Featured Stories | June 05, 2026
“May we all, inspired by your commitment, continue this divine dance together — with much kindness, a commitment to walk humbly, and a shared, burning passion for the Heart of Christ.”
-Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ
Four hundred and seventy five! That was the total number of years of Dehonian religious life celebrated at this year’s Province Jubilee Celebration on June 4 at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, WI.
Fr. Richard Johnston, SCJ, leads the nine jubilarians with 75 years of religious profession; he made his first vows in 1951, well before Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, provincial superior, and all but one member of the Provincial Council were even born. The elder statesman of the Council, Dn. David Nagel, SCJ, was only seven months old when Fr. Richard became an SCJ.
The other Dehonian jubilarians include Fr. John Czyzynski (70 years); Fr. Joseph Dean, Fr. Anthony Kluckman and Fr. Greg Speck (60 years); Fr. Charles Brown and Br. Frank Presto (50 years); and Fr. Rafael Querobin and Fr. Jean Claude Mbassi with 25 years.
Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, provincial superior, was the main celebrant and homilist at the Jubilee Mass. His closing words:
“Our founder, Father Leo John Dehon pointed us to two great Dehonian spiritual pillars: Ecce Venio (“Behold, I come to do your will”) and Ecce Ancilla (“Behold, the handmaid of the Lord”). Ecce Venio is our Dehonian expression of absolute availability — our willingness to be an instrument of God. Ecce Ancilla is our deep, trusting acceptance of whatever God does in our lives.
“Like the Sea of Galilee, we cannot hoard God’s grace or keep our vows tucked away for ourselves. We have to let Christ’s love flow through us to a world that, quite frankly, sorely needs it right now.
“To our jubilarians: thank you. Thank you for your combined 475 years of searching, and for the daily, quiet “yes” that brought you to this day.
“May we all, inspired by your commitment, continue this divine dance together — with much kindness, a commitment to walk humbly, and a shared, burning passion for the Heart of Christ.”
Click here to read Fr. Vien’s full homily.
With the jubilarians in the background, Fr. Vien speaks to those gathered
Our jubilarians
The following is a brief look at this year’s jubilarians and their years of religious life.
Fr. Richard Johnston (75 years) –– Originally from Milwaukee, Fr. Richard, 93, did his seminary studies at Sacred Heart Monastery (now Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology) and was ordained in 1958. One of his first full-time assignments was as province vocation director. He taught in California for several years before taking his first parochial assignment in 1974 at St. Matthew’s parish in Houston. Fr. Richard had brief assignments in South Dakota and Florida, as well as five years at Christ the King parish in Southaven, MS, before returning to Houston, first at Holy Name parish and then back at St. Matthew’s for nearly ten years. From 2000-2007 he served at Guardian Angel parish in Wallis, TX. Now retired, he continues to assist at Our Lady of Guadalupe. Besides his external assignments, Fr. Richard also served a three-year term on the US Provincial Council.
Fr. John is celebrated at the dinner
Fr. John Czyzynski (70 years) –– Fr. John, 88, grew up in Cleveland; he was ordained to the priesthood in 1963. Fr. John studied at the Catholic University in Washington, DC, where he earned a master’s degree in classical languages and a licentiate in theology. He also studied in Rome, receiving a licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. Except for his two terms as provincial superior, Fr. John spent most of his years of ministry preparing others for priesthood and/or religious life. He served for over 25 years at SHSST, and in province formation, including as novice master from 2002 until his retirement in 2014. He is a member of the Sacred Heart Community at SHML, and continues to do spiritual direction.
Fr. Joseph Dean, SCJ (60 years) – A native of Grand Rapids, MI, Fr. Joe, 79, was ordained in 1984. He earned his M.Div. from Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, a master’s degree in history from Marquette University, and another master’s from Harvard University (both master’s focused on Medieval history). Fr. Joe taught at SHSST for 10 years and then joined the community at St. Joseph’s Retreat Center in Baileys Harbor, WI. During that time, he traveled the country doing parish missions. In 2007, Fr. Joe answered a request made by the provincial superior (Fr. Tom Cassidy, SCJ) in a general letter to the province. Volunteers were needed to serve in Lower Brule, SD; if no one was found the province might have to leave its ministries in the area. “I thought to myself, ‘I can do anything for three years,’” said Fr. Joe. That was in 2007; he arrived soon after and served on the Lower Brule Pastoral Team until his retirement 10 years later. He continued to assist at the parishes following retirement while living at the community house in Chamberlain. In 2023 he joined the Sacred Heart Community at SHML.
