Last meeting
The out-going provincial administration has its last meeting today and tomorrow. Elections for the new administration take place the week of August 24.
The above photo of the current administration was taken shortly after the election process concluded in 2013.
A REMINDER FOR SCJs: If you have not done so already please let Br. Frank Presto know ASAP if you WILL or WILL NOT be attending the election assembly the week of August 24. Arrangements need to be made for meals, seating and other concerns by the end of the week. Click here to email Br. Frank or call him at 414-427-4263.
Prayer request
Fr. Bob Bossie shares an update on his brother, Richard: “Rich is back in ICU because they are having trouble controlling his blood sugar. He also has long bouts of lethargy from, they believe, a build up of CO2 due to poor lung and heart function. Claudia, his wife and also a physician, and I are there each day.”
Please remember
+Fr. Piet Schakenraad, a member of the Dutch-Flemish Confederation, died of cancer July 31. He was born in 1943, professed in 1964 and ordained in 1971.
Welcome!
Fr. Willyans Prado Rapozo, originally from Brazil, officially became a member of the Canadian Region on August 1. Click here to read an interview with Fr. Will done shortly after he arrived in Canada in 2012.
Plane tickets for volunteer hours
Kathy, a long-time volunteer with the ESL program at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, as well as with the Province Development Office, also works for Southwest Airlines. The airline has a program in which their employees can earn free plane tickets for their charity of choice by racking up volunteer hours.
After counting up the many hours she had donated to ESL and the Development Office Kathy realized that she earned six Southwest Airlines tickets. Her charities of choice? The same ones at which she earned her volunteer hours: SHSST and the Province Development Office.
“The greatest gift we can give”
In the most recent Dehonian Spirituality newsletter Marina Kunzweiler, direct mail project manager at St. Joseph’s Indian School, reflected on her role at St. Joe’s:
“In my work at St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, SD, I have witnessed many changes on how our mission continues to reach out to the poor, just as Fr. Dehon did many years ago.
“I strive to meet the ongoing needs of the Lakota children by sharing stories with our donors through our mailings and on our website about why students need to be at St. Joseph’s. Knowing why families come to us for help makes me even more vigilant in being a good steward of the gifts we receive. This includes building a strong relationship with our vendors who assist us in the production of our mailings. With the rising costs of paper and freight it requires constant attention to make sure we are getting the best price for the product. Included in this is our considerable cost for postage. For the best postal savings we combine our mail and utilize postal promotions when possible…
“I truly believe we are never too old to learn from one another. Watching and listening to the children and staff we work with on a daily basis helps us better meet the needs of our students. These are the gifts I bring to serve this mission.
“Sharing our blessings with others is the greatest gift we can give during our life!”
Click here to read the rest of the July 31 issue of Dehonian Spirituality.
Buon viaggio!
Fr. Stephen Huffstetter came through the Provincial Offices last week to say his good-byes before leaving for Rome. Starting today he will begin full-time Italian language studies in Bologna. The General Council will have its next set of meetings in September.
Fr. Steve’s new email address is: stephen.huffstetter@dehon.it. His mailing address at the Generalate: Via Casale di San Pio V, 20; 00165 Roma, Italia.
Bringing stories of the “old days” to life
“As a young SCJ in formation there are a few things you have to get used to, such as living with 12 other men, having a roommate, and the responsibilities of cleaning and sharing cars,” wrote Frater Justin Krenke. “Those are the sorts of things that you tell yourself to prepare for before you enter.
“But there is one thing that I never expected to get ready for: a regular retelling of the stories of ‘the old days!’
“At table one hears ‘at Donaldson we used to…’ or ‘when we had the minor seminaries…’ and once you enter the novitiate you ALWAYS hear ‘When I was in the novitiate at Ste. Marie…’
“While these stories can be funny, and they give a sense of how the formation process has changed, for those of us who haven’t been to Donaldson, Kilroe, or Ste. Marie, they are stories to which we have little connection. We know some of the people in the stories, but that’s about it. Most of us in formation now have never been to or even seen pictures of these places we’ve heard about…
“When I started my summer ministry experience in the archives the first thing that Fr. Wayne asked me was ‘What do you want to take away from working in the archives this summer?’”
His answer? He wanted to learn about the places he had only heard about in stories, the minor seminaries, the old novitiate.
A week ago Frater Justin had an on-site history lesson in Ste. Marie, Ill. As noted in last week’s newsletter, he, Fr. Wayne Jenkins, and Frs. Patrick Gutib and Joseph Butlig (ESL students from the Philippines who are also studying archival management with Fr. Wayne), traveled to Ste. Marie to attend the initial opening of “Amazing Grace,” an exhibit of the Ste. Marie Foundation.
Frater Justin and Fr. Patrick each wrote reflections on their experience. Click here to read them.
Also available is the homily Fr. Wayne gave at St. Mary of the Assumption church; the weekend of the exhibit opening was the first time he celebrated Mass in the church where he professed his first vows. Click here to read it.
Closing shot
Students and staff of the first summer session of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology’s ESL program pose for a photo in the SHSST library. The session concludes August 14.
