Fraters Juancho, Joseph, Justin and James pictured last year at the provincial chapter. Evidently a requirement for vow renewal this year is to have a name that begins with "J." — Fraters Juancho, Joseph, Justin and James pictured last year at the provincial chapter. Perhaps a requirement for vow renewal this year is to have a name that begins with “J?”

Vow renewals

Congratulations to Fraters Justin Krenke, James Nguyen, Juan Carlos (“Juancho”) Castañeda Rojas and Joseph Vu who renewed their religious vows during the past week. All are members of the Dehon Formation Community in Chicago.

“What drew me to the Priests of the Sacred Heart is the charism and spirituality found in Fr. Leo Dehon’s writings,” wrote Frater James after his first vow renewal. “Fr. Dehon always found comfort in the knowledge that God loves him tremendously, which is symbolized in the burning Heart of Christ. Fr. Dehon wants those of us who are dedicated to the love of God to be living examples of the love that Jesus had. I strive to live in that spirit of our founder daily through my religious vows: ‘In poverty, I desire to give all I have. In chastity, I desire to give all I am. And in obedience, I desire to give all I will become.'”

“Have a heart for the world.” This was the phase that Frater Juancho said that he “couldn’t stop thinking about when I prepared to renew my vows; it is a good reminder that all of what I am doing is because of that, to have a heart for the world, as Fr. Dehon called us to be among all of those who need us.

“I am proud to say I am Dehonian and really happy to renew my vows with the Priests of the Sacred Heart and trusting in the grace of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and our Blessed Mother Mary I will continue in the service and creating a Heart ready to serve the world.”

Photos of Frater Justin and Frater Juancho are below.

Frater Justin renewing his vows on Friday. Fr. Jim Walters was designated to accept the renewal.

Frater Juancho (2nd from right) following his renewal. He is joined by Fr. Mark Mastin Fr. Joseph Mukuna and Br. Duane Lemke (formation director)

A week from today

The province election assembly begins at 1 pm at the Provincial Conference Center on Monday, August 24. If you haven’t made lodging arrangements yet, please call Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology at 414-425-8300 to book a room.

The closing Mass and installation of the new administration is scheduled for Thursday evening, August 27. However, this, as well as the rest of the day-to-day schedule of the assembly, remains open to last minute adjustments.

Photos and updates from the assembly will be posted on the province Facebook page.

We need your photo!

All SCJs are encouraged to update their “mugshot.” If you have a recent photo of yourself that you can share for the province files, please email it to Mary Gorski (click here to email her). You can also send her a print.

Need a new photo? Mary will be available from 8 – 8:45 a.m. at the Provincial Conference Center on Tuesday and Wednesday of the Election Assembly (August 25-26) to take your picture. Not a good time? Let her know and make other arrangements; photos can be done a various times throughout the assembly.

It only takes a minute or two to snap a few pictures. Please consider updating your photo if you don’t already have a current one to share. Suggested attire? A collar (Roman) or something with a collar (shirt and tie, button-down shirt without a tie, or a polo shirt).

Questions? Contact Mary.

Please remember

+Adrian (“Ed”) Sanders, the brother of Fr. Peter Sanders of the Canadian Region, died of cancer August 12. Click here to view the online obituary.

+Lavere F. Walters, father of Fr. Jim Walters, died August 10. He was 86 and had been living in a nursing care facility in York, PA, for the past two-and-a-half years.

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Pope Francis has declared September 1 as “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.” The Orthodox Church has had a similar day of prayer since 1989.

Pope Francis said that the day will be a time for individuals and communities to “reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.”

Click here to read Pope Francis’ letter announcing the day of prayer, as well as access a Vatican Radio link to a news report (in English) on it. Click here to read the Catholic News Service article about the announcement.

Mark Peters, province director of Justice, Peace and Reconciliation, noted that the JPR Commission will soon be talking about ways to “preach the pope’s encyclical on the environment just as Fr. Dehon did in regards to Rerum Novarum.” The commission welcomes input on their efforts. Click here to email Mark Peters.

Top Choice

In its August 16 “Top Choice Awards” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel awarded the Congregational Home first place in the following areas: 1) Assisted Living Facility, 2) Retirement/Independent Living Facility, and 3) Skilled Nursing.

The SCJs have partnered with the Congregational Home in regards to members of the province who need rehabilitative, assisted and/or nursing care.

Closing shot

Members of the Canadian Region pose for a group photo at the end of their annual assembly last week in Canada. Fr. Stefan Tertünte from the Dehon Study Center in Rome, is pictured in the front row, far left. He led the group in a review of the first two pieces of the final document from the General Chapter.