THE DAVID A. BOILEAU FOUNDATION! JANUARY 24, 2013

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The David A. Boileau Foundation1835 Highway 45 NorthBox 214Columbus, MS 39705USA© 2011-2013

NEWSLETTERReflections on Father Boileau’s “On Human Work: A Reflection”by Sharon Harbin, President & CEO

Father Boileau served as the Director of the Institute of Human Relations (today known as the Twomey Center) 1970 - 1980. For a digital copy of the above publication, please message:Sharon Harbin www.linkedin.com/in/thedavidaboileaufoundatio. All rights reserved. This publication is part of The David A. Boileau Foundation Archives and no part may be used in any form without written permission.

January 24th is the date of the passing of our Founding Father. It is two years now, and I know some of us still cannot help but wipe away tears now and then. However, we have cause to celebrate! Father was professor, priest, mentor, friend, family to many, liaison for the poor, and welcomed the stray 24/7. More so, he left us a lifetime of work to be done.

Through his homilies, he taught moral philosophy, how we ought to behave in such a way that we clearly see every person before us as made in the image of God so much to the point when there will come a time we feel compelled to bow! Indeed, Father taught the value of virtue and character in everyday life, and how virtue and character go hand in hand with our responsibilities, our families, each other, our work - our way of being in the world. Father continued in service to the Institute for Human Relations, now the Twomey Center for Peace and Justice, throughout his life.

In the article cited (Institute of Human Relations, Vol. XL, No. 4, Dec 1986, Loyola University New Orleans), his intention was (still is) to bring to light, once again, John Paul II’s Encyclical Laborem Exercens, and Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum.

He writes that through work, people 1) meet their basic needs,

a n d 2 ) e n j o y p e r s o n a l development through the exercise of whatever work they choose to pursue - not always in that order. Clearly, work is the activity of the person doing the work, which sets the worker above whatever product may come from such work. For example, I can practice philosophy, play the piano, or garden, and the fruits of my work, so to speak, elevate me, give me a sense of self-worth and purpose… dignity. In turn, through my work, my students learn philosophy, my friends, family, or others enjoy listening to my piano playing, and they eat the vegetables from my garden or use my flowers as centerpieces for their dining tables. In this way, my activity as a person doing work extends into my community; how ‘big’ or ‘small’ it extends does not matter. What matters is that I have done it, and I have done it responsibly, with virtue and character, so that others benefit, reap from the fruits of my activity. What I am doing.

On behalf of the Members of the Board, I kindly ask you, our friends and colleagues, to join us in taking even the smallest m o m e n t o f s i l e n c e i n remembrance of Father Boileau.

~ Sharon (please forgive my mistakes and feel free to edit me! I am wearing many hats in our infancy!)

& BLUEPRINT.-.T FOR SOCIAL JUSTICEVolume XL, No.4 December, 1986

ON HUMAN WORK:A Reflection

by Rev. David A. Boileau

The author is an Associate Professor of Philosophy atLoyola University, New Orleans and is Director of HumanServices for the International BrotherllOocl of Teamsters.Father Boileau served as Director of the Institute of HumanRelations, 1970 - 80.

Five years ago, Pope John Paul II issuedhis third encyclical let ter, LaboremExercens. The occasion was the· 90thanniversary of Pope Leo XIIPs letter RerumNovarum. John Paul was prompted by thatanniversary to tell us some thoughts abouthuman work. Some reflections on John Paul'sletter are now due as well.

Work, the Pope says, is probably theessential key to they social question. Byworking, persons procure their daily bread;they develop the technical arts and sciences;and they raise the standards of civilization.Work is a transitive activity: it origina tesfrom the human subject and is directedtowards an external object. However, itdoes not follow from this that work'sexternal purposes are of the first importance.Just as human activity proceeds from thehuman, so it is ordered towards thehuman.

The essential purpose of a person's workis more to perfect the person than to changethe world in which the person lives. If thesolution to the social question is to make lifemore human, then human work is thefundamental, decisive key. The Pope arrivesat this notion of the centrali ty of work bycalling to mind for us the unprecedenteddevelopments of our time. Thesedevelopments are automation, the cost ofenergy and raw materials, pollution, theemergence of peoples and the realization ofthe finiteness of nature.

Reforms are required by these develop-ments. The Church has the task to ca 11at t en t ion to the digni ty and rights ofworkers and to condemn violations of theserights. The Church must also help guide anyreforms to ensure real human progress.

These thoughts, the Prope says, areconsistent with the Church's teaching andare based in Scripture. New conditions,however, call for the discovery of a new

Institute of Human Relations • • New Orleans, La. 70118-6195Loyola University