Vocation Awareness Week
From November 3-9, we celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, a time dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Throughout the week, the Province Vocation Office is sharing brief quotes from our seminarians about their experience of following God’s call. They appear on the province Facebook page and Instagram.
“No vocation is born of itself or lives for itself. A vocation flows from the heart of God and blossoms in the good soil of faithful people,” said Pope Francis.
Consistently, research shows that it is personal invitation that often leads a person to pursue a vocation to religious life and/or the priesthood. That invitation might come from a priest or religious, but it could also come from a family member, a friend, a teacher, a fellow parishioner.
Is there someone in your life whom you could envision as a priest, sister, brother or deacon? Someone who is active in your parish, who regularly receives the sacraments, who simply seems faith-filled?
Sometimes others see in us what we do not see ourselves. Offer that personal invitation. Encourage a young person to pray about the possibility of a vocation to the Church.
For more information about promoting vocations, contact the vocation office at vocations@dehoniansusa.org or call 414-427-4279.
Reunion in Indonesia
In September, Fr. Mark Fortner, SCJ, took part in the anniversary celebrations of the Indonesian Province, where he had served as a missionary for over 30 years. “One of the highlights for me was meeting Bishop Vincentius Setiawan Triatmojo, whom I baptized as an infant in 1971 in the mountainous village of Sindang, Sumatra,” said Fr. Mark. “Pope Francis appointed Bishop Triatmojo as the bishop of Tanjung Karang, Sumatra, on December 17, 2022. In 2000, Archbishop Emeritus, Aloysius Sudarso, SCJ, ordained Bishop Triatmojo to the priesthood.”
Fr. Mark is pictured here with Bishop Triatmojo during the centennial celebration.
New Canadian administration named
The Superior General has appointed the new administration for the Region of Canada, which will take office on January 16, 2025.
Superior: Fr. Gustave Lulendo N’dotony
1st Councillor: Fr. Martin Antony Kadamattu
2nd Councillor: Fr. Peter Michael McKenna
3rd Councillor: Fr. Richard Woodbury
Keep in prayer
Fr. Mark Mastin, SCJ, asks for prayers for his brother-in-law, John Hunt, who had emergency surgery to treat a brain tumor. ” To make his situation worse, he was to begin chemo treatments for an aggressive cancer in his lungs,” said Fr. Mark. After a second surgery to address bleeding and swelling around the brain, “he is now back in his room and the doctor is optimistic that they stopped the bleeding. He’s resting well. The results of the biopsy have yet to come back.”
Coffee and conversation with Bishop Joe
Bishop Joseph Potocnak, SCJ, was the presenter at last week’s “Coffee and Conversation” at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake. The retired bishop of De Aar, South Africa, Bishop Joe is a familiar face among residents, but few have heard his backstory. Originally from Berwick, PA, he pursued his vocation to religious life and the priesthood after four years in the Air Force, and studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, on the GI Bill.
He professed first vows in 1961 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1966. For most of his religious life he served as a missionary in South Africa, eventually being named bishop (1992). His is a life that has included visits with Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. As a missionary priest in South Africa, he saw the dismantling of Apartheid and served as an election observer during the election that put Nelson Mandela into office. As bishop, he was instrumental in creating home healthcare and hospice programs for those affected by HIV/AIDS in and around his diocese (he served as Liaison Bishop for the Catholic Health Institutions in South Africa).
Now retired, he is a member of the Sacred Heart Community at SHML. “I still love to be a priest,” he told the lay residents. “I like to pray, to walk, I like to be with people.” Several residents shared stories of Bishop Joe blessing their apartments, or simply joining them in prayer, or for spirited discussions about the latest sports events.
“I have a rhythm in my life,” he concluded. “I didn’t think that I’d live this long [he is 91], but whatever God wants of me, that’s ok with me.”
Remembering Fr. John Strittmatter, SCJ
Fr. John Strittmatter, SCJ, an American member of the South African Province, died November 2 in South Africa. He had recently been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Fr. John spent most of his years of religious life as a missionary in South Africa, serving in parish ministry and in social outreach to the poor.
On September 8, Fr. John celebrated his 70th anniversary of religious life. He was 89.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be on November 9 at the cathedral in Aliwal North, South Africa. Bishop Adam Musialek, SCJ, will preside.
Click here to read a reflection from a member of Fr. John’s hometown, who visited Fr. John in 2010. Fr. Stephen Huffstetter, SCJ, is pictured above with Fr. John during a visit to South Africa.
Welcoming international priests and other ministers
On November 12 at 10:00 a.m. (central) the Provincial Administration is sponsoring a one-hour Zoom conference on welcoming international members in community. The presenter is Dr. Paul Ashton, who has a B.A. in religious studies, an M.A. in clinical pastoral counseling, a D.Min. in counseling and marriage and family therapy and a Psy.D. in psychology. Dr. Ashton has led workshops on a wide variety of topics.
Although the presentation was originally created with SCJs in mind, organizers realized that the issues addressed reach well beyond members of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. Learning how to better welcome and serve with international priests, brothers, and other collaborators is a topic pertinent to many in the Church today.
Please join us for Dr. Ashton’s presentation. Click here to access the Zoom link.
Dehonian Associates program expands
Pictured here is Monica Misey, Director of Dehonian Associates, packing up a box of handbooks for the Dehonian Associates participants in Houston. Fr. Rafael Querobin, SCJ and Frater Michael Wodarczyk, SCJ are expanding and restarting the group at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. Dehonian Associates groups are a great way to share the story of Ven. Fr. Dehon and the spirituality of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians). If you are an SCJ interested in beginning a group, please contact Monica! She will send you everything you need and will be available to support you. Call 414-427-4267, or click here to email her.
Dehon Book Club
The Dehon Study Center, headed up by Fr. Joseph Mukuna, SCJ, invites anyone with an interest in Dehonian Spirituality to take part in the new “Dehon Book Club.” The first meeting will be on Friday, December 6.
“The club aims to create a vibrant space for dialogue among the SCJs, Associates, and others about Fr. Dehon, the SCJ charism and spirituality, our congregation, and more,” said Fr. Joseph.
The group will meet for one hour (1:00 – 2:00 p.m. central) on the First Friday of each month. It will be a hybrid meeting (both Zoom and in-person) allowing for participation from anywhere. Fr. Joseph will provide materials ahead of time
The first book to be featured: The Project of Father Dehon by Marcel Denis. “This insightful work, edited and published by the General Study Center in Rome in 1973, is included in Studia Dehoniana SCJ, n. 4, with translations by Fr. John Dalbec and Fr. James Schroeder,” said Fr. Joseph.
“We wholeheartedly invite anyone to join the Book Club, no matter their prior knowledge of Dehonian Spirituality,” said Fr. Joseph. “This is a fantastic opportunity for those looking to enrich their understanding of the SCJs and the legacy of Fr. Dehon.”
Click here to contact Fr. Joseph. You can also call him at: 414-427-7265
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