The Very Reverend Father Adolfo Nicolas, the Superior General of the Jesuit Order, will be on campus starting this weekend. Being the source of unity in the universal body of the Society of Jesus, the Superior General’s visit to the Philippines will hopefully foster greater union among collaborators within the various Jesuit apostolate in the Philippines. The Father General, as he is commonly called, will be seen and heard in the following special gatherings:
| Date | Time | Event | Venue | Attendees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 July | 3 PM | Anticipated St. Ignatius Mass | High School Courts, Ateneo de Manila University Campus | Open to the public |
| 13 July | 8 PM | Jesuit Basic Education Congress | Irwin Theatre | Only representatives endorsed by the Jesuit Schools |
| 14 July | 10 AM | Meeting with Delegations from the Jesuit’s Non-Education Units | Cardinal Sin Center, Loyola School of Theology | Only representatives endorsed Non-Academic Institutions |
| 14 July | 3:30 PM | ADMU’s Special Academic Convocation | Irwin Theatre | ADMU Administrative and Academic Community |
As a backgrounder, the Father General is the head of the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church, with 18,815 members—13,305 priests, 2,295 scholastic students, 1,758 brothers and 827 novices. He was Director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Quezon City from 1978 to 1984, and later served as rector of the theologate in Tokyo from 1991 to 1993, when he was appointed Provincial of the Jesuit Province of Japan. In 2004 he returned to the Philippines after he was named Moderator of the Jesuit Conference for Eastern Asia and Oceania. On January 19, 2008, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas was elected by General Congregation (GC 35) as the Order’s thirtieth Superior General and was promptly confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI.
In his homily to mark the closure of GC 35 in Rome, Fr, Nicolas emphasized the need to ‘have as a way of life, collaboration and mutual help’, but warned that ‘this cannot happen unless everyone remains in love’. Indeed, a timely exhortation for all of us to reflect on.
In connection to the Fr. General’s visit, the Manila Observatory will play host to a delegation, consisting of six administrative staff and faculty members, from the Xavier University in Cagayan De Oro City. The visitors from CDO will be billeted at the third floor of the Main Building from July 11 to 14, 2009. Your show of genuine hospitality to our fellow lay collaborators will be very much appreciated.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Raul Luis D. Manaligod
Administrator
Manila Observatory
