Saint Louis University alumnus the Rev. Doug Marcouiller, S.J., professor of economics at SLU, and the Rev. Tim McMahon, S.J., provincial of the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, discussed their experiences at the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus on Wednesday, April 30.

From Jan. 7 to March 6 of this year, these two Jesuits, along with 215 other delegates from around the world, came together in Rome at the delegation to elect the Society of Jesus’ new superior general and write documents to better guide the Jesuit mission.

The Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., of Spain was elected to the position of superior general of the Jesuits by majority after two rounds of voting.

The Rev. Peter Kolvenbach, S.J., stepped down from being Superior General after 24 years of service because of his age.

Kolvenbach is the first to resign from the position in the society’s history.

“Nicolas was elected because of his holiness, his commitment to the mission of the society and his life as a Jesuit,” McMahon said. “He also knows how to dialogue with other cultures and other religions.”

Nicolas has taught university classes in Tokyo and worked with Jesuits in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, China and Vietnam.

“Because he’s from Spain, he has a balance of east and west,” said the Rev. John W. Perdberg S.J., Director of the Institute of Jesuit Services at SLU.

The Society of Jesus has more than 20,000 members. It’s the superior general’s responsibility to work with provincials and local superiors on following the mission and keeping to the direction set out by the delegates at the congregation.

These congregations can only be called together by the superior general. Only 35 have taken place since 1540, and Saint Ignatius of Loyola wanted infrequent congregations so that they wouldn’t distract Jesuits from their mission work.

“One of my most lasting impressions is the breadth and boldness of the [Jesuit] mission,” Marcouiller said. “It’s something that we flesh out for ourselves.”

Many issues were discussed at the congregation, which ranged from community life to ecology.

The congregation wrote six documents covering the topics of obedience, governance, collaboration, the mission to the frontiers, the Jesuit identity and the response to the mission of the Pope.

“These documents provide a clearer sense of the international dimension of all Jesuit work,” Perdberg said. “[They] allow greater interaction among Jesuit and non-Jesuit colleagues.”