Most Holy Father, We, the members of the Class of 2016 at St

Most Holy Father, We, the members of the Class of 2016 at St

Most Holy Father,
We, the members of the Class of 2016 at St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia’s Jesuit High School, invite Your
Holiness, the first Jesuit Pope, to Philadelphia for the celebration of “Family Around the World” in 2015.
We follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius and strive to work for and with others. Indeed, our whole city
“of brotherly love” will rejoice most greatly by your visit.
In the spirit of St. Ignatius, we join with you in a desire to preserve our beloved Jesuit legacy and develop
the hearts, minds, souls and characters of young men in their pursuit of becoming men for and with
others. We, the students of St. Joseph’s Prep’s Class of 2016, would be honored to see Your Holiness
grace the streets of our treasured city. While you are here, of course, we can’t help but hope that Your
Holiness would also come to the Prep and see our historic Church of the Gesu in North Philadelphia.
Located in an area of great poverty, this location has spawned three of the Jesuit missions here in
Philadelphia: the Gesu School, St. Joseph’s Prep and Saint Joseph’s University. Today, the Church
continues to be a pillar of hope and comfort for the residents in our inner city neighborhood.
We are renewed daily by your ministry and example. With great reverence, we profess ourselves most
humble servants of Your Holiness.
SJP Class of 2016
This letter was translated into Spanish by Ms. Ligia Baland of our Modern Language Department
Excelentísimo , muy querido y admirado Papa Francisco,
Los miembros de la clase del 2016 de la Preparatoria Jesuita San José en Filadelfia, (PREP), tenemos el
placer de invitarlo como amigo y como nuestro Primer Papa Jesuita a venir a conocernos durante su
visita a nuestra ciudad para el "Día Mundial de la Familia" en el año 2015.
Así mismo darnos la oportunidad de enseñarle con orgullo nuestra colección de reliquias y nuestra
histórica iglesia del GESU.
Con la inspiración que usted nos ha dado y continuando con nuestra tradición Jesuita de ser y compartir
lo que somos y tenemos con otros, una vez más le extendemos nuestra humilde invitación.
Nos despedimos de usted respetuosamente con la esperanza de que nos conceda el honor de su visita y
esperando con respeto su respuesta.
Mil bendiciones,
SJPREP 2016
This letter was translated into Latin by Mr. Michael Dougherty ’93, Chair of the Classics Department
Sanctissime Pater:
Nos, discipuli Scholae Preparatoriae Sancti Iosephi, in Philadelphiam Tuam Sanctitatem ad
celebrationem Familiae Circum Mundum in anno Domini MMXV invitamus. In vestigiis Sancti Ignati
sequimur atque pro et cum aliis laborare studemus. Etenim tota nostra urbs "fraterni amoris" maxime
Tuo adveniendo gaudebit.
Si Philadelphiam veniat, speramus Tuam Sanctitatem visituram esse nostram Scholam et Ecclesiam
Sanctissimi Nominis Iesu. Ecclesia ipsa, in vicinia magnae pauperitatis collocata, multos annos fuit
signum spei, et clxiii annos Schola traditione Societatis Iesu adulescentes instituit.
Tuo ministerio et exemplo cotidie renovamur. Provoluti ad Tuae Sanctitatis pedes, maxima cum
reverentia nos humillimos ministros Tuae Sanctitatis fatemur.
Discipuli Scholae Preparatoriae Sancti Iosephi