Happy Independence Day!
The Provincialate Offices will be closed Monday, July 5, in honor of Independence Day. Also, keep in mind that in the summer many staff members at the Provincialate, as well as at the Development Offices, work longer days Monday through Thursday and then are off on Friday afternoons. If you need to reach someone at the Provincialate on Fridays, it is best to do so in the morning.
Provincial’s time
Fr. Tom Cassidy’s last meeting with the current Provincial Council (with the new council in attendance) is July 12-13. The newly elected council will also take part in the meeting and then have a meeting of its own on July 14.
Fr. John van den Hengel of the General Council will be with the current and in-coming councils on July 12 to discuss the general administration’s six-year plan.
Calendar reminders
Province Assembly: There will be a province assembly at the Provincialate Conference Center July 26-27 as a part of the transition process between the current and newly elected administration. The new administration will be installed at that time. Questions regarding it should be directed to Br. Frank Presto.
Entrance to the Novitiate: August 14 (Sacred Heart Monastery).
First Vows: August 15 (Sacred Heart Monastery.
Also, a Final Vows ceremony is tentatively planned for October 2.
Presentation College
Fr. Tom Westhoven represented the province at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Lakota Campus of Presentation College. In 1979, Presentation College was approached by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council to provide education to its residents. The tribe had a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals, especially registered nurses. The Priests of the Sacred Heart, which had a pastoral team based in the heart of the Cheyenne River Reservation, played a significant role in helping to establish the Lakota Campus in Eagle Butte.
The Lakota Campus opened in the fall of 1980 with an associate nursing degree program. Since then, the campus has continued to grow. It now offers associate degrees in nursing, early childhood education, business, general education, and lifestyle coaching, as well as bachelor’s degrees in social work, psychology and business.
The Lakota Campus was the first reservation-based college to offer a four-year nursing degree.
Happy Birthday!
Those celebrating birthdays in July include: Fr. Charles Bisgrove (58) on July 3, the United States (234) on July 4, Fr. Bill Marrevee (74) on July 5, Fr Jerome Clifford (77) and Br. Long Nguyen (31) on July 15, Fr. Richard Woodbury (66) on July 19, Fr. Dominic Peluse (64) on July 22, Fr. Vince McDonald (79) on July 25, Fr. Vien Nguyen (37) on July 27 and Fr. Peter McKenna (61) on July 29.
The eagle has landed!
The eagle has landed at St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, S.D. – or more specifically, Robert the Eagle of the National Eagle Center of Wabasha, Minn. Robert, along with one of his handlers, visited with students taking part in St. Joseph’s day camp and summer programs. Robert also had a presentation that was open to the public after the school events.
“It was an incredible learning opportunity for everyone,” said Dixie Thompson, who organized the presentation. Dixie is director of St. Joseph’s Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center.
Novitiate on the road
Fr. John Czyzynski, novice master, along with novices Fernando Orozco and Joseph Vu, have spent the past week in Canada, learning about SCJ ministries in the region.
Novice Joseph Vu wrote a brief blog entry about the trip on the province blog site. Click here to read it.
