Celebrating the month of Mary
On May 20th, Dehonian benefactors joined the parish family at Our Lady of Guadalupe Houston for a special prayer service in honor of Mary. Rosaries were distributed and blessed by Fr. Dominic Peluse, SCJ; Adoration was led by Fr. Rafael Querobin, SCJ (OLG pastor), Fr. Fabio dos Santos, SCJ, Fr. George Mordalski, SCJ and Fr. Richard Johnston, SCJ. The OLG school choir performed.
Fr. Dominic gave a short presentation on Fr. Dehon’s life and spirituality and Fr. Rafael invited those present to join him in starting a local Dehonian Associates group.
“It was beautiful to see the school and parish community together with SCJ donors praying and sharing about how Dehonian spiritually has impacted our lives,” said Fr. Rafael.
A continental breakfast followed. Among those who took part was a couple celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.
This is the 100th anniversary of the Dehonian presence in the United States, as well as the 50th anniversary of the province’s ministry at OLG, Houston. There will be a jubilee celebration of both, as well as the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the OLG church on September 2.
Click here to view more photos on the province Facebook page.
Remembering and giving thanks
On May 15, Fr. David Szatkowski, SCJ, joined the Mayor of Tunica, Tunica’s Police Chief, the County Sheriff, and chaplains from both departments as they honored the men and women of Mississippi law enforcement who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The commemoration of Peace Officer Memorial Day took place at the Rivergate Amphitheater in Tunica’s town square.
Fr. David offered the Peace Officer’s Prayer and Benediction at the close of the service. He is the Volunteer Chaplain for the Southaven Police Department and the area representative for the Mississippi International Conference of Chaplains.
Please keep those who serve as Peace Officers in your prayers as they continue to serve our communities.
Centennial information
As we have noted previously, July 16 and 17 are the dates of the Centennial Celebrations in Wisconsin. Sunday is for benefactors and SCJ alumni; Monday is the “family” celebration which will include coworkers and other collaborators.
In Lower Brule, SD, the actual birthplace of the Dehonian presence in the United States, a Centennial Celebration will take place on Sunday, July 30, beginning at 10:00 a.m. with a Native American smudging ceremony followed by a procession with an Honor Song and Mass. Bishop Peter Muhich of Rapid City will be the main celebration and Fr. Stefan Tertünte, SCJ, provincial superior of the German Province, will be the homilist.
All SCJs are very welcome to attend the Lower Brule celebration. If you plan to do so, you are asked to RSVP to Nancy Grzesiak at the Provincial Offices. Click here to email her.
Attendees are responsible for making their own travel and lodging arrangements. There are several major hotela in the Chamberlain-Oacoma area including Arrowhead Resort at Cedar Shore, Baymont Inn and Suites Oacoma, Quality Inn, and Americaninn.
If you have any questions regarding the celebration in South Dakota, please contact Fr. Christianus Hendrik, SCJ.
Formation news
Congratulations to Frater Jacob Smith, SCJ, who received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University last week! The Sacred Heart Monastery community held a BBQ in his honor on Saturday.
SCJ students are starting to head out to their summer assignments. Fra. Michael Wodarczyk will be ministering in Mississippi, and Fraters Jonathan Nguyen-Vuong and Jacob Smith will assist with ministries in the Milwaukee area, and in August, take part in World Youth Day. Fraters Truc Tran and Thuan Nguyen will spend the summer on home visits in Vietnam, and Frater Hung Pham begins his pastoral year in Houston.
Frater Paul Phong Hoang, SCJ, will be in Ecuador studying Spanish June 7 through August 16.
Please remember
+Father Zbigniew Letkiewicz, a member of the Polish Province, died on May 22. He was born in 1935, professed in 1952 and ordained in 1960.
Happy anniversary!
The Priests of the Sacred Heart aren’t the only ones celebrating a centennial this year. On Sunday, May 21, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ hosted a centennial celebration, beginning with an anniversary Mass at Ancilla Domini Chapel in Donaldson, IN. Among those in attendance was Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, representing the Dehonians. The Poor Handmaids were practically next door neighbors to the SCJs for many years when the province operated Divine Heart Seminary. Many members of the community, as well as SCJ alumni and former DHS students, have maintained close contacts with the sisters.
“Many sisters and lay people shared great stories with me of the SCJs in Donaldson,” said Fr. Vien, who is pictured here with several of the sisters.
Provincial Chapter reminders
Chapter delegates are reminded that their next pre-chapter meeting is on Tuesday, June 13, from 9:00 a.m. to noon (central) via Zoom. A link will be sent to delegates closer to the date of the meeting.
All members of the province are reminded that they have been asked to reflect on four questions individually and as a community in preparation for the State of the Province. The questions were sent to SCJs in a letter from Fr. Vien Nguyen on April 20. Click here to access it.
Each community is asked to submit a written response to the four questions NO LATER than June 1 (next week Thursday). The responses will be assembled into a report that will be sent to chapter delegates to review at the June 13 pre-chapter meeting.
Individual SCJs are welcome to share responses as well. ALL responses are to be sent to Fr. Vien electronically via email.
Happy Birthday!
Those celebrating birthdays in June include Fr. Vincent Suparman and Frater Truc Tran on June 5, Fr. Louis Marie Kayamba Butari on June 6, Fr. Ed Griesemer on June 9, Fr. Roger Phaneuf on June 12, Fr. Yvon Sheehy on June 18, Fr. Nick Brown on June 22, Fr. Paul Tennyson on June 23, and Br. Matt Miles and Fr. Francis Vu Tran on June 26. Happy birthday!
New local superior
Congratulations to Fr. Francis Vu Tran, SCJ, who was installed on May 18 as the local superior of the St. Joseph’s Community at SHML by Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ.
Long summer weekends
To our Canadian neighbors to the north, Happy Victoria Day! And for those in the US Province, Happy Memorial Day next Monday!
The Provincial Offices will be closed next Monday, May 29, for the Memorial Day holiday. There will be no Fridge Notes published. The next issue will be on June 5.
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