ST PAUL ­ Wisconsin Province Jesuits (from left) Nathan Wendt, SJ, P.J. Shelton, SJ, Charles Olsen, SJ, and Jeremy Cramer, SJ were among the ten men who pronounced first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience August 15 at the Church of St. Luke.

The others were Max Buehler, SJ, John Tuan Le, SJ, Michael Rozier, SJ, and Dong Phuong Hong Vo, SJ of the Missouri Province and Shawn Moore, SJ and Hugh O’Hara, SJ of the Upper Canada Province.

Missouri Fr. Provincial Timothy McMahon, SJ presided at the Mass. Wisconsin Fr. Provincial G. Thomas Krettek, SJ, delivered the homily. Other concelebrants were Upper Canada Fr. Provincial Jean-Marc LaPorte, SJ, Fr. Kevin McDonaugh, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul, novice directors, Fr. Philip Shano, SJ, Fr. John Fitzgibbons, SJ, and Fr. Kevin Cullen, SJ, who was recently named Missouri Province provincial assistant for social ministries. Fr. Thomas S. Prag, SJ, also of the Missouri Province, succeeds him as the province’s novice director. The Novitiate in St. Paul, Minn. is shared by the three provinces.

A reception followed the Mass. All 10 vow men now move on to the next phase of the Jesuit formation process known as First Studies ­ which includes two to three years of graduate courses, mainly philosophy and theology, and various other outside ministries.

This year there will 18 novices in training at the novitiate, 10 first-year and eight second-year men. Also, Fr Shano, Upper Canada Province, is the novitiate’s newly appointed superior.

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