Busy weekend at St. Joe’s

As you can see from the photo above, Fr. Stephen Huffstetter, executive director of St. Joseph’s Indian School in South Dakota, really got into the spirit of Valentine’s Day. He wrote about getting his temporary tattoo, as well as other events of the weekend, on the school’s blog:

“Grades 1-5 gathered in the Rec Center for a Valentine’s Day Sobriety Carnival. Older students helped with the games, which included a fish pond, bean bag throw and ring toss, to name a few. We had lots of smaller prizes sent in by our donors, and the students were happy to win fun little knick-knacks, toys and games…

“One group of junior high girls staffed a face painting station, and many of the students got colorful, temporary decorations to highlight their features. I got in the act and, since it was Valentine’s Day, (or maybe because I’m a Priest of the Sacred Heart), and got a bright red heart painted on my cheek.

“After the younger students cleared out, grades 6-12 came back for a dance. Chris, a junior in high school, helped DJ. He pointed out to me that he’d edited a lot of the popular songs on his playlist so they could be marked with an asterisk denoting ‘clean,’ meaning there was no inappropriate language…

“Sunday at church, Peter from the Raphael Home (1^st-3^rd grade boys) introduced me to our newest first grader, who just began this week. He told me the child was both excited and nervous because he had never been to church before, and didn’t quite know what to expect. His housemates helped him figure out when to stand and when to sit, and where to find prayers in the books, and it turned out okay.

“Sunday afternoon, our junior high girls had two rounds of inter-city basketball. Afterwards, I hung around the gym when the younger grades came in for their recreation time. I worked with a couple of young girls on how to pass a basketball and shoot a layup, then took some time just walking around the gym and talking to the kids. Most of the time they seem me in black clerical attire, and they were fascinated to see me in sweat pants and shirt, learning that I do have other clothes!”

Click here to read Fr. Steve’s full entry, as well as previous posts.

Former SCJ seminarian continues Dehonian values

“My husband, Jim Marks, spent 12 years with the SCJs.  He went to Donaldson for high school, Honesdale for college, Lenox to teach for two years and Sacred Heart School of Theology to continue his studies,” writes Judy Marks.  “Although he did not get ordained, his studies prepared him to make a real difference in the world. During his time in the seminary he met many students and teachers who influenced his skills and values.

“In September he was given an award from Community Shares for his lifetime commitment to social justice.  He has positively affected the lives of the homeless, people living with HIV/AIDS, people with mental illness, and young people trying to make a difference.”

Lead 2 Change, an organization that provides grant dollars for youth-led community service projects, also gave him an award. In fact, they named it after him: The “James A Marks Legacy Award” for starting the organization.

“Jim officially retired from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation on December 31, 2011,” continued Judy.  “He still volunteers on the board of Donor’s Forum of Wisconsin, Youthatti, the Housing Authority of Milwaukee and the Planning Council Alumni organization. I am proud of his work and the moral values that shape his integrity. After attending a reunion in Hales Corners last summer at Sacred Heart School of Theology, I can see that many former SCJ seminarians have used their lives to make the world a better place.”

On February 23 Jim will be honored again, this time with a retirement party hosted by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

If you would like to reconnect with Jim, his email is judyandjim@yahoo.com Also, an article about Jim was published in the Mukwonago Chief. Click here to read it.

Just a parish priest

Most written communication that comes to the Provincialate now is via email. So it is a treat to get an old fashioned, handwritten letter from Bishop Joe Potocnak. The retired bishop of De Aar, South Africa, Bishop Joe has been back in parish ministry since the end of last year. He writes:

“I am back to being a parish priest, this time at St. James Church in Port Alfred, South Africa. It is a town on the coast of the Indian Ocean in the Port Elizabeth Diocese. It seems to be just right for me; I celebrate Mass each day, and two Masses on Sunday.

“I visit the hospital a couple of times during the week but otherwise I have a lot of time to pray, to walk, and to rest. I just got some golf clubs, so maybe I’ll get busy with that soon.

“I was in Port Elizabeth for a priests’ meeting; there are about 50 priests in the diocese. Unfortunately, the bishop of the diocese passed away before Christmas and no bishop has yet been appointed to take his place. I will be helping out by having the Chrism Mass during Holy Week.

