Flanagan Center blessed
On April 25 Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson blessed the newly renovated Flanagan Center in Walls, MS. Completed in mid-January, the work turned the facility into a modern hub for the organization’s critical programs: a bustling food pantry, social services, volunteer operations, and HIV/AIDS support. Plans for the overhaul began in 2021; construction started in May 2023. The result is a reimagined space that addresses the community’s growing needs, particularly the soaring demand for food assistance, which has surged from 280,068 pounds distributed in 2016 to nearly 1.4 million pounds in 2022.
During construction, operations were temporarily moved to the Dehon Learning Center, where more than 1 million pounds of food were distributed in both 2023 and 2024.
A ministry of Sacred Heart Southern Missions, the Flanagan Center’s transformation is both practical and profound. The building, expanded by 1,150 square feet, now houses a state-of-the-art 48’ x 24’ cold storage unit, with 36’ x 24’ dedicated to freezer and cold storage space. Double-wide, 54-inch doors allow pallet jacks to move full pallets effortlessly inside, while a backup generator ensures food safety during power outages. Approximately 3,000 square feet of dry goods storage further enhances capacity, nearly quadrupling the center’s ability to serve. The once-disjointed maze of offices and storage areas has been replaced with a welcoming reception area, a public restroom, and private offices for social workers and volunteers, fostering a sense of dignity for clients and staff.
The blessing, following the SHSM board meeting, was a moment of mission renewal. Bishop Kopacz, joined by Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, and Sr. Catherine Bertrand, SSND (SHSM Board President), led a prayer service anchored in the Gospel of Matthew.
“As often as you did it for the least among you, you did it for me,” (Mt 25:40) – the reading underscored the Flanagan Center’s mission.
Click here to read more. Our thanks to Laura Grisham, SHSM communications director, for providing the information and photos.
South Dakota travels
Students from the English and Culture Studies Program at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology spent much of the past week in South Dakota, the birthplace of the US Province. It was a time for sightseeing and to learn about Dehonian ministries in the state. Among the stops: the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI, the waterfalls in Sioux Falls, Badlands National Park, Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse monument, Rapid City, and – of course – St. Joseph’s Indian School and its related ministries. In particular, the students learned about the Equine Therapy Center and visited parishes in Lower Brule and Fort Thompson. Our thanks to Fra. Truc Tran, SCJ, and ECS staff for sharing photos. Click here to view more on the province Facebook page.
Please remember
+Fr. Antonius Joko, a member of the Indonesian Province, died on April 26. He was born in 1978, professed in 1998 and ordained in 2007.
+Fr. Lodevicus Godefridus Theuws, a member of the Brazil-Recife Province, died on April 24. He was born in 1936, professed in 1958 and ordained in 1964.
Fr. Ziggy’s presentation begins at 1:34:30 in the video above
Never again
Fr. Ziggy Morawiec, SCJ, SHSST vice rector, gave the interfaith address at yesterday’s Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration (Yamim) organized by the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.
“I come from a small village in the south of Poland,” said Fr. Ziggy. “From my earliest years the subject of the Holocaust was present in my consciousness. Near my family home lived two people who survived Auschwitz Death Camp and often talked about the horrors of that place and time.
“However, the real shock and the moment from which I never again freed myself from the thought of what happened in this evil place (and many others like it), was my first visit to Auschwitz. I remember that the guide was one of the surviving prisoners. His testimony was overwhelmingly powerful.”
Fr. Ziggy asked himself, “What can be done so that it never happens again?”
“For me as a Catholic priest, this question is extremely important,” he continued. “Professing my faith and accepting the responsibility for shaping people’s hearts, I recognize that my highest duty is to love God and neighbor.
“I was born in Poland, a country that before World War II was home to some 3.3 million Jews. By the end of the war in 1945, about 380,000 had survived. Comparing these two numbers gives us an idea of the scale of the tragedy that took place at that time. I silently bow my head in homage to all the victims of this unimaginable tragedy. Never again!”
