The big move
After a few delays, SCJs are moved into the new Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake. The residence includes members of the former Villa Maria community, as well as SCJs from the 37th Street community. We’ll post a full list next week of the SHML residents. Note that the address is the same as the former Villa Maria address: 7330 S. Lovers Lane Road, Franklin, WI 53132-1849.
Work is moving quickly on the start of phase two of the project, which will include the “Main Street” area (a large chapel, dining and recreation area, coffee shop, banking and other facilities) as well as apartments for the general public aged 55 and better. Last week Habitat For Humanity’s ReStore salvaged fixtures, cabinets and other items from Villa Maria before the building’s demolition this week to make room for phase two.
Click here to view a few photos of the Habitat volunteers in action.
Last week Milwaukee’s Business Journal did a feature on senior apartments in Franklin. Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake was highlighted in the article. Click here to read it online.
Open for hospitality
Fr. Jim Brackin would like SCJs to know that the retirement community at SHML is able to provide hospitality to SCJs visiting Hales Corners. Several guest apartments are available. If you would like to reserve one, contact Fr. Jim at 414-520-7947.
Keep in prayer
Fr. Frank Clancy underwent yet another surgery on his right foot last Friday. Doctors are attempting to cover exposed bone in an effort to allow Fr. Frank to eventually wear a prosthesis that will allow him to walk. Continue to keep Fr Frank in your prayers; he has endured many medical procedures on his feet over the past few years, as well as a significant amount of pain.
Fr. Peter Botman, a member of the Canadian Region, was hospitalized after collapsing during Mass on July 27. He is scheduled for a biopsy on Thursday. Tests have confirmed that he has a large mass in the left lung and a smaller growth toward the top of the same lung. He is now in the care of an oncologist.
Asian Conference concludes
Members of the general administration, as well as SCJ representatives from Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Vietnam, met July 25-29 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for the first Continental Conference of Asia. It concluded the general visitation of Asia by Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho, superior general, and Fr. Paulus Sugino, general councilor.
With 285 members, Asia is one of the fastest growing areas of the congregation, and with an average age of 37, Asia is also the youngest continental grouping. Meeting the needs of the many candidates and newly professed in formation is a major challenge for all four Asian entities.
However, while formation is a significant challenge for Asia, “inculturation” became the main focus of the five-day gathering.
“There was an awareness that religious life and our spirituality is too European in its outlook and expression,” wrote Fr. John van den Hengel, general councilor, in his summary of the conference. “It needs an Asian face as well. In this, the first Asian Conference, the Asian identity of our presence was front and center. How can our congregation respond to the primary needs of Asia?”
This question was addressed in the final recommendations of the Asian Conference, as well as Fr. General’s concluding remarks. Several documents from the conference are available as PDF downloads:
• Fr. General’s remarks regarding the Asian Conference
• Fr. General’s concluding remarks
• Final recommendations of the Asian Conference
As noted last week, several events took place in conjunction with the conference, including the meeting of the General Finance Commission and meetings regarding the governance of India in a post-missionary reality.
The conference was also an opportunity to share information on the SCJs’ move toward northern Asia. There are already two Indonesian SCJs in Taiwan, and inroads have been made in China.
Daily reports (in English) and photos from the conference are available on the general website. Click here to access them.
Rooms at Sacred Heart Monastery:
Fr. Jim Walters shares the following with SCJs regarding room reservations at SHM: “The Sacred Heart Monastery Community has asked that any SCJ requesting a room for a province event or local visit contact either Marlene or Elizabeth at 414-425-8300 (Extension 0), Monday-Friday, 8:00AM -4:30 PM. In an effort to assure members of the province that rooms will be available, it would help greatly if you could anticipate your visit and let us know as soon as possible when you would like to visit.”
Room reservations are handled by Marlene and Elizabeth at the front desk of SHST/SHM; contacting them directly instead of going through a member of the community smoothes the process.
Time Share Availability
The Province Development Office, through its Planned Giving Department, has a time share unit in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, available for use by SCJs. The unit is available from March 24 – 31, 2012. For further information, or to reserve it, please contact Pam Milczarski at pmilczarski@poshusa.org.
Sharing SCJ mission and spirituality is goal of new spiritual director
On July 1, Fr. Dominic Peluse officially began his new role as spiritual director of the Province Development Office. He replaces Fr. Paul Kelly, who recently completed 10 years as director.
“Although it will be very different, my role here will involve much of what I did as a parish priest,” he said in a recent interview. “Often as a pastor my role was to counsel and be supportive to those dealing with personal and family concerns. Here, people come to us asking for prayers for a loved one suffering from cancer, or for a child who is having problems with his marriage. We talk to parents who might be struggling with a teen who seems to have lost his way. Across the board, these are the concerns that I dealt with in parish life, it’s just that now the “congregation” is bigger…
“I hope to encourage a wide variety of my fellow SCJs to join me at our luncheons. It’s a great way for our brothers and priests to get a sense of the people who support us in our ministry. And it’s also a ‘feel good’ moment to realize how much people respect and appreciate the work that the Priests of the Sacred Heart do, and who we are as sons of Fr. Dehon. That’s something that I want more of our men to experience. It’s a way to reinvigorate our vocation as SCJs.”
Click here to read the full interview on the province website.
Cleaning up from the fire
On July 21, lightening hit the SCJs’ house in Montreal, causing a fire in the electrical panel. Fortunately, the alarm system did its job and no one was hurt. Fireman responded before the blaze did much damage; however, much of the main floor was covered in smoke and dust. Fr. Maurice Légaré, a member of the community, writes that “the cleaning company spent two full days cleaning the first floor (10 people on Tuesday and eight on Wednesday). We still have two big machines to change the smell of smoke that is still there. And a fine dust is still in the air. But the main work is done. Hydro Québec came to install a new meter on the main electrical panel and a subcontractor of the cleaning company delivered cleaned items like carpets, curtains, linens, etc.”
Fr. Maurice adds that the community is still dealing with the seemingly endless insurance paperwork.
Provincial’s time
Fr. Tom Cassidy is in Orlando, Fl., this week, for the CMSM National Assembly. It will be his last as president of CMSM; he turns over his office to Abbot Giles Hayes, OSB, on Saturday evening.
“I have enjoyed my three years in leadership at CMSM; one year as president-elect and two years as president,” he wrote to SCJs. “It turned out to be more time consuming than I had thought but with the help of the provincial staff, especially Br. Frank Presto holding down the fort as provincial secretary, it was manageable. I trust that I made a positive contribution to CMSM and represented well our SCJ core values.”
On August 8 he leaves for India, where he will attend the ordination of 12 SCJs to the priesthood. Bishop Virginio Bressanelli, whose general council Fr. Tom served on when the bishop was superior general, is the ordaining bishop.
Fr. Tom returns to the States on August 22.
Upcoming meetings and events:
August 30-31: Provincial Council Meeting
October 2: Pet Blessing (SHST)
October 4-5: Provincial Council Meeting
November 14-16: SCJ Retreat, Pinellas Park
December 14-15: Provincial Council Meeting
December 18: Advent Concert, 2 p.m.
