August 31, 2020 — Yesterday, Jesuits West Province officially welcomed five new novices during the Mass of Investiture at the Jesuit Novitiate of the Three Companions in Culver City, California.
Investiture is an ancient custom in religious life when candidates take another step into the community and formally become novices with the letters nSJ after their names. The new novices, who entered the novitiate on August 16, join three second-year novices, who reside at the novitiate.
Read more about our new brothers below.
Cyrus Habib, nSJ
Seattle, Washington
Cyrus, 38, earned a bachelor’s in English literature and Middle Eastern studies at Columbia University, a Master of Letters in English at Oxford and a law degree at Yale. Over the past decade he has practiced law, taught at Seattle University and served as a legislator and as the Lt. Governor of Washington state. An only child, his faith is rooted in the love he received from his parents, from the community of faith he found at Seattle’s St. James Cathedral Parish and from his desire to serve those on the margins. He enjoys music and books of all genres and traveling to new places.
Eduardo Mata, Jr, nSJ
San Francisco, California
Ed, 32, earned his bachelor’s in philosophy from the Jesuit’s Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines, which he attended since preschool. He volunteered in the Eversley Childs Sanitarium (Leprosarium) in Cebu, Philippines. After moving to California, Ed worked as an investment banker and then as a banker. He enjoys photography, hiking, lounging on the beach, taking road trips and playing with his bulldogs, Zeus and Chewie.
Tuan Anh Nguyen, nSJ
San Jose, California
Tuan Anh, 27, graduated from San Francisco State University, where he received his bachelor’s in human physiology. He volunteered as a fifth-grade catechist and as a youth ministry leader at Most Holy Trinity Church and Our Lady of La Vang in San Jose, California. He enjoys writing poetry, cooking and photography.
John Paul Kegod Sacedor, nSJ
Centralia, Washington
John Paul, 25, graduated from Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines with a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies and a minor in language and literature. There, he worked as a sacristan in the university chapel, where he also served as a choir member, lector and altar server. He was drawn to the Jesuits through the example of the priests at the Jesuit community in Davao. Previously, he volunteered as a catechist at St. Mary’s Parish in Centralia and as an assistant at the L’Arche community in Tacoma. He enjoys history, music and reading.
Jacob Valdez, nSJ
McFarland, California
Jacob, 22, graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), with a bachelor’s in history. While at UCSB, Jacob became actively involved at St. Mark’s University Parish by volunteering to teach First Communion classes, serving as sacristan and bringing communion to the sick. He enjoys reading, running and studying the history of the martyrs of El Salvador.