News & Events | June 29, 2026
Independence Day 2026
Lord Jesus,
as we commemorate the 250th anniversary
of the signing of the Declaration of Independence,
we pray:
Ecce Venio:
that we maintain the availability
to surrender to God’s will.
Adveniat Regnum Tuum:
that we never turn our backs
on the call to bring social justice, peace,
and the reign of the Sacred Heart into the world.
And Sint Unum:
that we may continue to strive
for the ideals of the country’s founders
who proposed – 250 years ago –
the original motto of the new nation:
“E pluribus unum.”
Out of many, may we be one.
Amen.
Please note that the Provincial Offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday (July 2-3) for Independence Day. Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
A new session of ECS begins!
The Summer 2026 session of the English and Culture Studies program began last week at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. This year’s cohort includes students from Brazil (7), Mexico (1), Argentina (1), Poland (1) and Madagascar (1).
Click here to view a few photos from the first days of the session, including Saturday’s “Mass on the Kayak” at Dehon House. Celebrated by Fr. Ziggy Morawiec, SCJ, who noted his 36th anniversary of priestly ordination on June 13, “Mass on the Kayak” harkens back to Pope John Paul II. As a young priest in Poland, he loved taking youth groups on camping and kayaking trips during which he would often celebrate Mass using an overturned canoe or kayak as the altar. Members of the Polish Catholic Community in Plainfield, IL, joined SCJs for the Mass.
Our thanks to Br. Andy Gancarczyk, SCJ, ECS residential director, for sharing the pics!
Transfer
Fr. Guy Bertrand Wabo, SCJ, who has been a part of the Dehonian community in Canada for several years, officially became a member of the region on June 28. Welcome, eh?
Update on Fr. Ralph
Fr. Greg Speck, SCJ, local superior of the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park, FL, writes with an update on Fr. Ralph Intranuovo, SCJ. Fr. Ralph has been treated for a variety of concerns, most notably, a hip replacement. “Fr. Ralph is doing well,” wrote Fr. Greg. “The hip replacement surgery went well. HIs orthopedic surgeon confirms that everything looks great. The wound is healed, and the pain in the leg is diminished. He is walking short distances with the walker. He is currently at Menorah Life. This is a large campus with independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care. Fr. Ralph has a private room in the rehab section of the skilled nursing facility.
“We hope it won’t be long before he has enough mobility to return home.”
Birthdays
Those celebrating birthdays in July include the United States of America (250 years old on July 4!), Fr. Bill Marrevee on July 5, Fr. Johanes Yuliwan Maslim and Dn. Long Nguyen on July 15, Fr. Richard Woodbury and Fr. Willyans Prado Rapozo on July 19, Fr. Dominic Peluse on July 22, Fr. Vien Nguyen on July 27 and Fr. Peter McKenna on July 29. Happy birthday!!
Dehonian Associates in Texas
On June 14, Fr. Henry Nguyen, SCJ, received the commitments and recommitments of several Dehonian Associates at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Houston. They include three new associates (Ana Montes, Carlos Montes, and Marissa Montenegro), and two continuing associates (James P. McCollom, Jr. and Pamela Sue McCollom). Please keep them in prayer.
Please remember
+ Fr. Sérgio José Hemkemeier, a member of the North Brazilian Province, died on June 28. He was born on May 15, 1953, and was 73 years old. He made his first vows in 1976 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1982.
Remembering Fr. Frank
“Frank, we celebrate you,” said Fr. Richard MacDonald, SCJ, referring to his classmate, Fr. Frank Wittouck, SCJ. Fr. Mac was the homilist last week’s Mass of Christian Burial for Fr. Frank, who died on June 20. “Our community is blessed that you belonged to us and we to you. And so, we pray for you, Frank. Well done, good and faithful servant. You gave your all, and may you now receive way more than you ever expected.”
Click here to read Fr. Mac’s full homily. Fr. Mac and fellow classmate, Fr. Tony Russo, SCJ, were the primary concelebrants of the Funeral Mass, alongside Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ.
Click here to view photos from funeral.
“Let us not allow our prayer to become a sterile rite”
As noted previously, Fr. Martino Capelli, SCJ, an Italian priest martyred during World War II, will be beatified on September 27. On June 28, Fr. Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú, SCJ, superior general, published a letter to the Dehonian Family, reflecting on the Fr. Capelli in light of today’s realities.
“As we celebrate his martyrdom, we cannot remain indifferent before the conflicts and wars that today, in so many parts of the world, continue to sow death and division,” wrote Fr. General. “His [Fr. Martino Capelli’s] witness is a precious occasion to sharpen our gaze upon society. We are moved to question ourselves about the sufferings of our brothers and sisters and to take upon ourselves the wounds of the world, so that our Dehonian spirituality may be translated into a concrete commitment to justice and reconciliation: “By animating in this way all that we are, all that we do and suffer in the service of the Gospel, our love, through our participation in the work of reconciliation, heals humanity, reunites it in the Body of Christ, and consecrates it for the Glory and Joy of God” (Cst. 25)…
“I therefore urge you to reinvigorate this essential element of our identity: prayer that becomes intercession and commitment to peace and reconciliation through concrete gestures born from the heart. Every act of charity, however small, resounds in eternity. Let us not allow our prayer to become a sterile rite; rather, let us once again feel the heartbeat of the world in our communities, in our apostolate, and in our mission.”
Click here to read the letter in full on the general website.
What is the “Open Side”?
“For me, the ‘open side’ of Christ means that His love is always welcoming,” wrote Fr. Agustinus Guntoro, SCJ, in the June issue of As a Rule. “It crosses boundaries: culture, language, and even religion. It challenges me to be more open, to be available, and to receive others as they are. At the same time, the ‘pierced heart’ reminds me that love is not easy. It asks me to give, to be patient, and sometimes to carry difficulties with others.
“To be a Dehonian, then, is a journey of allowing my heart to be shaped by this love. I am still learning. But I desire to live, as Saint Paul says, in faith in the Son who loved me first, and to make that love real in the places and people entrusted to me.”
Click here to read Fr. Guntoro’s full reflection. He is pictured above (middle, second row, glasses) with students in India.
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