Mass of the Holy Spirit Begins the New School Year
Fr. Martinez, S.J. professes his Final Jesuit vows

For 450 years, Jesuit schools have always started their academic year with the Mass of the Holy Spirit, praying for God's guidance and companionship.

This year a unique highlight was witnessing President Fr. Joaquin Martinez, S.J. profess his final vows in the Society of Jesus. "It is 16 years to the day after I professed my first vows,: he explained.

Jesuit Provincial, Fr. Timothy Kesicki, SJ was the principal celebrant at the Mass. In addition Jesuit from throughout the Province and diocesan priests attended the liturgy.

Fr. Martinez explained the progression a man goes through in his formation as a Jesuit. "When one joins the Jesuits, he spends two years as a novice. At the end of the Novitiate, he professes his first vows, perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  At that time, he promises to 'enter the Society of Jesus' and thus begins a long period of testing and training, during which he is commonly referred to as a 'scholastic.'"

When he leaves the Novitiate he studies philosophy for three years. After that, he gets sent to full time apostolic work, a stage called Regency. This is normally followed by three years of theology studies and then ordination.

"Several years after a man is ordained, he does his Tertianship which is a further year of praying and working in some kind of new ministry. I did my Tertianship just before coming to St. John's and spent part of the year working in a parish in Jordan. Sometime after Tertianship, Fr. General invites the man to make his solemn profession - final vows as we usually call it. At this point the Society formally invites the man to full incorporation, to actually 'enter' the Society as he had promised so many years earlier. The whole process can take a few years, 18 in my case."

During the vow ceremony, the entire student body witnessed Fr. Martinez making a promise to take special care for the instruction of children and also make the Jesuit "fourth vow" of special obedience to the Pope in regards to the missions. The fourth vow differentiates the Jesuits from other orders as they are the only ones who make this fourth vow. It refers to being available to be sent to any work or ministry that the Holy Father might deem necessary.