By Mike Gabriele and Therese Fink Meyerhoff
Jesuit formation is a notoriously long and rigorous journey, involving 10-13 years of study and service from entrance to the novitiate to priestly ordination. But ordination to the priesthood is not the final step of formation for Jesuits. Full incorporation into the Society of Jesus isn’t complete until the profession of final vows some years later. Formation is a spiritual journey that not only prepares a man to serve the Church of the future but helps him discover the fullness of his vocation.
“For 10 years, I have gone ‘all in’ with the process of formation and have learned more about myself than I thought possible,” said Fr. Michael Mohr, SJ, who was ordained a priest in June 2024. “The various experiences of ministry and study have opened my eyes to the complex realities of the lives of the people of the world. My journey of formation has shown me the depths of God’s love for me and for the people of the world. I am constantly surprised by the ways I am called to labor alongside the Lord. I would tell anyone considering the Society of Jesus that he has no idea the joy that is awaiting him if he just says yes.”
The formation progression for a Jesuit was originally prescribed by St. Ignatius Loyola in the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus. It is a comprehensive, rigorous and deeply spiritual journey, designed to prepare Jesuits for a life of service and devotion to the Church. The process is both demanding and rewarding, requiring a profound commitment to the Jesuit mission and a deepening of one’s relationship with God.
Jesuit formation has five key stages leading to final vows — novitiate, first studies, regency, theology and tertianship — each designed to strengthen the spiritual, intellectual and practical aspects that shape a Jesuit’s way of proceeding.
Father John Nugent, SJ, is the provincial assistant for formation in the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province. He has the responsibility of accompanying Jesuits from first studies to final vows. “I see my role as helping our men integrate the different aspects of our lives as Jesuits: our life of prayer and closeness to Christ, our ministry and service to God’s people, our intellectual and professional formation, and ultimately our personal human formation,” he said.
The Novitiate
The formation of a Jesuit begins with two years at the novitiate, a period of intense spiritual growth and discernment. This stage cultivates the novice’s understanding of whether he is truly called to the Jesuit life. It begins with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, a month-long silent retreat to deepen the novice’s relationship with God and help him discern his vocation. Novices live in community together and engage in various works of service. At the end of his novitiate experience, with the approval of the novice director and the provincial, a Jesuit will pronounce first vows.
First Studies
Following the novitiate, Jesuits enter first studies, which usually lasts three years. This period typically focuses on the study of philosophy, theology and the humanities, but may include other courses of study depending on the individual Jesuit’s background and interests. During this time, Jesuits continue to live in community and serve in apostolic ministry, especially service to the poor and marginalized.
“My experience as a Jesuit in first studies has been much more than classroom learning,” said Manuel Luna Vega, who is studying at Saint Louis University. “It has been a journey of formation through the richness of community life and the encounters I’ve had in various apostolates, where walking with people in their joys and sorrows has shaped my heart and deepened my understanding of God’s constant presence. These experiences have cultivated in me a greater desire to love authentically, in alignment with God’s will for His people, and have prepared me to respond with compassion and sensitivity to the needs of others.”
Regency
The next stage in Jesuit formation is regency, a period of two to four years during which Jesuits engage full-time in apostolic work. This provides an opportunity for Jesuits to apply their academic knowledge in practical settings, such as teaching in Jesuit schools or serving in social justice ministries.
“Regency has invited me into a more authentic relationship with Christ,” said River Simpson, SJ, who is assigned to St. Louis University High School. “Each person I have met and accompanied here at SLUH, whether it be a freshman fretting over his homework, a parent pondering how her son’s choice of college may impact their relationship moving forward, or the unflappable colleague who’s seen it (nearly) all before, has deepened my understanding of Christ’s own humanity and his loves, his fears, and his personality, because they have shared earnestly of themselves. They have trusted me to enter their world, and I am honored to see as they see. No matter where I am missioned in the future, I am now freer to see Christ in others and to respond with love for them and their present needs through him.”
