By Glaiza Salanio

The Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) community gathered in the Formation Learning Center (FLC) building on Tuesday, November 14, to commemorate St. Joseph Pignatelli’s feast through a mass presided by Fr. Norlan Julai, SJ, Rector of the San Jose Seminary.

Fr. Julai’s theme for his homily was “building and being bridges,” which was, according to him, the mission of our lives.

He discussed the journey of St. Pignatelli and the choices he faced as a leader pursuing the common good.

“Our task as Christians is to build bridges and not to add [to] the division…Be the bridge that connects those separated,” Fr. Julai said.

During the ceremony, Fr. Bong Dahunan, SJ, renewed his Jesuit vows, and the ASHS Music Ministry was commissioned right after.

The class sponsors for this mass were 12-Bobola—the readers, 12-Sullivan—in charge of the stage backdrop, and 12-Xavier—the designers of the publication materials and slides.

St. Joseph Pignatelli’s story

Born in a palace in 1737, St. Joseph Pignatelli was known for guiding and supporting Jesuits through the long and incredibly difficult period wherein the Society of Jesus was suppressed.

In 1749, he went to Saragossa, Spain, to attend a Jesuit school. Later, on May 8, 1753, he entered Tarragona’s novitiate, where he studied theology and philosophy in accordance with the established formation path. The week before Christmas in 1762, he was ordained as a priest.

Unexpectedly, in 1767, King Charles III forced the Jesuits to leave his kingdom and confiscated their property.

In spite of this reason, St. Joseph Pignatelli still made the decision to stay with the Jesuits.

St. Joseph Pignatelli was given the responsibility by an elderly Jesuit priest to be a leader and became the Jesuit Superior General of about 600 priests. As a leader, he had numerous obstacles to overcome, but his unwavering communication with other Jesuits allowed them to endure these problems with each other.

In 1813, the Society of Jesus was legally re-established under the leadership of Pope Pius VII. However, St. Joseph Pignatelli did not witness the day he had long anticipated and yearned for.

Nevertheless, because of his leadership in guiding the Jesuits through the 40 years of repression, St. Joseph Pignatelli, SJ, is regarded as the second founder of the Society of Jesus.