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November 16, 2021 — Here’s the latest news from the Jesuits in Canada and the U.S.

Final Vows

Fr. Scott Hendrickson, SJ, pronounced final vows in the Society of Jesus on Sept. 17 at Loyola University Chicago. Fr. Tom Greene, SJ, provincial of Central and Southern Province Jesuits, received his vows on behalf of the Society.

Br. Hoover pronouncing final vows.

Br. Joe Hoover, SJ, pronounced final vows on Oct. 29 during Mass at his community in Brooklyn, with Fr. Ken Gavin, SJ, presiding.

Fr. James Caime, S.J. pronounced final vows on Oct. 31 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Kansas City. Fr. Tom Greene, SJ, received his vows.

On Nov. 14, Fr. Lissaint Antoine, SJ, pronounced final vows at a Mass celebrated by Fr. Erik Oland, SJ, provincial of the Jesuits of Canada. “It is for me a confirmation that God has accepted the offering of my person in the Society of Jesus. It is also a sign of trust from the Society of Jesus in my desire to serve the people of God in its midst,” said Fr. Antoine.

Final vows are the last step in Jesuit training, and Jesuits must be approved by the Curia in Rome before they can make these vows.

Diaconate Ordinations

Eight American Jesuits, along with a Jesuit from Guyana, were ordained as deacons on Oct. 23 by Most Reverend Michael C. Barber, SJ, Bishop of Oakland, at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California.

In total, 19 U.S. and Haitian Jesuits were ordained to the diaconate this year.

Welcoming New Novices

The Society of Jesus in the United States, Canada and Haiti welcomed 34 new Jesuit novices this August at novitiates in California, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, Quebec and Haiti. Meet the new novices.

Novices at the novitiate in Culver City, California

Honors and Awards

Fr. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, president of Creighton University, received the Sword of St. Ignatius Award from Creighton Prep on Oct. 27. The award honors a person who has striven to demonstrate exemplary service for the greater glory of God. The sword symbolizes the unique spiritual virtues associated with St. Ignatius—courage, loyalty and service to the Catholic Church.

Fr. Hendrickson (with sword) is pictured with fellow Jesuits (from left) Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ; Fr. Matthew Spotts, SJ, president of Creighton Prep; and Fr. Nicholas Santos, SJ.

A gift to the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (BCSTM) will establish the Clifford and Kitz Chair in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. This will be the first endowed chair at the School of Theology and Ministry. The Clifford and Kitz Chair is named in honor of STM Professor Emeritus Fr. Richard Clifford, SJ, an Old Testament scholar who served as the founding dean of the BCSTM. The chair will be made possible through the generosity of BC alumna Anne Marie Kitz M.A.T. ’80, M.Div. ’84, a religious scholar, educator and author who has known Fr. Clifford for 40 years.

Anne Marie Kitz and Fr. Richard Clifford, SJ (Photo by John Deputy/Metrodesign)
Fr. John Baldovin, SJ

Fr. John Baldovin, SJ, a professor of historical and liturgical theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, is the recipient of the 2021 Jubilate Deo Award. The award is given in recognition of his substantial contribution to the development of pastoral liturgy in the United States. It is the highest honor bestowed by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, an organization dedicated to fostering the art of musical liturgy by serving the Catholic Church in the U.S. as musicians, clergy, liturgists and other leaders of prayer.

The Laureate and Finalists for this year’s Opus Prize, which recognizes leaders and organizations working on long-term, local solutions to address poverty and injustice, were all Jesuit ministries. The awards were announced at Loyola University Chicago on Nov. 11.

Red Cloud Indian School, in honor of Fr. Peter Klink, S.J. and Bob Brave Heart, was named the 2021 Laureate and received $1 million. Brave Heart and Fr. Klink have lived and served among the Lakota Sioux in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, for more than 75 years combined. Both Brave Heart and Fr. Klink have served in a variety of roles at the school and on the reservation, constantly promoting the merger of Lakota and Catholic spirituality, reconciliation and healing.

Opus Prize Laureates from Red Cloud Indian School, Bob Brave Heart (left) and Fr. Peter Klink, SJ (right), with Dr. Joann Rooney, president of Loyola Chicago.

The two finalists, receiving $100,000 each, were the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) and Fe y Alegría.

KBI promotes U.S.-Mexico border and immigration policies that affirm the dignity of the human person. They offer humanitarian aid, meals and temporary shelter, employment opportunities, legal aid, education, and the coordination of migrant advocacy efforts

Fe y Alegría, founded in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1955 by Jesuit priest, Jose Maria Velaz, is a federation of local NGOs which offer educational opportunities to the poorest sectors of society, along with teacher training and educational radio. Today Fe y Alegría operates in 19 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Its successful model advances the tradition of Jesuit education, promoting cura personalis — care of the entire person.