News & Events | August 03, 2026
Harleys, prayer, fireworks and ice cream…
“We’re so pleased with our summer ECS program!” writes Br. Andy Gancaczyk, SCJ, residential director of the English and Culture Studies program at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. “Our students continue to make wonderful progress in their intensive English classes while also enjoying meaningful opportunities to explore and experience American culture.
“As their residential director, it has been a real joy for me to walk alongside them — celebrating the 4th of July together, visiting the Harley-Davidson Museum, praying at St. Josaphat Basilica, making the pilgrimage to Holy Hill, and experiencing a vibrant gospel Mass at All Saints Parish. These moments beautifully highlight the rich diversity of the Catholic community in the Milwaukee area and these experiences allow the students to step beyond the walls of the classroom, meeting open, kind, and welcoming people who warmly share of themselves and their culture.”
All are invited to the Summer 2026 ECS Certificate Ceremony which will take place Thursday, August 6 at 3 p.m. in the lobby of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. Fr. Stephen Huffstetter, SCJ, SHSST president-rector, will give the opening remarks.
How does Fr. Dehon speak to us today?
The 7th International Dehonian Theological Seminar began on July 30 at the Faculdade Dehoniana in Taubaté (Brazil). It runs through August 4.
The focus of this year’s gathering is on the founder’s writings. “We have taken it upon ourselves to return to Dehon’s original texts and begin a ‘new reading’ to see how they speak to us in the 21st century,” said Fr. John van den Hengel, SCJ, a member of the International Theological Commission and one of the moderators of the seminar. Fr. John is a member of the Canadian Region.
In a summary of the second day’s presentations, the writing team noted that “To understand Father Dehon today does not mean reproducing his historical categories. It means discerning what remains alive and can be translated in the face of the signs of the times. Fidelity to the charism requires creativity, without losing the core of the Dehonian experience.
“In this sense, the spirit of victimhood can be reread in the light of mercy and oblation. Reparation can be understood as the reconstruction of wounded relationships and as commitment to realities of suffering. The union of contemplation and action remains a principle for a Dehonian presence capable of responding to the questions of the contemporary world.
“The discussion also showed that this rereading must remain open to the different cultures and experiences of the Congregation. It is necessary to avoid both the idealization of the Founder and a reading captive to his historical context. In the end, the question that ran through the contributions was less ‘who was Father Dehon?’ than ‘who are we, Dehonians, when we read Dehon today?’ And, from his texts, what are we called to live in the face of the challenges of our time?”
The writing team includes SCJ Fathers Eduardo Nunes Pugliesi, Nilson Helmann and Victor de Oliveira Barbosa.
Click here to access livestreams from the seminar.
Written reports and photos from the days can be found on the general website.
Human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence
Join us on August 12 for discussions about “Human Dignity in the age of Artificial Intelligence,” a colloquium hosted by the Dehon Study Center. Our presenters: Dr. Khaled Tannir, Senior AI and Big Data Architect, speaking on the topic “What Is Artificial Intelligence? Why Should We Be Concerned—or Not?” and Rev. Dr. Ricky Manalo, CSP, theologian and AI expert, reflecting on AI from a Catholic viewpoint.
You are welcome to attend the colloquium in-person at the Provincial Conference Center in Hales Cornes, WI, or online via Zoom. It is free and open to the public; however, you do need to register to take part.
Click here to register.
Click here to access a PDF of the schedule as well as biographies of our presenters.
Please note that the start time has changed to 8:45 a.m. Guests are welcome to arrive at the Conference Center any time after 8:00 a.m. Refreshments will be available. The colloquium will conclude by noon.
If you have questions, contact Fr. Joseph Mukuna, SCJ, director of the Dehon Study Center, at: Jmukuna@dehoniansusa.org
Ordination reminders
On August 15, SCJ Deacons Long Nguyen and Hung Pham will be ordained to the priesthood at Vietnamese Martyrs parish in Houston. Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson will be the ordaining bishop.
The RSVP deadline has passed, but you can view the ordination via the parish’s livestream account. The link:
https://www.youtube.com/@VietNamMartyrs/streams
All SCJs who will be in Houston for the Mass are invited to a dinner on Friday evening hosted by Dcns. Long and Hung. Please check your email for details. Questions about the dinner? Contact Dcn. Hung at bopi.pham@gmail.com.
Masses of Thanksgiving will be on Sunday, August 16. Hung’s Mass will be at Vietnamese Martyrs (10610 Kingspoint Rd., Houston) at 11:00 a.m. and Long’s will be at 4:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (6500 Fairbanks N, Houston).
Please continue to keep these SCJs in your prayers as they make their final preparations for ordination.
COVID response continues in SD
For many St. Joseph’s Indian School students and families, summer means time at home, but it also means stepping away from the daily meals provided on campus. The Summer Food Box Delivery Initiative helps bridge that gap.
“What began in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into an important way we continue supporting our students and families throughout the summer months,” wrote St. Joseph’s staff in the school newsletter. “During both June and July, 110 food boxes were prepared and delivered.”
Deliveries were done via school staff who volunteered their time to visit with students and their families.
Approximately $31,000 of food was shared during the summer distributions.
Dehonian Leadership Institute Monthly Minute
The following is from a monthly series of quotes and reflections on leadership, based on the writings of Fr. Leo John Dehon. The quotes have been assembled by the Dehonian Associates Office.
“What constitutes the welfare, the happiness of a kingdom or state, if not order? … order is indispensable to every spiritual house, to every undertaking, to every human heart, to every human soul that wishes to attain the end of its destination and to fulfill the duties of its state. To arrive at it, great fidelity is necessary, even in the least things.”
The quote comes from Fr. Dehon’s Spiritual Directory. Today, it can remind leaders about the importance of order in large and small undertakings. Is there something that needs to be better ordered in yourself, your team, or your ministry?
The Dehonian Associates Office offers a leadership program based in Dehonian spirituality (LEAD). Interested in learning more about it? Contact Monica Misey, Director of Dehonian Associates: mmisey@dehoniansusa.org.
No August As a Rule
As a Rule, the monthly electronic publication that includes personal reflections on topics from the SCJ Rule of Life, is on its annual summer break this month. There will be no August issue. The next mailing will be in early September.
Click here to read back issues and/or subscribe to the publication.
Closing pic
Sr. Grecely Tangcogo, MCM, shared the photo above from a visit by the Filipino community from the Rosebud Reservation to Lower Brule, SD. “Among them are dedicated teachers and members of church choirs,” she wrote.
Noting the internationality of the group, including Fr. Floribert Bulo Dhelo, SCJ, originally from DR Congo, and Fr. Marius Ari Saputra, SCJ, of Indonesia (pictured in front with the hat), Sr. Grecely adds that “Faith bridges every border.”
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