December 17, 2024 — Here’s the latest news from the Jesuits in Canada and the United States.
Jesuit School of Theology Dean Receives Peacemaking Award
Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ, dean of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, was recently awarded “The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation” from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The award is one of 33 Lambeth Awards given this year to those who have made an outstanding contribution to ecumenical work in support of the Church of England or who have made exceptional contributions to relations between the faiths.
Fr. Orobator’s award honors his leadership of a 2019 retreat for politicians on opposing sides in South Sudan’s civil war who were struggling to form a transitional government at a pivotal period.
Fr. Zach Presutti, SJ, Named Opus Prize Finalist
Fr. Zachariah Presutti, SJ, was honored as an Opus Prize finalist in November at Santa Clara University for his commitment to transforming lives behind and beyond the prison walls through Thrive For Life ministry. The Opus Prize, which recognizes individuals or organizations devoted to addressing critical social issues in their communities, awards finalists $100,000 and the Opus Prize laureate receives $1 million.
Fr. Presutti is founder and president of Thrive for Life, which offers spiritual transformation and educational opportunities for presently and formerly incarcerated men and women in New York and Wisconsin. “It’s a miracle and a privilege to get to have this front-row seat for what God is doing in people’s lives,” he said.
Diaconate Ordinations
Seven Jesuits, including six from the United States, were ordained to the diaconate on October 19 at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, by Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ: Natnael Antonio, SJ; James McGivney, SJ; Jack McLinden, SJ; Jonathan Pennacchia, SJ; Melvin Rayappa, SJ; Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ; and Christopher Williams, SJ.
Jesuit Honored for Decades of Service at Boston College Law School
Fr. Fred Enman, SJ, who served for decades at Boston College Law School as special assistant to the dean of students and chaplain, recently retired, and his many contributions to the community were celebrated on October 15 with a Mass and reception.
“Fred Enman has been a Gentle Giant at the Law School for many years,” said Professor Emerita Judith McMorrow. “Both in his earlier role as special assistant to the dean of students and his work as chaplain, he has guided an untold number of students, staff and faculty during important transitions.”
Fr. Enman’s influence extends beyond campus as well. In 1988, he founded — and still directs — Matthew 25, which has renovated and constructed affordable homes and apartments for some 20 low-income families in Worcester.
Superior of Haiti Shares Prayer in Troubled Times
Fr. Jean Denis Saint Félix, SJ, Jesuit superior for Haiti, recently shared “Tande’m non souple,” a lament poem he wrote that highlights the suffering and resilience of the Haitian people in the face of neglect and global indifference:
In full view of the West, self-proclaimed champion of human rights
In the living rooms of the good people of so-called civilized societies
On the lost page of the newspaper that comes with the coffee of white-tie bureaucrats
On the de-socializing and defraternizing social networks
Haiti is no longer an exotic product; it’s no longer that
It’s tiring, it’s disgusting, it’s repugnant, it’s infuriating, it’s disturbing and it’s becoming invisible.
Questions are certainly raised from time to time
But that’s just to avoid the answers that make the 3 p.m. coffee bitter
One wants to move on to something else right away.
In the Media
Jesuit Discusses Slavery and the Catholic Church on Podcast
Fr. Chris Kellerman, SJ, Secretary of Justice and Ecology for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, discussed his book, “All Oppression Shall Cease: A History of Slavery, Abolitionism, and the Catholic Church,” on the Third Space Podcast.
Jesuit Priest on the “Theology of Horror”
Fr. Ryan Duns, SJ, associate professor and department chair of theology at Marquette University, was interviewed for an article about the public’s fascination with horror movies, which he says is a hidden quest for the divine.
“There’s a deep hunger for (transcendent) experiences and the over-the-topness of the haunted house. … I think we’re in a time (when) we face a crisis of interiority,” said Fr. Duns, an expert on the genre.
There’s a Saint for Almost Every Need, Says Jesuit
Fr. Jake Martin, SJ, clinical assistant professor in the department of film, television and media studies at Loyola Marymount University, wrote about patron saints for LMU Magazine. “My Catholic aunts text me to pray to St. Anthony when they can’t find the remote control (it’s in the sofa cushions … it’s always in the sofa cushions).”
Jesuits Share Vocation Stories
Jesuit Discovers His Call as a Brother
Br. Brent Gordon, SJ, recently shared the story of his vocation as a Jesuit brother. “I realized it is not the job that makes one a Jesuit brother, it is the vows, the relationship with the Lord. It is not a question of feeling called to a certain type of work and therefore feeling called to be a brother.
“For me, being a Jesuit brother is about attentiveness — where in each space and within each person do I see the Lord working? How am I being invited to accompany others in their work and the missions offered to them?”
Jesuit Reflects on Serving as Priest, Legal Advocate
Fr. Mike Lamanna, SJ, reflected on his dual vocation as a priest and legal advocate at Georgetown Law recently. Now a third-year law student, Fr. Lamanna knew he wanted to be a lawyer before he decided to become a priest. He was even accepted to law school in 2010 — but ultimately forfeited his spot in order to apply to the Jesuits.
After spending a summer during his Jesuit training helping provide humanitarian migrant aid along the U.S.-Mexico border (and witnessing immigration court proceedings firsthand), Fr. Lamanna knew it was time to once more pursue law school. At Georgetown Law, he has continued his migrant advocacy work through a range of experiential learning opportunities.
“Jesuits have a commitment to a faith that does justice,” he says. “If justice is done without faith, something is missing. And if faith is done, and there’s no justice, then something is missing.”
Jesuit Scholastic on Accompanying Refugees
Jean Gardy Joseph, SJ, a Jesuit scholastic working with Jesuit Refugee Service – Canada, shared how visits to refugees illustrate the Society of Jesus’ mission to walk with the excluded in a tangible way. “Listening to their stories becomes an act of love and respect.”
He wrote that these visits go beyond a simple meeting or exchange of anecdotes. “They are an honor for me, but also a responsibility: to carry their voices, to recognize the depth of their experience and to bear witness to their life journey. Read his full reflection.
Final Vows
Fr. Cyril Pinchak, SJ, who is currently in studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, pronounced final vows in the Society at the Church of the Gesu in Cleveland on August 18.
Fr. Matthew Pyrć, SJ, pronounced final vows in the Society of Jesus on Sunday, November 17 at St. Joseph Parish in Seattle. He serves as regional vocation promoter for the Jesuits West Province.
