Mass: St. Joseph Pignatelli, S.J.

Fr. Frank Brou, S.J. celebrated St. Joseph Pignatelli, S.J. at an all-school Mass on Friday morning (Nov. 14) in St. Anthony’s Chapel at Jesuit High School.

Fr. Brou spoke of the leadership, patience, loyalty, and faith of Pignatelli (1737-1811) in the late 18^th and early 19^th century during a very tumultuous time.

Pignatelli was a leader of Spanish Jesuits in exile, following the 1773 formal suppression of the order by Pope Clement XIV, despite tuberculoisis and poor health for most of his life. He helped keep the spirit of the Jesuits alive for decades.

Though the official Jesuit restoration did not come until three years after his death, in 1814, St. Joseph Pignatelli, S.J. is considered the savior and restorer of the Society of Jesus. He was canonized in 1954.

Please see the photo slideshow below from Friday’s Mass: