Maryland
Loyola University Maryland acknowledges historical ties to slavery, calls for continued examination – Catholic Review
Loyola University Maryland officially acknowledged its historical ties to slavery with the Jan. 17 release of a comprehensive 27-page report detailing the Baltimore university’s connections to the slave trade.
The report notes that the connections between slavery and Jesuit higher education first came to national attention in 2016 when a New York Times story detailed the ways Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., benefitted from the proceeds of the 1838 sale of 272 African American men, women and children who were enslaved by the Maryland Province of the Jesuits.
Loyola was among those Catholic institutions of the Maryland Province to benefit from the sale of the slaves, known as the “GU272.”
A 12-member task force, comprising Loyola undergraduate students, faculty, staff and descendants of slaves sold by the Jesuits, found direct financial connections between Loyola’s founding in 1852 and the sale of the 272 enslaved people in 1838.
It highlighted instances where Loyola Jesuits rented enslaved individuals between July 1855 and December 1860, indicating that the university was a likely beneficiary of slave labor.
The research uncovered Loyola’s involvement with the Confederacy during the Civil War, with 22 students, faculty or staff joining the Confederate forces. The university hosted prominent Confederate sympathizers associated with the “Lost Cause” ideology in the late 19th century.
When Loyola launched the task force in December 2021, it formally joined Universities Studying Slavery (USS), a consortium of more than 90 institutions examining their ties to slavery, the report said.
Loyola’s president, Terrence Sawyer, convened the formation of the task force when he was the incoming president. He was joined by then-acting President Amanda M. Thomas.
Mélisande Short-Colomb, a research and community engagement associate at Georgetown University, was one of the members of the task force. She is descended from two of the enslaved people sold by the Jesuits. She feels deeply connected to her ancestors through a lineage spanning 12 generations, she said.
“As a product of this rich heritage, I possess a thorough understanding of my identity and family history,” Short-Colomb said, noting the importance of acknowledging the legacy and impact of slavery not only from an institutional but also from a spiritual and moral perspective.
Short-Colomb believes Loyola’s acknowledgment marks a significant step, as it becomes the first Jesuit school after Georgetown to acknowledge publicly its link to the historical slave sale.
Georgetown has taken steps toward reconciliation, including a financial contribution to a foundation aiding descendants of those sold.
Loyola’s task force recommended several tangible ways Loyola can respond to its uncovered history. Just a few of those recommendations include the establishment of a university-wide initiative that continues Loyola’s examination of its connections to slavery and its legacies; engaging in a “comprehensive re-telling of Loyola’s story” and honoring the GU272 ancestors and other individuals whose contributions to Loyola have gone previously unacknowledged or uncelebrated.
The task force recommended renaming Loyola’s Jenkins Hall and the Jenkins Society, both of which are named in honor of George Carrell Jenkins, a Confederate soldier and advocate of the Lost Cause. It also suggested making Loyola accessible to members of the GU272 descendant community and expanding Loyola’s support for existing campus initiatives focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
According to a statement on Loyola’s website, the university will consider the report’s recommendations as part of the university’s next strategic plan, which it said is positioned for adoption and implementation in Spring 2024.
Lynn Locklear Nehemiah, a retired dentist and active nonprofit worker who serves as vice-chair of the White Marsh Historical Society and is a member of the Loyola task force, underlined the necessity for universities to educate students about the historical impact of slavery in order to build a more empathetic society.
Nehemiah’s family includes her third-great-grandmother, Louisa Mahoney Mason, who was one of the last Jesuit slaves to be freed in 1864.
Nehemiah applauded the university’s commitment to the process and conversation, expressing pride in the collaborative work.
“I think Loyola has taken a very bold step, acknowledging their ties and honoring our ancestors and their contributions,” said Nehemiah, further emphasizing that Loyola has set a good example for other schools. Studying the past benefits all of society and the Catholic community, she said.
“This is really about healing,” she said, “healing the soul of the university, healing the soul of the church and on our part, forgiveness.”
David Carey Jr., Loyola’s Doehler Chair in History, and a task force member, expressed the university’s intention to continue the conversation and collaborate with descendants, especially Black residents in Baltimore.
Carey, a parishioner of St. Ignatius in Baltimore, said Loyola’s research is just the beginning.
“The goal is to open our campus, creating an inclusive environment and working toward racial justice within our own community,” he said.
To further delve into the complexities of Loyola’s history with slavery, Carey said a more detailed 334-page book titled “Untold Truths: Exposing Slavery and Its Legacies at Loyola” is scheduled to be published in April by Loyola-based Apprentice House Press.
Short-Colomb highlighted ongoing efforts toward reparations through initiatives such as the Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Fund (DTRF) and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), which announced the establishment of a scholarship program aimed at supporting descendants of Jesuit and Catholic slaveholding in the United States.
The initiative spans early childhood education through post-secondary education, promoting truth, racial healing and reconciliation in various communities.
Administered by the TMCF, the program provides annual, need-based scholarships of up to $10,000 to eligible descendants for their college expenses.
“In taking ownership of our past,” the Loyola task force report said, “we are asserting that there is no guarantee of a more just future. Instead, we are calling our community to work for it.”
The Archdiocese of Baltimore has also formed a 17-member commission to research its ties to slavery going back hundreds of years.
“This important commission is being formed to continue the archdiocese’s journey to racial justice,” said Archbishop William E. Lori, who has written two pastoral letters on racial justice. “It is essential that we continue to acknowledge the ties to slavery the archdiocese has had in its past and within its foundational history.”
George Matysek Jr. contributed to this story.
Email Adriana Montes at amontes@CatholicReview.org
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The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
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Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
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