Summer ministries
During the summer break, students in formation generally spend a few weeks in a province ministry or doing specialized studies. Today, Postulant Hung Pham and Frater Paul Phong Hoang, SCJ, head to South Dakota where they will work with the summer camp program at St. Joseph’s Indian School while also learning about SCJ ministries on the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Reservations. Except for a break to take part in the Province Assembly, they will be there until July 14.
First-year candidate Kenneth Anyanwu will be among those helping with ministries in northern Mississippi this summer, and Jacob Smith, another first-year candidate, will stay at Sacred Heart Monastery to assist with the ECS program (formerly, English as a Second Language). Over 50 students are expected to take part in this year’s summer sessions at SHSST. “This ministry opportunity excites me because I love learning about and working with other cultures,” said Jacob. “It’s really awesome to get to share stories about out different backgrounds and eat different foods and learn bits and pieces of new languages.”
Frater Huan Duy Pham, SCJ, a seminarian from the Vietnam District, will also remain at SHM for the summer. He will do his CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at Saint Camillus, a Milwaukee area health care and senior living facility. His program runs from May 28 to August 9. “Through CPE, I hope that in encountering the suffering I will be more sensitive to the needs of those around me and that my heart will grow as compassionate as the Heart of Jesus,” said Frater Huan. Frater Henry Nguyen, SCJ, will also do CPE this summer through Christus Santa Rosa Health System in San Antonio, Texas.
Soon after the Province Assembly Frater Long Nguyen, SCJ, leaves for Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, where he will take part in a Spanish-immersion program until August 2. Besides his studies, he will be attending Mass and praying the Liturgy of the Hours in Spanish. The program is through a Benedictine community.
New formators
While the students are busy with their summer programs, two new SCJ formators will be moving to Sacred Heart Monastery to get ready for the 2019-2020 academic year: Fr. Duy Nguyen and Fr. Joseph Dinh. Fr. Joseph will be coming from Rome, where he took part in the extended formator preparation program, and Fr. Duy will be leaving his ministry as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. During the Provincial Council meeting last week Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, expressed his gratitude to SCJ Frs. Bob Tucker and Tom Cassidy for their service with the formation program.
Winner of the 2019 Fr. Johnny Klingler Social Action Award
During its meeting last week, the Provincial Council endorsed the recommendation of the Province Justice, Peace and Reconciliation Commission to award this year’s Fr. Johnny Klingler Social Action Award to Barbara Graham, head of Catholic Charities Legal Services in Milwaukee.
Click here to view a video of her presentation at the 2017 Province Assembly.
The award is tentatively scheduled to be given during this year’s assembly.
Schedule note
There will be no Fridge Notes next Monday, May 27, due to the Memorial Day holiday; the Provincial Offices will be closed. And to our friends in the Canadian Region: happy Victoria Day today (May 20) as well as happy Journée nationale des patriotes (Patriots Day) in Quebec!
Please remember
Fr. Otto Seidel, a member of the BRM Province (Brazil), died May 17. He was born in 1934, professed in 1955 and ordained in 1960.
In Rome
Dn. David Nagel, SCJ, is in Rome for meetings of the General Finance Commission. The meetings began on May 18 and go until May 22, though Dn. David will leave a little early so that he can take part in the funeral arrangements for his brother-in-law.
Juan Guaidó visits SCJ parish in Caracas
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó visited the Dehonian parish of San Miguel Arcángel in Caracas on Friday, May 17. There, he prayed with the community and assisted with the donation of school supplies, food for the needy and medicine for the clinic affiliated with the parish.
Click here or on the image above to view a video about the visit (in Spanish) posted by the Spanish Province. The province has spearheaded relief efforts to assist the people of Venezuela. The US Province recently contributed $10,000 toward the Dehonian Aid Project, which has two primary focuses in Venezuela: helping children stay in school through tuition grants and providing drinking water to those who have little access to it, especially the elderly whose health is easily compromised by contaminated water.
The Priests of the Sacred Heart have been present in Venezuela since 1953. The current superior general, Fr. Carlos Luis Suarez Cordorniú, SCJ, was a member of the region prior to his election as superior general last year.
Upcoming council meetings
The council will next meet by conference call tomorrow, May 21, at 10:30 a.m. (Central). Future meeting dates:
June 3, 10:00 a.m. (conference call to review advancements in formation)
July 9-10
August 13-14
October 22-23
December 17-18
January 21-22
Also, on the evening of Wednesday, June 12 (during the Province Assembly), the administrations of the US Province and Canadian Region will gather for a meal and informal meeting.
June birthdays
Those celebrating birthdays in June include: Fr. Vincent Suparman (56) on June 5, Fr. Louis-Marie Kayamba Butari (63) on June 6, Fr. Ed Griesemer (89) on June 9, Fr. Roger Phaneuf (81) on June 12, Fr. Yvon Sheehy (69) on June 18, Fr. Nick Brown (77) on June 22, Fr. Paul Tennyson (76) on June 23, Br. Matt Miles (80) and Fr. Francis Vu Tran (43) on June 26, and Fr. J. Claude Bédard (79) on June 28. Happy birthday!
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