Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Macerata, Italy, where Fr. Ricci was born in 1552, formally closed the diocesan phase of the sainthood process May 10. The cause now moves to the Congregation for Saints’ Causes at the Vatican.

Bishop Giuliodori had met Pope Francis, a Jesuit, at the Vatican the first week of May. He wrote in the Macerata diocesan newspaper, “I never imagined I’d be able to speak about the cause of Fr. Matteo Ricci with a Jesuit pope. After the great attention given by Benedict XVI, who never missed an occasion to encourage us to promote the cause, we now have the joy of placing it into the hands of a Jesuit.”

The bishop said when he spoke to Pope Francis about the cause, the pope highlighted Fr. Ricci’s “innovative method of evangelization based on the inculturation of the faith” and the missionary’s courage and humility in learning from the Chinese.

Fr. Ricci died in Beijing May 11, 1610, and his death was followed by centuries of church debate over the extent to which a very limited number of Confucian practices — including veneration of ancestors — could be seen as a tolerable part of Chinese social and cultural tradition rather than as religious practices incompatible with Christianity.

Marking the 400th anniversary of Fr. Ricci’s death in 2010, retired Pope Benedict said Fr. Ricci’s life and mission represented a “fortunate synthesis of proclaiming the Gospel and of dialogue with the culture of the people who are receiving it, an example of balance between doctrinal clarity and prudent pastoral action.”

Fr. Ricci is also known for having brought European scientific instruments and knowledge to China, opening up a scientific exchange between the two continents, the now-retired pope had said. However, Fr. Ricci “didn’t go to China to bring science, but to bring the Gospel, to bring God,” the pope said.

The diocesan phase of Fr. Ricci’s sainthood cause opened in 1984, but was almost immediately closed when questions were raised about his commitment to pure Christianity. Opened again with Vatican approval in 2010, much of the work the past three years has involved an examination by historians and theologians of Fr. Ricci’s writings and of the writings of those who worked with him, according to the Macerata diocesan website. [Catholic News Service]

1. Jesuits invented the trap door while working in theater in the 16th and 17th centuries.
2. Jesuits discovered Quinine, called “Jesuit bark,” which is still used for anti-malarial medication and in tonic water.
3. Jesuits developed early Native American dictionaries, which were the first resources Europeans used to understand these languages.
4. Jesuits located the source of the Blue Nile and charted large stretches of the Amazon and Mississippi Rivers.
5. Jesuits have educated many famous students at their colleges and high schools, including Descartes, Voltaire and James Joyce.
6. Jesuits championed the Baroque style of architecture, which they used in their churches in the 17th century across Europe.
7. There are 35 craters on the moon named for Jesuit scientists.
8. Jesuits founded the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
9. The 1954 film “On the Waterfront” was inspired by Jesuit Father John Corridan’s work in labor relations.
10. There are 50 Jesuit saints, including St. Francis Xavier and St. Isaac Jogues.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., May 10, 2013) — The Society of Jesus in the United States announces that Father Timothy P. Kesicki, S.J., has been named the next president of the Jesuit Conference. Fr. Kesicki, who was appointed by Father Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus, will assume his new position August 1, 2014. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Jesuit Conference is the liaison office that coordinates the national work of the Society of Jesus, the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church.

Fr. Kesicki, currently serving as the provincial of the Chicago-Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus, says, “This assignment comes at a very exciting time for the Church and the Society of Jesus here in the U.S. and around the world. Clearly, the election of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope in history, has highlighted the Jesuit vocation. Going back to St. Ignatius himself, we Jesuits have always put ourselves in service of the Church to minister where the needs are the greatest. I look forward to helping the Society continue its mission with a renewed zeal, strategic use of our resources, and commitment to serving in Christ’s name here and around the world.”

Fr. Kesicki first met the Jesuits when he was an undergraduate at John Carroll University in Ohio, where he studied political science. During his Jesuit formation he studied at Loyola University Chicago and the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, Ca. After being ordained in 1994, his first mission was with Jesuit Refugee Service in Adjumani, Uganda.

Most of his apostolic work has been in secondary education, including teaching theology at Loyola High School in Detroit (1988–1991) and serving as president of Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland (2000–2008). In 2008, he was appointed provincial of the Detroit Province and a year later provincial of the Chicago Province; the two provinces came together under his leadership in 2010. A native of Erie, Pa., he enjoys skiing, cycling, and playing the piano.

Fr. Kesicki will succeed Father Thomas H. Smolich, S.J., who has served as president of the Jesuit Conference since 2006. Fr. Smolich says, “Fr. Kesicki is a dynamic leader whose wide range of experience—with Jesuit Refugee Service in Africa, as a high school president, and as a provincial—will serve him well. I’m grateful to Fr. Kesicki for his generosity in making himself available to serve the Society of Jesus in this important capacity.”

