For Peter, the encounter with Jesus was a true “cannonball moment.” His whole life was turned upside down, and his mission from then on was to find men and women for God.

In other words, he was called—as all members of the Catholic Church are today—to attract and gather the people of God so that they may be one in Christ and live in solidarity with one another. The Society of Jesus has spent the past five centuries responding to this call. It works hand in hand with all strata of society; builds bridges between the people who are often divided by religion, political ideals, or economic status; and trains its members to work forevermore at fruitful fishing. This training is known as “formation.” And as part of this training, Fr. Paul Kalenzi, SJ, a Ugandan priest from the Jesuit Province of Eastern Africa (AOR), and I, Fr. Patrick Mugisho, SJ, a Congolese priest from the Jesuit Province of Central Africa (ACE), have been welcomed to the United States by the USA Midwest Jesuit Province. Our mission is to learn and work to make possible the communion of minds and hearts between the benefactors and the needs of their respective provinces. There are pressing needs on several levels, including education in East Africa and Jesuit formation in Congo and Angola. Thus, Fr. Kalenzi will be in charge of finding the means to start the new Jesuit University in East Africa, and I will work on raising funds for the formation of young Congolese and Angolan Jesuits. As priests, Fr. Kalenzi and I will also be involved in some parish ministries. And who knows? We might do some significant fishing there, too.