Former students and final vows at St Ignatius Day Mass

Farm Street Church in central London was filled to capacity on Tuesday, 31 July, for the celebration of the feast of St Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits.  In addition to being an opportunity for former students of Jesuit schools and colleges from Britain and around the world to gather together, it was also the occasion for Father Paul O'Reilly SJ to make his final vows as a Jesuit.

In his homily, the British Provincial, Fr Michael Holman SJ, reflected on the Jesuit motto, 'For the Greater Glory of God' (AMDG), which, he said, bound together former students of Jesuit colleges, wherever they were in the world.  And in explaining the phrase, he told the congregation that 'the greater glory of God' is men and women living the life of Jesus Christ today, 'so that through us … he might become present in our world today, amongst men and women who so much need him today'.

Fr Holman then went on to accept Fr O'Reilly's final vows as a Jesuit - his permanent commitment to the Society of Jesus.  Paul is a qualified doctor and works as a GP at the Surgery of the Cardinal Hume Centre for the Homeless in central London.

Former students from as far away as South Africa and Australia, Guyana and Zimbabwe, Lebanon and Spain attended the St Ignatius Day Mass at Farm Street.  Parish Priest, Fr William Pearsall SJ, was clearly delighted - and maybe a little overwhelmed by the numbers. 'It's on a par with Christmas Midnight Mass or the Easter Vigil!' he said afterwards.  The setting for the Mass was Mozart's Missa Brevis in F (K192), and the readers were John McCabe of the British Jesuit Alumni/ae (BJA) and Maggie McDonald of the Young Adults Christian Life Community.  At the end of Mass, Fr Holman made an appeal on behalf of Eagle Aid, the fundraising arm of the BJA.

Click on the link above to read the full text of Fr Holman's homily.