William J. Byron

William J. Byron

Columnist and former president, Catholic University

The Reverend William J. Byron, S.J., a former president of Catholic University, is on leave this year from his position as research professor at the Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola College in Maryland to serve as president of St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia. The “On Faith” panelist served as interim president of Loyola University , New Orleans in 2003-04 and for three years prior to that, was pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington , D.C. From 1992 to 2000, he taught "Social Responsibilities of Business" at Georgetown University , where he was Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Ethics and served as rector of the Georgetown Jesuit Community. He was president of Catholic University for a decade (1982-92). Byron writes a syndicated bi-weekly column, Looking Around , for Catholic News Service, and is the author of a dozen books, including A Book of Quiet Prayer (2006); The Power of Principles: Ethics in the New Corporate Culture (2006) and Answers from Within: Spiritual Guidelines for Managing Setbacks in Work and Life (1998) . A founding director and past chairman of Bread for the World , Byron was also named the 1999 recipient of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities' Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for his contributions to the advancement of Catholic higher education. In that same year, he received the Council of Independent Colleges' Academic Leadership Award. Byron, who holds a doctorate in economics as well as theology degrees, served in the U.S. Army's 508 th Parachute Infantry Regiment before entering the Jesuit order in 1950. He was ordained a priest in 1961. Close.

William J. Byron

Columnist and former president, Catholic University

The Reverend William J. Byron, S.J., a former president of Catholic University, is on leave this year from his position as research professor at the Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola College in Maryland to serve as president of St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia. more »

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Gratitude Leads To Happiness

The solution to...unhappiness...is a reawakening in the human heart of the idea of gratitude

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All Comments (6)

opt leads mlm

S.Srinivasan:

Reverend Sir,

I consider your statement "Let anyone start expressing and experiencing gratitude--if not vertically toward God, at least horizontally toward others in the human community" as highly relevant and true in the present day context.

I was deeply touched by way a small Christian Amish community in Nickel Mines, Pa had recently shown us the way how to express our gratitude to Him for all that He has given us. Their extremely sincere commitment to Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Shepherd is worth emulating.

"How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world".

Regards,
S.Srinivasan

arctic angel:

reverend, thank you. i am 10 years beyond a stage IV cancer, every dawn since then begins
with 'lord god, father in heaven, grandfather
of this great universe, accept my humble thanks
for this opportunity to live and breathe one more
day in remission...in the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost...amen.'

Anonymous:

"Let anyone start expressing and experiencing gratitude--if not vertically toward God, at least horizontally toward others in the human community--and you'll find that person holding a new lease on happiness."

Indeed Sir, indeed. Perhaps a good place to start in all Human affairs, without regard for whatever our neighbors believe.

Druid:

Gratitude is where it all begins. If you start in that place then your life can flourish from blessings, un-expected luck, and an abundance of good company.

fern:

In my local paper today, one cartoon reproduced what I consider a wonderful quote:

"If the only prayer you say in your life is "thank you," that would suffice." --Meister Eckhart

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