Fr. Kesicki adds, “When Fr. Smolich became president of the Jesuit Conference, the Jesuits in the U.S. were beginning a process of strategic planning. He has done a tremendous job in helping not only to redraw our geographic boundaries, but to ensure the effectiveness of our mission. I look forward to continuing this work as we leverage and maximize the expertise, resources, and talent of the provinces to find common apostolic approaches to the challenges of the world today.”

About the Society of Jesus in 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 on six continents and in 127 nations, practicing a faith that promotes justice. For nearly 500 years, Jesuit education has made its mark on the world. In the United States, there are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities, 59 Jesuit high schools and 16 middle 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. For more information on the Society of Jesus, visit http://www.jesuit.org.

Students at the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA Refugee Camp Out at Rockhurst University discover what it feels like to carry five gallons of water — about 40 pounds. Photo by Christian Fuchs, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA

Students at Rockhurst University, in Kansas City, Mo., learned about the harsh realities of refugee camp life at the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (JRS/USA) Refugee Campout, held during the university’s Social Justice Week in April. Part educational, part fundraiser and part interactive experience, the simulated refugee camp demonstrated how refugees access housing, water and food in camps worldwide.

Students were given refugee identity cards, each card telling the story of one refugee from Vietnam, Burma, Sudan, Iraq or Colombia. Students then got to experience some of the challenges of camp life, such as carrying heavy buckets of water or squeezing inside a small family tent. One exhibit visually contrasted a typical student’s breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner with a refugee’s daily allotment of three bowls of white rice with black beans.

After completing the simulation, students learned about what JRS/USA does with each refugee population and how they could become more actively engaged with the issue.

“We hope by demonstrating the realities of life in a refugee camp, students will be inspired to become activists,” JRS/USA outreach coordinator Laura Gaspo said. “It’s important to remind students how powerful and influential their voices and actions are in defending and advocating for refugees who are often forgotten and silenced.”

According to Gaspo, JRS/USA’s goal is to replicate the experience in high schools and universities across the United States. [Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, National Catholic Reporter]

Georgetown University’s Regents Hall earned recognition for its environmental design.

The following Jesuit schools earned a spot on this year’s list:

• Boston College
• College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass.)
• Creighton University (Omaha, Neb.)
• Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
• Gonzaga University (Spokane, Wash.)
• Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles)
• Loyola University Chicago
• Loyola University Maryland
• Marquette University (Milwaukee)
• Santa Clara University (California)
• Seattle University
• Xavier University (Cincinnati)

Although more than 806 institutions were reviewed, only 322 were recognized for demonstrating a commitment to sustainability through academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. Gonzaga University and Xavier University were new additions to the list this year.

The Princeton Review partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council, the nonprofit organization best known for developing the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system, to compile the Green Colleges list. Buildings at several Jesuit institutions have earned LEED certifications. A new residence hall and a science complex at College of the Holy Cross have both been honored with LEED Gold certification. A new science building at Georgetown University earned LEED Gold certification earlier this month, and its business school facility earned LEED Silver certification in 2010.

Jesuit Father Timothy R. Lannon, president of Creighton University, commented on the importance of living green for college-bound students as well as for current students and staff at the university. “Sustainability is an integral part of campus life at Creighton. We have a Sustainability Council, recycling programs, use renewable energy, offer courses in energy technology and environmental sciences, and much more,” he said. Creighton is the only institution on the Green Colleges list in Nebraska.

Download the entire Guide to 322 Green Colleges book and view the full list of schools at the Princeton Review’s website. [College of the Holy Cross, Creighton University, Georgetown University]

The appointment was announced by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

“I offer my congratulations and prayers to Bishop-elect Barber.  As fellow Sacramentans, we have known one another for many years,” said Jesuit Father Thomas H. Smolich, president of the Jesuit Conference of the United States. “ I know him to be a man of prayer and discernment who will be a fine pastor for the people of Oakland.”

Bishop-elect Barber is the first Jesuit named to the U.S. hierarchy by Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope.

“I’m keeping my eyes on Pope Francis and seeing what he did in his first days as pope,” said Bishop-elect Barber at an introductory news conference in Oakland on May 3. ”I think he wants servant leaders … who look to the needs of the people. Listen first, speak second.”

Bishop-elect Barber was born July 13, 1954, in Salt Lake City. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1973 and was ordained a priest for the Society in 1985. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history/philosophy from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington; a Master of Divinity and bachelor of sacred theology degrees from Regis College of the University of Toronto; and a licentiate and doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

His assignments after ordination included: missionary in Apia, Western Samoa (1985-1987); student at Gregorian University and assistant professor of theology there (1987-1992); researcher and tutor at Oxford University (1992-1998); director, School of Pastoral Leadership, Archdiocese of San Francisco (1998-2001); assistant professor of systematic and moral theology and spiritual director, St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park, California (2002-2010); and director of spiritual formation, St. John’s Seminary (2010-present).

