Wellness, social justice and province finances focus of July assembly
Beginning with the province jubilee celebrations on Monday night, the U.S. Province held its summer assembly July 9-12 at the Provincial Conference Center in Hales Corners, Wis.
Each day of the assembly had a theme, beginning with wellness issues on Tuesday followed by evening of comedy. Comedy Sportz, an interactive comedy team, gave an on-site show. Among those who joined the professional comedians on stage were Fr. Johnny Klingler, Fr. Dominic Peluse and candidate Justin Krenke. Informal reviews gave Justin top honors for his impromptu performance.
A lay person as JP director?
Justice and Peace was the theme for Wednesday. Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, the provincial councilor responsible for JP issues, began the day by talking about the implementation of social justice concerns in the province. “Everyone on the Justice and Peace Commission has full time obligations in other areas,” said Fr. Ed. “And that includes me.”
If the province is going to give social justice concerns adequate attention, someone needs to have full-time responsibility for Justice and Peace. The council and the JPIC Commission have discussed the possibility of hiring a province Justice and Peace director, and perhaps people on the local level to focus on concerns particular to an area, such as Native American issues in South Dakota or the concerns of African-Americans in economically depressed areas of Mississippi.
If an SCJ is not available for one of the JP positions, the council is open to hiring a non-SCJ. “Already we are hiring non-SCJs to collaborate with us, such as the new president-rector of Sacred Heart School of Theology and the office manager at Vocation Central,” said Fr. Ed. “As our numbers diminish, we have to look at new ways of continuing the ministries and concerns that are important to us.”
The day also included reviews and updates on previous Justice and Peace activities, including the November 2011 international Justice and Peace conference in Madrid.
Fr. Duy Ngugen, SCJ, a member of the Province JPIC Commission, reviewed what was discussed at last year’s assembly regarding immigration. Two international members of the province spoke of their experiences of being “immigrant SCJs.”
Fr. Bob Bossie revisited the 2000 General Conference in Recife, Brazil, titled “The Economy and the Reign of God.”
The impact of social concerns on Fr. Dehon
Fr. John van den Hengel, SCJ, vicar general, spoke about Fr. Dehon and the impact of social justice concerns on him, his charism and his ministry. As a priest he felt constrained by parish ministry and became active in addressing the social concerns of his day. He wanted to move beyond helping individuals in a parish to working with other facets of society (such as business leaders and politicians) to make structural change, better the lives of workers, and thus, their families. Workers, he saw, were victims of a new social order that grew out of the early development of the global economy.
Fr. Dehon was not just a spiritual innovator, said Fr. John, but a part of the larger picture of a spiritual movement. He recognized the social dimension of the Sacred Heart.
“Everywhere we [SCJs] have gone there has been a sensitivity to social issues,” said Fr. John. “This is something given to us by Fr. Dehon.”
Money makes the world go around
The final morning of the assembly focused on financial concerns. Dn. David Nagel, SCJ, province treasurer, not only gave an overview of the state of province finances but spoke about what it means to use money as a religious.
“We do what we do because of our donors,” he said. “We must live with a sense of thankfulness to God for what we have.”
He reminded SCJs that it can take the gifts of many benefactors to raise $20,000, the average price of a new car. This is something SCJs must keep in mind, he said. Money spent is not simply one’s personal money, but a resource provided by the generosity of many.
One of the growing financial areas of responsibility for the U.S. Province is the support of the foreign missions. For the next fiscal year $2.06 million is budgeted for mission needs. This includes ensuring the support of SCJ ministries in India, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Africa, Congo and Indonesia.
Dn. Nagel spoke about the challenges of financing the medical plan for the SCJs, as well as provide insurance for employees. He talked about the possible impact of the Affordable Care Act on employee insurance.
Remembering Br. Tim
The assembly ended midday with Eucharist. The Mass was dedicated to Br. Tim Murphy, SCJ; that morning SCJs learned that Br. Tim was no longer responding to medical treatment after having suffered seizures and a heart attack. He died later that day.
Photos: click here to view photos from the assembly
