC. She volunteers and continues to be involved in her church.

This fall at St. Aloysius, Anne is participating in a class using Creighton University's Online Ministry "Retreat in the Real World" based on Ignatian spirituality. She is extremely excited and looking forward to the class. Ignatian spirituality is a family passion, and she has very high hopes for Pope Francis.

Anne has been fortunate and is at a point in her life where she is thinking about her own legacy. With this gift, Anne is not only investing in Loyola's future but also will make a difference in the lives of students for generations to come. Her legacy gift to Loyola has made her very happy.

Invest in Your Loyola Passion

You can follow in Anne's footsteps and leave a legacy that will support Loyola for years to come. Contact Kevin Maney at kmaney@loyno.edu or 504-861-5442 to learn about the many ways you can give a gift and leave a lasting impact.

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