Changes in Rome
On Saturday, Fr. Luca Zottoli of the North Italian Province was installed as the new general treasurer of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. The celebration took place during a special Mass at the Generalate presided by Fr. Heiner Wilmer, superior general. Fr. Luca succeeds Fr. Aquilino Mielgo Domínguez of the Spanish Province, who has served as general treasurer for the past 12 years.
Earlier in the week the General Curia announced a few more personnel changes. Fr. Radoslaw Warenda of the Polish Province has been named vice secretary general. He will replace Br. Roberto Garcia Murciego, who will become the treasurer of the Rome II community (International College). Fr. Vagner Donizeti Maciel, who held the position for the past seven years, will return to his home province of São Paulo Brazil.
Fr. Radoslaw and Br. Roberto officially take their offices on November 16.
Update your info!
Nancy Gray, province administrative assistant, is preparing a new edition of the North American personnel directory. If you have new contact information (address, phone, email) please let Nancy know by this Friday, October 2. Her email address is: [email protected]
As always, SCJs can also access contact information in the phone directory that is at the top of the list of options on the left side of the Members’ section in the US Province website. Forget your login ID? Click here.
Please remember
Joyce R. Nelson, the mother of Dn. David Nagel (province treasurer), died September 23. She was 86. The funeral is today in Seminole, Fl.
Happy birthday!
Among those celebrating birthdays in October: Fr. John van den Hengel (76) on Oct. 1, Fr. Ed Zemlik (58) on Oct. 3, Fr. Tony Russo (77) and Fr. Bob Naglich (60) on Oct. 4, Br. Leonard Zaworski (73) on Oct. 8, Fr. Peter Mastrobuono (76) on Oct. 10, Fr. Tom Cassidy (73) on Oct. 13, Fr. Mike Burke (78), Fr. Bill Pitcavage (73), Fr. Paul Grizzelle Reid (72) and Br. Dieudonné Tchouteu (53) on Oct. 14, Fr. Maurice Légaré (61) on Oct. 15, Fr. Christianus Hendrik (46) on Oct. 21, Fr. Bob Bossie (78) on Oct. 23, and Fr. Richard Johnston (83) on Oct. 27.
A reminder: the birthdays of SCJs in the US and Canada are available on the US – Canada Google Calendar. Click here to access it. The Google Calendar can be synced with most phone and computer calendars or viewed independently via a web browser. The calendar can also be accessed from the Google Calendar icon at the bottom of the province website.
Time for personal action
By now SCJs in the US and Canada should have received the “North American Dehonian Story of Immigration,” a book of immigration stories compiled by members of the North American Immigration Committee. Many of the stories within the book are also available on the province website; click here to read them.
In the weeks ahead members of the committee will be meeting with local SCJ communities to talk about next steps.
“We have been engaged in telling our personal and ministerial stories and experiences of immigration,” wrote Br. Duane Lemke for the committee. “Yet, however essential storytelling may be to personal and social conversion, it can never be an end unto itself. The refugees in Europe are in the news and remind us of similar situations in the United States and Canada. Migrants and refugees are not the exclusive responsibility of SCJs who live near the border. It is not a border issue, for it is not an ‘issue’ at all. These are people, not just issues. They are people in need, and they live everywhere we live.
“And you can do something.
“Pope Francis has issued a call to Catholics of Europe: ‘May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe host a family.’ Certainly this is not new to Pope Francis, who is very much like Dehon in his call for Catholics to get out of the church pews and sacristies and be with the poor. In that spirit, let us be challenging in a personal way that touches us where we notice it: in our individual wallet.
“Let every SCJ of North America make a personal sacrifice from his personal budget and donate it on behalf of immigrants. Whatever you do, let it cost you personally. One possible example for your donation could be the Humanitarian Respite Center at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, Texas. Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville endorses the work they have done in their first year of hosting over 20,000 refugees. They can be reached at (956) 292-5852. Ask for Deborah Boyce to make contact with someone who can give you the names of individuals that you can help. But, this is only one example. Perhaps you or another SCJ near you knows of other organizations in your area that assist migrants and refugees. You can also contact your diocese, Catholic Charities, or a member of the Immigration Sub-Committee. Ask around. You and your brother SCJs know your local context.
“Acts of mercy on behalf of the immigrant cannot be limited to SCJs somewhere else, something one or two in your house are doing, or something that the administration has to do. It must be personal. Let your life become personally connected with that of the immigrant. Give, and make a personal contact.”
The committee extends its thanks to Br. Andy Gancarczyk and Fr. Richard MacDonald for their work in creating a video about migration that will be used in the local community meetings
“Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since World War II,” said Pope Francis to the US Congress last week. “Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities. On this North American continent too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones.”
Pope Francis urged all to “treat immigrants and refugees with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves.”
News from Montréal
Last Thursday the Montréal SCJ community welcomed Fr. Louis-Marie Butari from the Congolese Province. He will join the pastoral team of Sault-au-Récollet (a neighborhood in Montréal). Fr. Louis-Marie is 58, professed first vows in 1982 and was ordained in 1990.
The community wishes Br. Vermont Kifack bengourion Zebase safe travels on his return to Cameroon. He must leave the Canada in order to apply for a student visa. It is hoped that he can receive the visa in time to begin his studies in January.
If you missed it…
Click here to read the text of Pope Francis’ historic speech to the joint session of Congress last Thursday. Click here to view a video of it.
Extended viewing
As noted earlier in the summer, the US Province Archives loaned several items to the Ste. Marie Foundation for us in its “Amazing Grace” historical exhibit. Fr. Wayne Jenkins, province archivist, notes that the foundation requested that the loan be extended from its original end date of May, 2016, until the close of the year.
In the news
Fr. Stephen Huffstetter’s hometown newspaper, the South Bend Tribune, did an article on his election to the General Council. In it he notes that “Growing up in small town middle America like Walkerton [Walterton is about 20 miles from South Bend] made me appreciate the goodness of common everyday folks, who worked the land or in small factories or businesses. It was a community where people were friendly and got along well. I learned to trust people and, while being realistic about human weakness and problems, it has given me a patient and optimistic view of life.”
Click here to read the full article. Note: the people in the photo are misidentified as Fr. Steve’s parents. They are actually his brother Dan and his wife Danielle.
