As part of his pilgrimage last month with leaders from the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, President Kimo Ah Yun traveled to Rome where he met His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. He also took the opportunity to visit the French village where the St. Joan of Arc Chapel originally stood.
President Ah Yun and other AJCU presidents met with Pope Leo on June 25 in Consistory Hall, a historic ceremonial room in the Vatican.
“I was profoundly moved to share greetings from our Marquette University family during an inspiring meeting with Pope Leo XIV that culminated our pilgrimage,” President Ah Yun said. “The Holy Father affirmed that the Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preferences are a proven and trusted guide to address the challenges we face in higher education and in our world. At the close of our time together, Pope Leo imparted his Apostolic Blessing on us pilgrims, which he extended to members of our institutional communities.”
The AJCU presidents also met with Jesuit Superior General Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., to discuss discernment, collaboration, networking and how the institutions can further formation for trustees across the Jesuit universities.
Father Sosa emphasized how AJCU institutions can distinctively impact the broader social, political and economic environments.
After his visit to Rome and then Assisi, President Ah Yun and his wife Catherine traveled to France to visit the village of Chasse-sur-Rhône, the original home of the St. Joan of Arc Chapel.
Last fall, a delegation from Chasse-sur-Rhône visited Milwaukee to learn more about the historic 15th century chapel. During the visit, the village’s mayor, Christophe Bouvier, invited President Kimo to visit France.
While in Milwaukee, Damien Gomez, director of cultural services for Chasse-sur-Rhone, and a film crew captured footage of St. Joan of Arc Chapel for a documentary that put the history of the chapel in context for their small town.
Gomez and his team recruited a dozen 16-year-olds from the town, a professional filmmaking team, a historian and Bouvier to find out what happened to the famous medieval landmark.
During their visit, President Ah Yun and Catherine dedicated a plaque that was placed on the chapel’s original site.
“While the historic chapel now has a home on our campus and draws thousands of visitors every year, it was special to honor its roots alongside those who have preserved its history for generations,” Ah Yun says. “It was a powerful reminder that our university’s story stretches far beyond Milwaukee, connecting us to communities and traditions around the world.”