Fr. Anthony Kluckman (60 years) –– It is with a heavy heart that we remember Fr. Anthony; suffering from dementia, he went missing on July 21, 2022. Four years later there are still no clues as to what may have happened. Born in 1947, Fr. Anthony was ordained to the priesthood in 1973. He served in vocations, parish ministry (St. Mark the Evangelist and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Houston; St. Matthew’s in Corona, CA, and the Catholic Pastoral Team in Eagle Butte, SD), and in service to retired SCJ priests and brothers (Villa Maria in Franklin, WI and the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park, FL). Fr. Anthony’s final assignment before retirement was at St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, SD, where he served from 1996-99, and from 2009-2021. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Community at SHML at the time of his disappearance.
Fr. Greg Speck (60 years) –– A Philadelphia native, Fr. Greg, 78, was ordained to the priesthood in 1976. Fluent in Spanish, he ministered for many years in Texas, serving at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Brownsville and OLG in Raymondville. He also was a part of the province’s parish team that serves in northern Mississippi where he again put his Spanish skills to use ministering to the growing Hispanic population in the area. Fr. Greg also served several years in internal ministry, first as director of vocations and formation and then as province director of personnel. He is now the local superior of the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park, FL.
Fr. Charlie
Fr. Charles Brown (50 years) –– Fr. Charlie, 72, was raised in Mississippi. His first assignment after ordination in 1984 was at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary parish in Franklin, WI (now St. Martin of Tours). Fluent in French, he served as a missionary in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) for two years. His commitment to the missions continued years later as a visiting lecturer at St. Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara, South Africa, and as province mission secretary. In 1997 Fr. Charles earned a doctorate in the New Testament from Loyola University in Chicago. For many years he was an assistant professor at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. Now, his focus is on international education, giving lectures, workshops and retreat experiences to groups around the world.
Br. Frank with his family
Br. Frank Presto (50 years) –– A Pittsburgh native, Br. Frank, 70, retired in 2025 after nearly 17 years as provincial secretary of the US Province. He has an M.Div. from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and an MBA from Marquette University in Milwaukee. Br. Frank has done parish ministry Raymondville, TX and Chicago, as well as on the Cheyenne River Reservation when he served with the SCJs’ pastoral team there from 1986 – 2002. From 1994–2002 he was executive director of the Sacred Heart Center in Eagle Butte. The center serves a wide variety of social needs on the reservation. Br. Frank was also director of the Province Development Office from 2011-13, and served on several province commissions, committees and boards including the Finance Commission, Admissions Board and Employees Retirement Trust. He is a member of the St. Joseph Community at SHML.
Fr. Rafael (middle) with fellow South American SCJs
Fr. Rafael Querobin (25 years) –– Originally from Brazil, Fr. Rafael, 46, was ordained to the priesthood in 2007. After several years as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Houston, Fr. Rafael was named as lead formation director for the SCJ program at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. This is Fr. Rafael’s second time as a formation director. In his home country of Brazil, he served as a formator for theologians and later, for philosophy students. He has done specialized studies in formation, and coursework in Victor Frankl’s logotherapy. In Brazil, he also served as a member of the Provincial Council, as he does here in the US Province. Reflecting on his vocation, he said that as a teen, involved in a variety of outreach programs he realized “How good it is to serve.”
Fr. Jean Claude
Fr. Jean Claude Mbassi –– Fr. Jean Claude (“Fr. JC”) is 52 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2001. In his home province of Cameroon, he had been active in social concerns, serving as the chaplain of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission for the diocese of Bafoussam in West Cameroon (2009-2017); as a prison chaplain (2009-2017); as director of the Jeunesse en Difficulté – a training center for at-risk youth (2009-2017); and was the Catholic representative to the Commission for Interreligious Cooperation in Bafoussam (2011-2017). From 2011-2018 he was also a member of the Provincial Council in Cameroon. In 2019, Fr. JC came to the US to study in the ECS program at SHSST. Initially, it was to refine his English for future ministry in Cameroon. But as the old saying goes, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” In 2021 he was assigned to the Lower Brule Pastoral Team in South Dakota. He served there for several years and is now a member of the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park, FL, assisting with the needs of retired SCJs there and in the local Church.
PHOTOS: Click here to view photos from the jubilee celebration.
