Powwow weekend

St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, SD, hosted its 35th Annual American Indian Day and Powwow Celebration September 16-17. Visitors from around the country took part in weekend activities that celebrated Lakota culture through dance, storytelling, music and traditional meals. Among this year’s attendees were Fr. Tom Cassidy, provincial superior, who was principal of St. Joe’s before moving into province and general administration, and several members of the Dehon Formation Community in Chicago.

You can view a video about this year’s powwow by clicking here.

And click here to learn about wacipi (“powwow” in the Lakota language) and view videos from past events.

100 years in the Netherlands

On September 14th Dutch SCJs hosted a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Dutch Province. Close to 200 people attended the anniversary prayer service and dinner held near Breda.  Among those at the celebration were the provincial superiors of Cameroon, Germany and Franco-Europe, as well as representation from the General Curia.

The Dutch Province was etched out of what was then the “Western Province” of the congregation.  There were two houses, one in Bergen op Zoom and the other in Asten, as well as a mission in northern Brazil.  Starting with 50 members, it grew to more than 800 in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  Many of those 800 went on to help develop the Priests of the Sacred Heart around the world.  Dutch missionaries have served in Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Cameroon, Congo, Canada, the United States, South Africa and Finland.  Members of the Dutch Province have also served in the general curia in Rome.  Back home in the Netherlands, the community established extensive social projects.

The Dutch Province has been like a parent or uncle to many of the younger parts of the congregation.  Its missionaries were vital in developing new entities, and its financial support continues to assist in maintaining and growing SCJ ministry throughout the world.

In its “elderly years,” the Dutch Province is now linked in a confederation with the Flemish Province.  Fr. Harry Peels concludes his final year as superior of the confederation.  On January 1, 2012, Fr. Petrus Jan N. Schakenraad will assume his duties.

Please remember

Bishop Marcellino Palentini, bishop of the Diocese of Jujuy in Argentina, died on September 18.  Originally from Italy, he was born in 1943, professed in 1961, ordained to the priesthood in 1970 and ordained as a bishop in 1995.

Also, Thursday, September 22, is the Feast of Blessed Juan Maria de la Cruz, the first SCJ to be named blessed.  He was beatified on March 11, 2001.

“On July 23, 1936, in the midst of a leftist controlled, anticlerical government in Spain, Fr. Juan traveled incognito to Valencia seeking refuge with one of the congregation’s benefactors,” said Fr. Jim Walters during a presentation on Blessed Juan last year at Sacred Heart School of Theology.  “While traveling from the train station he passed the church of ‘de los Juanes’ in the center of the city. There he witnessed men desecrating and burning the church. Fr. Juan shouted in protest. When the men heard his shouting, they said to each other: ‘He is a reactionary.’ He responded: ‘NO, I am a priest.’ He was arrested and taken to the Modelo jail in Valencia.”

Click here to view photos about Blessed Juan’s life and from his beatification.

From the Treasurer’s Office

Dn. David Nagel shares the following regarding the SCJs’ medical plan.  Note, this is the plan for members of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, not employees.  Employees should contact their HR representative or supervisor if they have questions about their medical benefits. Dn. David writes:

“The SCJ Medical Plan contract renews on October 1.  The increase in the plan for the year is estimated to be about 13%, which is below the national average of 20% for medical coverage.  The SCJ Medical Plan coverage will remain the same for the upcoming year.

“Many of the SCJs who participate in the SCJ Medical Plan use Walgreens for their prescriptions. Walgreens and our present prescription provider, Express Scripts, are in negotiations. There have been differences between the two and Walgreens has threatened to drop Express Scripts from the list of providers they will accept.

“Since we have so many SCJs using Walgreens we will be switching our prescription plan to CVS Caremark.  The Caremark provider is accepted at Walgreens.  We believe that using Caremark will also help to reduce some of the costs for prescription drugs.  SCJs will be receiving notice of the plan change and the new insurance care around October 1st.”

SCJs should contact Kevin the Provincialate Office if they have questions or concerns.

The “Gift of Religious Priesthood”

In this month’s CMSM Bulletin, Fr. John Pavlik, OFM. Cap., executive director, writes about the upcoming release of the document The Gift of Religious Priesthood in the Church.

