May 7, 2026 — Here is the latest news from the Jesuits in Canada and the United States.
Jesuit Appointed Bishop of Honolulu
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Michael Castori, SJto serve as the next bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu. He will succeed Bishop Larry Silva, who has served since 2005.
Fr. Castori is currently rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University. He has also served in campus ministry and as a theology professor at Santa Clara University; as a chaplain at San Quentin State Prison in California; as associate pastor at All Saints Catholic Church in Hayward, California; and as the vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Oakland. Read more.
Diaconate Ordinations
Five Jesuits from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States were recently ordained deacons at two different Masses in Rome and Paris.
Jean Hervé Delphonse, SJand Taylor Fulkerson, SJwere ordained to the diaconate, along with 12 other Jesuits, on April 7, 2026, by Cardinal Peter Turkson at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.
Peterson Alcius, SJ, Danilo Mendoza Rugama, SJand Jorge Roque, SJwere ordained to the diaconate, along with 15 other Jesuits, on April 11, 2026, at the Basilica-Cathedral of Saint-Denis in France.
Jesuits in U.S. and Canada Call for Peace
At a time of rising violent conflict across the globe, the six major Jesuit superiors of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States are calling all of us to be peacemakers.
They released a letter, “Blessed Are the Peacemakersâ€: A Jesuit Call for Peace, on April 23, 2026, asking all Jesuit and lay members of their network to work diligently for peace. Read the letter.
Jesuit Named President of Marquette University High School
Fr. Daniel Kennedy, SJhas been appointed the 12th president of Marquette University High School in Milwaukee. He will succeed Fr. Michael Marco, SJon July 1, 2026. Fr. Kennedy currently serves as executive vice president and special assistant to the president at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy.
Fr. Kennedy said one of the most meaningful parts of his Jesuit journey in education has been the “many individuals I would never have met unless I was in this form of life. When I reflect on my vocation, I find gratitude never in short supply for these relationships.†Read more.
Cardinal Czerny Praises U.S. Bishops’ Immigration Message on “60 Minutesâ€
Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJPrefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, was interviewed on “60 Minutes†in April. He praised the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for their Special Pastoral Message on immigration, issued in November 2025.
Catholic leaders should weigh in on political issues, Cardinal Czerny said, because “life is political.†“Politics is how we live together and face our problems. We can’t be nonpolitical.†Read Society of Jesus in the United States’ statement applauding the bishops’ Special Message.
Jesuits Share Impact of War on Migrants in Lebanon with “PBS NewsHourâ€
U.S. Jesuits Fr. Doug Jones, SJand Michael Petro, SJspoke with “PBS NewsHourâ€Â about how the Jesuits’ St. Joseph Church in Beirut, a parish for migrant workers for 40 years, has now become their sanctuary as a migrant shelter during the Mideast conflict.
A New Jesuit Centenarian
Brother Bernard “Mac†McIlhenny, SJturned 100 on March 27, 2026! Fr. McIlhenny has been living and serving in Scranton, Pennsylvania, almost as long as he’s been a Jesuit priest — nearly 70 years. He arrived in 1958 as headmaster of Scranton Preparatory School before serving in admissions at the University of Scranton for 31 years. He was then minister of his Jesuit community for 16 years.
Fr. Mac offered a few pointers to reach triple digits: “You need to keep in shape. I do PT twice a week and play golf every week during the season. You also need to keep your mind active. Be with people; go to lunch; find ways of helping others. I still enjoy driving and shopping for coffee cakes for my Jesuit community.â€
Last year, Fr. McIlhenny even made a hole-in-one on the golf course.
Fr. Brian Strassburger, SJ, Interviewed on “Border Report Liveâ€
Fr. Brian Strassburger, SJwas interviewed on “Border Report Live†to discuss the evolving situation for migrants and Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries’ work on the U.S.-Mexico border. Fr. Strassburger, director of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries, described the Jesuits’ regular visits to migrant shelters in Mexico, as well as to ICE detention centers in Texas.
“All of the shelters in Reynosa and Matamoros continue to operate, but at a much lower population,†he said. “Those who remain tend to be the most vulnerable … that’s a place where the church needs to be.â€
Jesuit Honored with President’s Medal
Fr. Jack Dennis, SJwas recently honored as the 2026 President’s Medal recipient from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis. The President’s Medal is the school’s highest honor and celebrates a community member whose contributions exemplify the Jesuit philosophy of men and women for others. Fr. Dennis served as president of Brebeuf Jesuit from 2012 to 2018, following his time as president of Loyola Blakefield in Baltimore.
A New Altar for a St. Louis Catholic School
Br. Ken Homan, SJan assistant professor of history at Saint Louis University, recently built an altar and ambo for Visitation Academy, a primary and secondary school for girls in St. Louis. The school is completing some renovations, including redoing their auxiliary chapel.
Br. Homan described the project as “very Laudato Si’.†All of the wood is reclaimed urban lumber from trees that had to be taken down around the city, and he used an eco-friendly wood finish. The remaining scraps and sawdust are being used in community gardens and compost.
Jesuit Joins Nationwide Storytelling Initiative
Fr. Gary Smith, SJwho does street and jail ministry in Portland, Oregon, is one of 15 authors, including Oprah Winfrey and Austen Ivereigh, who have agreed to feature key excerpts from their books in “People of Hope: Faith-Filled Stories of Neighbors Helping Neighbors.†The program, a nationwide storytelling initiative and traveling museum, is produced by Catholic Charities USA.
One of the core components of the People of Hope Museum, which will travel the country for three years, is a listening library featuring curated 2- to 4-minute audio segments from seminal works on poverty, social isolation, bridgebuilding and community action. Read more.
Fr. Peter Clark, SJ, Discusses Medical Aid in Dying on PBS
In a recent PBS News segment on the growing practice of medical aid in dying, Fr. Peter Clark, SJdirector of the Institute of Clinical Bioethics at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, discussed the issue from the Catholic perspective.
“God gives life; only God can take life away,†said Fr. Clark. He explained how the term “medical aid in dying†is misleading and how the procedure intentionally terminates a human life. Watch here.
New Priest Encourages Vocations at Alma Mater
Nearly 18 years after his own graduation from Regis High School in New York City, Fr. Melvin Rayappa, SJ, assistant director and vocations promoter the USA East Province, returned to celebrate an all-school Mass and encourage current students to consider their vocations.
Fr. Rayappa shared how the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in NYC feels like home to him; it was where his Regis graduation was held and also where he was ordained a priest in June 2025. Read more.
Final Vows
Fr. Timothy O’Brien, SJand Fr. Phillip Ganir, SJboth professed their final vows in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Campion Center in Weston, Massachusetts, on April 25, 2026.
Both are currently serving at the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry: Fr. O’Brien is a visiting fellow, and Fr. Ganir is an assistant professor of religious education.
Fr. Tony Lusvardi, SJprofessed his final vows on April 27, 2026, at Sant’Andrea al Quirinale in Rome, with Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ, receiving his vows. Fr. Lusvardi currently serves as an instructor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
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