Bishop-elect Barber said he would like “from time to time to get into the classroom” because education is a priority of the Jesuits. He added he also wants to “visit city jails and county jails as the pope has” and to visit Catholic Charities facilities, “getting my hands dirty in soup kitchen by washing dishes, pots and pans.”

He also spoke of jail ministry: “It’s one of those ministries expressly commended by Christ for us to do. ‘When I was in prison you visited me.’ You can’t get more explicit than that.”

Bishop-elect Barber succeeds Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who was named head of the San Francisco Archdiocese on July 27, 2012. The Oakland Diocese includes 1,467 square miles and two counties, Alameda and Contra Costa, in California. The diocese has 2,586,396 people, with 399,546, or 15 percent of them, Catholic.

“From its origin, the Society of Jesus was formed to be an instrument of Christ by serving the Church. Though Jesuits promise not to seek high office in the Church, when asked by the Holy Father, we respond to the call and serve as bishops. We promise our brother Jesuit Father Michael Barber our full support and continued affection as he continues to minister to the people of God in this new mission,” said Jesuit Father Michael F. Weiler, Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus. [America Magazine, Catholic News Service]

Settlements in the Kibera slum are seen beyond a basketball court at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School. (Photo by Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter)

Jesuit-founded St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School, located in the slum of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, is taking an uncommon approach to serving those in need: the school enrolls only HIV/AIDS orphans, giving them a free secondary education and a chance to attend college. The school was co-founded in 2003 by American Jesuit Father Terry Charlton and the Christian Life Community, an international movement following the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, lacks running water, sewers and electricity. Its residents are at extreme risk for HIV/AIDS infection. Every student has lost a family member to the disease.

Fr. Charlton, who serves as the school’s chaplain, said the decision to start the school happened quickly, when a member of Nairobi’s Christian Life Community asked him in December 2003 if it might be possible. By the next month, the school had enrolled 56 students in a small four-room building.

In 2010, St. Aloysius moved to a new campus with a 420-student capacity and currently serves about 280 students. Besides classes, the school provides lunch and afterschool programs focused on issues like drug education. The school health clinic also gives medical and dental exams to all its students.

Jesuit Father Terry Charlton (Photo by Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter)

Following the school’s motto, “To learn, love, and serve,” each graduating student is required to volunteer for six months at a local development agency. According to Fr. Charlton, the school promises guidance and counseling for those who enroll at two- or four-year universities and colleges. “Our commitment is, on the average, not four years, but eight years,” he said.

Fr. Charlton also said that he’s “very proud” that “only a very small percentage” of students test positive for HIV/AIDS. “If you have hope for the future, you’re more careful about your behavior,” Fr. Charlton said. “These are kids that have a future.” [National Catholic Reporter]

“Bishop Jin was a towering figure in the history of the church in China. Always gracious, ever perceptive, he will be missed by the people of China,” said Jesuit Father Thomas Smolich, president of the Jesuit Conference of the United States.

In the early 1980s, the bishop, who spent almost three decades in a Chinese prison and a labor camp, made the decision to cooperate with the Chinese government, which strove to exercise control over the church through organs such as “patriotic associations,” including one for Catholics.

Jesuit Father Michael Kelly, executive director of the Asian Catholic news agency UCA News, said of his fellow Jesuit: “From the 1980s, much to the suspicion of some, the condemnation of others but the amazement of most, Jin walked the thin line between recognizing the authority of the government while sticking to what he believed was most basic and important to Catholicism in China.”

Jesuit Father Thomas Lucas, a professor of art and architecture at the University of San Francisco, had the opportunity in 2002 to collaborate with Bishop Jin on a five-year project to install 56 stained glass panels in the windows of St. Ignatius Cathedral in Shanghai.

“Bishop Aloysius Jin was a remarkable man and a great Jesuit,” said Fr. Lucas. “He returned to his native Shanghai in 1951 after studies in Europe, knowing that imprisonment was the likely outcome. Incarcerated for 28 years, five years of which he spent in solitary confinement, he emerged unbroken in his faith and optimism.”

Bishop Jin, who was born in 1916 in Shanghai, was ordained a Jesuit in 1945. Two years later, he left for studies in France, Germany and Italy and earned a doctorate in theology. He returned to Shanghai and served for four years as rector of what was then known as the Xuhui Regional Seminary, later Sheshan Seminary.

He was arrested in 1955 because, he has said, he “opposed several laws of the state.” During his time in prison, he prayed and taught himself Russian. After his release, Bishop Jin was sent to northern China for almost 10 years, where he spent his time working the land and working on translations for the Chinese government.

He returned to Shanghai in 1982 to serve as rector of the Sheshan Seminary at the request of the Shanghai Diocese.

