In November, members of Fairfield’s Jesuit Community, Board of Trustees, and University leadership joined President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, on a pilgrimage to significant sites connected to the Jesuit mission and to St. Ignatius in Rome.
Among many extraordinary moments, the group of 14 celebrated Mass in the Rooms of St. Ignatius and at the Chapel at La Storta, explored the Jesuit Archives, and visited a trio of Jesuit churches: the Gesù, Sant’Ignazio, and Sant’Andrea Al Quirinale.
A brief but powerful encounter with Pope Francis during an audience in St. Peter’s Square was a high point of the pilgrimage according to Rev. Paul Rourke, S.J., vice president of mission and ministry. Fr. Rourke introduced Dr. Nemec and the group to Pope Francis, who asked for their prayers, shook a few hands, and posed for photos. “He radiates serenity and joy, and you share in it when with him,” said Fr. Rourke of the pope.
“Meeting the pope left me in awe,” said Rev. John Mulreany, S.J., superior of the Fairfield Jesuit Community. “I was on the end of the line, so he did not shake my hand. But as he was wheeled past, he waved at me to give him the package of rosary beads I was holding.”
Fr. Mulreany described how Pope Francis reached over, took the package into his own hands and blessed the rosary beads. “The pope meets a multitude of people every day, yet he took the time to single me out for attention,” he said. “I feel very blessed by his generosity.”
Another spiritually significant part of the trip for Fr. Mulreany was presiding at Mass at the Chapel at La Storta, a near suburb of Rome, “where St. Ignatius received a mystical vision that the Father had placed him in service to his Son…The University’s mission is to form men and women for others and the mystical vision at La Storta speaks to this mission,” he said. “We are to be in service in the world.”
The group from Fairfield also had the honor of meeting with the Superior General of the Society of Jesus Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., a scholar with a background in political science. Meeting with Fr. General Sosa and representatives from the Dicastery for Education and Culture offered a reminder “that we are part of an educational mission that is global in nature and rich with possibilities for collaboration,” said Fr. Mulreany. “I don’t think there is any other global network of colleges and universities that has the size or diversity of the Jesuit network.”
Visiting the Jesuit Curia and having the opportunity to view Ignatius’ death mask and some of the earliest manuscripts and print editions of the Jesuit Constitutions, the Spiritual Exercises, and the Autobiography of St. Ignatius at the Jesuit Archives stirred “a sense of responsibility for our work,” said Marcy Haley, associate director of the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality. “As a Jesuit institution, this Ignatian charism that animates the culture here at Fairfield is not just words or a motto, it is rooted in a history of faith, trust, and purpose that is central not just to who we are as an institution but who we are as human beings—connected, loved, and called as instruments of grace and hope in the world.”
The Ignatian emphasis on intellectual rigor and scientific inquiry as part of the Jesuit mission was felt strongly during a visit to the Jesuit Observatory. "As a university rooted in Jesuit, Catholic values and Ignatian tradition, we are called to advance knowledge through intellectual rigor, guided by our motto, Per Fidem ad Plenam Veritatem,” said President Nemec. “Our visit to the Jesuit Observatory reminded us of the profound connection between faith and the pursuit of truth. This commitment drives us to form men and women of purpose, who not only seek understanding but also strive to use that understanding to serve the greater good.”
The pilgrimage concluded with guided tours of Castel Gandolfo, the traditional summer home of popes since the 17th century, and the offices of the Jesuit publication La Civiltà Catholica, one of the oldest and most respected journals in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
“I will be unpacking the experience for some time,” said Fr. Rourke. “From the life of Ignatius and the history of the Society we learn that you can start small, but you should never aim small. From the beginning, Ignatius and the Society of Jesus sought to do great things for the Lord.”
