Vocation Office on the road
Over the weekend Fr. Quang Nguyen, SCJ, province vocation director, along with Fr. Duy Nguyen, SCJ (formator), Fr. Josimar Baggio, SCJ (ECS student from the South Brazilian Province) and Alfonso Pizano (SCJ candidate) staffed a booth at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. RECongress is the largest annual gathering of its kind in the world; it began in 1956 as an institute for religious education teachers. Since then, RECongress has grown to include people of all ministries, vocations, and faiths. This year’s event began with a youth day on Thursday which was followed by a weekend of workshops, speakers and prayer. It was an opportunity for representatives from the Priests of the Sacred Heart to share a bit about themselves, and to speak to young people who are discerning a vocation to religious life.
Budget reminder
The Provincial Treasurer’s office reminds budget preparers that the budgets are due on April 8. Community houses are to provide one copy of their budget either as a hard copy or as an electronic file to Kevin Stanke (provtreas3@usprovince.org). Ministries and other offices are to provide 15 print copies of their budget to the Provincial Treasurer’s office. Questions can be directed to Kevin Stanke, John Kuxhause or Dn. David Nagel.
Livestream of Funeral Mass
As noted last week, Fr. Johnny Klingler, SCJ, died on Saturday, March 12. Funeral arrangements will take place at Sacred Heart Monastery / Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology on Saturday, March 26. The Reception of the Body and Wake will begin at 9:30; the Mass for Christian Burial will be at10:30 a.m. CST.
The Mass will be livestreamed. Click here or on the image above to access the link. Click here to read more about Fr. Johnny.
Please remember
+ Fr. Adolfo Urbina Rioja, a member of the Spanish Province, died on March 18. He was born in 1945, professed in 1962 and ordained in 1971.
+ Br. Lucas van Berlo, a member of the Dutch Region, died on March 19. He was born in 1947, made his first profession in 1967 and his final profession in 1971.
Keep in prayer
Callie (Alice) Brower, a sister of Fr. Tom Cassidy, SCJ, suffered several strokes that resulted in heart damage. She was initially placed in acute hospice care; however, she is doing slightly better so her status will be reevaluated today. She may move from acute to non-acute hospice care outside of the hospital. Please keep the family in your prayers.
Welcome!
Last week the Canadian Region welcomed Fr. Antonius Suedi Oki Kuncero, SCJ, from the Indonesian Province. He will spend a few days in Toronto before heading to Montréal to join the SCJ community there, where he will start French language studies and minister to the Indonesian Catholic community in the area.
Fr. Oki is 40, professed first vows in 2002 and was ordained in 2010. His contact information is in the online North American personnel directory.
History fact
The anniversary of Fr. Leo John Dehon’s baptism is on Thursday, March 24. He was baptized 10 days after his birth on March 14, 1843.
“Rejoice in God’s love and mercy!”
“Rejoice in God’s love and mercy,” writes Bridget Martin in yesterday’s Dehonian Associates’ reflection for Lent. “The readings for the Third Sunday of Lent show us that despite her flaws, the Samaritan woman recognized Jesus’s presence, forgiveness and love…
“This gospel is wonderful and inspiring for the middle of Lent. It should bring great anticipation and excitement for catechumens preparing to join the Church at Easter and for those of us preparing to re-confirm our baptismal promise at Easter. It is a time of new life. Jesus seeks out a woman who has not been faithful in many ways. He goes to someone who needs him most. This serves as a reminder that at our worst, Jesus comes for us. As we continue through the final weeks of Lent, let us be like the woman at the well who turns from false idols to rejoice in God’s love and mercy. She goes out to share the joy and new life she has found with others. Perhaps like children who easily tell Jesus what they have done or failed to do, we too might find joy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lenten Season as we turn from our old ways to a new life.”
Click here to read Bridget’s full reflection.
As noted previously, the Dehonian Associates Committee is sending – via email – reflections from SCJs, lay Dehonians and co-workers each Sunday throughout the Lent and Easter seasons. Click here to SUBSCRIBE.
Bridget Martin is principal of Sacred Heart School in Southaven, MS (Sacred Heart Southern Missions).
News from Ukraine
“I thank you for your prayers, because this is the most important means to find peace,” says Siergiej Babic in an English translation of a video recently posted on the congregational website. Siergiej is a Dehonian candidate from Ukraine.
“Unfortunately you know that my homeland is being attacked in a brutal way,” he continues. “We are exterminated by Russians for one reason only because we are Ukrainians and Ukraine exists.
“My story is the same as many other stories. I left Irpin city to the northwest of Kiev to help the Ukrainian Red Cross because I am also a medical student. There in Irpen is our parish, where some students lived. Day after day these poor people are suffering terribly under the bombs.
“There is no water, but there is the source of the water of life. No electricity, but there is the strong energy of freedom and solidarity. No heating, but there is the fire of hope.
“And it is not normal that young people have to die for an absurd war. We have to travel to stay alive. And you could come here to see how fantastic my homeland is. I could make a friendship with you; instead, that’s how it is. To finish my story I would like to read the words from the book of the prophet Jeremiah:
“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:7-8)
“Thank you so much for your presence and your prayers. We are strong and we are close.”
Click here to see Siergiej’s video message, as well as access other images and news about Ukraine and the many people who seek to assist its people.
Pictured above: Dehonians of Pierszotrawieńsk (Poland) have organized the transportation of humanitarian aid to assist Ukrainian refugees, including food and medical products, blankets, sleeping bags and clothes. The supplies are being transferred to the places most affected by the war, namely in the vicinity of Kiev, Irpień, Zytomiez and Nowograd Wolynski.
Click here to make a donation to Ukrainian relief through our US Province Development Office.
St. Joseph’s named top non-profit
St. Joseph’s Indian School was recently named a “2022 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews of charities and nonprofits. St. Joseph’s is one of the SCJs’ longest running ministries in the United States.
The rating and number of reviews that St. Joseph’s Indian School received from volunteers, donors and aid recipients are the basis for the Top-Rated Nonprofit Award. One reviewer writes, “I have supported St. Joseph’s Indian School since 2003 because they not only teach Native American children the skills they need to succeed in modern society, but [also] educate them in the traditional ways of their culture, as well as the near-extinct Lakota language. The school is also about more than education: It provides health care to the students, help for abused women, counseling for each student … and during the summer a bookmobile that travels to the reservations and a day camp.”
GreatNonprofits is the leading website where people share stories about their personal experiences with more than 1.6 million charities and nonprofits. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards are the only awards for nonprofits determined by those with direct experience with charities as donors, volunteers and aid recipients. Click here to view the complete list of 2022 Top-Rated Nonprofits.
Pictured above: Tristan Marshall, a first-grader at St. Joseph’s.
Closing photo
The Houston community poses for a quick photo during last week’s St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Pictured here: SCJs Fr. Tim Gray, Fr. Rafael Querobin, Fr. Richard Johnston and Fr. Jerzy Mordalski. The man behind the camera? Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, who was in Houston for his first provincial visitation. The next visitation will be the Sacred Heart Community at SHML beginning on April 11.
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