Fr. Pedro Arrupe Visits the Gesu (1976)
Beloved Jesuit General Visited 17th & Girard
In 1976, while visiting Philadelphia for the Eucharistic Congress, Superior General Very Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., was on campus for a special Mass in the Church of the Gesu.
In an upcoming book, Prep historian Leo Vaccaro ’05 talks about Fr. Arrupe’s appearance in Philadelphia and at the Gesu:
Although many priests and bishops have celebrated Mass in the sanctuary of the Gesu, perhaps the most memorable celebrant approached the altar here in the summer of 1976. In May of that year, the parish bulletin announced that the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Pedro Arrupe, S.J., would celebrate Mass at the Gesu on August 1, 1976. The parish needed “‘all hands on deck…’ as Father Arrupe has seen the beautiful Gesu church in Rome; let us make him remember the beautiful Gesu of Philadelphia.”
It is difficult to overstate the impact that Arrupe had on the Jesuits while serving as their leader, “on balance, he was probably one of the most genuinely loved and admired Generals in Jesuit history.” Arrupe is even referred to as the “second founder” of the Society of Jesus; and coincidentally – like the first founder – he was also born in the Basque region of Spain. As a young man, Arrupe intended to become a doctor before deciding (consequential to his experiences in Lourdes, France) to become a Jesuit, and after some time in the United States he was granted his wish to work as a missionary in Japan. During the war years, he was imprisoned by the government, and subsequent to his release, he survived the atomic bombing at Hiroshima – working with wounded victims in the aftermath of nuclear fallout was another transformative experience for Arrupe.
"...he was probably one of the most genuinely loved and admired Generals in Jesuit history"
Across his 27 years in Japan, Arrupe gained a reputation for his piety, but also for his intelligence – he also was selected as the first Jesuit Provincial of Japan in 1958 – which led to his selection as Superior General in May 1965. Arrupe became Superior just in time to participate in the closing sessions of the Second Vatican Council.
Arrupe himself was met with great excited anticipation and enthusiasm from Catholics across the city. The Father General had been invited to participate in the 41st Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia – one noteworthy part of a very busy summer in 1976 – which of course coincided with the bicentennial celebrations of the Declaration of Independence and also the observation of the 125th anniversary of St. Joseph’s Prep and College. Before speaking at the conference (along with Mother Theresa and a planned, but canceled appearance, with Cesar Chavez), Arrupe visited all three Jesuit institutions in the city.
On Saturday, July 31, 1976, on the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Arrupe and others gathered at Old St. Joseph’s Church, their bulletin noted that it was “the first time that a Superior General of the Society of Jesus has visited Old St. Joseph’s.” Later that day, Fr. Arrupe was taken to St. Joseph’s College’s campus and celebrated Mass along with Philadelphia’s Cardinal John Krol, and the papal delegate Jean Jadot in a tent outside of the Campion Center on campus. A number of honorary awards were distributed, including one to Grace Kelly, the Princess of Monaco.
Among the young Jesuits in their “tertianship” who assembled to meet Arrupe in the rectory of the Gesu was Fr. David Sauter, S.J., who would later become President of the Prep. “Well, we loved him … he was inspiring to us ordinary people,” Fr. Sauter told me in an interview. Sauter recalled that Arrupe had a message for the “tertians,” which he paraphrased to me as: “This is a society … if you can’t live it – get out! … This is who we are.”
"It is a pretty profound history, it’s here in our city, and it is part of (Prep) history.”
After celebrating Mass, Fr. Arrupe presented some awards to a few important supporters of the Prep, including John McShain (of the Prep’s class of 1918, who went on to be a major builder in Washington D.C.), and the founders of the Prep’s “Gino’s” scholarships (which were created to assist “inner-city boys”). The parish bulletin gushed with enthusiasm in “the aftermath” of Arrupe’s visit: “The church never looked more beautiful and shining! The afternoon provided a moment of grace for us all.”
Arrupe also took the opportunity to speak with Jesuits in the Prep’s theater, where the community reminded him of the nation’s bicentennial and gifted him “a bright red tri-cornered hat with red, white and blue trim, and placed it on his head! The General’s eyes glistened and he broke up laughing.”
Arrupe was reportedly very pleased with his visit to North Philadelphia. Although his visit was merely one event in our long history, his lasting influence on our institutions has been significant.
Father Arrupe stated that the Ignatian spiritual and educational tools must be used to mold men whose love of God and other men would fuse to produce social justice. This must be done even if it means a radical change in one’s own manner of life and environment. That must be the spirit of the family of Jesuit schools. That must be the spirit of the Prep Family.
To read a transcript of Fr. Arrupe’s speeches to the Eucharistic Congress, click here.
