As you might recall, in my letter introducing the Spring 2019 magazine, I briefly highlighted the four “Universal Apostolic Preferences” (UAPs) designed to guide the Jesuits over the next 10 years and beyond.
Announced by Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, and approved by Pope Francis, the UAPs are...
Continue reading Fr. Paulson's letter
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Dear Benefactors of the Society of Jesus, Glory to Jesus Christ! My name is Fr. Andrij M. Hlabse, SJ; I was ordained a priest of the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus in July 2018. As my formation for the priesthood has come to a close and I have had the chance to review the many opportunities offered to me in over a decade of formation, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for what your generosity has made possible. My hope is that all this does not remain merely “with me,” but through my future work and ministry reaches many in the household of God and beyond. The cost to educate a Jesuit through formation can exceed $450,000, and in some cases, includes loan forgiveness. For many religious congregations in the US, a candidate must clear his debt before even entering the community, but the generosity of the Society’s benefactors made it possible for me to start my formation when I felt called—not years later. Since entering the Society, I have completed two advanced degrees and plan to complete two more, including a doctorate in theology. You make all the richness of these studies possible. During my formation I spent many summers immersed in linguistic and cultural studies all over the world; in all, I had assignments in 10 different countries during my 11 years of formation! This cultural and linguistic enrichment is already enhancing my ministry immeasurably and will continue to do so in the future. I would also like to express a particular note of gratitude as a Jesuit who belongs to an Eastern Catholic Church, specifically the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. These Eastern Catholic Churches have often been persecuted in their home regions, making it more difficult to share their great spiritual riches. The opportunities presented during my formation will greatly assist in advancing these traditions, making them better known, and allowing them to bear fruit in the Body of Christ worldwide. As I look toward the future of my Jesuit life, which will be based in Rome for the next two years, I realize that I will always be dependent on God first to provide for my needs wherever I may go. I thank you for being His instruments in the ways your generosity has provided for me. Yours, gratefully in Christ, Fr. Andrij M. Hlabse, SJ
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As he wrote in our Constitutions, St. Ignatius of Loyola wanted us Jesuits to treat the money we used “as the property of our Lord Jesus Christ and as the patrimony of Christ’s poor.” Please keep me in your prayers, that I may use all the benefits that have come to me through your generosity to serve only these two ends: Jesus Christ in His Church and in His littlest ones!
