News & Events | February 02, 2026
An evening visit with Milwaukee’s archbishop
“Why don’t you come and visit?” said Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, to Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob when the two were at an event together at the end of last year.
“Sure, I’d love to!” said the archbishop, which led to an informal evening get-together with Milwaukee-area SCJs at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake on Monday, Jan. 26. He is pictured above between Fr. Jim Walters, SCJ, and Fr. Vien during a social at the SCJ residence.
Archbishop Grob was installed as Milwaukee’s archbishop on January 14, 2025.
“It was wonderful to have an informal visit with him,” said one of the retired SCJs at SHML. “We told him that if he’s in the neighborhood, he is always welcome to stop by!”
Please remember
+ Br. Franciscus van Kemenade, a member of the Dutch Region, died on January 28. He was born in 1940, professed in 1960 and made his perpetual profession in 1963.
February Birthdays
Our first birthday of the month belongs to Dcn. David Nagel, province treasurer, on Friday, Feb. 6. Other February birthdays include Fr. Duy Nguyen on Feb. 17, Fr. Henry Nguyen and Fr. Quang Nguyen on Feb. 18, Fr. Greg Murray on Feb. 19, Fr. Hygin Nlandu Ngaka and Fr. Mark Mastin on Feb. 21, and Fr. Peter Sanders on Feb. 28. Happy birthday!
Click here to access the online Google calendar of North America that includes birthdays, anniversaries of vows and ordinations, as well as province events. The calendar is also available from all pages in the province website by clicking on the calendar icon in the lower right of each webpage.
Happy anniversary!
During the Friday social at Sacred Heart Monastery the community celebrated Fr. Rafael Querbin’s 25th anniversary of religious profession. He made his first vows as a Dehonian on February 2, 2001 in Brazil. The US Province celebration of all jubilarians will be on June 4.
USCCB calls for a Holy Hour for Peace
Fr. Joseph Thien Dinh, SCJ, province JPR director, writes that Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, invites Catholics across the United States to offer a Holy Hour for Peace in the days ahead, as a time of prayer for reconciliation, justice, and healing in our nation. While no single date has been set, parishes, communities, and individuals are encouraged to prayerfully choose a time to participate.
“May this Holy Hour be a moment of renewal for our hearts and for our nation,” wrote the archbishop. “Entrusting our fears and hopes to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us ask the Lord to make us instruments of his peace and witnesses to the inherent dignity of every person.”
Ensuring safe standards is an on-going process
At the start of the year the US Province received word that its annual assessment by Praesidium required no further follow-up.
It is an assessment that is neither automatic nor taken for granted.
Praesidium is considered the “gold standard” when it comes to developing protocols for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults. The organization offers risk management consultation and accreditation to schools, youth programs, healthcare and social service agencies, the hospitality industry, sports clubs and religious institutions.
Praesidium was chosen by CMSM (Conference of Major Superiors of Men) in 2003 to fulfill the standards in the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ landmark document, the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. In 2004 the CMSM “Standards for Accreditation” were published in partnership with Praesidium.
The US Province received its first accreditation in 2008. “The process was initiated in 2005 when Fr. Richard MacDonald, SCJ, was provincial superior,” said Br. Frank Presto, SCJ, who was provincial secretary at the time. “It took quite a while to develop everything required by the CMSM /Praesidium standards.”
Each year a team from Praesidium reviews the province’s policies and their implementation. Part of that review is verifying that each member of the province in active ministry completes a required number of hours of safety training and updating.
“Praesidium informed us that there were no follow-up items regarding our yearly assessment; everything was in place,” said Br. Duane Lemke, SCJ, current provincial secretary. “At least until next year when the process starts all over. Accreditation with Praesidium is an ongoing process; renewal is just a confirmation of that.”
Click here to review the province’s policies for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults.
For the Glory and Joy of God
The theme of the January issue of As a Rule had Rule No 25 as its starting point, which states that “Our love, thus animating all that we are, what we do and suffer in serving the Gospel, heals humanity through our participation in the work of reconciliation, gathers it together in the Body of Christ, and consecrates it for the Glory and Joy of God.”
Fr. Ricardo José da Rocha Teixeira, SCJ, of Houston, began his reflection by stating that to “make this concept tangible, we must view ‘love animating all’ as a mindset of service. For instance, it means choosing a smile over irritation when facing a demanding schedule; listening to someone’s ideas instead of immediately preparing a bitter response to what they are saying; or treating administrative paperwork not as a burden, but as a hidden act of charity that builds the community and makes the lives of others more convenient. This is where love animates what we suffer.”
Daryl Thuringer, communications director at St. Joseph’s Indian School, noted that the best way for him “to open myself to letting love guide my actions and decisions is to be more conscious of the impact my choices have on others and the world around me. I must admit that much of the time, I am more concerned about checking a task off my list than about how my work contributes to building the Body of Christ. But ultimately, I believe that my work is a reflection of my way of being the hands and feet of Christ in the world, making His love known to others.”
Daryl is pictured above on the right and Fr. Ricardo is on the left.
Click here to read the full January issue. As a Rule is a monthly electronic publication sent via email with reflections and prayers based on a theme taken from a passage of the SCJ Rule of Life. The next issue will be sent this week. Click here to be added to the mailing list.
A ” Prophecy of presence”
Today, February 2, is the 30th Annual World Day of Consecrated Life. To commemorate the date, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life released a letter on January 28 signed by the dicastery’s Prefect, Sr. Simona Brambilla; Pro-Prefect, Cardinal Ángel F. Card. Artime; and Secretary of the Dicastery, Sr. Tiziana Merletti. In the letter, they wrote of the “strong the prophetic dimension of consecrated life is as a ‘presence that remains’: alongside wounded peoples and individuals, in places where the Gospel is often lived in conditions of fragility and trial…
“Peace is not born from opposition, but from encounter, from shared responsibility, from the capacity for listening and synodal journeying, from love for all in the manner of the Gospel, according to which all are brothers and sisters. For this reason, consecrated life, when it remains close to the wounds of humanity without yielding to the logic of conflict, yet without renouncing speaking God’s truth about humanity and history, becomes—often without fanfare—an artisan of peace.
“Dear consecrated women and men, we thank you for your perseverance when the fruits seem distant, for the peace you sow even when it is not recognized.”
Click here to read the full letter.
In your prayers this week, please remember all those who live the call to consecrated life, as well as those who are discerning such a call in their own lives. Included in the photo above are SCJs and members of the Sisters of St. Francis Charitas in Mississippi.
Monthly leadership quotes from LEAD
LEAD is a leadership program based in Dehonian Spirituality. Each month, LEAD organizers share a “Monthly Minute” –– a quote from Fr. Leo John Dehon on leadership. The quotes are meant to help us reflect on leadership in all aspects of our lives, including work, home and the general community.
You are welcome to reuse or repost the quotes; you can download the image below by clicking on it. CLICK HERE to learn more about LEAD retreats.
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