In an internal memo the JCAM President, Fr. José Minaku, SJ, had this to say: “I had the opportunity to communicate to him the immense responsibility entrusted by Father General and express my gratitude for his gracious acceptance of the commitment to train our men. I also expressed my gratitude to Deo Rwezaura for his generosity and dedication during these last 6 years. As Fr. Foro, SJ, prepares to take up this new mission, I kindly invite you to pray for him and the Hekima University College (HUC) Jesuit community. We wish him well in this new mission given by the Society. I finally thank you all for the support and prayers during the process. Father General has indeed congratulated the quality of our discernment”.
About Fr. Emmanuel Foro, SJ
Fr. Emmanuel Foro SJ was born in 1967 in Toma, Nayuala Province, in the Republic of Upper Volta, now known as Burkina Faso. He has been a member of the Society of Jesus for 31 years. His parents passed away, and he has two brothers and one sister. He is the third child in the family and has many nephews, nieces, and grandnephews.
He studied Geography at the University of Ouagadougou between 1988 and 1993 before joining the Society of Jesus. In 1993, he entered the West Africa Province (AOC) Novitiate in Bafoussam, Cameroon, and after two years, he proceeded to Saint Pierre Canisius Jesuit School of Philosophy in Kinshasa, DRC in 1995.
In the year 2000, he enrolled in the Hekima Jesuit School of Theology in Nairobi, Kenya, to pursue his bachelor’s degree. After this, he proceeded to the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California, USA, in 2003 to pursue his Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). He then continued his Doctoral studies in Systematic Theology at the same institution.
Between July 2010 and July 2012, Fr. Foro served as Parish Priest of St. Francis Xavier Parish and Chaplain at the Catholic University Centre in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He relishes the two-year experience of being a parish priest, saying that the pastoral immersion was instrumental in his theological formation.
In August 2011, he joined the Hekima Jesuit School of Theology, where he taught Systematic Theology for six years. While at Hekima, he also served concurrently as Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology and the Deputy Principal for Academics between 2014 and 2017.
Father Foro has worked in different apostolic areas of the Society of Jesus, including teaching, administration, pastoral work, and spirituality, demonstrating his diverse skill set. He served as the Delegate for Formation of AOC Province in 2013 and later as the Province Socius. Recently, from September 2021 to August 2022, he worked as a retreat director at the Paam-Yôodo Jesuit Retreat Centre in Ouagadougou. During this time, he was also a visiting lecturer at Institut de Théologie de la Compagnie de Jésus (ITCJ), the Jesuit Theology Faculty in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
He had the opportunity to take a sabbatical year at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. He held the prestigious Waite Chair for Jesuit Education during his stay, a research position exclusively for visiting Jesuits. His year-long research on sacramental theology from August 2022 to May 2023 was a transformative experience that allowed him to gain deeper insights and knowledge in current theological pursuits.
In January of 2023, he returned to Hekima University College as a lecturer. Where he was named the Acting Deputy Principal of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Jesuit Theology Faculty of Africa and Madagascar (FTJAM).
The dates of the transition of the new rector will be announced in due course.
Let us keep Fr. Foro, SJ, and the Hekima University College Jesuit Community in our prayers.
