Hola

Frater Greg Schill sent a few photos from Argentina, where he and Frater Duy Nguyen are studying Spanish. In the above photo he and Frater Duy pose with Bishop Virginio Bressanelli (second from right), bishop of Neuquén, Argentina.  From 1991 – 2003 Bishop Bressanelli was general superior of the Priests of the Sacred Heart.  Also in the photo is Fr. Attilio Zorretti (second from left), provincial superior of the Argentine Province.

The American students also had a visit with Br. Lenny Zaworski, who, as noted last week, represented the Indian District at the final profession ceremony of four Indian SCJs in Argentina.

Provincial’s time

Fr. Cassidy has board meetings in California this week with CMSM, and then the national CMSM assembly meeting through August 7.  August 9-13 he will be a part of the LCWR conference.  His first visitation of the new administrative term will be with the Villa Maria community the week of August 16.

South Dakota students visit German sister school

Two students from St. Joseph’s Indian School recently visited their SCJ sister school in Handrup, Germany.  Erin and Danisha learned about the German culture and educational system while sharing important aspects of the Lakota (Sioux) culture with their host families and students at Gymnasium Leonium, reported the website.

“We had a wonderful trip,” said Jenny, the girls’ chaperone and residential coordinator for St. Joseph’s high school program. “The host families made us feel very welcome in their homes and made sure we saw all the sites.’”

A long weekend in Berlin was included in the trip, during which the students learned about life during the time of the Berlin Wall.

Uta, a host for the visit  and a former exchange teacher at 
St. Joseph’s Indian School, lived on the east side of the wall with her family before Germany was reunited. Though she didn’t understand what was happening at the time, she recalls there was no contact with relatives on the opposite side of the wall for almost 28 years.

“It was hard to think about families being separated like that for so long,” said Erin. “I am away from my family when I’m at St. Joseph’s, but not like that. I can still talk to them and see them on breaks. And it’s my choice to be at St. Joseph’s – nobody makes me.’”

Click here to read the full story and view photos from the trip.

Calendar reminders

Several province celebrations will take place in the months ahead. Luis Fernando Orozco Cardona and Joseph Pham Vu will make their first professions on Sunday, August 15.  The mass will be at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Monastery with a luncheon following.  All SCJs are invited.  Invitations went in the mail last week.  Please respond by August 7 either by phone to 773-363-1326 or by email at jpvu@ymail.com

On October 2, Br. Long Nguyen and Frater Greg Schill will make their final professions, and on October 10, Frater Duy Nguyen will be ordained to the diaconate.  The diaconate ceremony will take place on October 10 at 4 p.m. at Christ the King Church in Southaven, Miss.  Invitations will go out later in the summer.

Please remember

Fr.  Paul Vernooy, a member of the Canadian Region, died July 30 in Toronto. He was professed in 1959 and ordained in 1966.  Fr. Paul was 70 when he died; he had suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for the past 20 years and recently went into palliative care.

Fr. Paul served as associate pastor in the Ontario parishes of St. George in Ottawa, Sacred Heart in Uxbridge, St. Joan of Arc in Toronto, as well as Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (now St. Martin of Tours) in Franklin, Wis. He was pastor of St. Mary’s parish in Hagersville (Ontario) with its mission church of St. Ann in Walpole.

Also, we previously noted that Diane Smits, former administrative assistant at the province vocation office, was in the last stages of cancer.  Diane died July 19; she was 64.  Diane is survived by her husband, Bob, her sons Kevin, Jeffrey (Heidi) and Robert (Janna), and five grandchildren.

Keep in prayer

Lavere Walters, the father of  Fr. Jim Walters, was hospitalized last week for dehydration and complications from a heart condition.  He is moving to a rehabilitation center where he will be monitored and evaluated.  Fr. Jim is with his family in York, Penn.

Mausoleum maintenance

Two weeks ago we noted problems with recently placed stones on the province mausoleum, located on the grounds of Sacred Heart Monastery/School of Theology.

Br. Frank Presto, provincial secretary, has been working on several concerns related to the mausoleum.  First, nine entries missing from the sidewall are scheduled to be etched in the near future.  These include Fr. Tony Kelly and nine honorary SCJs who have died since 1991.

On the reverse side of the mausoleum, crypt faces will be replaced with granite.  This is a stronger material that will handle the environmental factors that led to deterioration of the original stone faces.  These new stones have been ordered.

The cost of this project is estimated at $15,000.  It is hoped that the work will be done by November.  Br. Frank is looking into selling the old travertine crypt faces to a salvage firm to recoup some of the replacement costs.

Walking together toward the future

Click here to read a feature on last week’s province assembly.  Photos from the gathering are available on the province photo site.  Click here to view them.