On Saturday 16th September, eight second year novices pronounced their First Vows: Andrea, Daniele, Edi, Emanuele, Guido, Ivan, Josef and Mirko.

The profession of vows comes as a Novice completes his first two years of formation in the Novitiate and signifies the commitment of the ex-novice to live in Chastity, Poverty and Obedience for the rest of his life within the Society of Jesus.

Mass was celebrated at the Church of the Gesù in Genoa by Father Provincial. During his homily Fr. Gianfranco outlined the fact that the end of the Novitiate and the pronouncing of the vows can be compared to the apparition of Christ at the Sea of Tiberias in the Gospel of  John (John 21, 1-19): Jesus appears to the disciples after a long and unsuccessful night of fishing.  A night full of waiting, failure, weakness and incomprehension. It easy to imagine that there were some arguments amongst the disciples. In the same way, the Novitiate is a time of waiting and deepening of the encounter with Jesus even through our weaknesses.

At the end of the celebration, Fr. Agostino –  The Novice Master – outlined the fact the it is hard to digest this way of life nowadays,  in a world which values wealth, sex and independence. This also applies to the  vocation of married life, for example, which is equally difficult and important for the functioning of society. Fr. Master concluded his message by thanking the families for their support, highlighting that their presence will be always important in their journey as Jesuits.

After Mass the novitiate community hosted a party for the novices, their families, and friends and other Jesuits who travelled to witness the occasion.

The eight novices will now move to Rome for the next stage of formation. Andrea, Edi, Emanuele, Ivan, Josef and Mirko will commence philisophy studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Guido and Daniele have already completed these studies and they will move on to the Regency stage which is a period of apostolic work. Guido will be working at the Massimiliano Massimo Institute, a Jesuit school while Daniele will be serving at the Centro Astalli, which is the Italian branch of the Jesuit Refugee Services.

We first year novices are thankful for this year we have spent together and wish them luck for this new beginning.