Loyola College Society, Chennai.
Dear Officials, Staff (Teaching and Non-Teaching), Students, Parents, and alumni, God has called to Himself yesterday (20May2020), in Tokyo, Rev Fr Adolfo Nicolas SJ (84), the 30th General Superior of the Jesuits.
Fr Nicolas was born on 29Apr1936 in Spain. As a Jesuit he was working in Japan. He was the Professor of Theology, the Provincial of Japan, and the President of East Asia and Oceania Conference prior to being elected the General of the Society on 19 Jan 2008.
Fr Nicolas was simple and affable. During his tenure as the General Superior of the Jesuit Order (2008-2016) he was advocating ‘universality’ with regard to the Jesuit vocation and mission and ‘depth’ when it comes to Jesuit intellectual and spiritual formation.
I fondly remember spending a few days with him, along with a few other Provincials, in Beijing for a conference on education; and again during the preparatory meeting in Rome for the 36th General Congregation of the Society. He was very friendly and unassuming and one could feel at home in his presence.
You could remember his visit, a couple of years ago, to Loyola. And now he has gone to his permanent home to be with the Lord. As we pray for him, let us also pray to him that he represents our needs and cause to the Lord. May his dear soul rest in peace. Let us remember just a line of his personal prayer: Frequently we are invaded by the feeling of having worked all night in vain,forgetting perhaps, that you are with us.
Dear Faculty and Staff members, I appreciate your patience and your working from home during the lockdown period. I sincerely thank the efforts of the Heads of Loyola Institutions to train us all in online teaching and other skills that would be needed to resume our mission in a changed world.
Let us thank the Lord for taking care of us all so far and let us hope for the better.
Looking forward to welcoming you all back to Loyola Campus.
With kind regards,
Francis P Xavier SJ