Click here to read Fr Ziggy’s full text. You can also hear Fr. Ziggy speak in the YouTube video posted above. He begins at 1:34:30.
Special guest for upcoming Book Club
All SCJs and collaborators are encouraged to join this month’s Dehon Book Club for a special session on Friday, May 2, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
“Professor Edmondo F. Lupieri of Loyola University will join us via Zoom to discuss his work on Mary Magdalene, an important figure during this Easter season and also one of the patron saints and models of our congregation,” writes Fr. Joseph Mukuna, SCJ, director of the Dehon Study Center. “Professor Lupiere’s insights will be drawn from his extensive work Mary Magdalene from the New Testament to the New Age and Beyond.”
If you are in Hales Corners, you are welcome to join in-person in the Provincial Board Room. Otherwise, the Zoom link is:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86795180426
Meeting ID: 867 9518 0426
Night of Prayer at OLG
On Saturday, May 10, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Houston is hosting “Heart of Worship Night of Prayer” led by Fr. Henry Nguyen, SCJ and Fr. Christian Hoper, SCJ. The evening begins with a bilingual Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm, followed by a light dinner at 6:30 pm, and prayer beginning at 7:00 pm. The night of prayer will include Eucharistic Adoration, worship music, confession, and reflection.
Click here to register. Questions? Contact the Province Vocation Office at 414-529-425
Inspiring faith on campus
Fr. Guy Blair, SCJ, a Dehonian priest who has ministered to the deaf community for many years, as well as done extensive outreach to the homeless, was invited by Fr. Quang Nguyen, SCJ, to give a presentation about his ministry to students at the University of Houston. Fr. Quang is a chaplain at the UH Newman Center; the presentation took place on April 10. Fr. Guy shares experience:
“The Newman Center is quite a bustling center for the university students; there are study rooms, meeting rooms, and rooms for quiet meditation beyond the chapel. The camaraderie of the students and the programs provided for them makes for a real community! Fr. Quang has managed to weave together a disparate group of students into a welcoming family of people reaching out to one another.
“The weekly Thursday liturgy was well attended with everyone participating; student involvement went beyond the liturgical roles at the Mass. I watched students quickly move furniture in the chapel, set up the tables and set out food to serve at the luncheon following worship. And what a spread of food was served! All of it was donated; the campus ministry budget doesn’t allow for many extras. When my presentation was completed and everyone had eaten, the students again availed themselves to replace the furniture and do the clean-up.
“We enjoyed the luncheon and during it I shared my experience of translating my faith from a liturgical role as a priest to service for others as a Dehonian.
“It was a good group to be with. There are 12 students preparing for the Easter sacraments and 13 more students to be confirmed at the end of the month. Fr. Quang’s rapport with the students and staff is remarkable, it was obvious how much they love and appreciate him.”
Click here to read more about Fr. Quang’s ministry at the University of Houston.
May birthdays
Those celebrating birthdays in May include Fr. Mark Fortner on May 4, Fr. Byron Haaland on May 6, Fr. Bryan Benoit and Fr. Jack Kurps on May 7, Fr. Guy Blair on May 8, Fr. Paul Phong Hoang on May 9, Fr. Jean Claude Mbassi on May 10, Fr. Anthony Kluckman and Fr. Élie Munzungu Kasongo-Ngoy on May 12, Bishop Joseph Potocnak on May 13, Fr. Jim Casper on May 20, Br. Andy Gancarczyk and Fr. Jerzy Mordalski on May 24, Fr. Wayne Jenkins on May 25, and Fr. Stephen Huffstetter on May 31. Happy birthday!!
Closing photo
To celebrate Fr. Hendrik (Ardi) Ardianto’s birthday, the parishes of Northwest Mississippi shared the following pic of him on their Facebook page. Fr. Ardi turned 35 on April 24. Happy birthday!
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