Province Assembly and Jubilees
The majority of the province membership will be in Hales Corners this week for the summer assembly. The gathering kicks off with the jubilee celebrations this evening (July 11) at 4 p.m. at Sacred Heart Monastery.
Commemorating 60 years of vows with the community are Fathers Tom Fix, Tom Lind, Vincent McDonald, Richard Johnston and Charles Yost. Br. John Monek and Bishop Joseph Potocnak celebrate their 50th anniversary. Added to the list of jubilarians are Fathers Vincent Suparman and Donatus Kusmartono from Indonesia. Both are in Hales Corners for study.
Photos from the ceremony will be posted this week. Check the province website and Facebook page.
The first full day of the assembly will start on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. with morning prayer in the main chapel of Sacred Heart Monastery. The first session of the assembly will be at the Provincialate Conference Center at 9:15 a.m.
The assembly will end with lunch on Thursday, July 14.
Plane crash in Congo
On July 8, two SCJs from the Congolese Province were injured in a plane crash that killed 74. Fr. Jean-Paul Masudi Tityenga, just coming back from Rome, where he was attending the general formation course, and Vervein Mtoro Litekya, a student returning from theological studies in Cameroon, were among the 44 reported survivors of the crash.
Both have been hospitalized with burns but are said to be stable.
According to news reports, the plane, a Boeing 727 belonging to Hewa Bora airline, crashed near the airport in Kisangani when trying to land in adverse weather conditions. The plane went down in a wooded area approximately 200 yards from the airport.
Please keep these men, as well as all affected by the accident, in your prayers.
Also keep in prayer
Fr. Joe Dean continues a good recovery following a thyroid operation; however, his doctor suggested that he not yet take on lengthy travel so he has cancelled his plans to come to Hales Corners for this week’s assembly. He will remain in South Dakota.
The mother of Fr. Ed Zemlik had surgery on July 4 following a fall she took the day before. She is now in recovery and rehab.
Please remember
Fr. Paul Baeten, a member of the Dutch-Flemish Confederation, died July 8. He was born in 1928, professed in 1949, and ordained in 1956.
Fr. Dehon was…
Each year St. Martin of Tours parish in Franklin, Wis., holds an essay contest in which they challenge eighth graders to write about Fr. Leo John Dehon, the SCJ founder. Contest winners earn a modest scholarship.
Patrick Rydeski was this year’s winner and he read his essay at the eighth grade graduation.
“Fr. Dehon also had a love for children, and the priests here do too,” wrote Patrick. “The priests here care about us. They ask us how we are doing, and they sometimes visit the classrooms to give us a mini-lesson on religion. The priests here teach us the Word of God, and they are not afraid to share it openly. St. Martin of Tours is a place where you are accepted for who you are.”
Click here to read the full text.
The Dehon Award was one of several that Patrick received at graduation.
Reminder
On Friday, July 15, the Villa Maria community will hold a “Good-Bye Prayer Service for Villa Maria,” at Villa Maria, starting at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments to follow. All are welcome to attend, but if you do plan to come, please let Fr. Jim Brackin know. You can call him at 414-520-7947.
SCJs are also welcome to join the community for dinner at 5:30 p.m. prior to the service. Again, if you plan to be there, contact Fr. Jim.
Guest bloggers
In recent weeks a few staff members of St. Joseph’s Indian School have been stepping in as guest bloggers on Fr. Stephen Huffstetter’s blog. Fr. Steve is executive director of St. Joseph’s Indian School.
“Hello and happy summer to all! My name is Julie, I am the Family Service Counselor here at St. Joseph’s Indian School,” writes the latest blogger. “I started my journey with St. Joseph’s about 10 years ago. When I first came to St. Joseph’s I worked as a houseparent with 6th-8th grade girls. The next year, I moved over to work with 6th-8th grade boys. After my first two years at St. Joseph’s, I moved into the Clinical Services Department, which is responsible for admissions, counseling, guidance classes and many other things. Today, I work as a Family Service Counselor with 6th-12th grade girls…
“Summers are a lot of fun for the Clinical Services Department because we get to travel to various parts of the state to see our current students/families and we also get to meet great new families who would like to have their children attend St. Joseph’s Indian School. The hardest part of admissions is having to tell families all our spots are full and we will not be able to accept their child right away, but will keep them on the waiting list.
“It’s hard to believe it is the middle of July already. Our kids will be coming back before we know it, and we are all excited to see them and have them here with us again!”
Click here to read entries from other members of St. Joseph’s staff.
Provincial’s time
Fr. Tom Cassidy will be the main presider at tonight’s Province Jubilee Celebration and then join members of the province at this week’s assembly. He will also be in the Milwaukee area for much of next week.
Upcoming meetings and events:
July 11: Province Jubilee Celebration, 4 p.m. Mass
Week of July 11: Province Assembly, Hales Corners, Wis.
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.
