Gregorian University Foundation: Report From Rome Newsletter, November 2002 Issue

Report from Rome is a publication sent to friends, benefactors and alumni/ae of the Gregorian University, the Biblical Institute and the Oriental Institute. Here are a few highlights from our most recent issue. If you'd like to see highlights from previous issues, please click here.

November 2002: Contents

Fr. Pisano Named Biblical Institute Rector

2002 Colloquium — Photo above: The 2002 Colloquium participants in the courtyard of the Oriental Institute.

Institute for Study of Religions & Cultures Founded at the Gregorian

Eagan a Trustee . . . Imoda to Legion of Honor . . . Gregorian Treasurer Named . . .
. . . Bertels Retires

Fr. Pisano Named Biblical Institute Rector

The Reverend Stephen Pisano, S.J. became Rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute on September 17, 2002, the feast of St. Robert Bellarmine. He succeeds Reverend Robert O’Toole, S.J., who served from 1996 to 2002 and began a well-deserved sabbatical year in October 2002 at St. Louis University. Fr. O’Toole will return to the Biblicum's faculty when his sabbatical is complete.

Fr. Pisano sees his mission as continuing to run the Biblical Institute on a day-to-day basis while looking to the future: "We will embark on a strategic planning program," he said "in order to see what are the needs of the Institute for the next ten years—all three institutions in the Gregorian University Consortium will be doing this."

A native New Yorker, Fr. Pisano’s family moved to the San Francisco bay area before he was ten. He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, entered the Jesuit Novitiate at Los Gatos, CA and is a member of the California Province. After college studies at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles and philosophy studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Fr. Pisano taught Latin, Greek and Theology at St Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco from 1970 to 1972. Foreign shores beckoned, and from 1972 to 1976 he studied theology at Jesuit schools in Lyon and Paris. Ordained in San Francisco in 1975, Fr. Pisano studied at the Biblical Institute from 1976 to 1979, obtaining a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture. He then studied at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland from 1980 to 1982, obtaining his Doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1984 upon publication of his doctoral thesis, a study of textual problems in the Hebrew text of the Books of Samuel.

Since 1982 Fr. Pisano has been teaching textual criticism of the Bible and interpretation of the historical books of the Old Testament at the Institute, where he was superior of the Jesuit community from 1985 to 1991; he has been Dean of the Biblical Faculty since 1996. He is currently a member of the editorial board of a new critical edition of the Hebrew Bible sponsored by the United Bible Societies, an umbrella organization for national Bible societies whose main mission is the translation and distribution of the Bible to as many world languages as possible.

2002 Colloquium

Above, Fr. Imoda, Rector of the Gregorian University with British Ambassador to the Holy See Mark and Mrs. Jill Pellew who hosted the Colloquium participants at the Ambassador's residence.

From April 22-26, the Gregorian University, the Biblical Institute, and the Oriental Institute had the pleasure of hosting some of the benefactors and administrative members of the Gregorian University Foundation, who were in Rome for their annual conference. These American guests were accompanied by the vice-presidents of their foundation, Jesuit Fathers George Sullivan and Michael Dorrler, and Mr. Tom Trott.

The Gregorian’s Academic Vice-Rector, Rev. Michael Hilbert, S.J., met the group on the evening of their arrival on April 21, and celebrated Mass for them in the Caravita Chapel. The Rector of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rev. Hèctor Vall, S.J., organized a symposium on the differences between the Eastern and Western churches and hosted the group for dinner. Last but not least, Rev. Robert O’Toole, S.J., Rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, organized a conference for the group where Rev. Maurice Gilbert, S.J., spoke on the book of Wisdom. Afterwards the group visited the Institute’s library and had dinner with the community.

Above, Fr. Vall, Rector of the Oriental Institute, with Colloquium participant Steve D'Agostino at a formal dinner at the Colonna Palace.

