News

A Jesuit Helps Renovate Church of the Gesu in Milwaukee

Father Michael R. Simone, SJ, has been among those helping with the upper church interior renovations of Milwaukee’s historic Church of the Gesu. He is shown (above) near the spandrel stencils and (below) ready to gild a star 65 feet above the altar.

Renovations include replacing pews and flooring, adding ramp accessibility to the altar, repainting, upgrading the sound system, updating the electrical and lighting systems, installing a new baptismal font and ambry, adding a heating coil loop, upgrading the fire detection system, and adding security cameras.

The work began late last year and is expected to continue through November.

The First Book on Pope Leo XIV from Chicago’s Loyola Press

This summer, Loyola Press will release one of the world’s first books on Pope Leo XIV.

Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy by NBC Vatican correspondent Christopher White offers a compelling introduction to the man now tasked with leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Drawing on in-depth research and reporting, White explores Pope Leo XIV’s background, theological orientation and pastoral priorities, shedding light on the experiences and convictions that will shape his approach to the papacy.

“Before 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel on May 7th, several had told me they believed that the conclave of 2025 might be the most important in at least sixty years,” writes White, an associate director and senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. His award-winning coverage of the Vatican for the National Catholic Reporter took him to more than two dozen countries with Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy is a timely and accessible guide to understanding the person behind the white cassock—and the new chapter his leadership may usher in for the Church. The book is available through Loyola Press or wherever books are sold.

Visit www.loyolapress.com.

SNL Star Launches John Carroll University Scholarship Fund

Saturday Night Live cast member and John Carroll University alumnus Marcello Hernandez (JCU ’19) has established the Bo & Tom – Marcello A. Hernandez ’19 Scholarship at his alma mater.

The annual scholarship will support one senior student interested in a career in comedy, entertainment or content creation, and Hernandez will offer personal mentorship to each student selected.

Two professors were especially influential in his acting and business acumen development at JCU, and he honors them in the scholarship’s name. Bo Smith and Tom Roche both served as Gerard Manly Hopkins Visiting Professors in English.

“I had a lot of great professors at John Carroll, and Bo and Tom were an amazing tandem that made a huge impact on my career,” Hernandez says. “I am eternally grateful for their guidance and mentorship, and I am so proud to create this fund in their names so that their collective legacy lives on for generations.”

Applications are closed for the inaugural year but will open up again in April 2026. Applicants must submit a statement of aspiration outlining their career goals, and a 90-second video.

For more information on the scholarship, visit www.jcu.edu or contact Claudia Wenzel at cwenzel@jcu.edu.