News & Events | May 18, 2026
May crowning in Mississippi
Last week’s May Crowning service at Sacred Heart School in Southaven, MS, included the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard and a beautiful solo of Ave Maria sung by Fr. Christian Hoper, SCJ, prior to celebrating Mass with the school community. During the Mass, Dcn. Hung Pham, SCJ, spoke about Our Lady of Fatima and the importance of prayer and good works.
Click here to view a video of the opening. Be sure to have your sound on so that you can hear Fr. Christian’s voice!
On the road!
Please remember
+ Fr. Edoardo Savoi, a member of the North Italian Province, died on May 12. He was born in 1927, professed in 1949 and ordained in 1955.
+ Fr. Carlos Jorge dos Santos, a member of the Brazil – Sao Paulo Province, died on May 13. He was born in 1951, professed his first vows in 1980 and was ordained in 1986.
+ Fr. Stefan Achinger, a member of the Polish Province, died on May 17. He was born in 1934, professed in 1957 and ordained in 1964.
+ Mark Hoffman, the brother-in-law of Br. Frank Presto, SCJ, died May 17 of cancer
ECS graduates
As we noted last week, Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology held its commencement exercises on Friday, May 8. However, that wasn’t the only graduation ceremony to take place that day at SHSST. Just a few hours earlier, students in the English and Culture studies program celebrated the end of their semester of studies. Frater Alexandre Caetano, SCJ, will now head to Macau to begin his seminary studies with the international Dehonian formation community there, and after a short vacation, Fr. Tecio Andrade and Fr. Rodrigo Bento, SCJ, will return to Rome to continue their studies.
“May the Lord bless and guide each of you in the exciting path that lies ahead,” said Br. Andy Gancarczyk, SCJ, residential director of the ECS program. “I pray that Rodrigo, Tecio, and Alexandre carry precious memories from our time together here at Sacred Heart. Thank you for the fellowship, the laughter, the prayers, and the growth we shared. May the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom, courage, and joy and may you remain faithful, humble servants of God, shining His light wherever He sends you. Congratulations, dear brothers!”
SHSST’s English and Culture Studies program is a unique English learning experience designed especially for men and women preparing for religious ministry and studies. Seminarians, priests, religious brothers and sisters come from throughout the world to take part in the program. Click here for more information.
Pictured above: Fr. Rodrigo, Frater Alexandre and Fr. Tecio with their instructors, Maripat Zacher and Vicki Johnson.
St. Joseph’s raises awareness on MMIR Day
May 5th is commemorated as “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Day in the US and Canada. Begun in 2017, the day is also referred to as “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives,” and similar names which bring attention to the fact that indigenous women in North America are victims of violence at a higher rate than other populations. Click here to learn more.
St. Joseph’s Indian School honored the day through education, bringing in a representative from South Dakota Homeland Security to talk to students (divided into age groups) about internet safety. Angela Waldner from SDHS reminded students to be careful about what they share online and explained that even when something is deleted, it never truly disappears because it becomes part of a person’s digital footprint. “The internet can be used for some really great things,” Angela said, “but sometimes it can be used for things that can get us in trouble.”
Looking ahead
A few dates that you may want to include on your calendar:
June 1-4: Province Retreat – If you have questions about the retreat, please contact a member of the Planning Committee: Fr. Floribert Bulo Dhelo, SCJ, Fr. Christian Hoper, SCJ, Br. Duane D. Lemke, SCJ, or Fr. Rafael Querobin, SCJ).
June 4: Province Jubilee Celebrations – SCJ jubilarians include Fr. Richard Johnston, (75 years); Fr. John Czyzynski (70 years); Fr. Joseph Dean, Fr. Anthony Kluckman and Fr. Greg Speck (60 years); Fr. Charles Brown and Br. Frank Presto (50 years); and Fr. Rafael Querobin and Fr. Jean Claude Mbassi (25 years)
June 9-10: Provincial Council meeting
June 11: Esprit de Coeur reunion – Questions? Contact Monica Misey
June 12: Feast of the Sacred Heart
August 4-5: Provincial Council meeting
August 15: Priesthood ordination of Deacons Long Nguyen and Hung Pham (Houston; invitations will go out soon)
September 16: Dehon Lecture with Bishop José Ornelas Carvalho
September 19: 50th Anniversary Powwow St. Joseph’s Indian School
September 22-23: Provincial Council meeting
October 27-28: North American Councils meeting (Toronto)
November 17-18: Provincial Council meeting
“Without God’s grace I could accomplish nothing”
During the recent gathering of SCJ bishops in Spain, Bishop Ronilton Souza de Araújo, former provincial superior of the Brazil – Sao Paulo Province and now the bishop of the Diocese of São Raimundo Nonato (Brazil), reflected on his mission as a bishop. Click here to access the interview. The bishop speaks in Portuguese, but there are English subtitles.
Bishop Ronilton says that he “feels happy, encouraged, full of hope, despite the great challenges we face in this ministry, and I truly believe that all of this is God’s grace… without God’s grace I could accomplish nothing. This motivates me every day, especially since there is genuinely a lot of work, a lot of service…
“There is something I believe in very much: the challenge of bringing about a work of reparation. I feel that God has called me to this mission because everywhere there is a need for reparation. It is true, it is necessary everywhere, but perhaps even more so among priests. So, I try to bring my experience and my intimacy with Christ, because I deeply believe in this project, in this process of restoring relationships to be more human, more filled with love and forgiveness. And without an encounter with Christ, this is impossible.”
Happy Memorial Day!
The Provincial Offices will be closed next week Monday, May 25, for the Memorial Day holiday. There will be no Fridge Notes published that day. The next Fridge Notes will be on June 1. Click here to send news items.
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