With alumni from 1954 to 2024 streaming back to Banks Street for Alumni Homecoming this month, the Blue Jay Spirit was palpable.

Alumni Homecoming is an annual tradition on Banks Street during which alumni of all ages are welcomed back to campus in celebration of their continued membership in the Jesuit family. The evening commenced in the auditorium, where the Class of 1999, celebrating their 25-year reunion, received commemorative pins, and the Class of 1974, marking their 50-year reunion, received commemorative diplomas.

Christian Bautista ’06, Jesuit’s director of institutional advancement, welcomed alumni and their guests, reminding attendees that their own Jesuit stories and memories are echoed in the lived experiences of today’s students.

Fr. John Brown, S.J., and Fr. Stephen Kramer, S.J., celebrated the Liturgy of the Hours for All Souls, which was beautified by a choir of students, alumni, and guests under the leadership of Patrick Cragin ’06 and featuring Sarah Jane Briscoe. With the evening taking place on the Feast of All Souls, attendees were invited to write down the names of deceased loved ones.

Fr. Brown then conferred the North American Martyrs Award on Fr. Anthony McGinn, S.J. ’66, former president of Jesuit High School. The award is the highest honor given to a member of the Society of Jesus who is an alumnus of the school.

Fr. McGinn described Jesuit as a place of challenge, a theme that has shaped his journey as a student, teacher, and administrator. He spoke of three key challenges that defined his time at Jesuit: truth, responsibility, and gratitude.

“The challenge of truth,” Fr. McGinn shared, “is to seek what is real and to reject what is false, even when it’s easier to accept negativity or entitlement.” This call to integrity, he explained, is central to Jesuit’s mission of forming men of faith and character. He also cautioned against the pitfalls of ideology, describing it as “a lazy person’s outlook on the world” that fails to capture the complexity and beauty of reality.

Responsibility, Fr. McGinn continued, is another hallmark of a Jesuit education. He acknowledged the struggle all young men face in learning discipline and self-reliance, but he urged alumni to embrace their duties, not avoid them. “To bring order out of chaos—whether in our lives or the world around us—is the work we are called to do,” he said.

Finally, he spoke of the challenge of gratitude, not as a mere act of saying thanks, but as a way of life. “Gratitude should drive our decisions,” he emphasized. “Do my actions reflect my gratitude for the people around me, for my Creator?” Fr. McGinn concluded by challenging alumni to be a force for good at Jesuit and beyond, urging them to hold themselves and their alma mater to the highest standards. “Jesuit needs to be challenged,” he said. “Be the challenge the young men here need.”

Peter Finney Jr. ’74, Jesuit’s Alumnus of the Year, followed Fr. McGinn’s remarks with his own reflection on the formative power of a Jesuit education. Finney’s speech was as heartfelt as it was humble, capturing the profound impact of his years at Jesuit. “Jesuit transformed my life in so many ways,” he said, recalling his days as the smallest student on campus—a 4-foot-10 freshman weighing just 80 pounds—and the lifelong friendships and lessons he gained.

Finney paid tribute to the teachers and mentors who shaped him, including Fr. E.J. Jacques, S.J., who had a knack for knowing when a student didn’t know the answer, and “Mr.” Donald Hawkins, S.J. (who would later become “Fr.”), whose compassion and sense of justice left a lasting impression. “Jesuit instilled in me an obligation to be a man for others,” Finney said, recounting the courage and perseverance of his friend Stephen McKenna ’74, one of Jesuit’s first African American students, who navigated challenges with dignity and grace.

Finney’s career as a journalist, first in sports and later as Executive Editor of the Clarion Herald, has been a testament to Jesuit’s values of truth and service. He shared poignant stories of how even the smallest articles—like a brief mention of a grief support group—can transform lives. “You never know what impact you’re going to have,” he said.

Finney closed by expressing deep gratitude for his family, especially his wife, Carolyn, whose love and support have been the foundation of his vocation. He also honored his late father, Peter Finney, Sr. ’45, a legendary sportswriter who taught him invaluable lessons: “Be kind, be fair, apologize when you’re wrong, and never take yourself too seriously.”

“Jesuit prepared me for life,” he added simply, “and for that, I am forever grateful.”

With humor, humility, and a deep reverence for Jesuit’s mission, Finney left the audience with a sense of pride in their shared legacy and a renewed commitment to the school’s enduring values when he sang a setting of the Suscipe from his glee club days at Jesuit, leaving not a dry eye in the auditorium.