“Recently, we also lost Bishop Baaij. He was a wonderful priest and pastor who never thought about himself. He reached out to the rich and elite and also to the poorest of the poor. He followed Fr. Dehon’s command ‘to go to the people.’ He loved to visit the sick and dying. In 1974, before he was named bishop, I was with him in Colesburg. He prayed with and visited the poorest people. He preached the Good News not just in words but in his reaching out to the needy…

“And yes, I know that I am still living in the 1950s because I write letters and don’t use email! Somebody has to continue the tradition.”

Please remember…

Fr. Sidinei Nascimento Guarda of the North Brazilian Province died on February 19. He was born in 1974, professed in 1999 and ordained in 2007.

Grace Gentile, the sister of Fr. Ralph Intranuovo, died on February 19. She was 88; arrangements are pending in Brooklyn.

Update

Please note that Fr. Charles Yost’s current email address is:
cyostscj@gmail.com

SCJ News on-line

The February SCJ News is now available on the province website. Click here to download a copy. The print version is in the mail.

Provincial’s Time

Fr. Tom Cassidy will be spending most of his time in the Milwaukee area until he goes to the Philippines March 8. He is going there to take part in celebrations tied to the district becoming a region.

Upcoming meetings and events:

March 5-6: Local Coordinators/Superiors Meeting (Hales Corners)
March 27-28: Provincial Council Meeting
April 15: Easter Concert at Sacred Heart Monastery/School of Theology
May 15: Mass for the Anointing of the Sick, SHM/SHST
May 30-31: Provincial Council Meeting (budgets)
June 15: Feast of the Sacred Heart
June 28: Provincial Council Meeting (conference call re: formation)
July 9-12: Province Assembly, Hales Corners
July 16-21: General Conference, Neustadt, Germany
July 23-25: SCJ Major Superiors Meeting, Neustadt, Germany

2013:
April 8-9: Mission Education Conference, St. Joseph’s Indian School
Week of June 3: Province Election Assembly

Celebrating 100 years at OLG a month at a time

Fr. Ed Kilianski, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Houston, writes the following about OLG’s 100^th anniversary year:

“A lot is happening at Our Lady of Guadalupe these days in preparation for our 100^th anniversary.  Our pews were taken in January to be restored to their original beauty and so we are now painting the inside of the church.  Fr. Ziggy Morawiec, Fr. Vien Nguyen and I have been helping with the painting.

“Our major celebration of the anniversary will be held on August 18, 100 years to the day that the first Mass was celebrated in the old church by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

“Each month this year we have a major celebration of our centennial.  This month, it will be a Mardi Gras dinner and dance on February 18.  Almost 300 tickets have already been sold.

“Also, next Saturday OLG School is participating in Steps 4 Students (a 5K run/walk) to help raise funds for our school.  Frs. Vien and Joseph Dinh will be running, and Fr. Ziggy and I will be walking in the race.  As always, donations are most welcome if any of you would like to sponsor us. [Click here if you would like to contact Fr. Ed about donating]

“Finally, though it probably wasn’t done in celebration of the anniversary, two of our newest altar servers have brought quite a few smiles to the faces of our parishioners and priests with their unique hairstyle. I’ll attach a photo.”

An update

As we’ve mentioned in recent Fridge Notes, Fr. Tom Fix, an American SCJ of the Indonesian Province, is being treated in Jakarta for cancer.

Fr. Mark Fortner, who served in Indonesia for 30 years, including 16 in Jakarta, has been in touch with Fr. Tom’s family, updating them on his treatment and health. On Saturday, Fr. Mark spoke by phone with Fr. Tom.

“He confirmed for me the diagnosis, multiple myeloma, and told me that he had completed one month of chemotherapy,” said Fr. Mark.  “He said that he has a tumor in his pelvic area which has affected the sciatic nerve, causing numbness in his right leg.  Besides chemotherapy, he is now receiving physical therapy for his right leg and overall stamina. Although acknowledging that he felt very weak, he remains hopeful. Every day, many parishioners, especially from St. Stephen’s Parish, take their turn to visit him in the hospital.”

