Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus,
celebrates Mass in University Church at Fordham.
Photo courtesy the Society of Jesus’ New York Province

Fordham welcomed a notable member of the worldwide Jesuit community to campus recently, when Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus, made a stop during an official trip to the United States.

The visit was part of a two-week tour to meet with American Jesuits and Jesuit scholastics, visit Jesuit high schools, and speak with administrators of Jesuit colleges and universities. The trip was Father Nicolás’ second visit to the United States since being elected Superior General of the order in 2008.

While in New York, Father Nicolás met with Jesuits in formation, visited retired Jesuits at the Murray-Weigel Jesuit Community, and celebrated Mass with 150 Jesuits, lay directors, and staff from the New York province.“Father Nicolás encouraged us to go deep in our prayer, work, and study, that this is what we can offer the church and the world,” said Thomas Scirghi, S.J., associate professor of theology and rector of the Jesuit Community at Spellman Hall.

“He is concerned that many Jesuits wear too many hats, spreading themselves too thin. The danger here is it keeps you on the surface and prevents you from plunging deeply into any one type of work.”In addition to New York, Father Nicolás traveled to Boston, St. Louis, and Chicago. He concluded his trip with the presidents, administrators, and board members of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), an organization that represents the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States.At the gathering, Father Nicolás broached a topic that he said has not yet been fully confronted: the future of Jesuit schools in the face of changing demographics.

“In 1973, there were about 212 million Americans; today there are about 316 million. That means that if the number of Americans per Jesuit institutions of higher learning had been kept constant, there should be 42 AJCU institutions today,” Father Nicolás said. “And since 1973, the number of U.S. Jesuits has declined from 6,616 to 2,547. This means that if the total number of U.S. Jesuits per AJCU institution had been kept constant, there should be only 11 Jesuit colleges and universities today.“Since the supply of Jesuits is increasingly limited while the demand for more Jesuits seems to always expand, it would seem that some changes are in order.”

These changes are already happening—for instance, a number of AJCU presidents are not Jesuits, and some are not Catholic. Such changes reflect the important role that the laity plays in the Society’s mission, Father Nicolás said; but it is crucial that the 28 AJCU institutions and the Society of Jesus ensure their relationship does not become “stretched so thin that it becomes impersonal and meaningless.”

“[I have no doubt] you are capable of undertaking bold challenges and that you are ready to do whatever is necessary to serve this important ministry that serves so many individuals, so many communities, to say nothing of the Lord and his church,” he said. “You have the talents and temperament, the head and heart, to do what needs to be done.”For the full text of Father Nicolás’ remarks to the AJCU, read the transcript in America Magazine.

Father Nicolás with David S. Ciancimino, S.J., provincial of
the Society of Jesus’ New York Province,
and Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham.Photo courtesy of the Society of Jesus’ New York Province

— Joanna Klimaski

FCRH honored seniors who attained excellence in their fields, as well as those who received Fulbright fellowships and other scholarships, or were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and other honor societies.

Michael E. Latham, Ph.D., dean of FCRH, addressed the assembly by noting the international theme of this year’s Encaenia, as many of the award recipients had traveled extensively for study, community outreach and personal enrichment.

“Tonight, I would like to reflect on that broader global dimension of our experience,” Latham said.

To inspire this reflection, Latham recalled the swiftness with which news of the recent Japanese tsunami tragedy spread through every form of media, whether print, broadcast or electronic.

Placing this event within the context of 20th and 21st century history, he pondered whether this age of global interconnection has actually fulfilled its potential to unify people and nations.

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“Does the phenomenon of rapid, mass communication always deepen our capacity for real human understanding and empathy? Does it always expand our spiritual and intellectual horizons?” Latham asked.

In considering these questions, Latham offered that this might not always be the case. Quoting Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus, he suggested that the worldwide communications network has at times led to “the globalization of superficiality,” which limits our capacity for true compassion.

But he stressed that the Class of 2011 is well equipped to confront this threat of superficiality and the lack of empathy that accompanies it.

“I believe your Jesuit education at Fordham, both inside and outside the classroom, has provided you with the crucial resources necessary to remain open to a broader, deeper, richer kind of solidarity,” he said.

“I pray that the moral foundation that you have acquired here will help you understand that across the lines of race, class, culture, gender and religion, we are all part of a common human family. As you leave Fordham, may you continue to be a vital part of the world’s geography of hope at home and abroad.”

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The Claver Award, which is named for St. Peter Claver, an 18th-century Spanish Jesuit, was presented to Craig Small, a Latin American and Latino studies major. The award recognizes the senior who most exemplifies Fordham’s dedication to community service.

Nora Moran, an urban studies major, received the Fordham College Alumni Association Award for the student who best shows the Fordham spirit. The award, an armchair bearing the Fordham insignia, provided an excellent perch from which Moran listened to Latham’s address.

Megan C. Wiessner gave the valedictorian address in which she recalled that when she arrived at Fordham, she did not immediately feel inspired and even considering transferring.

However, she credited the strength of Fordham’s core curriculum, the bonds she formed with fellow students, and the cultural richness of Fordham’s New York City campus with transforming her experience and solidifying her connection to the University.

She recalled one professor in particular who taught her to see how every person she encounters in life is unique and will never be encountered again.

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She reminded her assembled classmates that “whatever friends we’ve made here at Fordham, these people don’t exist anywhere else and they never will.”

Referring to their shared intellectual endeavors and questioning, Wiessner told her peers, “We’ve changed each other . . . we’ve changed Fordham, and we’re not done yet.”

A European with extensive experience in East Asia and a mastery of five languages, Father Nicolas’ distinguished career has prepared him for his new position as an international religious leader.

“Father Nicolas believes that the West has a lot to learn from the East about spirituality and its effect on human living,” said John J. Cecero, S.J., Fordham psychology professor and rector of the Jesuit community at Spellman Hall. Father Cecero’s research focuses on the relationship of spirituality to mental health.

“I’m enthusiastic about his generalate because I believe he will continue to focus Jesuits and our colleagues on listening to the East, especially voices that emphasize Eastern spirituality, justice and a commitment to the faith across the entire spectrum of cultures.”

Father Nicolas was born in Palencia, Spain in 1936. He earned a degree in philosophy in his native country and made the decision to enter the novitiate to become a Jesuit. He went on to study theology in Japan, where he was ordained in 1967.

After completing a master’s degree at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Father Nicolas returned to Asia, where he held several positions. In the 1970s, he served as a professor at Sophia University in Tokyo; was the director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila from the late 1970s to the early 1980s; held leadership posts in the order in Japan in the 1990s; and was moderator of the Jesuit Conference for Eastern Asia and Oceania from 2004 to 2007.

“The universal enthusiasm for the election of Father Adolfo Nicolas certainly bodes well for the future of the Society of Jesus,” said Charles L. Currie, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. “Father Nicolas combines all of the qualities needed at this time: charismatic leadership; long experience in linking education and intellectual life to concern for justice and the poor; a great sensitivity to different cultures; and a deep spirituality. To all of these he adds a great sense of humor.”

The process of electing a new superior general involves a period of discussion about possible candidates (known as “murmuratio”) followed by a vote by Jesuit delegates from all over the world. The current delegation includes Santa Clara University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., and Canisius College President Vincent Cooke, S.J.

“We are indeed fortunate to be able to build so enthusiastically on the strong legacies of Father Nicolas’ predecessors, Father Arrupe and Father Kolvenbach,” Currie said. “Our colleges and universities look forward to working with him.”