Upcoming ordination

Frater Duy Nguyen will be ordained to the diaconate on Sunday, October 10 at 4 p.m. at Christ the King Church in Southaven, Mississippi.

If you will be attending you are asked to RSVP by phone or email to Frater Duy at 773-363-1326, ext 226, or by email at zwee00@yahoo.com

Those coming to Mississippi for the ordination can get a room at the Drury Inn in Horn Lake, Miss., at the group rate if reservations are made by September 16.  The reference number is: 2095897 and the group name is “Sacred Heart.”

Hotel information:

735 West Goodman Road
Horn Lake, MS 38637-1406
(662) 349-6622

Come for an ordination, stay for more

Sacred Heart Southern Missions is having a staff in-service on Monday, October 11 (the day after Fra. Duy’s ordination).  St. Joseph’s Indian School will present their programs to SHSM staff during the in-service.

“Since the entire staff of SHSM could never go to St. Joe’s for Mission Education, Mission Education is coming to SHSM,” said Fr. Jack Kurps, executive director of SHSM.

SCJs are welcome to attend the in-service, and if interested, should contact Carole Johnson (662-342-3324 or cjohnson@shsm.org) By October 1. The in-service program starts at 8:00 a.m. and will end by 3:45 p.m. “Sacred Heart Southern Missions will cover the hotel cost for SCJs and Carole can make your hotel reservations if you haven’t done so already,” said Fr. Jack.

The program will be held at the Whispering Woods Conference Center, 11200 E. Goodman Rd., Olive Branch, Miss.

Also, the Mississippi community will host a meal for SCJs coming for the ordination. Again, SCJs should inform Carole Johnson when they will be in Mississippi during the ordination weekend so that they can be included in the community meal.

Provincial’s time

Fr. Tom Cassidy meets with the Provincial Council this week, September 14-15.  September 24-25 he’ll take part in the 50th reunion activities (including being the main celebrant at the anniversary mass) of his high school class at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee.

Please remember

Mary Overton, the 63-year-old sister of Fr. Richard MacDonald, who died last week in a seven-vehicle accident in St. Petersburg, Fl.  Funeral arrangements were held last week in Gulfport.

New faces

Last week we introduced you to the province’s new administrative assistant, Kassandra Huerta.

Next door at the Province Vocation Office there are also a few new faces.  As of September 1 Br. Ray Kozuch took over as province vocation director and as head of Vocation Central.  Fr. Mike Burke is assisting him part-time, and as of last Thursday, Keith Burdick is also a part of the vocation team. Keith will serve in the newly created position of Vocation Coordinator and Office Manager.  We’ll have more information about Keith next week, including his contact information.

Of course, continuing at the Vocation Office is administrative assistant Nancy Gray.

Update

Fr. Tony Russo has a new email address:
thedonscj@gmail.com

Br. Ray Kozuch has a new email address for vocation business
brrayscj@wi.rr.com

Fr. Vien Nguyen has a new email address:
vienguyenscj@gmail.com

New school year underway

Students and staff at the Dehon Formation Community in Chicago are busy with the start of the new academic year.  On Wednesday they hosted an Entrance Ceremony for the province’s two new candidates: Justin Krenke and Anthony Nguyen.

Also, the community welcomed the return of Fraters Duy Nguyen and Greg Schill from Argentina.  The two were there during much of the summer studying Spanish.

Congratulations!

Last week Fr. Wayne Jenkins, province archivist, learned that he would be receiving the “Service in Ecumenism Award” from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.  The award is a part of the “Vatican II Awards” begun by the archdiocese in 1991 (originally titled the “Archbishop’s Annual Awards of Distinguished Service”) which “give us the opportunity to recognize the contribution individuals make to the various projects and apostolates of the Church,” wrote Archbishop Jerome Listecki in his letter informing Fr. Wayne of the award.

Fr. Wayne and other Vatican II award recipients will be honored during a prayer celebration and award ceremony on November 9 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee.

Congolese immigrant returns to Africa as a missionary

Fr. Élie Muzungu Kasongo Ngoy immigrated to Canada from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1991.  Almost 20 years later he is returning to Congo to serve as a missionary.

Fr. Élie became a candidate with the Priests of the Sacred Heart in 1999 and professed vows as a member of the Canadian Region in 2002.  He did his novitiate in Chicago.  Following his ordination in 2006, he did pastoral ministry in Canada for two years before moving to Rome where he did advanced studies in spirituality.

On September 6, members of the Canadian Region had a Mission-Sending ceremony for Fr. Élie.  Approximately 30 SCJs, friends and members of Fr. Élie’s family gathered in Montréal for the ceremony.  Fr. Claude Bédard, vice-superior of the region and a former missionary in Congo (then Zaire), presided.

Fr. Élie’s first assignment will be at St. Clement parish in Kinshasa (Makala).  He will be the fifth member of the Canadian Region to serve Congo.