On March 18, members of the US and Canadian administrations gathered (both in-person and on the Zoom screen) at the Provincial Conference Center in Hales Corners, WI, for their biannual meeting. One administration had just begun a three-year term while the other was preparing for the conclusion of its mandate.
The two groups continue a long tradition.
Although occasional meetings between the entities took place years earlier, the gathering of the North American administrations became a regular fixture on the calendar starting in 1998, soon after the superiors of the (then) three North American entities (French Canada, Anglo Canada and the US Province) joined their Latin American counterparts for a meeting in South America in 1997.
On his way to this year’s meeting of the South American major superiors, Fr. Willyans Prado Rapozo, SCJ, general councilor, stopped in Hales Corners on March 18 to join the North Americans at their gathering.
As did their predecessors in 1997, Fr. Gustave Lulendo N’dotony, SCJ, regional superior of Canada, and Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, US provincial superior, will also go to South America (Recife, Brazil) to attend the Latin American meeting the week of March 24.
Familiar names and a few new faces
In January, Fr. Gustave was appointed to his third term as regional superior of Canada. Fr. Vien will be completing his first term as US provincial superior this summer. Their councils are a mix of SCJs new to administration and those whose names have become synonymous with Dehonian leadership.
For Fr. Richard Woodbury – a former provincial superior who is back on the Canadian council – the US Province isn’t just a next-door neighbor, it is where he did his initial formation, including his novitiate year. “I am glad to be back on the council,” he said. “I feel a strong connection to the US Province; I have many friends here and I feel at home.”
Among those joining Fr. Richard in Canadian administration are two young SCJs who are fairly new to the region: Fr. Antonio Maria Resende Pereira, SCJ, and Fr. Martin Kadamattu, SCJ. Fr. Antonio came to Canada from Brazil in 2018, a year after he was ordained. He is now the regional secretary. Fr. Martin, a regional councilor, is from India.
“One of our priorities as a region is to mentor and strengthen our younger members in leadership roles,” said Fr. Peter McKenna, SCJ, who previously served in provincial and general leadership, and like Fr. Richard, is back on the council.
Shared experiences, shared concerns
Among the topics discussed at the North American meeting was immigration. Both administrations talked about the increasing challenges of obtaining visas for international SCJs coming to North America for study and/or ministry. Also, Dehonians in both entities work directly with migrants and with families impacted by immigration concerns.
Members of the two councils reflected on the programmatic letter released by the General Administration in January. Most agreed that it reflected the topics raised by delegates at the General Chapter under the headings of “Identity, Communion and Mission.”
“If we don’t know who we are and WHY we are, there is no mission,” said one councilor.
The SCJs talked about missionary efforts in the congregation, including a desire to return to the traditional structures of new districts falling under the administration of established provinces instead of the general administration. They also spoke about collaboration between entities both in terms of finances and in personnel. How do entities best work together in sharing resources while being mindful of the congregation as a whole and its overall needs?
The general administration has begun to develop an informal geo-cultural structure as a way to better understand the concerns of each area. Fr. Gustave represented North America at the first in-person meeting of the geo-cultural zones with the general administration. This took place in Rome in February. North America is unique in this structure in that it has only two entities (the US and Canada). In Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, one SCJ represents many entities in the geo-cultural structure.
Continuing efforts
In October, 2024, the US and Canada held a joint conference in Mississippi on the dual threats of climate disruption and nuclear weapons. The conference was the result of discussions that took place at an earlier meeting of the North American administrations. An organizing committee of lay people and SCJs from the US and Canada was formed by the two councils. People from throughout North America traveled to Mississippi to take part in the conference.
And now, the councils want to ensure that the work of the conference continues; to do so, they will work with the Justice and Peace (and Migration) Commissions of each entity.
Other topics discussed during the combined councils meeting included: the North American Dehonian Theological Commission and its projects, the Dehonian jubilees, social media (how it can be a positive force for communication but also a challenge when used unwisely), and the North American meetings themselves. Although gathering by Zoom is easier and less costly, several of the meeting participants spoke of the benefits of being together, present to each other when possible.
The next in-person meeting of the North American administrations will take place October 15, 2025, in Toronto.
CLICK HERE to view a few photos from the meeting.
