News & Events | October 05, 2026
ECS in the pumpkin patch
Each October, students in Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology’s ECS program (English and Cultural Studies) have a class in “American culture” at Godsell Farm, where they carve pumpkins, go on a hay ride, and enjoy an autumn meal. The farm is owned and operated by a member of our Province Development Office staff, Pam (Milczarski) Godsell, and her husband, Mark. Students are pictured above with their finished pumpkins. Click here to view the full image.
Fr. Dehon’s contribution to Sacred Heart spirituality
Last Friday, Oct. 2, the Dehon Study Center Book Club started a new season by looking at Léon Dehon: Spirituality of the Heart of Christ and Societal Engagement by Fr. Van Hai Ngo, SCJ. “Drawing on his doctoral research, Fr. Ngo explores how Dehon’s devotion to the Sacred Heart shaped his vision of social renewal, rather than presenting a biography or a study of social action alone,” wrote Fr. Joseph Mukuna, SCJ, DSC director and host of the monthly book club.
“Fr. Dehon’s motto, ‘The Reign of the Heart of Christ in souls and in society’ expresses his conviction that faith should transform both persons and the wider world,” continued Fr. Joseph, referencing’s Fr. Ngo’s book. “The first part examines his spiritual writings (Œuvres Spirituelles) and God’s love revealed in the Heart of Jesus; the second considers his social writings (Œuvres Sociales) and his response to the social, political, and economic challenges of his time. Together, the two parts show how spirituality leads to social engagement.
“Our first meeting focused on the Introduction. Participants noted that 19th century devotion to the Sacred Heart was commonly expressed through adoration, First Friday devotions, and acts of reparation. Fr. Ngo argues that Fr. Dehon gave this tradition a distinctive societal dimension. The Introduction contrasts ‘social engagement,’ which addresses immediate needs through charity, with ‘societal engagement,’ which examines society’s condition and seeks lasting renewal in the light of the Gospel.”
Discussion during last Friday’s book club meeting centered on the author’s central questions: 1) How are devotion to the Sacred Heart and engagement in society connected? and 2) Is social engagement an addition to spirituality or its consequence? In reviewing Fr. Dehon’s writing, Fr. Ngo finds that “Fr. Dehon’s spirituality and concern for society form one vision in which love of God and neighbor unites prayer and action, contemplation and social responsibility. This interpretation deepens understanding of Dehon’s contribution to Sacred Heart spirituality and its relevance for the Church today,” added Fr. Joseph.
The next Dehon Book Club gathering will be on Friday, Nov. 6 at 1:00 p.m. (Central). Anyone is welcome to take part in-person or via Zoom. Click here for more information.
Fr. Joseph ends with a question for reflection: “Is our social engagement an addition to spirituality or its consequence?”
Keep in prayer
Fr. Tony Russo, SCJ, recently learned that the melanoma discovered in his eye two years ago has now spread to his liver. It is classified as Stage 4 cancer and is believed to be very aggressive. Fr. Tony has entered into home hospice care at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake. “I plan to participate in community life and activities of choice for as long as possible,” he said. “Visits, calls and other support are most welcome.” Please keep Fr. Tony in prayer.
Please remember
Fr. Aloísio Wilibaldo Knob, a member of the Brazil – São Paolo Province, died on October 3. He was born in 1936, professed in 1958 and ordained in 1963.
Dehon Lecture videos
The video recordings from the 2026 Dehon Lecture, presented by Bishop José Ornelas Carvalho, SCJ, former superior general and now bishop of Leiria-Fátima, are now available on the Leo Dehon Library YouTube channel.
Click here to access Bishop Ornelas’ presentation.
Click here to view the afternoon session which includes the responses by Dr. Julie Newberry and Fr. John Baumgardner.
Provincial’s calendar
From October 5–23, Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, provincial superior, will be in Asia. He will lead the Philippine Region in an ongoing formation week and then head to Vietnam to preside at a family wedding.
Advent Hours of Reflection
The dates for annual Advent Hours of Recollection have been set:
DEC. 8, 10:00 AM (CST) – Advent Hour of Recollection for SCJs.
Sr. Wendy Cotter, CSJ, PhD, will speak in-person at the Provincial Conference Center on “Turn Around and Believe the Good News (Mk 1:15): The Advent Call of Jesus and the Markan Miracle Stories.
“Through selected miracle narratives from the Gospel of Mark, she will reflect on Jesus’ invitation to embrace new wisdom, new life, and a renewed heart as we prepare for the Advent season,” said Fr. Joseph Mukuna, SCJ, director of the Dehon Study Center and organizer of the event. A Zoom link will be made available to SCJs closer to the event date.
For those attending in person, lunch will be available after. Click here to take part in person. Please indicate in your email if you are staying for lunch.
Sr. Wendy is a member of the St. Joseph of Canada community and a Professor Emerita of New Testament at Loyola University Chicago, with particular expertise in the Gospel of Mark and the miracle stories of Jesus. Click here to read more about her.
DEC. 14, 11:00 AM (CST) – Advent Hour of Recollection for Employees and Collaborators.
Sr. Wendy Cotter will also be the presenter for the Hour of Recollection for Employees and Collaborators, following a similar theme to the SCJ hour.
Zoom Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4346326658?omn=86812509241
Questions? Contact Monica Misey, 414-427-4767 or mmisey@dehoniansusa.org
Fr. Andrzej
“We must allow Christ to reconcile our own hearts”
The theme of the September issue of As a Rule was the SCJ call to be “prophets of love and servants of reconciliation.”
“Fr. Leo John Dehon wanted us to be a living sign of God’s love in a wounded and divided world,” wrote Fr. Andrzej Sudol, SCJ. “At the beginning of our Rule of Life, under ‘At the Service of the Church,’ reconciliation is placed together with reparation. These are not simply Dehonian words. They are essential parts of our identity and mission…
“Jesus gives himself completely to the Father and to us. With Mary, we respond: ‘Ecce Ancilla’ – ‘Behold the servant.’ We place ourselves at the service of God and his people.
“And this is also the spirit of reparation: allowing God’s love to enter places where love has been wounded and offering our lives so that something broken may begin to heal.
“Our world needed this mission in Fr. Dehon’s time. It needs it today, perhaps more than ever.
“So let us remember one simple thing: before we can reconcile the world, we must allow Christ to reconcile our own hearts.Then, from hearts healed by His love, we can become what Fr. Dehon dreamed we would be: Prophets of Love and Servants of Reconciliation.”
Click here to read Fr. Andrzej’s full reflection in the September As a Rule, as well as one written by Fr. Yvon Mathieu, SCJ, a member of the international formation team in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and former superior of Madagascar.
Anyone is welcome to subscribe to As a Rule. To do so, click here.
Closing pic
Fr. David Szatkowski, SCJ, was at Sacred Heart School in Southaven, MS, blessing pets as a part of the commemoration of the Feast of St. Francis this weekend. Dogs, cats, lizards and turtles were among the menagerie of pets to receive a blessing.
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