FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
FR. DANIEL JONES
Change-agent
for Christ
Martha Demerly
H
ad there been sunflowers in Galilee,
Jesus may have referred
to them in his Sermon on
the Mount. Because its
heliotropic trait causes
the sunflower to continually adjust its head to its
source of life, the sun,
the sunflower is a model
of man’s need for conversion by turning to God,
his life-giving source.
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In conversation with Fr. Daniel Jones,
a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit,
associate professor of theology, and director of graduate seminarians at Sacred
Heart Major Seminary, the theme of
conversion peppered his discussion of
his personal life, his scholarly life, his
role as formation director, and his priesthood. When asked how he shepherds
future shepherds, he responds, “Fostering conversion. It is the most important
thing about life and ministry—to help
them open up to Christ, the only one
who can really change them.”
Deacon David Fons, a fourth-year theologian, notes the fruit of Father Jones’
counsel, saying, “Father encourages my
brother seminarians and me to be steadfast in our pursuit of priestly