Reynaldo Belfort, SJ, ministers with college students and young adults in Puerto Rico, as well as at Colegio San Ignacio, the province’s high school in San Juan. He finds that, “In regency, there continue to be many great opportunities to deepen aspects of my Jesuit identity. The most rewarding: to be creative and adaptable in the various challenging contexts that demand it; a sign of co-laboring with Christ for his kingdom, the Jesuit way.”
Theology
After regency, Jesuits begin three years of advanced theological studies. Jesuit schools of theology include the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California, and Regis College in Toronto, as well as other international Jesuit theologates.
Orlando Portalatin, SJ, is in his third year of studies in Madrid. “My experiences in theology studies are helping me grow in understanding why we believe what we believe, providing me a thoughtful and coherent account for the foundations of our Catholic faith,” he said. “From the formal studies I’m receiving, the guidance I’m getting through my spiritual director and formators, to the many ministry opportunities I get to participate in, I notice how God is leading the way in configuring me to the man He wants me to be. As such, I’ve become increasingly aware that I will be ordained a Jesuit priest by God, for his people.”
“Theology studies provide an intellectual context in which I am able to better understand the dynamic needs of the Church and the world today,” said Jordan Jones, SJ, who is in his second year of theology studies at Boston College. “My studies then help me to discern how God may be calling me to assist Him in meeting those needs.”
Priestly Ordination or Jesuit Brother
Most Jesuits are called to the priesthood, but some are called to become Jesuit brothers. Brothers follow a slightly different but equally rigorous formation path of studies and apostolic work and are called to support the Church and the Society of Jesus in many ways.
During his final year of theology studies, a Jesuit can petition to be ordained a priest. The provincial confers with the Jesuits’ formators before approving his request. During the ordination liturgy, the ordaining prelate will ask, “Has he been found worthy?” After 10 or more years of education, prayer and experience as a Jesuit, the answer can be a resounding “yes!”
A priestly heart knows about closeness, because his primary form of closeness is with the Lord. May Christ visit his priests in their prayer, in their Bishop, in their brother priests and in their people. May he upset our routine, disrupt our lives and disquiet us – as at the time of our first love – and lead us to employ all our talents and abilities to ensure that our people may have life and life in abundance. (Pope Francis, Feb. 17, 2022)
The vocation to the Jesuit brotherhood is less common today, but each year, men hear the call to serve as Jesuit brothers. In the words of Superior General Pedro Arrupe:
The brother is called “to put all of his own existence … at the disposition of the community in order to build community…. The apostolic importance of the Jesuit brother, since our communities are essentially apostolic, derives from the fact that all the members of the community give to the community everything they have and are.
Tertianship
The final stage of Jesuit formation is tertianship, when Jesuits once again complete the full 30-day Spiritual Exercises and engage in a period of reflection on their formation journey. They often travel abroad, undertaking various apostolic assignments, which provide further opportunities for growth and discernment.
Father Sam Wilson, SJ, said his experience as a tertian in 2023 strengthened his vocation. “Tertianship put me back in touch with the heart of my life as a priest: Jesus encountered through the Spiritual Exercises,” he said. “His word to me was clear: ‘Feed my sheep.’” He now serves as a pastoral minister in Belize City, Belize.
Final Vows
A Jesuit’s formation officially concludes with the profession of final vows. A Jesuit is called to final vows by the Superior General in Rome when ready for full incorporation into the Society of Jesus.
Father José (Pepe) Ruiz Andujo, SJ, professed final vows on August 5, 2024, at Sacred Heart Church, the Jesuit parish in El Paso, Texas. At this significant milestone, he reflected on his Jesuit formation: “In first studies, as I learned philosophy and theology, I gained the ability to think through complicated new ideas and nurture curiosity, while community life and ministry helped me grow in understanding others’ experiences. Now, as a spiritual director, my role is ‘to place the Creature with the Creator,’ and those lessons from first studies are part of my daily work. I’m grateful for that formation every day.”
