We live in hope
“We, Dehonians, represented by seventy-eight Chapter members, have gathered in Rome from 16th June to 5th July 2024 to celebrate the XXV General Chapter,” begins the Final Message from General Chapter delegates. “With a synodal spirit and openness to the Holy Spirit, we have committed to listening to each other, sharing the ‘joys and sorrows’ of our Entities around the world. Sint Unum makes cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity a challenging, but truly enriching experience and makes our hearts beat in unison with the Master’s Heart…
“We conclude our Chapter under the symbol of hope. We are peregrinantes in spem. Hope is symbolized by the desire of continuity of the governance mission, expressed in the well-supported re-election of the Superior General, Fr. Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú, and his Council, which has undergone a certain renewal with the election of three new members. The Chapter members ask the whole Congregation to pray for the General Government in a spirit of commitment and belonging.
“Hope comes from the vitality of vocations in Asia, Africa and South America, and the missionary openness of various organizations in a process of constant collaboration. The sharing of confreres working in the new Dehonian communities of Netherlands and Norway has brought new encouragement in knowing that there is hope to revive Christianity with our charism in societies that have long been secularized.
“We live hope in the form of beatitude, without being misled by apparent success or despaired by failures. We orient ourselves to the Master’s Cross and contemplate his open Heart, asking him for the courage to carry our daily cross.”
Click here to read the full Final Message.
Chapter delegates are pictured at the top of the page.
Prayers for the Philippines
Many areas in the Philippines have been affected by Typhoon Gaemi (known as “Carina “ locally) and flooding from monsoons, including our two Dehonian parish communities of San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish and San Roque Parish. Metro Manila has declared a state of emergency.
Please keep the people of the Philippines in your prayers.
Eucharistic missionary journey
Fr. Henry Nguyen, SCJ, province vocation director, wrote a reflection about his personal Eucharistic missionary journey. He and other members of our vocation team recently took part in the National Eucharistic Congress (National Eucharistic Revival) in Indianapolis July 17-21.
“My Eucharistic Missionary Journey has been a long time in the making since I joined the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM.net) when I was eight years old, growing up in California,” wrote Fr. Henry. “I have always attributed the VEYM for my vocation to the priesthood and religious life. At eight I could barely comprehend what it meant to receive the Eucharist and what my journey of faith would look like, but it led me to where I am today…
“In my mid-20s, I found myself unfulfilled in my career and believed that I was made for more. I wasn’t sure of what that meant, but I wanted to give God a chance and see if the vocation to the priesthood and religious life was meant for me. This led me to discern with the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians). I fell in love with the community because of its communal devotion to the Eucharist and the Dehonians’ service to the poor, the outcasts, and the marginalized. Our founder, Fr. Dehon, stated that our mission ‘in a spirit of love and oblation, entailed Eucharistic adoration’ (CST 31).
“This sense of mission doesn’t only mean foreign missions but simply to go out into the world to proclaim God’s love.
“A few weeks ago, I had the privilege in taking part in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in a way I couldn’t have imagined. The pilgrimage made a stop at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, and I was asked to assist with the benediction and with a part of the procession towards St. Martin of Tours…
“This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN, promoting our religious community in the Exhibit Hall of the Indiana Convention Center. I joined 50,000 other attendees from all parts of the world. It was beautiful to witness and to be part of a Eucharistic movement where we gathered for the Holy Mass, and spent time exploring our first vocation, the universal call to holiness. I think our Constitution No. 28 speaks of what happened this past weekend where ‘eager for the Lord’s intimacy, we search for the signs of His presence in the lives of people, where His saving love is active.’
“His presence is right in front of us, in the Eucharist and in each other.”
Click here to read Fr. Henry’s full reflection.
Video
Our vocation team shares a short video from their experience at the National Eucharistic Congress. Click here or on the image above to view it.
Please remember
+ Fr. Primo Corbelli, a member of the Argentine-Uruguay Province, died on July 25. He was born in 1937, professed in 1953 and ordained on June 23, 1963.
Memorial for Br. Bernie
On Thursday, July 25, the province held a Memorial Service at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake for Br. Bernard Taube, SCJ. Br. Bernie died on June 26 and was interred near his family home in Minnesota. At the end of the Mass, several SCJs shared their memories of Br. Bernie, especially from his days working in the formation communities.
Click here to view photos from the liturgy.
Obituary for former SCJ
Mark Faris, a former SCJ who professed vows in 1968, died on June 13. Click here to read a remembrance written by David Schimmel, former director of Dehonian Associates for the US Province. To access the text, click on “Life and Mementos” in the upper, middle portion of the webpage.
Keep in prayer
Last week Fr. Terry Langley, SCJ, had heart surgery to replace his aortic valve and to do one vessel bypass. He is said to be in good spirits and recovering well.
Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ, is scheduled to have a cardiac test today.
Please keep both SCJs in your prayers.
Vow Renewals
The formation community at Sacred Heart Monastery invites you to the Vow Renewal Ceremony of:
Frater Hung Pham, SCJ (4th renewal)
Frater Truc Tran, SCJ (4th renewal)
Frater Thuan Nguyen, SCJ (4th renewal)
Frater Michael Wodarczyk, SCJ (3rd renewal)
Frater Jonathan Nguyen, SCJ (3rd renewal)
Frater Jacob Smith, SCJ (3rd renewal)
The renewals will take place during Mass at St. Joseph Chapel at SHM on Monday, August 12, at 5:00 p.m. Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, will preside. The anniversary of Fr. Leo John Dehon’s death will also be commemorated.
There will be appetizers and dinner in the community recreation room following the ceremony.
If you plan to attend, RSVP to Fr. Joseph-Thien Dinh, SCJ, via text of phone at 832-818-1902.
You are also invited to the vow renewal of Frater Jonathan Nguyen Vuong, SCJ, at Queen of Peace Church in Olive Branch, MS. It will take place at the 10:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday, August 11. Fr. Jack Kurps, SCJ, will preside. Lunch will follow.
St. Joseph’s hosts equine therapy training
St. Joseph’s Indian School hosted a national training session for the OK Corral Equine Therapy Red Series from July 9-11. The OK Corral Series is a program that educates, promotes and supports professionals in equine-assisted psychotherapy and equine-assisted learning. Click here to read more about the program.
Director of Counseling Services Robyn Knecht expressed gratitude for the program, especially the fact that St. Joseph’s was chosen to host the recent workshop. “I have had the opportunity to participate in this training elsewhere, and I saw this as an important opportunity for our staff. It is our pleasure to share our facility with others who also can benefit.”
Attendees included 10 of the school’s counseling staff, three attendees from the nearby Lower Brule Reservation and seven others from around the country.
The focus of the July session was “Crisis to Confidence: Turning ‘Bad’ into ‘O.K.’
Click here to read more on the Lakota Times website
Another in a series…
Br. Andy Gancarczyk, SCJ, shares another in a series of stories from Fr. Tony Russo, SCJ. This month’s is titled “Kids do the darndest things.” Click here or on the image below to view it.
Click here to access all of the videos in the series.
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