Happy Independence Day!
A reminder: the Provincialate Offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday (July 3-4) to commemorate Independence Day. We’ll be back for a full day on Thursday, but then remember that several people take advantage of summer hours and are gone on Friday afternoon.
Also, we have a few new faces in the building. Jacquelyn Nasby is now the part-time administrative assistant at Vocation Central. She has an undergraduate degree in theater from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and is currently studying for a master’s in community psychology at Alverno College in Milwaukee.
Jacquelyn will be available at the office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On the other side of the building Mark Wenzel begins work today overseeing campus facilities management services. The province contracted with Sodexo, the company that provides food service to Sacred Heart Monastery/School of Theology and Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake, to oversee preventative, corrective and general maintenance as well as other services to the SCJs’ properties in the Milwaukee area. Mark’s office will be at the Provincialate.
Another ESL alumnus named bishop
On June 29 the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr. Claudio Dalla Zuanna, SCJ, vice-general of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, as archbishop of Beira in Mozambique. Fr. Claudio, 53, replaces Archbishop Pedro Goncalves, 75, who headed the Archdiocese of Beira since 1976 and submitted his resignation in January.
Fr. Claudio ministered in Mozambique from 1985 until he was elected to the General Council for the first time in 2003. He was reelected to his current term in 2009.
“When I came to the council I brought my experience of the Church and congregation from Africa,” he said in an interview in 2011. “Almost all of my priesthood had been in Africa, it is where I learned to be a priest.”
Fr. Claudio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian parents. As a boy he returned to Italy. He studied with the North Italian Province, professed his first vows in 1978 and was ordained in 1984.
He is also an alumnus of Sacred Heart School of Theology’s ESL program and the FIFTH ESL alum to be named a bishop. He follows, Bishop Antonio de Sousa Braga, Bishop Virginio Bressanelli, Bishop Adam Musialek, and Bishop Vilsom Basso
Upon hearing the news, Fr. Tom Cassidy, SCJ, sent the bishop-elect congratulations from the province, as well as a gift of $10,000 for his missionary diocese.
“Thank you for your generous gift,” Fr. Claudio wrote to Fr. Tom. “Please tell the province that I feel a huge gratitude for this, but even more so, for the opportunity that I had in getting to know the U.S. Province.”
During his first term as general councilor, Fr. Claudio was the general curia’s liaison to North America.
“When I was contacted for this mission as bishop, I had a long list of reasons of why I could say no, but I had also one, only one, to say yes: ‘Ecce Venio,’” Fr. Claudio continued. “I thought that this new call coming from the Church may be an expression of God’s will, so as an SCJ I couldn’t refuse.”
Click here to read more about the appointment and Fr. Claudio.
Speaking of ESL…
The summer ESL session begins this week with approximately 35 students from around the world. Staff include Kelly Komacki, coordinator of the program, Dominic Fendt and Denise Gallope, instructors. Fr. Ed Zemlik, SCJ, is the residential coordinator of ESL.
Changing of the guard
Fr. Jan de Jong, SCJ, is now officially RETIRED! He spent his last day as president-rector of Sacred Heart School of Theology on June 30. Msgr. Ross Schecterle is the new president rector.
Remembrance service in Lower Brule
On June 21, SCJs joined members of the Lower Brule community in South Dakota in an interfaith memorial service to honor two women who died a year earlier. Gwen Michalek, 56, and Ellen Wright, 61, were killed when they each –– from different directions –– drove into a 50-foot hole in the road caused by massive rains.
Gwen had been the long-time cook for the SCJ community in Lower Brule.
“A traditional Lakota spiritual leader led the smudging and other ceremonies at a memorial site near the spot where Ms. Michalek died,” said Fr. Joe Dean, SCJ. “I followed him, adapting a blessing that takes place at a cemetery.”
Two days later, the SCJs concelebrated a memorial Eucharist at St. Mary’s in Lower Brule. Later, Frs. Dean, Stephen Huffstetter and Bernie Rosinski joined the Michalek family for a meal with Lower Brule Sioux Tribe members.
Click here to view a video of the June 21 ceremony and read further details on the KELO website.
Welcome novices!
On June 28 the Provincial Council approved the request for entrance to the novitiate of Juan Carlos Casteñda Rojas and James Nguyen. The two will begin their novitiate in August; Fr. John Czyzynski, SCJ, will be their novice master.
