Fr Jordan Orbe SJ made his Final Vows on 15 February at the Oratory of St Ignatius of Loyola, Loyola House of Studies in Quezon City, surrounded by his family, community, and friends both on-site and online.
Philippine Provincial Fr Primitivo “Jun” Viray Jr SJ presided over the Eucharistic celebration. The Rector of Loyola House of Studies Fr Xavier Olin SJ and the Minister of the Loyola House of Studies Fr Oliver Dy SJ concelebrated, with Fr Dy giving the homily.
During the homily, Fr Dy cited three reasons for the celebration. First, it was the feast of the French Jesuit Saint Claude La Colombiere, the Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whom Fr Jordy (as he is fondly called by family and friends), took as his vow name. Second, it was the profession of Fr Jordy’s Final Vows, and finally, it was also his birthday. Fr Dy noted that Fr Jordy has a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus much like Colombiere.
In his prayer, Fr Dy quoted a line from Fr Jordy’s poem, The Deliberateness of Dawn, which he wrote when he was a novice: “Let your love be like God’s love, let it be as deliberate as the rising of the sun.”
Before the Blessed Sacrament, Fr Jordy professed his solemn vows of perpetual poverty, chastity, obedience, and a fourth vow of obedience to the Vicar of Christ regarding the missions, and a special concern for the education of children.
Fr Jordy’s Jesuit journey began in 1999 when he entered the Society of Jesus. After his ordination in 2012, he served in the Philippine General Hospital Chaplaincy for two years. He then went to the USA for his doctoral studies in psychology. He did his Tertianship in 2019 and became the director of Emmaus Center in 2020.
In his thanksgiving speech, he expressed his gratitude most especially to God, using a line from the Suscipe: “You have given all to me, Lord, to You I return it.” He thanked his trusted superiors and formators, faithful companions in and out of the Society, and beloved family and friends. “All of you are concrete signs of God’s constant and faithful companionship and love,” he said.
Fr Jordy’s favourite quote is from Fr Gregory Boyle SJ, whose words remind him of who he is and the work he feels he is called to do: “God’s unwieldy love, which cannot be contained by our words, wants to accept all that we are—nothing of our humanity is to be discarded. No part of our hardwiring or our messy selves is to be disparaged. Where we stand, in all our mistakes and imperfection, is holy ground.”
Facing his friends and family, Fr Jordy said: “What a marvelous gift it is to stand in this holy ground. To accompany others here and entrust myself to God’s love, together with you dear companions in the Lord, as a member of this least Society.” [John Andre T de Paz SJ/Philippine Province]