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Issue Date:  May 25, 2007

From the Editor's Desk

A dirt pile, a rest, a new face

My mind these past few days has been turning, in its idle moments, to a growing mound of dirt in my backyard. That mound, if I am successful, will eventually take the form of an “herb spiral” from which will sprout such things as fresh basil, rosemary and oregano, and maybe some mint and thyme.

It all has to do, says daughter-in-law Erinn, far more expert in these matters than I, with taking advantage of microenvironments and such. My head is turning in that direction because, first, I’ve always thought of gardens as an adult version of the sandbox, a place for whiling away hours while getting dirty. It’s a bit of primordial fun with the added benefit, in the garden, of the chance that something edible might actually grow.

My head’s turning that way, too, because I imagine having more time than usual in the coming months for tending to such matters, since I will be taking a summer-long sabbatical.

I’m not quite sure how this will go, untethered from the demands of editorial duties for the first time in decades, but I see in my mind’s eye an unusually well-tended (for me) garden and luxurious hours of reading as I watch things grow.

And more than a few rounds of golf.

The ambition, further (it’s not all without purpose), is to begin some research into longer-range projects for this wonderful little effort called NCR .

That last part is in no small way a means of dealing with the Puritan genes that have sneaked in somehow over the years. That and a reference in Hebrews where Paul writes: “And whoever enters into God’s rest, rests from his own works as God did from his.” Shortly after, Paul even equates resting with obedience to God, exhorting his flock to “strive to enter into that rest,” which may sound a bit self-defeating to 21st-century ears.

However exegetically inaccurate any of that may be, I will, armed with it, walk into the growing deep yellow heat of a Kansas summer and will be back in the workplace come September.

~ ~ ~

In the meantime, Sister of St. Anne Rita Larivee, editor in chief and publisher of NCR, will be greeting you in this space.

You have seen her in only limited ways, though she’s been at NCR for 10 years, eight of them in various roles, including associate publisher, and two as publisher.

Allow me to tell you a bit about her.

She came on board when Tom Fox, then publisher (and previously editor) of NCR, recognized her talent, her distinguished background, her unassuming nature and her ability to analyze systems and to get to the heart of things, to the questions that really matter, often long before others realize there are questions to be asked.

She lives at a fascinating intellectual intersection: She has a master’s in theology from Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., and a doctorate in theology and Christian ethics from Loyola University, Chicago; an undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics, physics and education from Rhode Island College; and she did doctoral studies in computer science education at Boston University. The former president of Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass., now jokes, “I’m never going to school again.”

More than once a colleague in the Catholic press has called me to ask who we hire to do our Web site work, and more often than not I can feel the envy over the phone when I say it’s our publisher, who is frighteningly competent in maneuvering through what to most of us is a distant and hidden universe.

If that intersection locates much of her energy and effort today, her instincts right out of Rhode Island College took her far from the academy, to the Navajo Indian reservations in New Mexico, where she taught high school mathematics. She said it presented “an opportunity to learn about the missions of the United States, experience living in another culture and work within a Third-World experience that many don’t realize exists in the United States.”

Then came a spiritual calling and a lifetime commitment to issues of justice. “For me, the calling occurred to the exclusion of other options, such as marriage. Celibacy worked for me, but I didn’t want to do this work alone. I really wanted to do it within a community. The Sisters of St. Anne are Ignatian, which means contemplation in action, and that fits my vision.”

Why stay with NCR? “Because journalism at its best helps make a difference in people’s lives for the better, and I don’t mean just systemic change or policy change or influencing government structures. Journalism at its best is about people who have faces and families and hopes for a better life.”

All of the above is, of course, impressive. Rita has shaped NCR, largely behind the scenes, in significant ways -- through her insights into the possibilities of technology, through her insights into what responsible publishing entails in today’s world, through the endless conversations she has throughout this leaky old building. They are conversations that, without notice, can turn a topic on its head or toward an angle that picks up a bit of refracted light and, suddenly, you realize thoughts are moving toward new possibilities.

But most impressive, in my estimation, is her deep regard for journalism and for protecting the kind of independent journalism, a shrinking commodity, that NCR represents. The exciting part -- and, to be sure, exciting days are ahead for NCR -- is that her deep regard for the craft is fleshed out in increasing resources that will advance the kind of reporting that has been the hallmark of this publication. You’ll enjoy getting to know her.

~ ~ ~

I wish you the best -- and sufficient rest -- this summer. And now, a dirt pile summons.

-- Tom Roberts

Notice
Tom Roberts will not be receiving e-mail at his NCR address this summer. Those who wish to send queries, suggestions for coverage, news tips or other news related items should address them to ritalarivee@ncronline.org. Writers who have queries or manuscripts for the opinion and arts section should send materials to Margot Patterson at mpatterson@ncronline.org.

National Catholic Reporter, May 25, 2007

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