Many were especially impressed with the Pope’s Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the private quarters of the Vatican, guided by Rev. Marco Rupnick, S.J., the artist who created the chapel's large mosaics. On the last day of their visit, the guests returned to the Gregorian where Fr. Mihaly Szentmártoni, S.J., Dean of the Institute of Religious Sciences, conducted a meeting with the students and teachers of his faculty, entitled "Holiness Today." That evening the Gregorian’s Rector, Rev. Franco Imoda, S.J., celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving and farewell for the group in the rooms of St. Ignatius of Loyola at the Piazza del Gesù. The Americans, in turn, thanked the various rectors and teachers, hosting them at a dinner at the Palazzo Colonna.

Institute for Study of Religions & Cultures Founded at the Gregorian

"Many Catholics still do not understand well what the Church is proposing in the mission and spirituality of dialogue. Dialogue is not the job only of experts and professionals. Dialogue means sharing one’s own life at all levels with people of other religions," said Superior General Reverend Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.

A new venture to increase such dialogue is The Institute for the Study of Religions and Cultures of the Pontifical Gregorian University, established at the request of the 34th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus. The Institute is a collaborative venture among the various elements of the Gregorian University Consortium, along with Jesuit and other universities and faculties in various parts of the world. These institutions will provide visiting professors as well as exchange programs for the students.

Institute for Study of Religions and Cultures

At left, Australian Rev. Daniel Madigan, S.J. and Indian Rev. Anand Amaladass, S.J. with students at the new Institute for the Study of Religions and Cultures from Algeria, Ireland, Italy, Mozambique, Spain, Turkey and the United States.

The Institute aims to prepare people to engage in dialogue, especially in religiously plural areas where Christians may be in a minority, but also increasingly in Europe and North America where believers of other religions constitute growing minorities. The program includes a core curriculum common to all students and a specialization appropriate to the context in which the student expects to work. Students who are Christians will major in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. Students who are not Christians will normally specialize in the study of Christianity.

A special introductory curriculum is provided for the students so that they may also profit from regular courses in the other faculties. Because of the importance of a firm grounding in theology for those who will be involved in the field of dialogue, students may need to supplement their theological education with courses chosen from the Faculty of Theology. The Institute grants a Master of Arts degree after two years of study, a comprehensive examination and a thesis. Qualified students may also earn a diploma after one year of study.

Eagan a Trustee . . . Imoda to Legion of Honor . . . Gregorian Treasurer Named . . . Bertels Retires

William Eagan Named Trustee

William A. Eagan III has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Gregorian University Foundation. Mr. Eagan is a managing director of Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP having worked previously as managing director at UBS Warburg, J.P. Morgan & Co. and Lehman Brothers.

Mr. Eagan received his B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He is married to Ann Halleron Eagan, and they have five children.

Fr. Imoda Named to France's Legion of Honor

On April 3, 2002, the President of France, Jacques Chirac, named Rev. Franco Imoda, S.J., Rector of the Gregorian University, to the National Order of the Legion of Honor, with the rank of officer. The president offered his personal congratulations to Fr. Imoda and to the Gregorian University for their essential place as a pontifical university in the formation of clergy and laity and indeed in welcoming the entire world. He thanked Fr. Imoda for the important place the Gregorian gives to French language and thought in education and for the University's cooperation with the Embassy and its cultural center.

Gregorian Treasurer Named

Luigi Allena has been named Treasurer of the Pontifical Gregorian University. Mr. Allena spent much of his professional life working for General Electric, after it acquired the private financial firm he worked for. He was a manager and Ombudsman for GE's Capital Global Consumer Finance Group. Mr. Allena moved to the non-profit world because he wanted to put his 20 years of professional experience to work for the Catholic Church. Mr. Allena and his wife Barbara have six children.

Fr. Bertels Retires Fr. Bertels and Peter Mullins

Rev. Henry Bertels, S.J. retired as the Librarian of the Pontifical Biblical Institute after more than 18 years of service. During his tenure, the Institute library catalogue was computerized, a special electronic room for source material was inaugurated, and the rare books of the Institute were catalogued. After leaving Rome, Fr. Bertels assumed duties as an assistant librarian at Fordham University this summer.

At right, Fr. Bertels and Gregorian Foundation Chairman Peter Mullins.

If you're interested in highlights from our other previous issues, please click here.