On February 20 Fr. Mark is going to accompany one of Fr. Tom’s brothers, George Fix, to Indonesia for a visit. Last week, Fr. Wayne Jenkins, province archivist, visited with Fr. Tom for several days. Fr. Wayne, who did his theological studies in Indonesia, was in Asia for previously planned administrative work in both Indonesia and the Philippines.

SHSM offers workshops on credit and home buying

In March, Sacred Heart Southern Missions Housing Corporation will begin a series of workshops on the use of credit, especially in regards to mortgages. The series runs through August.

“The classes have become very popular in the past four to five years because the majority of the lenders have made this workshop a requirement before closing on a home loan,” said Cynthia Loyd-Johnson of SHSM-HC. Class participants are often those who are considering home ownership –– and the mortgage that goes with it –– for the first time. Many are just beginning to build their credit history; some come from families that have never had the means to take out a home loan.

“The numbers vary in attendance,” said Cynthia.  “I have conducted workshops with 40 people and I have also held the workshop for two people.”

Between 2009 and 2010 approximately 30 people took the workshop and went on to purchase their first home.

“SHSM-HC is a HUD-approved counseling agency and we are expected to offer workshops to the public,” said Cynthia.  “The need for the class is great.  People understand the process of purchasing a home a lot better once they have completed the class.

“The classes were developed by housing institutes such as NeighborWorks and HUD.  The housing staff learns the basics of conducting a workshop by attending training institutes sponsored by these organizations.  Currently, our new housing counselor, Joyce Moore, conducts the home-buyer education workshop and I conduct the ACE [Adults Continuing Education] workshops for the Dehon Village residents.  The ACE workshops are a requirement of the lease for our Dehon Village residents.  We hope that the ACE classes will assist them with their budgeting and credit needs.”

As Cynthia noted, the workshops are for the general public. Last year, that general public included fellow employees at SHSM. With the challenging economy “I had employees inquiring about housing, foreclosure prevention and credit,” she said.

Employees, just as SHSM clients, face a variety of challenges in today’s economy. “We are in the business of serving,” said Cynthia. “Including our employees.”

Sacred Heart Southern Missions, based in northern Mississippi, is an apostolate of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. Fr. Jack Kurps is the executive director.

Over 400 attend funeral

Bishop Joseph Potocnak was the main celebrant and homilist at the Funeral Mass for Bishop Evert Baaij. The liturgy was held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, February 9. Bishop Evert, a member of the U.S. Province, lived and ministered in South Africa for 55 years, the last 25 in Port Elizabeth.

Several people from South Africa collaborated on a write-up of the Funeral Mass. Click here to read it. Bishop Joe, still a strong supporter of “snail mail,” called to say that his homily is on its way to us via Air Mail. We will post a link to it as soon as it is available.

Immigration focus of latest CMSM J/P Alert

Each month the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM; the organizational body of the leadership of men’s religious communities in the United States) publishes its J/P Alert. This month’s begins with an address by Bishop John C Wester, bishop of Salt Lake City and chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration and Refugee Services. He spoke at the January 11 Salt Lake City Immigration Conference.

“It seems as if time is up as well in terms of waiting for comprehensive immigration reform, at least if you believe some people in Washington,” said Bishop Wester. “But it is the American public, including the Catholics, who will decide the final outcome. So many people—so many of you—have worked so hard these past years to achieve what seems like an elusive goal. Yet, we must never give up hope, and I fully believe that one day we will be successful. In the meantime, we must always keep focused as we advocate for immigration reform in this complex and constantly changing landscape in our country today.

“This is an important time in the immigration debate in this nation. While Congress has failed to address this issue, our state legislatures and local governments are not hesitating to attempt to fill the vacuum.  Instead of one consistent national policy, we are now confronted with hundreds of State and local immigration policies, the majority of which are harmful to immigrant families and communities.”

The complete address can be found on the Justice for Immigrants web site.

Click here to read the February CMSM J/P Alert.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Depending on whom your talk to, Valentine’s Day (February 14) is a celebration of love, a time of flowers and chocolate, an excuse to wear red, or simply a way for the greeting card industry to bump up sales.

