Father John Nugent, SJ, Accompanies Men on their Journeys to Become the Jesuits They are Meant to Be
By Therese Fink Meyerhoff
Father John Nugent, SJ, has a formidable assignment as assistant for formation for the Jesuits USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province. In his new ministry, which he began this summer, he is responsible for guiding, encouraging and occasionally challenging the more than 70 Jesuits in the stages of formation from first studies through 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.
A big job, for which he has plenty of help, including the wisdom of St. Ignatius Loyola, who established the formation pathway nearly 500 years ago. The trajectory is still followed today, with attention paid to both the individual gifts of the Jesuit and the needs of the Church and the Society.
“I think that was Ignatius’s wisdom: he was a realistic man and discerned the Spirit working through the concrete realities of the moment,” Fr. Nugent said. “As a missionary order, we have always been called upon to adapt to the places we are sent, whether near or far. Formation is about preparing a man to be missioned in this way for the rest of his life.”
Jesuit formation also helps each man grow into his specific calling. The men who enter this province come with tremendous skills and talents; they have unique backgrounds, experiences, personalities. “That’s the beauty of the work,” Fr. Nugent said. “Every man has areas to continue to grow, because, ultimately, God’s Spirit continues to work with us and invite us to deeper faithfulness and generosity.
“Faithfulness is an act of trust,” he continued. “God is the one who puts a vocation in a man’s heart; Christ calls, and the Holy Spirit sustains him,” he said. “So, no matter how cracked or small or worn down a man’s ‘earthen vessel’ may be, it is what he has to offer the Lord. It is the gift he can give. During formation, he learns to do so, trusting that God’s grace is indeed enough for him.”
Father Nugent says he takes the word “formation” seriously, citing God as the primary formator, with the Holy Spirit working through the people Jesuits encounter. “Then we can recognize, ‘Okay, here’s where I’m being invited now. Let me dedicate myself to God’s kingdom in this way and see where it leads,’” he said.
Father Nugent previously served as principal at Arrupe Jesuit High School in Denver before leaving for tertianship, a period of formation often referred to as a “second novitiate.” He finds his new ministry fulfilling. “It is incredibly gratifying and edifying to work with our men in formation,” he said. “I am blessed with the opportunity to see each one become the Jesuit that he, in his heart of hearts, desires to be.”
Image at top: Fr. John Nugent, SJ (left) and Fr. Quang Tran, SJ, (right) join William Manaker, SJ, at his diaconate ordination in September, 2024.
