October 30, 2025 — Here’s the latest news from the Jesuits in Canada and the United States.
13 Jesuits Ordained to the Diaconate
13 Jesuits, including nine from the U.S., were ordained to the diaconate at two different Masses this month.
On October 18, 2025, eight U.S. Jesuits, along with four other Jesuits, were ordained deacons at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, by Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ: John Braithwaite, SJ, Edward Chow, SJ, Daniel Finucane, SJ, Erin Kast, SJ, Nathan Krawetzke, SJ, John Meyers, SJ, Chinh (Chris) Nguyen, SJ, and John Pignone, SJ.
Dennis Marzan, SJ, was ordained to the diaconate in the Byzantine rite on October 4 at St. Monica Catholic Church in San Francisco. The new deacons are all in theology studies at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University.
Jesuits Welcome 36 New Novices
The Society of Jesus in the United States, Canada and Haiti welcomed 36 new Jesuit novices this August at novitiates in California, Minnesota, New York, Colorado and Haiti. They have taken the initial step on their journey toward Jesuit priesthood or brotherhood, known as “Jesuit formation,” which can take a total of eight to 12 years. Meet the 2025 novices.
Pope Leo Addresses Jesuit Superiors in Rome
On October 24, 2025, Pope Leo XIV addressed the major superiors of the Society of Jesus in Rome today, telling them: “The church needs you at the frontiers — whether they be geographical, cultural, intellectual or spiritual. These are places of risk, where familiar maps are no longer sufficient.”
Jesuits from Canada and the U.S. were in Rome for a meeting of Jesuit major superiors. The meeting was convoked by Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ, to “consider the state, the problems and the initiatives of the universal Society.”
Pope Leo said his hope for the Society is “that you may read the signs of the times with spiritual depth; that you embrace what promotes human dignity and reject what diminishes it; that you be agile, creative, discerning and always in mission.”
Jesuits Take Part in National Day of Public Witness for Immigrants
Fr. James Miracky, SJ, and Angelo Jesus Canta, SJ, were among those who took part in a prayer vigil outside Delaney Hall, a migrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey, on October 22, 2025, a national day of public witness for immigrants.
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“One Church, One Family: Catholic Public Witness for Immigrants” was spearheaded by the Jesuits West Province, along with other Catholic sponsors, including Jesuit Refugee Service USA, the Ignatian Solidarity Network, Maryknoll, Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Pax Christi USA, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, and several orders of women religious.
The vigils took place in multiple locations around the country on October 22, and a second series of events is scheduled for November 13, the feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, universal patroness of immigrants. Read more.
Celebrating 400 Years Since the Arrival of the Jesuits in Quebec
On September 26, 2025, the Jesuits celebrated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Jesuits in Quebec City during a Mass at Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral celebrated by Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix and members of the Jesuit community of Quebec. Read more.
Archbishop Lori on Jesuit Lessons for America
On October 20, 2025, Archbishop William E. Lori addressed the Jesuit community of Baltimore on “Faith, Freedom, and Friendship: Jesuit Lessons for America at 250”:
“Over two and a half centuries, the Jesuits have shaped American life profoundly, not by seeking power, but by forming consciences. Your schools have taught that education is not merely about achievement but about vocation — the formation of men and women for others. Your parishes have served as centers of encounter — places where people of every background could find welcome, purpose and direction. Your scholars and activists have wrestled with the moral crises of their times — from slavery to civil rights to nuclear weapons and climate change.
“In every age, the Jesuit contribution to American democracy has been the same: to remind this nation that freedom without virtue is fragility, that liberty without truth is license, and that true greatness is measured not by wealth or might, but by justice and mercy.”
“It was great to have him in our presence,” Fr. Gregory Chisholm, SJ, superior of the Jesuits in Baltimore. “He was very well-prepared, insightful and laudatory of our work. We appreciate him being with us.”
Read Archbishop Lori’s full address.
Jesuit’s Cross-Country Bike Ride Raises Funds for Belize Catholic Schools
Fr. Matt Ruhl, SJ, and his team recently completed a cross-country bike ride from Maine to California — the Belize Lighthouse Ride — to raise money for Belize Catholic schools.
Fr. Ruhl, pastor of St Peter Claver Parish in Punta Gorda, Belize, and his team of four riders took off from Portland, Maine, on July 15, 2025, beginning a 3,800-mile journey across the U.S. to raise money for critical infrastructure and supplies for the schools. They finished at the Santa Monica Pier on October 1, with a group of several dozen friends and family cheering their arrival.
In Belize, Fr. Ruhl chairs a diocesan commission that oversees 30 Catholic schools, 250 teachers, and 4,400-plus students who use 110 buildings in the Toledo district of Belize, where he serves. He estimated he would need $1 million to address all the disrepair. But after looking at the four regions north of him in Belize, Fr. Ruhl committed himself to serve all 112 Catholic schools and 36,000 students in the country along with its 432 buildings.
“Trying to raise $5 million dollars is a well-nigh impossible task,” he said. “But we need not fear. Our faith teaches us that our God is Lord of the impossible.”
“The sweetest dream in my life right now to imagine children returning to schools with solid buildings; classrooms with ceilings that insulate and fans that cool; lunchrooms that offer nutritious meals; desks with books, pens and paper; schoolrooms free of termites, bats and mold,” Fr. Ruhl said. “This dream is why I pedal.”
At the conclusion of the ride, the team had raised about one-third of their goal. Read more.
Wheeling University Dedicates Father James A. O’Brien, S.J. Center for Service
On October 5, 2025, Wheeling University formally dedicated the Father James A. O’Brien, S.J. Center for Service with Fr. O’Brien’s family, alumni and friends in attendance. Fr. O’Brien, who passed away in 2023, served at Wheeling for 50 years.
Throughout his time at Wheeling, Fr. O’Brien organized retreats and lead yearly service trips to Big Laurel Learning Center in Kermit, West Virginia. In addition to his faculty position in the philosophy department, he was the moderator of the Alumni Council, and he founded the student club, Justice and Peace in Our Time.
Jesuit Pronounces First Vows
Br. Robert Buckland, SJ, pronounced first vows in the Society of Jesus at a Mass at University Chapel at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, on October 25, 2025. Br. Buckland is currently a member of the Ciszek Hall Jesuit Residential College program at Fordham University, where he is pursuing a master’s in Christian spirituality with a focus on spiritual direction. Read more.
