Recently elected Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Adolfo
Nicolás, S.J., is scheduled to visit California beginning Jan. 30,
including stops at St. Ignatius Church and the University of San
Francisco.
Fr. Nicolás will visit USF on Feb. 4, where he will
celebrate a 10 a.m. Mass at St. Ignatius Church, lunch at Loyola House
with students from USF and St. Ignatius College Preparatory High
School, and attend a reception for invited benefactors, apostolic
partners, and directors of works at the McLaren Conference Center on
the USF campus.
“(This visit to California) is an opportunity
for Fr. Nicolás to engage in dialogue with Jesuits so that we can
better know him and he us,” said USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J.
“He will devote considerable time to conversations with Jesuits in the
area about our efforts to apply and implement the documents of our most
recent General Congregation.”
During the Feb. 4 visit,
representative USF students will have a chance to share lunch with Fr.
Nicolás, who has spent a great deal of time working with the poor in
developing countries. “I hope that all of our students feel free to
come to know Fr. Nicolás and even share his aspirations and dreams for
the Society’s works, like USF, where Jesuits and colleagues work
together for a more just and humane world,” Fr. Privett said.
Fr.
Nicolás’ visit from Rome coincides with the 100th anniversary of the
establishment of the Society’s California Province. He is scheduled to
stop in 11 cities, check in on about 30 different Jesuit work sites –
ranging from churches to schools to nonprofits – and meet with nearly
390 Jesuits from the province during the nine-day tour.
Fr.
Nicolás was elected superior general, the Society of Jesus’ top post,
on Jan. 19, 2008 by the General Congregation in Rome, which was
summoned as a result of the resignation of Peter Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.
The General Congregation consists of elected Jesuit leaders from each
province who are tasked with selecting a new superior general when the
presiding superior general dies or resigns, as well as outlining in
writing the direction they would like to see the Society take in the
near future.
Fr. Nicolás is the 30th superior general in the
history of the Society of Jesus, as the Jesuits are formally known,
founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Fr. Nicolás was born in 1936
in Spain and was ordained in Tokyo in 1967. He has extensive experience
in Asia.
California’s provincial leader John P. McGarry, S.J.
described Fr. Nicolás’ tour through the state as “a great blessing and
an exciting way to begin our Centennial year of responding to the call
of Christ as Jesuits and apostolic partners in mission.”
“Not
only will Father General be able to witness firsthand the outstanding
work that so many Jesuits and laypersons are doing together as
apostolic partners in our schools, universities, and social and
pastoral ministries, but his presence will link us in a very concrete
way to the 95 provinces in the worldwide Society of Jesus and to our
service of the universal Church,” McGarry said.
During his time
in California, Fr. Nicolás will meet with Cardinal Roger M. Mahony,
Archbishop of Los Angeles, Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San
Francisco, Bishop Patrick J. McGrath of San Jose, and Bishop Jaime Soto
of Sacramento.
To watch the 10 a.m. Feb. 4 Mass at St. Ignatius
Church on the Internet via a live stream, visit usfca.edu click on the
“Spotlight” feature beginning at 9:30 a.m. PST Quicktime software is
required for viewing the stream. Download instructions will be provided.
