Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education Magazine

Today we celebrate the inauguration of LMU's 17th president, Thomas Poon, Ph.D. Guided by the theme "Hope, Made Here," this milestone reflects the values we bring to life through community, academic excellence, and service.

Even Denzel needed a little bit of cura personalis to help him on his way. Check out this great story from @FordhamNYC about how Denzel Washington got his start there. now.fordham.edu/fordham-magazi…

Hot off the presses, the AJCU (@jesuitcolleges) has published their summer issue of Connections! ajcunet.edu/online-publica…

Check out last week's edition of AJCU Higher Ed News (@jesuitcolleges) for a rundown of great graduation moments at Jesuit schools across the country! And consider signing up to receive their weekly newsletter while you're at it. ajcunet.edu/online-publica…

A month's worth of news from across U.S. Jesuit life!

Tony Reali also wrote about his faith in 2017: washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-f…

"Reali noticed this vulnerability and empathy within himself as a kid. At Fordham, ahead of Global Outreach service trips, he was required to send letters to friends and family members expressing the ways in which they’d helped him grow."

Awesome post from The Ringer today highlighting the end of ESPN's long-running show Around the Horn. Great nod to host Tony Reali's time at @FordhamNYC ! Probably the first time The Ringer has linked directly to a college's Mission and Ministry page. theringer.com/2025/05/28/tv/…

Francis New icon. “The Church is for everyone, everyone, everyone. (Todos, Todos, Todos ) Like his namesake, Pope Francis was telling us that if you are looking for Jesus, don’t go looking in the tomb, don’t go looking in heaven, look around you. If you’re looking for Jesus go walk around your neighborhood and you’ll probably find him, but especially in the least of these, and those on the margins. While painting this icon I kept reflecting on the story of St. Francis of Assisi coming upon a leper on the road, the most despised person of his time, and he had a conversion of sight and hugged and kissed the leper. Pope Francis was asking us to have a conversion of sight. Looking to the margins, to the refugee, the migrant, the foreigners, and the strangers among us. This is where Christ is to be found and where the Church should be. Yet, also like St. Francis we are called to seek to understand and not be understood. Listening, for instance, to LGBTQ Brothers and Sisters, and Native Peoples, and others who are a gift to the Church but for far too long the Church has neglected and even rejected. Truly, how can these encounters with “the other” change us as the Church? Francis will be missed but it’s my hope this spirit of what he was calling the Church to be continues on… Giclee Signed Prints, Digital Downloads and Original Icon available is our store: kellylatimoreicons.com

Now that we've reached the unofficial start of summer, what are all our readers up to for these next few months? Conferences? Research trips? Writing? (With, hopefully, some time to rest and recover mixed it.) Let us know!

Happy Cannonball Day to all those who celebrate.

In this week's Now Discern This, Eric Clayton reacts to the election of Pope Leo XIV and shares his hope for peace. jesuits.org/stories/now-di…

Curious how to establish a framework for discussing complex issues on campus? We've got a new piece, "Meeting the moment: How ‘Listening to Learn' opened discussion on Gaza" from Amber Abbas and Susan Liebell of Saint Joseph's University (@saintjosephs) conversationsmagazine.org/meeting-the-mo…

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, was elected the first American pope on May 8. Theology Professors Kristin Heyer & Stephen Pope, Vice Provost James Keenan, SJ, and @Boisi_Center Director Mark Massa, SJ, reflect on the election of Leo XIV. on.bc.edu/PopeLeoXIV

Five members of the Marquette community will be honored for exemplifying the university’s mission of excellence, faith, leadership and service at the 2025 Excellence in University Service and Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Awards Luncheon. buff.ly/Iw3StQU

Congratulations to all of our new Jesuit school alumni who are graduating this month! Curious who is speaking at our colleges and universities this graduation season? Check out AJCU's list of all the commencement speakers. ajcunet.edu/2025-commencem…

We at Conversations wish everyone the best in these hectic days, whether you're finishing classes, finishing finals week, or gearing up for a grading marathon next week. Trust in the slow work!

Fr. Joseph O'Keefe, SJ, Provincial of Jesuits USA East, released a letter on the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from North America. Fr. O'Keefe invites us to unite in prayer for Pope Leo, asking the Holy Spirit to grant him wisdom and strength. jesuitseast.org/press-release/…

Pope Leo XIV, @americamag reader

TODAY: University of Scranton's Vice President of Mission and Ministry Dan Cosacchi, Ph.D., participates in the live coverage of the opening Mass of the Conclave. Watch now:bit.ly/4m7BoDG #universityofscranton #jesuiteducated #pope #vatican #conclave2025