News
Jesuit First-Round Draft Picks
Boost NFL
Four of the first 15 NFL draft picks played for
Jesuit high schools
Four players picked in the first round of the most recent NFL draft—in the first 15 picks, no less—played their prep ball at Jesuit high schools.
The Chicago Bears had the No. 1 pick, and with it they chose quarterback Caleb Williams, who played for Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.
With the No. 4 pick, the Arizona Cardinals chose wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., a product of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia. Harrison’s new head coach, Jonathan Gannon, graduated in 2001 from Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, where he played wide receiver and defensive back on a state-champion Wildcat team.
At No. 11, the New York Jets picked offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, who, astonishingly, was a high school teammate of Williams’ at Gonzaga.
The Indianapolis Colts used their No. 15 pick to select defensive end Laiatu Latu, who played for Jesuit High School in Sacramento, Calif.
Go Eagles, Hawks and Marauders!
Congratulations to all—and good luck, men.
USA Jesuits Launch New Worldwide Organization
Two Jesuit organizations have merged to form American Jesuits International
Two Jesuit organizations have merged to form American Jesuits International, marking the first time Jesuits in the United States share a single entity to support marginalized communities around the world.
American Jesuits International is tasked with mobilizing individuals and institutions to support Jesuit education and development initiatives in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The merger of Magis Americas (MA) and Jesuit Missions, Inc. (JMI) formalizes and expands a longstanding partnership between the two organizations and provides the means and structure to continue essential work for years to come.
“The formation of American Jesuits International is a historic moment in the history of the Society of Jesus in the United States,” says Fr. Brian G. Paulson, SJ, president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. “Built on the legacy and tradition of many other Jesuit development organizations and mission offices, American Jesuits International will strengthen our Conference’s contributions to the Society’s global mission of reconciliation.”
American Jesuits International will continue to channel resources and provide tools for Jesuit organizations and networks previously supported by both MA and JMI, including Fe y Alegría. The new organization will also replace Magis Americas as the U.S. member organization of the Xavier Network, the Jesuits’ international mission and development partnership.
www.AmericanJesuitsInternational.org
Cristo Rey Chicago Grad is Newly Ordained Priest
Father Juan Carlos Vargas Carrillo
celebrates Mass
This year, when Cardinal Blase Cupich ordained the Archdiocese of Chicago’s newest priests, many people in the Pilsen neighborhood paid special attention because one of the 2024 ordinands was Juan Carlos Vargas Carrillo, 33, a 2009 graduate of Chicago’s Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, and the school’s first-ever alumnus priest.
Father Vargas studied social work at Cincinnati’s Xavier University and spent five years after graduation as a volunteer for Mercy Corps and a foster care worker.
“As I began to put my work and life in God’s hands, I realized that I had never given myself the opportunity to see how my relationship with God was,” Fr. Vargas told Chicago Catholic, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago. “From then on, in my moments of prayer, the call to the priesthood was more consistent, knowing that I had glimpses of God’s call since high school. This time, instead of running away from it, I decided to run toward it and realized that my job as a social worker was only part of how much God wanted for me.”
Father Vargas celebrated his first Mass in Spanish at Chicago’s Immaculate Conception- Five Holy Martyrs Parish—with Cristo Rey’s former president, Fr. Jim Gartland, SJ, at his side—and his first Mass in English at St. Edward Parish in Chicago.
Jesuit Fathers Patrick Hyland (left) and Joshua Peters (right) with one of their professors, Dr. Ernest L. Gibson III, who delivered the keynote speech at their graduation.
This summer, Fr. Joshua Peters, SJ, and the newly ordained Fr. Patrick Hyland, SJ, received Master of Theology degrees from the Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS) at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Established in 1980, the IBCS is a graduate program of pastoral theology whose mission is the formation of African American Catholics and others for ministry in Black communities and the Church at large.
“JESUITS ARE CALLED TO THE FRONTIERS, AND ONE SERIOUS FRONTIER IN THE CHURCH TODAY IS THE LONG HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CATHOLICS.”
“I was attracted to the Institute for Black Catholic Studies as a way to deepen my faith and commitment to the universal Church, which is far more diverse, talented and hopeful than any single parish or diocese can possibly hope to represent,” says Fr. Hyland, who was ordained in June and serves as special assistant to the president at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland. “Jesuits are called to the frontiers, and one serious frontier in the Church today is the long history of African American Catholics.”
Father Peters serves as director of mission and identity at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep in Chicago. He was ordained in 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, an experience that has led him to take nothing for granted. “I credit my family as well as the Black Catholic communities in Detroit, Cincinnati, Dayton, Oakland, Chicago and New Orleans for helping me answer God’s call,” he says.
New President Appointed at Jesuit Academy in Omaha
Dr. Bradley Ekwerekwu
In Omaha, Dr. Bradley Ekwerekwu is the new president of Jesuit Academy, an all-boys middle school founded in 1996. As the school’s seventh president, Ekwerekwu replaces Deacon Mike Masek, who served as president for six years.
Ekwerekwu brings a wealth of experience to Jesuit Academy. Previously, he served as the chief executive officer at Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovative thinking and a commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
“I am honored, humbled and excited to join Jesuit Academy as its new president,” Ekwerekwu says. “The school’s commitment to academic excellence and faith development aligns with my own values and faith in Christ, and I am eager to work collaboratively with the talented faculty, staff, students and families, and supporters, to continue the tradition of success and growth. Together, we will empower these young minds to reach their fullest potential and become leaders of tomorrow, both in our community and beyond.”
Jesuit Academy, which educates students in grades 4 through 8, is one of 20 Jesuit Nativity schools in the United States. A guiding principle of the Nativity model is to provide a faith-based education that breaks the cycle of poverty in underserved communities.
IN THIS ISSUE
Photo: Marrisa Linden