On the first ballot during the Election Assembly today, August 25, Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, was elected as the 15th provincial superior of the US Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. He succeeds Fr. Stephen Huffstetter, SCJ, who was elected to the General Council in June.
“I stand before you as your servant,” said Fr. Ed in accepting the election. “There is a lot of good here in us, and in the Church. “I hope each of you will challenge me and our council, but I especially hope that you will challenge yourselves — challenge ourselves –– to be who we have been called to be as Dehonians…
“We are sons of Dehon, we need to BE sons of Dehon and show the love and mercy of the heart of Christ to each other and our ministries, whatever they may be.”
Currently pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Houston, Fr. Ed, 60, has been in vocation ministry, served as province justice and peace director and in parish ministry. He was professed in 1975 and ordained in 1983.
“When I was seven years old, Pope John XXIII died and on the radio they said that he wanted to be a priest when he was 11 years old,” said Fr. Ed. “I said to my mom and dad that, ‘I’m only seven and I want to be a priest, does that mean that someday I’ll be the pope?’
“They laughed as everyone does when I tell the story but somehow I knew that one day I would be a priest.”
“For me, I see provincial administration as a ministry of service,” said Fr. Ed. “In Spanish, there’s an expression that is used everywhere in Mexico which says, ‘Para servirles.’ in order to serve you. As a Priest of the Sacred Heart, I am here to serve.”
Fr. Ed takes office immediately upon his election.
