News & Events | September 21, 2026
Former superior general returns to SHSST
On September 16, Bishop José Ornelas Carvalho, SCJ, was the featured speaker at the annual Dehon Lecture at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology.
The last time that the bishop walked the halls at SHSST was in 2013 when he was superior general of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. It was the final stop of his visitation of the US Province. Two years later he would complete his second, six-year term as head of the Dehonians.
His next assignment was to be in Angola. As a seminarian, he served in Mozambique for two years and he hoped to return to the missions.
“But the path ahead is often different than we expect,” he said. Soon after completing his second term as superior general, Pope Francis named him to serve as bishop of Setúbal (near Lisbon). In 2022, he was appointed as bishop of Leiria-Fátima. At the time, he was also serving as president of the Portuguese Bishops Conference, a role that he held from 2020 until April of this year.
When asked how being a Dehonian impacts his ministry as bishop of Fátima, Bishop Ornelas answered in two words: “Sint Unum.”
“Sint Unum is in our DNA as Dehonians,” he said. “May they be one. At Fátima, we welcome people from many nations. In our SCJ chapels, we do the same. During the celebration of the Eucharist here [at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology] I see people from around the world. This is our tradition as Dehonians. We come from different regions, we may not always sing the same, but we sing together, we are in prayer together. We strive to build a world with justice and peace. That was the dream of Fr. Dehon. That was the dream that Pope Francis shared with his vision of the Synodal Church.”
Fatima is well-known as a pilgrimage destination; people from around the world come to the Sanctuary of Fátima that commemorates the apparition of Mother Mary to three young children. Being bishop of a diocese so tied to Mary has made Bishop Ornelas reflect on the significance of Marian spirituality, part of the theme of his Dehon Lecture. The topic of his Dehon Lecture: “The Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary: Source and Inspiration for the Life and Mission of the Church.”
Click here to read more on the province website.
Click here to view photos from the Dehon Lecture and Mass.
Click here to view photos from Bishop Ornelas’ evening with Dehonians at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake. He is pictured below, greeting Bishop Joseph Potocnak, SCJ, after Adoration.
Please remember
† Fr. Ferruccio Lenzi, a member of the North Italian Province, died on Sept. 15. He was born in 1931, professed first vows in 1949 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1958.
† Fr. José de Ribamar Ericeira Nunes, a member of the Brazil-Recife Province, died on Sept. 19. He was born in 1947, professed in 1973 and ordained to the priesthood in 1971.
Keep in prayer
Fr. Gustave Lulendo, SCJ, regional superior of Canada, has been hospitalized with abdominal pain.
Fr. Tony Russo, SCJ, was hospitalized for treatment of cellulitis. However, he is now receiving tests related to the melanoma diagnosed in his left eye several years ago (the diagnosis led to the eye’s removal). Tests are being done to determine continuing treatment.
The sister-in-law of Fr. Bob Naglich, SCJ, Cindy, was to have surgery last week to repair a brain aneurysm. The surgery has been postponed.
LEAD Reunion
Members of the LEAD planning team –– Julie O’Connor, Joe Tyrell and Monica Misey –– share the following update about the Dehonian leadership program:
Nearly 20 participants from the four LEAD I leadership retreats joined in a Zoom gathering on September 10 to reconnect and share how they have incorporated LEAD into their lives and work. Facilitators Julie O’Connor, Joe Tyrell, and Monica Misey heard participants describe a strengthened sense of vocation, purpose, and connection to the broader SCJ mission. Participants reflected on sharing their spiritual gifts, understanding their Dehonian roots, and recognizing their responsibility as stewards of the mission. They especially valued hearing the stories and encouragement of retired SCJs, the call to “Go to the People,” and the freedom to bring faith authentically into their work. Fr. John Czyzynski’s reminder that “God is crazy in love with you” continued to resonate as a foundation for sharing one’s gifts in service to others.
Julie, Joe, and Monica also shared plans for the upcoming LEAD II retreat, October 13–15 in Chamberlain, SD, with 25 LEAD I participants registered. A second LEAD II will be offered in summer 2027. Through the four-year LEAD cycle, participants explore self-leadership, leading others, and leading change, all integrated with SCJ spirituality and the life and writings of Fr. Dehon. We are grateful for the support of the Provincial Council and SCJ apostolates, the many SCJs who contribute to formation, and especially the participants who continue to say “yes” to the LEAD journey.
Questions about LEAD? Click on one of the team member’s name to contact him/her:
Julie O’Connor (VP of Student Services and Special Projects at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology), Joe Tyrell (Director of Mission Integration at St Joseph’s Indian School), and Monica Misey (Director of Dehonian Associates for the US Province).
Beatification of Fr. Martino Capelli
This Sunday, Sept. 27, Fr. Martino Capelli, SCJ, will be beatified in Bologna, Italy. Fr. Francis Vu Tran, SCJ, and Fr. Greg Schill, SCJ, will represent the US Province at the event.
In 1944, Fr. Martino was a 32-year-old SCJ with dreams of being a missionary. However, those dreams soon took a backseat to the terrors of World War II. Alongside a Salesian priest and friend, Fr. Martino became a heroic point of reference for the local population: hiding people to save them from deportation, tending to the wounded, and burying the dead at the peril of his own life. Arrested by the SS, Fr. Capelli was put into forced labor before being executed on October 1, 1944.
His final words: “We forgive. My Jesus, mercy!”
Resources on Fr. Martino Capelli (Click on the desired item below to download it):
Illustrated timeline of Fr. Capelli’s life
More resources are available on the general website of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. Click here.
Feast day of Blessed Juan Maria
Tomorrow, September 22, is the Feast of Blessed Juan Maria de la Cruz, the first SCJ to be named blessed. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II, along with 233 other martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, on March 11, 2001.
The young Mariano García Méndez was born on September 25, 1891, and already at the age of 10 he felt called to the priesthood. Ordained for the diocese of Avila, he later pursued his desire for religious life and professed vows with the Priests of the Sacred Heart on October 31, 1926. Initially, Fr. Juan María (his religious name) was a teacher in the minor seminary. However, by 1929 he moved into fundraising to help support the Spanish Province.
In the midst of the turbulent years of civil strife in Spain from 1931-36, the Catholic Church in Spain suffered one of the most difficult persecutions in its history. Churches, seminaries, rectories, monasteries and convents, were sacked and destroyed. Thirteen bishops, 4,184 priests, 2,365 religious brothers, 283 nuns and thousands of lay Catholics were killed.
On July 23, 1936, Fr. Juan traveled to Valencia seeking refuge with one of the congregation’s benefactors. Walking from the train station he passed the church of “los Santos 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.”
“No, I am a priest!” said Fr. Juan.
That was all that was needed to arrest him and take him to the Modelo jail in Valencia.
In jail, witnesses recalled that Fr. Juan María remained faithful to his religious call. On the night of August 23, 1936, Fr. Juan, together with nine other prisoners, was taken south of Valencia to be shot.
Click here to access resources about Blessed Juan Maria posted on the general website.
Closing pic
Fr. Greg Schill, SCJ, president of St. Joseph’s Indian School, is pictured below with this year’s Powwow Royalty. Visit the school’s Facebook page to see videos from the 50th annual powwow which took place over the weekend.
Click here to view a Dakota News Now story about powwow weekend.
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