Baugh on Ignatian spirituality, Spring Hill College, and Jesuit Formation

Wearing a crisp black shirt and white Roman collar and a smile on his face, Matthew
Baugh, S.J., can be seen interacting with students in and out of the classroom. Recently, he is
seen on the cover of the Mobile Bay Monthly. In the January issue, he was featured as a member
of the magazines Class of Forty under 40, a program designed to recognize 40 of the top
individuals younger than age 40 who demonstrate leadership, professional excellence and a
commitment to the Bay area community, according to mobilebaymonthly.com.

In the interview, Baugh states that if he were mayor of Mobile, he would move into a
small house in Prichard. This answer may confuse or surprise some; however, knowing that
Jesuits, like Baugh, are formed in the spirituality of Ignatius, his answer makes sense.

Baugh explains, You have this city (Mobile) with great poverty, and we are also a
Christian city; it is a great scandal. We have to answer for this [] Some of the people I love the
most are from Prichard. Baugh is committed to serving and loving others, which is an integral
aspect of the spirituality of Ignatius.

Ignatian spirituality, according to Ignatianspirituality.com, is a spirituality for everyday

life. It insists that God is present in our world and active in our lives. It is a pathway to deeper
prayer, good decisions guided by keen discernment, and an active life of service to others.

Baugh further explains, Ignatius thinks that life is basically about the drama of choice,
which is what makes the human person so great. Whats even greater, from his perspective, is
that we dont have to make those choices alone; we can make them with the good Lord. Not only
does God let us choose, but he lets us choose what He has chosen for us.

Ignatian spirituality defines the Jesuits, like Baugh, which also means that this spirituality
is the driving force behind the Jesuit institution of Spring Hill College. Spring Hills promise
statement, Forming leaders engaged in learning, faith, justice, and service for life emphasizes
formation in the spirituality of Ignatius. I think theres such a hunger on the part of our students
to be formed by Ignatian spirituality- I want to work on how to make it more available and give
people more access to it, says Baugh.

To start, Baugh taught a class on Ignatian spirituality last semester. The class culminates
with a final project that requires students to take an idea of Ignatian spirituality, such as
discernment of spirits or pilgrimage, and use it to better understand something outside the world
of Ignatian spirituality, says Baugh.

Senior Matthew Tusa took Baughs class last semester and shares his experience in
relation to being a Spring Hill student: After going through the class, our school ideals such as
cura personalis make much more sense. The biggest lesson was that not everyone is called to the
same good. Each person is called by God to act in a unique way.

Baugh is currently a Jesuit scholastic, which means that although he is currently teaching,
he is still studying to be a Jesuit. Right now I would love to preach and hear confessions and say
Mass, but I cant do that yet. I have a deep hunger and sense of longing to serve the church as a
priest, which is what I think this part of formation is geared towards, Baugh shares.

The purpose of this aspect of formation is also, according to Baugh, to be actively

engaged in some part of society. Baugh is actively engaged in both the communities of Spring
Hill and Mobile. He expresses a desire for these two communities to be more integrated. I think
there is a sense in Mobile that Spring Hill is this black hole that they dont know. We are trying
to reach out and bridge that gap because we do want people to feel comfortable here, says
Baugh.

Baugh now has about four years left of formation, at which point he will be ordained as a
Catholic Jesuit priest. Until then, however, Dr. Baugh remains Dr. Baugh, not Fr. Baugh. Dr.
Baugh understands the misconception that his white collar necessitates priesthood. Its
confusing because the Jesuits dont have a habit, Baugh says with a smile. So for now, Baugh
will continue to wear his simple uniform as he works to increase Ignatian spirituality on campus.