News & Events | April 20, 2026
Dehonians host gathering of Milwaukee religious leaders
“This is an extremely happy day for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee,” said Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. “I cannot tell you how happy I am, how thrilled, how excited I am to have all of you together to see the representation of what’s taking place across the 10 counties that comprise the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.”
On April 14, over 80 representatives of religious congregations in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee gathered at the Provincial Conference Center to spend a morning with Archbishop Grob, as well as Auxiliary Bishop James T. Schuerman. The event was organized by the Archdiocese’s Vicar for Religious: Sr. Diana De Bruin, OSF. Among those working with Sr. Diana on the planning committee was Br. Duane Lemke, SCJ, provincial secretary of the US Province. The SCJs offered use of the Conference Center for the event.
“I pray you never get tired of me saying thank you for who you are, for what you’ve done, for what your communities have done from the beginning of this archdiocese,” said the archbishop to the religious leaders.
“This connectedness is so incredibly important. Consider this the ‘Hello’ to an ongoing conversation. I can’t do this without you. I don’t want to do it without you. I need you. This local church needs you.”
The morning also included a presentation by Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, who spoke on the topic “The Prophetic Nature of Religious Life.” A Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies, Sr. Barbara is a former president of Catholic Theological Union, which she has served at since 1988. She is also past president of the Catholic Biblical Association and is an internationally acclaimed speaker and writer.
Click here to read more on the province website.
Click here to view photos from the event.
PICTURED ABOVE: Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, welcomes his former professor, Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, to the gathering of religious leadership.
Religious life alongside the SCJs
In the April issue of As a Rule, Sisters Ramona Schmidtknecht, SSSF (right) and Julene Strombert, SSSF, reflected on a passage from No. 147 of the SCJ Rule of Life: “Our religious life shares in the evolution, the trials and the searching of the world and of the Church.”
As a young sister, expecting to be assigned to another year of teaching in Chicago, Sr. Ramona –– a School Sister of St. Francis –– was surprised to learn that she would be going to Mississippi where she would partner with other sisters in Dehonian ministry.
“Officially we were teachers in the schools where we would begin each day with prayer with our students, but that was only part of our call to Mississippi,” wrote Sr. Ramona. “We were, and in many ways still are, social workers as we help families meet daily needs. Whatever the need was or is, sometimes it may be a very unexpected need.
“Many times the help needed may not be in a material way. It may be in time: time to listen, time to be present, time to go out of our normal routine and meet the unexpected needs of our times. As we listen, we will hear of needs we are not seeing or not meeting. God, through prayer and through others, will direct us in the way we are to go and welcome This Day of God.”
Sr. Julene wrote that “After many years of teaching I started to wonder if God’s love that I tried to live really made any difference to the students. Now that I’m much older the answer is coming to me. When I see former students at the store, they often tell me that they are grateful that they had me as a teacher because it prepared them for the jobs they have today. Some say that they don’t think that they would have those jobs without the educational background that I helped to give them.
“Even Christmas cards from students I taught more than 50 years ago tell me how I protected them when they were in high school, which I don’t remember doing, but I guess I did show them that God loved them.
“It can take many years to know that you are truly sharing God’s love.”
Click here to access the full issue of As a Rule. Anyone is welcome to receive the monthly electronic publication. Click here to subscribe.
Celebrations!
On April 12, a week after Easter, 22 students at St. Joseph’s Indian School celebrated the sacraments of First Communion, Baptism and Confirmation. Fr. Greg Schill, SCJ, is pictured above, during one of the baptisms.
Third LEAD retreat
The third LEAD retreat takes place at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology today through Wednesday. Tonight, participants will have dinner with the Sacred Heart Community at SHML, followed by an evening of “legacy sharing.” This is an informal time for SCJs to talk about the ministries of which they have been a part and of many of the Dehonians who wove the tapestry of the early years of the province.
“LEAD” stands for Leadership, Education, Apostolic and Development. Through in-person retreats, online gatherings and digital communication, LEAD offers a multi-year program to form spiritually grounded leaders who embody the Dehonian spirit of love and reconciliation. Participants can take part in some or all components of LEAD. Current participants include school principals, office managers, communication professionals, finance personnel, and administrators. Click here to learn more.
Welcome, eh?
Today we also welcome members of the Canadian regional administration for tomorrow’s combined US-Canada councils meeting. The two administrations come together twice a year –– both by Zoom and in-person –– to talk about shared concerns, update each other on their ministries and communities, explore areas of collaboration, and simply spend time together in fellowship and prayer.
Earth Day 2026
Wednesday, April 22, is the 56th annual Earth Day commemoration. Click here to find resources and suggestions for ways to take action.
The following prayer is from St. Joseph’s Indian School:
Holy Spirit,
Thank You for the beauty of this Earth, the land beneath our feet, the waters that give life and the sky that reminds us of Your greatness. You have entrusted this world to our care, and we ask for the wisdom to protect and cherish it. Help us to be mindful stewards of Your creation. When we pass by what is broken or left behind, stir our hearts to pause and ask, “What would Jesus do?” Give us the humility to act — to bend down, to care and to make a difference in even the smallest ways. Guide us to treat this Earth with respect and love so it may remain a safe, clean and beautiful home for all people and generations to come. Amen. Mitákuye Oyásʼiŋ.
We also pray…
Saturday, April 26, is the 63rd Annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Please remember in prayer all those discerning a call to religious life and/or the priesthood.
Together we pray…
God our Father,
You made each of us to use our gifts in the Body of Christ.
We ask that You inspire young people whom
you call to priesthood and consecrated life
to courageously follow Your will.
Send workers into Your great harvest
so that the Gospel is preached,
the poor are served with love,
the suffering are comforted,
and Your people are strengthened by the sacraments.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer from WorldDayofPrayerforVocations.com
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