In his latest Apostolic Letter of October 27, 2025, “DRAWING NEW MAPS OF HOPE” Pope Leo XIV says: “On the sixtieth anniversary of Gravissimum educationis (Vatican II), the Church celebrates a fruitful educational history, but also faces the imperative of updating her offerings in light of the signs of the times … The Second Vatican Council reminded the Church that education is not an ancillary activity, but forms the very fabric of evangelization: it is the concrete way in which the Gospel becomes an educational gesture, a relationship, a culture” (1.1), the Pope said.

Thomas Michel was born in 1941 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. His parents were devout Catholics. His father worked at the US Postal Service. He had three other siblings. He joined the diocesan major seminary in St. Louis. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1967.

Service, Community, and Encounter

From 18–30 December, the 46th Xavier Workcamp was held in Mea Ta Chang Village, an Akha community. More than twenty-five university students took part in the camp, working together to build a water tank for the villagers and to celebrate Christmas with them.

“Before going to Japan to participate in the Global Leadership Program 2025 (GLP), under the theme ‘Education and Cross-Border Cooperation for Sustainable Development,’ together with another student and a chaperone, my hope was simple yet meaningful: to practice speaking English with international friends from prestigious universities, to build connections across cultures, and to form lasting relationships that would inspire a spirit of cooperation for the future.”