To the Band of Brothers: March 14, 2022

Even though you are receiving this email on Monday morning, I confess to having written it on Saturday in my hotel room in Lima, Peru. Yes sir, Lima, Peru. I am here for the wedding of a Belen alumnus. Why Peru? Well, both he and his fiancé are Peruvian and thought it would be best to share this special moment with their families, especially since most of them would have found it difficult to travel to Miami.

 

I was in Lima once before many years ago. The occasion was also the wedding of an alumnus. Most people ask me when they find out I was here if I have ever been to Machu Picchu. The answer is unfortunately no, but there is still a lot to see in the capital (not to mention the best food on earth). I went exploring a bit in the center of town and decided to make the cathedral my first stop. It is a beautiful structure dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. But, it’s actually the third cathedral. The first, built in the same spot, was dedicated in 1540 and the first stone was laid by none other than explorer Francisco Pizarro. That cathedral was originally dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.

 

That’s interesting. I immediately made a connection to the Jesuits. First, 1540 is the same year as the founding of the Society of Jesus. Also, it was on August 15th (feast day of Our Lady of the Assumption) in 1534 that St. Ignatius and his early companions took their first vows in Paris, France. That is connection enough if you ask me, but then the connection got deeper. See, as you walk the cathedral, its side chapels, and museums you are bombarded with images of Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and others. The place looks like a Jesuit hall of fame. In addition, the crypts are filled with cardinals and bishops who lived and worked in Peru and many of them have the “S.J.” after their names.

 

Today (remember I wrote this on Saturday, March 12th), marks the 400th anniversary of the canonization of both St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier. On March 12, 1622, Pope Gregory XV proclaimed in Rome that both of these men (along with three other saints) were worthy of veneration in the Catholic Church. Their incessant desire to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world and the complete surrendering of their lives for the Church made them worthy of being found in the perfect presence of the God they served so well.

 

You may not know this, but while Ignatius and Xavier were college roommates at the University of Paris and became best friends, they ended up serving the Church as Jesuits in very different ways. Ignatius spent his whole priestly life in Rome administering the Society of Jesus, writing letters, and giving the Spiritual Exercises. Xavier, on the other hand, never was too long in one place. On mission, he went to India and Japan before eventually dying off the coast of China where he desired to continue his work. Both were missionaries by nature of being Jesuits, but each fulfilled it in a different way.

 

Here is an interesting excerpt from one of St. Francis Xavier’s many letters to his friend St. Ignatius:

 

“May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ our Lord be always with us. Amen. I wrote a very long letter to you from Goa about our voyage from the time we left Lisbon until we arrived in India. Whenever I reached a village, the children would not let me say my office or eat or sleep until I had taught them some prayers. Then I began to understand that of such is the kingdom of heaven… I saw that they were by nature very gifted; and I am convinced that, if they had anyone to instruct them in our holy faith, they would be good Christians… As for me, trusting the infinite mercy of God our Lord and the great assistance of your sacrifices and prayers and of all those of the Society, I hope that, if we do not see each other again in this life, we shall do so in the next with greater peace and joy than we have in this world.”

 

As students of Belen Jesuit, you guys are part of one of the richest histories, not only in the Catholic Church, but in the world. The presence and influence of Jesuits in the history of most countries are impressive. Today is no different. Because the very blood that ran through the veins of Ignatius and Xavier is also running through yours; you too can also have a significant impact on the world around you. Remember, you don’t have to be a priest to make an impact. You do have to be filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. That has to be your driving force. Who knows, if you do that, they may be declaring you saints as well and celebrating the occasion hundreds of years from now.

 

Auspice Maria,

Fr. Willie ‘87