60 Years as a Jesuit

On August 14, 1965, Luis Orlando Torres Santos entered the Novitiate of St. Andrew-on-Hudson in Poughkeepsie, New York, more than 1,500 miles away from his home in Puerto Rico. In the 60 years that have passed since then, Fr. Torres has traveled many thousands of miles as a Jesuit. He currently serves as a spiritual director at Collegio S. Roberto Bellarmino, an international formation house for Jesuits doing licentiates and doctorates in Rome, and at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a Vatican institution for the training of diocesan priests for the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He has served in Rome since 2003.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, his first assignment, in 1969, was at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. Following his ordination in 1973 and graduate studies in sacred scripture, he taught for three years at Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola, the Jesuit high school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From 1979 to 1996, he served as novice director and superior of the Noviciado de Caimito in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.

He twice served as the superior for the Jesuit Region of Puerto Rico, 1983–86 and 1998 – 2003.

In 2003, Fr. Torres was assigned to Rome to serve as the assistant for formation for the Jesuit Curia, where he remained for ten years. Following a brief sabbatical, he became the rector of Collegio Internazionale del Gesù before beginning his ministry as a spiritual director to the two colleges in 2021.

Father Torres says about his vocation, “I love the simple way Ignatius talks about our mission as helping our neighbor (“ayudar a las ánimas”). In reality, we do not save souls, only God can do that, but we do help others grow in centering their lives in that which is essential for communion with God and care for our neighbor.”

Father Torres earned a master’s degree and a licentiate in philosophy from Fordham University. He also holds a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from St. Georgen Graduate School in Frankfurt, Germany, and a licentiate in sacred scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

Father Torres’ international assignments have required him to gain fluency in several languages, including English, French, German, Portuguese and Italian, in addition to his native Spanish.

Father Torres’ Reflection on His 60th Jubilee

Visit the Jesuits Global site to read Fr. Torres’s reflection on 60 years as a priest.