Also approved were several SCJs for vow renewal: Fra. Luis Fernando Orozco Cardona, Br. Clay Diaz and Fra. Joseph Vu.
Click here to view pictures and brief biographies of the students, or paste the following in your web browser:
Please remember
Sr. Paul Gabriel, the sister of Br. Gabe Kersting, SCJ, died of kidney failure. Two weeks ago she made the decision to end dialysis, which she knew would lead to her death. She was 85 and was a member of the Sisters of Divine Providence since 1948. Br. Gabe is now the last surviving sibling of 10 children. Condolences may be sent to Br. Gabe at the Sacred Heart residence in Florida.
Fr. Johannes Wilhelmus van Rut, a member of the Dutch-Flemish Confederation, died June 29. He was in 1913, professed in 1937 and ordained in 1942.
Fr. Petrus Marinus Maria Neefs, a member of the North Brazilian Province, died June 25. He was born in 1929, professed in 1952 and ordained in 1957.
“Come and See” Mississippi
The province vocation office, in collaboration with SCJs in Mississippi and Sacred Heart Southern Missions, hosted a prospective candidate June 19-25 in northern Mississippi. Based on the popular “Come and See” weekends with the formation community, “it was a program introduced to help vocation seekers to better understand the spirituality, community life and mission of the SCJs,” said Br. Ray Kozuch, SCJ, province vocation director. Br. Long Nguyen, SCJ, of the vocation office, assisted with the week. “The welcome of the local mission and its cooperation was very effective. The SCJ community in prayer, welcome and meals was exceptional. The program is more flexible to the schedules of those who need to take time off from work or studies to participate.”
Updates
Fr. Jim Walters, SCJ, left on Saturday for Avila, Spain, where he is taking a month-long course in Spanish mysticism to kick off his six-month sabbatical. Once he returns he will go to San Antonio to take part in a program at the Oblate School of Theology.
During his absence Fr. Wayne Jenkins, SCJ, is serving as administrator of the Sacred Heart Monastery Community. Dr. Pat Russell will oversee the academic concerns of SHST’s Hispanic Studies program.
SHSM has a new website
Sacred Heart Southern Missions is known for its work of rehabbing homes of the elderly and poor in northern Mississippi. In recent months, SHSM applied its rehab skills to its own home, or at least its home on the internet. Click here to visit SHSM’s updated website.
Sold!
The 37th Street property in Milwaukee was sold on June 25 to the Society of the Divine Savior (Salvatorians).
Happy birthday!
Those celebrating birthday’s in July include: Fr. Bill Marrevee (76) on July 5, Br. Long Nguyen (33) on July 15, Fr. Richard Woodbury (68) on July 19, Fr. Dominic Peluse (66) on July 22, Fr.Vince McDonald (81) on July 25, Fr. Vien Nguyen (39) on July 27, and Fr. Peter McKenna (63) on July 29.
See you next week!
The province assembly kicks off on July 9 with the Jubilee Celebrations at 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, July 10-11, will be full days at the assembly (with an on-site Comedy Sportz performance on Tuesday evening). Thursday, July 12 will be a half day.
If you haven’t made room arrangements, contact Marlene at the front desk at Sacred Heart Monastery/School of Theology. Call: 414-425-8300 and hit “0.”
Provincial’s time
Fr. Tom Cassidy, SCJ, is in Milwaukee until leaving for the General Conference and Major Superiors meeting in Germany. Fr. Cassidy will be in Europe July 14-26. As with general chapters, reports and photos from the conference will be posted on the general website. The reports will also be sent via email to SCJs in North America, and anyone else who would like to receive them. You do not need to be an SCJ to be on the mailing list. If you would like to add someone to the list, click here.
Upcoming meetings and events:
July 3-4: Provincialate Offices closed for Independence Day.
July 9-12: Province Assembly, Hales Corners
July 16-21: General Conference, Neustadt, Germany
July 23-25: SCJ Major Superiors Meeting, Neustadt, Germany
August 28-29: Provincial Council Meeting
October 11-12: Provincial Council Meeting
October 12: Dedication of Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake
December 18-19: Provincial Council Meeting
2013:
January 29-30: Provincial Council Meeting
March 19-20: Provincial Council Meeting
April 8-9: Mission Education Conference, St. Joseph’s Indian School
April 30 – May 1: Provincial Council Meeting (budgets)
Week of June 3: Province Election Assembly.
