~ New Jesuits for New Missions

Three new Jesuits make vows this August 15th in Portland. Lorenzo Herman, Michael Laveson, and Patrick Couture all become ‘SJs’ when they pledge perpetual poverty, chastity, and obedience – and thus enter the Society and the long line of men who have responded generously to the call.

But what is the role and purpose of religious life today?

Last year’s General Congregation 35, held in Rome, re-articulated our vocation in this complex and dynamic contemporary context.

Together with obedience, our Jesuit vows of poverty and chastity enable us to be shaped in the Church into the image of Jesus himself, they also make clear and visible our availability for God’s call. This availability is expressed in a variety of ways, according to the particular vocation of each… The differentiation of roles and ministries of Jesuits finds its necessary complement in a life of companionship lived in community. Our life together testifies to our friendship in the Lord, a sharing of faith and life together, above all in the celebration of the Eucharist. Following Jesus together acts as a pointer to the disciples ‘en mouvement’ with their Lord… Jesuit identity is relational; it grows in and through our diversities of culture, nationalities, and languages, enriching and challenging us. This is a process that we enter upon as we join the Society, and we grow in it every day… Nothing could be more desirable and more urgent today, since the heart of Christ burns with love for this world, with all its troubles, and seeks companions who can serve it with him (GC 35, 2.18-19).