News & Events | December 15, 2025
In this third week of Advent we pray…
During these days full of grace,
inspire us with an active hope:
a hope that finds flesh in our daily lives,
a hope that heals and unites,
a hope that welcomes your Word in everyone we meet.
Amen.
Prayer taken in part from This Day of God, the Community Prayer Book of the Priests of the Sacred Heart
Two new SCJ deacons!
Congratulations to our newly ordained deacons: Dcn. Long Nguyen (far right) and Dcn. Hung Pham. The two SCJs were ordained on December 8 at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology by Archbishop Jeffery Grob of Milwaukee.
Click here to read more about Deacons Long and Hung.
Click here to view photos from the ordination.
Click here to see a recording of the livestream.
100 years later, the SCJs call again
“The Sacred Heart community, faculty members, and seminarians always found ways to help us feel at home. Regardless if they are SCJs or staff, they all have the Dehonian Spirit and they practice it very well.”
The quote is from Sr. Leonora Sitohang, FCh, speaking about her time as a student in the ECS program at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. Last week, in the midst of a midwestern snowstorm, she and Sr. Susana Susmiyarti, FCh, packed their bags and joined Fr. Hendrik Ardianto, SCJ, for the long drive to Mississippi and their new assignment. Members of the Sisters of St. Francis Charitas, Srs. Leonora and Susana, originally from Indonesia, are part of a newly developing partnership with the Priests of the Sacred Heart in northern Mississippi.
However, this is not the first time that the two congregations have ministered together. One hundred years ago, Dutch SCJs serving in Sumatra invited the FCh community to collaborate with them in Palembang. Now, the SCJ and FCh communities collaborate in several parishes and schools in Indonesia, and operate an orphanage and retreat house.
“One hundred years later, the SCJs again invite the FCh Sisters to mission with them; this time, in Mississippi,” wrote Sr. Susana. “Once again, we will work together.”
Sisters Susana and Leonora arrived in the US Province in August; until early December they were students in the ECS program. Above, they are pictured with their Mother Superior during a visit to Mississippi in October. Sr. Leonora is on the left and Sr. Susana is on the right.
Click here to read more on the province website.
New mission in Cuba
On December 8 the superior general, Fr. Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú, SCJ, celebrated a Mission Send-Off Mass at the Church of San Miguel the Archangel in the Cemetery in Caracas, Venezuela, for the three SCJs who will begin a new SCJ mission in Cuba. They are Br. Dennyz Vélez of the District of Ecuador, Fr. Javier Luengo (an alumnus of our ECS program at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology) from the Spanish Province and Fr. Adolfo Oropeza from the Venezuelan Region.
Please remember
+Fr. Pietro Natali, a member of the North Italian Province, died on November 26. He was born in 1936, professed in 1955 and ordained in 1965.
+Fr. Georg Feldker, a member of the German Province, died on December 7. He was born in 1935, professed in 1957 and ordained in 1963.
We also remember those who are senselessly killed by acts of violence. In particular, the Province Office of Justice, Peace and Reconciliation writes: “In recent days we have again faced tragic shootings, this time at Brown University and during the Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia. These acts of violence remind us of how hatred remains in our world. As we light our Advent candles, we do so with sorrow but also with hope, trusting that the Light of Christ dispels these moments of darkness and inspires us to turn prayer into acts of solidarity and compassion so that we may become living signs of Christ’s peace in a fractured world.”
Holiday reminders
The Provincial Offices will be closed Dec. 24-26 for Christmas and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for New Year’s. Also, there will be no Fridge Notes published on Dec. 29.
Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology is on Christmas break until January 11. Most of the students are gone during this time, but faculty and staff will be on campus.
Videos from OLG
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12, is a two-day event of prayer and celebration at Our Lady of Guadalupe Houston. We invite you to visit the parish Facebook page, as well as that of the school, Our Lady of Guadalupe School Houston, for photos and videos from the feast.
Preparing for final vows
Congratulations to SCJ Fraters Truc Tran (left) and Michael Wodarczyk whose requests to begin their final vows preparation programs were approved during last week’s Provincial Council meeting. Br. Ray Kozuch, SCJ, will be Fra. Michael’s final vows director and Fr. John Czyzynski, SCJ, will be Fra. Truc’s director. Both are students at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology.
Postcard from South Africa
Fr. Charles Brown,, SCJ, sends another digital postcard from South Africa, where he has been leading conferences for the formation program. He writes:
“We here in Aliwal North, in the novitiate community, are finishing up our time together. We’ve concentrated on the Synoptic Gospels as guides for Dehonian life: discipleship (Mark), community life (Matthew), and social action (Luke). Pictured here, from left to right, are the novices: Brs. Gift Chitambala Vikazwe, Chilyo Nchimunge, Siamasambwe Hayden, Nkandu Chrispin, [me], Musaope Kingsley Banda, Leon Mohau Molatole, Andrew Inambao, and finally, Fr. Sanil Michael, novice director.”
Today is the last day of conferences with the novices. Tomorrow, the group heads to Queenstown where the province will celebrate the diaconate ordination of two SCJs.
“We are richly blessed! Grace to all and peace of the holy season,” writes Fr. Charlie.
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