Retired novice master in the Philippines
Fr. John Czyzynski is in the Philippines for the next month. “Really,” he joked, “rumors that Pope Francis timed his trip with my own are exaggerated!” The Holy Father recently concluded a five-day visit to the country, arriving just before Fr. John.
Writing from Cagayan d’Oro, the recently retired novice master shared a bit about his visit:
“I had two Masses at a parish in ‘greater Manila’ (a parish close to our house there). It was a feast day. The Philippine people have a great devotion to ‘Santo Niño.’ They honor the child Jesus dressed in something similar to the Infant of Prague. After communion all the children come up to the front of the Church and are blessed. I started to choke up as I looked at all those little kids waiting to be blessed. The folks here have great respect for the clergy. People of all ages come up to priests and take the priest’s hand and touch it to their foreheads. It is a sign that they are asking to be blessed.
“I came here to meet with the formators and to share my years of experience doing formation ministry. [Most of Fr. John’s ministry as an SCJ priest has been in formation] Our time together has been good.”
Click here to read more from Fr. John on the province blog.
Happy Republic Day!
Fr. Tom Cassidy also shares his journal on the province blog. Writing from India, he will assist the district until early May. Noting that today, Jan. 26, is “Republic Day” in the country, he shares a photo of the flag raising at the SCJs’ novitiate community in Nambur.
“The morning started in Nambur with adoration and morning prayer followed by the raising of the Indian flag in honor of Republic Day,” he writes. “Unlike our custom in the United States, where all public buildings, and many private ones, display the flag on a daily basis, it’s quite different in India. The flag is displayed only on important civic occasions such as Republic Day. After the flag is raised it is saluted military style followed by the singing of the national anthem.”
ESL alumna helps to lead international Dehonian Familty
As we noted last week, the coordinating group for the International Dehonian Family met for the first time Jan. 12-14. Among its members? Ida Coelho, an alumna of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology’s ESL program (English as a Second Language).
“My experience was unforgettable,” she said, talking about her time in ESL. “I was welcomed and treated as a very dear friend of the SCJ family. Moreover, the interaction with the seminary community –– including SCJs from other countries –– was wonderful. I was also able to visit several of the ministries in the US Province. This was an exceptional period of time that enriched not only my personal life, but my vocation.”
Ida is a teacher who lives with her husband of 31 years, Jose Carlos, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They have two children. It was through their parish that they learned of the SCJs and the Dehonian charism.
Click here to read more about Ida’s story.
Meditations on the Cross
During Lent the Province Dehonian Associates Office is offering one-minute meditations on the significance of the Cross. Sent by email beginning on Ash Wednesday, the reflections come from the writings of Fr. Leo John Dehon. There will be 14 total, sent each Wednesday and Sunday during Lent, with a final meditation on Easter.
Everyone who is on the subscription list for Dehonian Spirituality will also receive these email meditations, “The Royal Road of the Cross with Leo John Dehon, SCJ.”
If you are not on the email subscription list and would like to be, click here. Anyone is welcome to be on the mailing list.
Please remember
+Geoffrey L. Pratte, a member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart from 1959-1966, died of cancer (melanoma) Jan. 20. He was 74. During his years in vows he taught philosophy. He went on to work for the CIA, and later earned his law degree, serving as an attorney until his retirement in 2007. He was married and had five children. Click here to view his obituary online.
+Lowell Thomas, who had been an employee at St. Joseph’s Indian School for many years, died Jan. 23. He was 82. Several of Mr. Thomas’ family members have also worked at the school.
Happy birthday!
Among those who celebrate birthdays in February: Dn. David Nagel (64) on Feb. 6, Fr. Paul Kelly (65) on Feb. 9, Fr. Duy Nguyen (37) on Feb. 17, Fr. Quang Nguyen (50) on Feb. 18, Fr. Greg Murray (58) on Feb. 19, Fr. Mark Mastin (58) and Fr. Antony Wijaya (35) on Feb. 21, Candidate Liem Nguyen (33) on Feb. 24, Fr. Frank Clancy (83) on Feb. 25 and Fr. Peter Sanders (75) on Feb. 28.
Video reflections
A third video reflection in preparation for the 2015 General Chapter is now online. Fr. Giuseppe Guglielmi of the European Theological Commission, reflects on “Mercy” from an anthropological approach. He speaks in Italian but there are subtitles in English and texts of the presentation are available as PDFs in English, Spanish and Italian.
Click here to access the video and read a summary of it (in English).
Provincial’s time
Fr. Stephen Huffstetter is back in Hales Corners where he has Provincial Council meetings Jan. 27-28. He expects to be close to home for the next couple of weeks.
