On the afternoon of Tuesday, October 6, the Opening Mass for the inauguration of the 2026–2027 academic year—the 476th since the founding of the Collegio Romano—was celebrated at the Basilica of Sant'Andrea della Valle.

In his homily, the Rector, Fr. Mark Lewis S.J., offered a reflection on the relationship between study and engagement in the world, drawing inspiration from Petrarch’s De vita solitaria. While Petrarch values solitude dedicated to study and research, he simultaneously acknowledges the importance of civic engagement for the full realization of the person.

The university community, too, is called to strike a balance between these two aspects: "the pursuit of scientia Dei—that is, the contemplation of God’s mysteries—on the one hand, and the practice of virtue in society... on the other." It is a pursuit that involves both students and faculty, finding expression in academic life as well as in service to the Church and the community of nations.

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• Read the Rector's Homily