JOHN W. HYNES S.J. (1886-1953)
Among the older Jesuits of the Province Jack Hynes is generally recognized to be one of the greatest Jesuits in the history of the Province. He was by no means a textbook saint. His language was sometimes salty. His temper was known to flare up. He was plain spoken and restive under superiors who peered too closely over his shoulder. But no one ever doubted his zeal and magnanimity. He loved God with a passion and received a portion of apostolic charm that reminded many of St. Ignatius Loyola himself.
He was born in El Paso on 24 June 1886 and entered the novitiate at Macon in 1901, before his 15th birthday. He was signaled out early as a man of unusual intelligence and promise. His apostolic life after ordination was divided roughly in three periods. The first he spent as a student and professor of theology. After receiving his doctorate from the Gregorian University he taught theology for several years at Mundelein Seminary outside Chicago.
In 1927 his second career began at Loyola University. He came to New Orleans to become Director of Athletics at the University. Shortly after that he became Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and from 1931 to 1936 he served as President. It was during this time that he worked with other American Jesuits to form the Jesuit Educational Association, of which he is reckoned as one of the principal founders.
Loyola during these years faced, as all our schools did, the threat of the Depression Hynes' remedy was to expand the night and summer schools. That meant that he had to call on the largely Jesuit faculty to work overtime. As a compensation he arranged a Florida villa for the community between regular session and summer school. And he vigorously defended his action when higher superiors found it too extravagant.
Jack Hynes also served as Province Prefect of Studies and Director of WWL, but his most famous career was his third and last from 1940 to 1952 when he was in charge of Manresa Retreat League. Retreats had been given in Suburban Acres, a former night club in Jefferson Parish from 1924. Then in 1930, Jefferson College at Convent was purchased. By 1938 the number of laymen who made weekend retreats had risen to 229. Fr. Hynes built well on the foundation laid by the pioneers. By 1952 there were 2,700 retreatants and Manresa was open all year long The director concentrated his activities along Canal Street where he pursued the work of organization and recruitment. It was difficult to resist the Hynes charm on the telephone and almost impossible if he caught you at lunch or in the office. He had a fabulous memory for names and exercised his charm on all he met.
When he celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit in 1951, there was a standing room only crowd at the Saturday morning Mass at Baronne Street. He died in 1953 a few months before his 67th birthday, but his work lives on and he lives on in the hearts of the people whose lives he touched.
From Our Friends, by T. H. Clancy, S.J.