“I don’t regret coming back,” he said. “Now I can educate seminarians as previously. I can publish books. … It is important for Catholics. Now I am also in charge of church contact with foreign visitors. I can promote the mutual respect and confidence between the Chinese church and the church abroad. These things are contributions for the whole church.”

Bishop Jin was elected auxiliary of Shanghai in December 1984 and was ordained the next month, without the approval of the Vatican. He became bishop of Shanghai in 1989 but did not reconcile his status with the Vatican until early in the 21st century.

Bishop Jin also became a figure at the national level. He persuaded the authorities to allow inclusion of prayer for the pope in the Eucharistic prayers during Masses and helped to develop the liturgy in Chinese.

According to Fr. Lucas, Bishop Jin’s decision to preach the Gospel and bring the sacraments back to the people of Shanghai after the Cultural Revolution was controversial, as it meant working with — rather than against — the regime.

“Yet the decision bore great fruits for the re-evangelization of his native city,” said Fr. Lucas. “He built 15 new parishes, restored St. Ignatius Cathedral and became the beloved shepherd of a diverse community. Fully reconciled with the Holy See and the Jesuit Superior General a decade ago, Jin’s legacy of patience, endurance and practical wisdom was an inspiration to all who called him Father and friend.”

More than 1,000 people attended a funeral Mass for Bishop Jin on April 29. A government-organized memorial service is scheduled for May 2, after which his body will be cremated, according to UCA News. [Catholic News Service]

The Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) has named Sr. Helen Prejean, C.S.J., as the “Robert M. Holstein: Faith that Does Justice” award winner this year. Sr. Prejean, an internationally-recognized advocate against the death penalty, will receive the award May 7 from the ISN, a national social justice education and advocacy organization grounded in Ignatian spirituality.

Sr. Prejean began her prison ministry in 1981, when she dedicated her life to the poor of New Orleans. Since then, she has been committed to educating citizens about the death penalty and counseling death row prisoners. In 1994, Sr. Prejean turned her experiences into her book “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty,” which held a spot on the New York Times bestseller list for 31 weeks. The book was developed into a major motion picture that received four Oscar nominations.

The Ignatian Solidarity Network works with Jesuit universities, high schools, parishes and social ministries. Sr. Prejean initially connected with ISN by speaking to thousands of young adults at ISN’s annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice in 2003, where she introduced the Dead Man Walking School Theater Project. Consequently, Jesuit high schools were among the first institutions in the U.S. to perform the play. Sr. Prejean has also spoken at nearly all 28 Jesuit universities in the country and received honorary degrees from 11.

The Holstein award is given by ISN annually to an individual who has demonstrated a significant commitment to leadership for social justice grounded in his or her faith. The award’s namesake, the late Robert (Bob) M. Holstein, was a former California Province Jesuit priest, labor lawyer, advocate for social justice and one of the founders of the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice.  Previous Holstein award winners include Jesuit Father Charlie Currie, former president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities; Jesuit Father Steven Privett, president of the University of San Francisco; and Jesuit Father Donald MacMillan, campus minister of Boston College.

On awarding Sr. Prejean with the national honor, ISN Executive Director Christopher Kerr said, ”Sr. Helen has been a vital part of the Ignatian family over the years, sharing her deep desire to end the death penalty with thousands of Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice attendees. Her passionate voice is a tremendous witness to work for justice grounded in faith. We are delighted to honor her with this national award and hope it will bring greater attention to her ministry.” [Ignatian Solidarity Network]

His appointment also marks a return to a Jesuit president for the 143-year-old school. He succeeds  John Knight, the first lay president in the school’s history. Knight left Canisius in 2012 to lead St. Ignatius Preparatory School in San Francisco. In the interim, P. Joseph Koessler served as president while the Canisius High board searched for a permanent replacement.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to have a Jesuit back at the helm of Canisius. That was one of our key objectives we were seeking to fulfill,” said the chair of the school’s board of trustees David Kersten.

Fr. Costantino has been the pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in New York City since September 2006.. A Brooklyn native, Fr. Costantino entered the Society of Jesus in 1977 and was ordained in 1987. Fr. Costantino is also a member of the board of trustees at Canisius College, where he spent three years teaching philosophy. He holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University, a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University and both a Master of Divinity and Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass. (now the Boston College School of Theology).

He was executive director of St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, N.Y., for seven years, and is a former board member of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, which provides service opportunities for retirees with the poor. Fr. Costantino also served as director of vocations for the New York and Maryland Province Jesuits.

“Living in community with the Jesuits who served at the high school and working alongside a group of seasoned Canisius lay faculty members in the Higher Achievement Program, I experienced the joys of teaching and learned about the magnificent work of this special Jesuit apostolate in Buffalo,” said Fr. Costantino, recalling his time at Canisius High as a Jesuit novice. [Buffalo News, Business First]