The Chair of St. Peter
Michael C. McFarland, SJ
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 February 22 is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, when we celebrate the great gift the Papacy is to the Church. The Gospel for the feast (Mt 16: 13-19), where Jesus chooses Simon Peter for leadership among the disciples, is taken as the foundational text for the Papacy. It offers important insights into the nature and significance of that office. First, Simon was singled out because of his bold profession of Jesus as Savior. In the same way, the authority of the Papacy is rooted in fidelity to Christ and its witness to His saving work, sacrificing His life to set sinners free. Second, Simon is renamed Peter, the Rock. This is the promise that Peter and his successors would be a sign of unity and stability for the community of believers, a trustworthy teacher of God’s Word and a guide on the way of salvation amidst all the confusion, divisions, seductions and threats of a sinful world. At the same time, Jesus talks about how He will “build” His Church on this rock, implying a dynamic process of continual growth, learning and improvement.
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2022 Lenten Retreat
Deepening our Friendship with Christ: A Lenten Retreat Based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola
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We invite you to participate in our guided virtual retreat extended over the six full weeks of Lent. There will be two talks per week with reflections based on themes from the Spiritual Exercises and related Scripture. Retreat directors from the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, have assembled a team of experts in Jesuit spirituality and prayer to provide participants with a rich and meaningful prayer experience.
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Gathering after the annual USF Mass
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GUF benefactors Pam and Dennis Lucey (USF '63) hosted a gathering after the annual Univeristy of San Francisco Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown celebrated by USF President Fr Paul Fitzgerald, SJ. Gregorian Univesity Foundation President, Fr Michael McFarland, SJ, concelebrated. Afterwards, Mr. Lucey reminded the crowd that USF's beginings go back to 1551 when St Ignaius founding the first Jesuit university -the Gregorian University - and invited all to visit the Greg when they are in Rome. (photo l to r: Frank Frost, Dennis Lucey, Fr Michael McFarland, Pam Lucey, Mary Frost, Fr Paul Fitzgerald)
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Father Hans Zollner on the German sex abuse report, Pope Benedict and the future of the church
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In a wide-ranging interview with America, Father Hans Zollner, the German Jesuit and one of the church’s top experts in the field of the safeguarding and protection of minors and vulnerable people from abuse, discussed the much-publicized report on how abuse cases were handled in the archdiocese of Munich and Freising, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s response to that report, the situation of the Catholic Church in Germany today, and what more Rome could do to help eliminate this plague from the church.
Click HERE to read the article. |
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Vatican Insider: The Story of a Priestly Vocation
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Vatican Insider, Joan Lewis, interviews Greg student Deacon Brad Easterbrooks who is looking at a special way to live his future priesthood – the life of a military chaplain! Brad, from San Diego, has a wonderful story to tell about his vocation but you really have to hear about his remarkable pre-seminary years - work at a consulting firm and on political campaigns, law school, then the Navy, work for JAG...
Listen to the interview HERE. |
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Vatican Insider: PART II - A Conversation with Rev. David Nazar, SJ
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Vatican Insider, Joan Lewis, continues her interview of Fr David Nazar, the rector of the Pontifical Oriental Institute.
Listen to the interview HERE. |
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Young Jesuits share their thoughts on
the Universal Apostolic Preferences
Father General’s Extended Council met for a week to talk about the Universal Apostolic Preferences. Six Jesuits in formation were invited to speak: their presentation was insightful and thought-provoking.
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Appointment by Pope Francis:
Fr. James J. Conn SJ
Pope Francis has appointed Father James J. Conn (UEA) as a consultor of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fide). Father Conn is professor emeritus in the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical Gregorian University and serves as superior of the Casa Santa Maria, the Roman residence for USA priests pursuing graduate degrees at the various ecclesiastical universities and institutes.
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Fr Zollner to speak at College of the Holy Cross
McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture
Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 4:30 pm
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Presentation of the book “The Pharisees” - 7 March 2022
The event will also be live-streamed on the Pontifical Biblical Institute’s YouTube channel ( www.biblico.it)
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- International Conferences -
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Year of the " Family Amoris laetitia "Pastoral Practices, Life Experience, and Moral Theology : Amoris Laetitia Between New Opportunities and New Paths
Save the Date: 11-14 May, 2022
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The conference aims to explore the critical issues, provocations, and ideas that emerged from the Apostolical Exhortation Amoris Laetitia of Pope Francis. It seeks to understand them in greater depth and to further explore the applications of an evolving theological-moral reflection, and its pastoral implications. We believe that this papal teaching has continuing significance both for the theology of marriage and the family, and for moral theology in general. This approach starts from within an ecclesial horizon and is also ready to re- think theological and moral issues in a constructive dialogue with human experience. This experience is considered both universal and always contextualized by particular cultures and personal events. Learn more HERE.
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the Rev. P. James Conn, SJ, Emeritus Professor of the Faculty of Canon Law,
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Consultor of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
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HE Mgr Javier Herrera Corona, currently Councilor of the Nunciature,
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Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Congo and Gabon
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HE Mons. Gabriel Malzaire, currently Bishop of the Diocese of Roseau (Dominica),
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Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Castries (Santa Lucia)
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HE Mons. William Nolan, currently Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway (Scotland),
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Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Glasgow (Scotland)
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Rev. Roberto Repole, currently Professor and Canon of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Turin,
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Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Turin
united in person episcopes with the Diocese of Susa (Italy)
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Pontifical Gregorian University Appointments
the Rev. P. Paul Rolphy Pinto SJ
Extraordinary Professor of the Institute of Spirituality
Fr Adelson Araújo dos Santos SJ
Pro-Director of the San Pietro Favre Center for Formators to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life
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Mass Cards
available online
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The Gregorian University Foundation is pleased to offer Mass cards for the living and for the deceased.
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Please click HERE to select the Gregorian University Foundation as your charity of choice.
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Praying with the Pope in February
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Pope Francis' Universal prayer intention for February is:
For religious sisters & consecrated women
We pray for religious sisters and consecrated women; thanking them for their mission and their courage; may they continue to find new responses to the challenges of our times.
Reflect further on the Prayer Intention for February and unite yourself with the Pope's Prayer Network Watch the Pope's Video >>
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