29 American Jesuits to Attend Worldwide Meeting, Elect New Leader in Rome this October
Rome, Italy (PRWEB) September 29, 2016 -- The Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church, will convoke General Congregation 36, the supreme governing body of the order, in Rome on October 3.
At the Jesuit Curia, the worldwide headquarters of the Society, 215 Jesuits from 62 countries — among them 29 Americans — will elect a replacement for Superior General Father Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, 80, who has announced his intention to resign.
Once a new Superior General is elected and the pope is informed, the successor to St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, will be announced. The delegates will next discuss issues of importance in the Society, including mission, structure and Jesuit life and work. Pope Francis is familiar with the process, as he attended two prior General Congregations — GC 32 (1974-75) and GC 33 (1983).
“This is the first time a congregation has begun with a Jesuit pope, and the Society has a great desire to join the church in serving the vision and witness of Pope Francis,” said Father Timothy P. Kesicki, SJ, president of the Jesuit Conference and a delegate to GC36.
Feature stories, videos, delegate bios, an infographic, FAQ, and more can be found at jesuits.org/gc36.
The 29 American Jesuits attending GC36 are as follows:
Fr. John J. Cecero, SJ, provincial of USA Jesuits Northeast Province, New York, NY
Fr. David S. Ciancimino, SJ, president of Canisius High School, Buffalo, NY
Fr. David J. Collins, SJ, associate professor of history at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Br. Guy J. Consolmagno, SJ, astronomer at the Vatican Observatory and president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation
Fr. Joseph S. Costantino, SJ, former president of Canisius High School, 2013—2015, Buffalo, NY
Fr. Michael J. Garanzini, SJ, Secretary for Higher Education for the Society of Jesus and chancellor of Loyola University Chicago
Fr. James G. Gartland, SJ, rector of Blessed Peter Faber Jesuit Community, Boston College
Fr. Robert J. Geisinger, SJ, Promoter of Justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Vatican
Fr. Thomas P. Greene, SJ, rector of Jesuit First Studies, St. Louis University
Fr. James E. Grummer, SJ, General Counselor for the Society of Jesus and assistant ad providentiam at the Jesuit Curia in Rome
Fr. Robert M. Hussey, SJ, provincial of Maryland Province, Towson, MD
Fr. Herbert B. Keller, SJ, former president of Scranton Preparatory School, 1997—2015, Scranton, PA
Fr. Timothy P. Kesicki, SJ, president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, Washington, DC
Fr. Thomas J. Lamanna, SJ, superior of the Jesuit Community at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, WA
Fr. Thomas A. Lawler, SJ, provincial of the Wisconsin Province, Milwaukee, WI
Fr. Douglas W. Marcouiller, SJ, General Counselor and regional assistant at the Jesuit Curia in Rome
Fr. J. Thomas McClain, SJ, general treasurer of the Society of Jesus at the Jesuit Curia in Rome
Fr. Michael C. McFarland, SJ, treasurer for the Northeast Province, New York, NY
Fr. Ronald A. Mercier, SJ, provincial of the Central and Southern Province, St. Louis, MO
Fr. Chi V. Ngo, SJ, retreat and spiritual director at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, Los Altos, CA
Fr. Joseph M. O’Keefe, SJ, director of the Center of Ignatian Spirituality and professor at Boston College
Fr. Brian G. Paulson, SJ, provincial of the Chicago-Detroit Province, Chicago, IL
Fr. Hung T. Pham, SJ, assistant professor of Ignatian spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, Berkeley, CA
Fr. Mark A. Ravizza, SJ, project director, Initiative for Future Formation, Santa Clara, CA
Fr. Scott R. Santarosa, SJ, provincial of the Oregon Province, Portland, OR
Fr. Thomas H. Smolich, SJ, international director of Jesuit Refugee Service, Rome
Fr. Thomas D. Stegman, SJ, chair of ecclesiastical faculty and professor at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
Fr. L. Orlando Torres, SJ, serving the Jesuit Curia in Rome
Fr. Michael F. Weiler, SJ, provincial of the California Province, Los Gatos, CA
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About the Society of Jesus in Canada and the United States
Founded in 1540 by Saint Ignatius Loyola, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) is the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church. Jesuit priests and brothers are involved in educational, pastoral and spiritual ministries around the world, practicing a faith that promotes justice. In Canada and the United States, there are 30 Jesuit colleges and 80 pre-secondary and secondary schools with a shared goal of developing competent, compassionate and committed leaders in the service of the Church and society. Jesuits minister in parishes and at retreat houses and serve as chaplains at prisons, hospitals, nursing homes and in the military. The Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, headquartered in Washington, D.C., represents all Jesuits in Canada and the U.S. For more information on the Society of Jesus, visit http://www.jesuits.org.
Doris Yu, JESUIT CONFERENCE OF CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, http://www.jesuits.org, +1 (202) 629-5935, [email protected]
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