Indian Salesians On Fr. Nico

New Jesuit General, Friend of Salesians

By C.M. Paul
Kolkata, Jan. 21. The new Jesuit General Adolfo Nicolas SJ (71) elected on second ballot, 19 January was President of the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania and former Provincial of Japan. He was part of the General Congregation`s (GC) 15 member preparatory committee along with Indian Fr. Lisbert D`Souza one of four general assistants of Fr. Kolvenbach and regional assistant for South Asia. Fr. Nicolas is now Father General to over 19, 000 Jesuits worldwide, including about 4,000 Jesuits of South Asia. The GC 35 has 43 delegates from South Asia. The first photo of the newly elected General that went around the world had Fr Nicolas draped in a red and black striped Naga Shawl put on him by Provincial of South Asia Fr Hector D`Souza. General Knows the East and the West ``Nico as we call him will be according to me a John XXIII for the Society,`` says Kolkata provincial Fr George Pattery emerging out of the celebrations marking the election of the new General. ``He is a good man and a committed Jesuit who will bring new inspiration and hope for us and the religious family as a whole. He has a soul that pulsates with Asia, including South Asian sensibilities. Nico knows the east and the west,`` he adds. ``Asia has a lot yet to offer to the Church, to the whole Church, but we haven`t done it yet`, says Fr Nicolas. ``Maybe we have not been courageous enough, or we haven`t taken the risks that we should,`` said Fr Nico speaking to the province newsletter about his GC35 hopes last month.

Salesians Hold Fond Memories of Fr Nico Japanese Salesians in Rome Frs. Yosuke Sakai and Naoki Tsujiie attended the General`s thanksgiving Mass and recall his days as a professor of systematic theology at the theology faculty in Sophia University Tokyo for nearly 30 years. Many of them were under his academic expertise and for some he was even the moderator of their thesis Fr Nicolas used his theological expertise for catechetical education of migrants and their children and he wrote books in multilingual edition published by the Salesian publishers, Don Bosco Sha.

During this time some young Salesians were working with him especially for the Japanese-Filipino Youth Program. He was the resource person of the program and he always showed his support for and trust in the Salesian way of educating youth. He used to say, ``Let us trust in the Salesians for they know youth very well!`` A good disciple of St. Ignatius, Fr Nicolas offered spiritual direction to young Salesians on several occasions. Some of them went to him seeking spiritual direction regularly. One Salesian, his former student, describes him as ``Jinkaku-sha`` (man of character) which is a compliment showing the highest admiration in Japan. He is quite far from being rigid and unsociable. Probably those who have come across him would say with one voice: Fr. Nicolas is cordial, generous and most exceptional! So now his Japanese former students say to him in return,`` Let us trust in Fr. Nicolas for he knows human reality very well!``

Congratulations, Fr. Nicholas! Gambatte kudasai! (Best of luck!).``

Send your good wishes to Fr Nico at curgen@sjcuria.org

Link (here)

Photo is of Don Bosco with his students.