Open Hearts
From May 7-11, SCJs from Canada and the United States gathered at the Siena Center in Racine, WI, for the second of two Dehonian Retreats titled “Open Hearts / Cœur Overts.” The first was in suburban Toronto in August, 2017. The retreats were initiated by the North American councils during one of their joint meetings and focus on five themes from Dehonian Spirituality: God’s love, union with Christ, oblation, reparation and social spirituality. A third retreat will be held in August for those in formation.
Participants are pictured above. Click here to view more photos from the retreat.
Fr. Joe Doscher dies at 84
Fr. Joe Doscher, SCJ, died early this morning, May 14, in suburban Milwaukee. He was 84.
A native of Deans County, NJ, he served in Europe in the US Army for three years before beginning his discernment with the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians). He professed his first vows in 1966 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1973.
Fr. Joe’s first assignment was from 1973-76 at St. Cecilia parish in San Antonio. From 1977-79 he was at Holy Spirit parish in Hernando, MS, followed by approximately a dozen years of ministry in San Bernardino, CA.
From 1991-94 Fr. Joe was chaplain at Villa St. Francis in Milwaukee. He then joined the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park, FL. In 2012, Fr. Joe moved to Milwaukee and joined the Sacred Heart Community at SHML with residence at the Congregational Home. Two years prior to his death he celebrated his 50thanniversary of religious life.
Arrangements are pending.
Please remember
Br. Alfredo Engel, SCJ, a member of the South Brazilian Province, died May 6. He was born in 1938 and professed in 1958.
Congratulations!
Frater Huan Pham Duy, SCJ, a member of the Vietnamese District studying at SHSST, renewed his vows on Saturday, May 12. Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, was delegated by the district to receive his renewal. It took place during morning Mass in the St. Joseph’s Community chapel.
The Gift of the Eucharist
The Dehonian Associates Office is offering one-minute reflections on the Eucharist sent by email Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday throughout June. Taken from the writings of Fr. Leo John Dehon, they center on the “Gift of the Eucharist.”
Everyone who receives the Dehonian Spirituality e-publication will be added to the “Gift of the Eucharist” list. Click here to add others to the “Gift of the Eucharist” mailing list.
The electronic mailings will begin June 2 and conclude June 30.
Invitation reminder
The US Province has had a formation program in Chicago for 47 years; this summer, that program will move to Sacred Heart Monastery in Hales Corners, WI. Tomorrow, May 15, the community will have a commemoration of these years. Prayer will begin at 4:30 p.m. and a social will follow.
All SCJs are welcome to attend. However, if you plan to be there, Fr. Bob Tucker, SCJ asks that you let a member of the community know so that they have a sense of how many to plan on for the reception.
Click here to email Fr. Bob
125th anniversary
St. Joseph parish in Cherry Creek, SD, is celebrating its 125th anniversary (1893-2018) on Sunday, May 20. One of the first ministries of the Priests of the Sacred Heart in the United States, Dehonians served at the parish from 1924-2004.
Graduation day!
Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, graduates on Saturday, May 19, with his doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara in Berkeley, CA. He successfully defended his doctoral thesis on November 14. The title of his dissertation: “Extending the Boundaries of Gender and Ethnicity in the Wilderness: a Spatial Reading of the Ethiopian Eunuch Narrative in Acts 8:26-40.”
Click here to read more about the thesis.
Have you stopped for a visit?
The US Province has a new website: www.dehoniansusa.org (Dehonians USA). As noted last week, the site works well on a laptop or desktop computer but is specifically mobile-friendly, allowing a person to easily thumb through stories and resources on a smartphone.
Links for all sections of the site, as well as links to several external sites, can be found at the top of each page of the site. In the red bar are links to the Members section, Dehonian Social Justice, the US Province blog, the Canadian Regional blog, the province Facebook page and a secure donate button.
Below that is the site logo; click on it wherever you are in the website and it will bring you back to the homepage. Links to internal sections of the site follow in drop-down menus across the top of the page.
On the mobile site, these links appear in the Navigation Box in the upper right corner of the page (three red lines).
Scroll past the opening image on the homepage and there are four boxes with links to the weekly news (Fridge Notes), a feature story, a Meet Our Members section and Dehonian Spirituality. Further down the page is another vocation link, a link to online photo galleries and an interactive prayer section. The prayer section is found near the bottom of the homepage. Anyone will be welcome to share a prayer request in this moderated section of the site. Click here submit a request directly.
Questions about the site? Click here.
New postulator
A new postulator general has been named. Fr. Ramon Domínguez Fraile, SCJ, of the Spanish Province (Dehonianos España) replaces Fr. Jose Carlos Briñón, SCJ. He begins September 1.
SHSST fall symposium in the news
Milwaukee’s Catholic Herald published a story last week on Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology’s October 8-11 symposium on Pope Francis.
“Since he was elected and appointed the Bishop of Rome five years ago, Pope Francis has surprised Catholics,” reporter Madeline Zukowski. “With his humility and outspokenness in support of the poor and marginalized in society, he was dubbed the “People’s Pope,” and seems to favor a re-focused Church.
“Global scholars and Church leaders will come together Oct. 8-11 at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Franklin to discuss the leader of the worldwide Church in the international symposium ‘Discovering Pope Francis: Theological, Philosophical, Cultural and Spiritual Perspectives.’ The symposium will feature presentations and panel discussions on the pastoral theology of Francis, his European and Latin American roots, and his papacy today.
“’While the Pope tends to downplay the sophistication of his thought, a growing number of theologians are coming to realize that his papacy not only calls for a profound pastoral conversion of the Church, but also brings with it exciting and rich intellectual resources that can help bring new theological clarity to the relationship between doctrine and practice in everyday life,’ said Dr. Brian Yong Lee, an assistant professor of Sacred Scripture at Sacred Heart and the co-chairman of the Discovering Pope Francis symposium organizing committee.”
Click here to read the full article on the Catholic Herald website.
Provinical’s time
Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, starts the week in Houston where he has a visitation and will help with weekend ministry. On May 23, he has a meeting with the SHSST board and Provincial Council meetings June 5-6. June 16 is the diaconate ordination of Frater Juan Carlos Castañeda Rojas, June 18 is the Provincial Chapter and June 19-22 is the Province Election Assembly.
Let me buy you lunch!
Fr. Terry Langley, SCJ, pastor of St. Martin of Tours parish in Franklin, WI, leads the lunch line with students on retreat at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology last Friday.
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