News & Events | October 27, 2025
Fr. Ardi, is that you?
Due to commitments in Hales Corners, Fr. Hendrik Ardianto, SCJ, missed being at the Trick or Treat parties at the parishes in northwest Mississippi where he serves. However, at Queen of Peace in Olive Branch, children made sure that he wasn’t forgotten. As you can see in the photo above, EVERYONE dressed as Fr. Ardi yesterday!
As our little gremlins, super heroes, princesses and dinosaurs head out on their Trick or Treat adventures this week, let us pray for a joyful, fun and safe Halloween.
The Sacred Heart Poured Out for the World
From October 23-24, Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology hosted a symposium titled “The Sacred Heart Poured Out for the World.” It was an exploration of Sacred Heart spirituality and its relevance for the Church’s mission today, bringing together seminarians, faculty, staff, ecclesial leaders, theologians, clergy and lay participants for reflection and dialogue.
“These days of study, prayer and reflection are not an end in themselves,” said Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, in his opening remarks. “They are an important part of the Church’s ongoing journey of discernment and mission. Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology has chosen well to root this symposium in both theological depth and pastoral urgency. The theme, ‘The Sacred Heart Poured Out for the World’ is not only a beautiful image, it is a summons!
Speakers at the symposium included Dr. Jeremy Blackwood (SHSST), Bishop Donald Hying (Diocese of Madison), Fr. James Kubicki, SJ, Dr. Paul Monson (SHSST), Fr. Joseph Mukuna, SCJ (Dehon Study Center, pictured below), and Fr. Eduardo Pugliesi, SCJ (Faculdade Dehoniana, pictured above with Fr. Rafael Querobin, SCJ, who assisted with translation).
“The great contribution of our founder to the understanding of the devotion to the Sacred Heart is that this devotion must lead us to social transformation,” said Fr. Joseph in his presentation on how Dehonians live the devotion. “We have to listen to what is going on socially and give an answer. When you talk to SCJs you will hear concepts like oblation, reparation and solidarity. Solidarity in our Rule of Life is a central concept… Fr. Dehon emphasized that the reign of the Sacred Heart has to be inserted in souls and societies. This is his vision and now the vision that the Priests of the Sacred Heart try to carry out.”
CLICK HERE to read more on the province website.
View livestream recordings of the presentations at the following links:
PHOTOS: Click here to view photos from the two days
Scam emails
We’ve recently had reports of several scam emails sent from people alleging to be SCJs. An SCJ has also reported that people have been making phone calls using his name.
Please be mindful of emails that don’t seem “quite right.” If you question whether an email is actually from the sender, contact him or her by another means to verify it. Things to look for in a scam message: an unfamiliar email address, a typo in the sender’s name or the message itself, requests that seem overly casual (“Hey, give me a call, I want to share something with you!” or “Have you seen this?”), and the more obvious “I need…” type of message (as in “My credit card has been compromised and I need cash to cover my hotel bill”).
Of course, always be mindful about clicking on links. If you accidentally get caught in a scam, know that it happens to many people and seek help as soon as possible from your local IT department or other resources.
Looking ahead
October 28-29: Provincial Council meeting
November 7: Dehon Book Club (1:00 p.m. Central)
November 17: Advent Hour of Recollection for Collaborators (10:00 a.m. Central)
December 8: Diaconate Ordinations (4:30 p.m. Central)
December 9-10: Provincial Council meeting
January 20-21: Provincial Council meeting
March 3-4: Provincial Council meeting
March 9-14: Dehonian Jubilee Celebration in Quito, Ecuador
April 21-22: Provincial Council meeting
June 1-4: Province Retreat
June 9-10: Provincial Council meeting
Click here to access the North American SCJ online calendar; it is also available by clicking on the calendar icon at the bottom of each page on the US Province website.
Have an event to add, or a correction or the calendar? Click here.
Personnel Directory
The hard copy of the North American Personnel Directory is at the printer; SCJs should expect to receive it within the next couple of weeks. Of course, there are always one or two updates that trickle in soon after the file goes to the printer. Please note that Fr. Joseph Thien Dinh, SCJ, has a new email address: jtdscj@gmail.com
As a reminder, the online password-protected directory can be found in the Members section of the US Province website. Scroll past the links to the staff addresses and the addresses of the US and Canadian headquarters to get to the individual listings.
November birthdays
Those celebrating birthdays in November include: Fr. David Szatkowski on Nov. 2, Br. Brian Tompkins on Nov. 4, Fr. Martin Antony Kadamattu on Nov. 10, Fr. Rafael Querobin on Nov. 13, Fr. Greg Schill on Nov. 14, Fr. Jan de Jong on Nov. 17, Fr. Tim Gray on Nov. 18, and Fr. Antonio Maria Resende Pereira on Nov. 22. Happy birthday!!
Please remember
+ Fr. Luis Maria Lazarraga Vidaurre, a member of the Spanish Province, died on October 25. He was born in 1937, professed in 1954 and ordained in 1963.
Update from Fr. John
In May, Fr. John Czyzynski, SCJ, was diagnosed with a slow-growing cancerous lymphoma in his abdominal area. He shares the following update on his health:
“I saw my oncologist and he shared the results of a CT scan I had after my second series of four autoimmune infusions. The scan showed that the cancer has not spread to other parts of my body and the original tumor is now considerably smaller than when it was first discovered. So, my doctor said that I do not have to get any more infusions for a while. He wants me to see him again in January of 2026 when we will do some blood work and then we will decide how to proceed.
“This is such great news for me, and I want to express my gratitude to all those who have been loving and praying with me on this journey.”
Apostolic Nuncio at Sacred Heart
As noted in the write-up about the Sacred Heart Symposium, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, was at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology for much of last week.
On Wednesday, October 22, he was the main celebrant at the Institution of Acolytes at SHSST. Joining him were several bishops from around the country who were at Sacred Heart for the annual “Collegial Sharing Among Brother Bishops.” We were also pleased to host Archbishop Jeffery Grob, who was installed as archbishop of Milwaukee earlier this year.
Congratulations to the seven SHSST seminarians who were instituted into the Ministry of Acolyte!
Click here to view photos from the Mass.
Grateful to be in collaboration
We are blessed to partner with many people in carrying out our Dehonian ministries. Among them are members of the Theresian Missionaries of Mary (Sr. Yollie and Sr. Clary Joy) and the Missionary Congregation of Mary (Sr. Ramona and Sr. Grecely), religious communities based in the Philippines who now serve with the SCJs in South Dakota. The sisters are pictured above bringing smiles to members of the Avera St. Mary’s lab team in South Dakota who are also from the Philippines. Photo credit: Avera St. Mary’s Hospital.
By the end of the year members of the Sisters of St. Francis Charitas (Indonesia) are to be in Mississippi to partner with our Dehonian ministries there. Srs. Patricia, Leonara and Susana are pictured below with Principal Cynthia Dixon during their recent tour of Holy Family School in Holly Springs.
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