“Over the past three years an ad hoc committee of formators, scholars, and leaders, chaired by Leslie Hoppe, OFM, labored to compose a document that clarifies and illuminates how men in consecrated life live out an additional calling to ordained ministry within the Church,” writes Fr. John, noting that among the committee members was a member of the U.S. Province, Fr. Jim Schroeder.

“Experience teaches us that ordinary practicing Catholics recognize distinctiveness in priests who are consecrated religious,” writes Fr. John.  “Some qualities of consecrated commitment inform the common priestly vocation and enrich the exercise of ministry.  The Gift of Religious Priesthood, a researched and reflective document, attempts to illuminate that distinctiveness, not for the sake of standing apart from or in opposition to our diocesan brothers, but for the sake of owning more clearly our contributing role as religious in the Church.”

Click here to read Fr. John’s comments in full.  It is the first article in the September CMSM Bulletin.

Updates

Ermin & Pauline Humpal (honorary SCJs)
9405 Howard Apt 167
Greenfield, WI 53228
Phone 414- 543-0630

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the District of India, which installed its new administration on September 8. This is the first administration composed entirely of Indian SCJs, a significant step in the growth of the young district. Fr.Thomas Vinod Chittilappily is the district superior. The U.S. Province financially supports much of the ministry of the district. A reminder: Fr. Tom Cassidy, U.S. provincial, recently visited the country.  Click here to read his journal from the visit.

ESL newsletter

Students from the English as a Second Language program at SHST recently published a new edition of their newsletter.  Click here to download a PDF of the publication.

Happy birthday!

Those celebrating birthdays in October include: Fr. John van den Hengel (72) on Oct. 1, Fr. Ed Zemlik (54) on Oct. 3, Fr. Tony Russo (73) and Fr. Bob Naglich (56) on Oct. 4, Br. Leonard Zaworski (69) on Oct. 8, Fr. Peter Mastrobuono (72) on Oct. 10, Fr. Tom Cassidy (69) on Oct. 13, Fr. Mike Burke (74), Fr. Bill Pitcavage (69), Fr. Paul Grizzelle Reid (68) and Br. Dieudonné Tchouteu (49) on Oct. 14, Fr. Maurice Legaré (57) on Oct. 15, Br. Tim Murphy (74) on Oct. 19, Fr. Christianus Hendrik (42) on Oct. 21, Fr. Bob Bossie (74) on Oct. 23, Fra. Luis Fernando Orozco Cardona (37) on Oct. 25, and Fr. Richard Johnson on Oct. 27.

Reminder

The Cor Unum is now an electronic publication. It was sent to SCJs in North America as an email attachment last week and is also available for download in the Members’ section of the province website.  Hard copies (print editions) will only be sent to those who request them.  Contact Mary Gorski if you would like to be added to the list for hard copies.

Provincial’s Time

As already noted, Fr. Tom Cassidy is in South Dakota where he took part in the American Indian Day activities at St. Joseph’s Indian School over the weekend.  Among those activities was a groundbreaking ceremony for the new museum expansion and alumni center at St. Joe’s.  Fr. Tom took the photo posted below. He notes that standing with Fr. Stephen Huffstetter are alumni and current students from the school. “The gentleman next to Fr. Steve graduated in 1932!” he wrote.

Fr. Tom will be in South Dakota until Wednesday.  Then it is back to the Milwaukee area for a few weeks before heading to Belgium for the SCJs’ European Conference on Secularity.  He and Fr. Bill Marrevee of Canada are attending the conference.  Fr. Tom will be in Europe from October 14-28.

Upcoming meetings and events:

September 28: ESL Cultural Fair
September 28: Frater Luis Fernando Orozco Cardona receives the ministry of acolyte
October 2: Pet Blessing (SHST; click here to download a PDF about the event)
October 4-5: Provincial Council Meeting
October 17-20: European Conference on Secularity (Frs. Tom Cassidy of the U.S. Province and Fr. Bill Marrevee of Canada will attend the conference in Clairefontaine, Belgium)
November 8-9: Combined Councils Meeting of the U.S. and Canada (Ottawa)
November 14-16: SCJ Retreat, Pinellas Park
December 14-15: Provincial Council Meeting