Although there are many stories regarding the day’s namesake, there are actually several “St. Valentines.” There was a “Valentine of Rome” who lived around 260 a.d.  “Valentine of Terni” was named a bishop in 197 a.d.  And another St. Valentine was martyred in Africa.

With a bit of ambiguity about the saint, the saint’s day was removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969.

Chaucer is said to have assigned the first association of romance to Valentine’s Day. In his poem “Parlement of Foules” he wrote: “For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.”  The poem was written to honor the engagement of Richard II to Anne of Bohemia.

So happy Valentine’s Day tomorrow, regardless if you are celebrating love, or simply looking for an excuse to enjoy a chocolate.

Provincial’s Time

Fr. Tom Cassidy starts the week with the formation community in Chicago. After that, much of his time is in the Milwaukee area until he goes to the Philippines March 8. He is going there to take part in celebrations tied to the district becoming a region.

Upcoming meetings and events:

March 5-6: Local Coordinators/Superiors Meeting (Hales Corners)
March 27-28: Provincial Council Meeting
April 15: Easter Concert at Sacred Heart Monastery/School of Theology
May 15: Mass for the Anointing of the Sick, SHM/SHST
May 30-31: Provincial Council Meeting (budgets)
June 15: Feast of the Sacred Heart
June 28: Provincial Council Meeting (conference call re: formation)
July 9-12: Province Assembly, Hales Corners
July 16-21: General Conference, Neustadt, Germany
July 23-25: SCJ Major Superiors Meeting, Neustadt, Germany

Looking ahead to 2013, the next Mission Education Conference will be held at St. Joseph’s Indian School in South Dakota April 8-9, 2013, and the province election assembly will be the week of June 3, 2013.

Ministry of presence is vital

Fr. Mark Mastin, in his first full year as a chaplain with the U.S. Army, recently wrote with an update:

“My last communication described my time in the cold with 40 mph winds in the midst of desert training in the United States. I had real life experiences there including dealing with the death of a soldier, ministering to those with life-threatening injuries, taking part in combat exercises, and flying to various FOBs (Forward Operating Bases) to celebrate Mass, hear confessions and offer counseling.

“A few weeks ago I went to a seminar in San Diego on diversity training for Catholic chaplains.  The seminar dealt with how we chaplains understand and deal with trauma, stress, loneliness and celibacy, and their affect of the body.  We were all given a book titled, Loneliness, by John T. Caccioppo and William Patrick.  This book looks at the human need for social connection and how loneliness or poor coping skills begin to affect the biological aspects of who we are.  We physically begin to break down without knowing it.

“The speaker was Fr. Gerard J. McGlone, S.J., Ph.D, who is executive director at the Saint John Vianney Treatment Center in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. He gave us practical ways to manage challenges in our lives, and gave us tips to help us see the signs of burn-out and compassion fatigue.

“Something that has been helpful for me is what our Chief of Chaplains reminded me of in our private one-on-one talk. We cannot become discouraged or think that we are not making a difference.  What we do is still a ministry of presence. A few kind words of encouragement and hope go a long way with our young soldiers. It is something to remember no matter what ministry one is doing.

“Overall, I am doing well.  I am slowly making friends with families and other chaplains.  My health has been good.  I still manage to keep my PT scores high still outperform most of the younger guys and gals. My commander cannot believe that I am doing this well at my age!

“I do not mention these things to brag, but to let others know that it is never too late to meet a challenge, even later in life, to serve God.  As a means of grace for others, we have to remain humble and remain healthy in mind, body and spirit.”

SCJs’ eldest bishop dies

The day after we published last week’s Fridge Notes, we learned that Bishop Evert Baaij died in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Struggling with heart issues in his last days, the bishop was surrounded in his final hours by many of the religious sisters whom he knew at the Nazareth retirement community.

At 90, Bishop Baaij was the eldest bishop in the congregation. A member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart since 1942 (this year he would have celebrated his 70th anniversary of profession!), Bishop Baaij was born in the Netherlands, became a citizen of Canada, was a member of the U.S. Province but called South Africa his home for the past 55 years.

He was ordained a priest on July 20, 1947.  After his ordination, he went to France for language studies in preparation for an assignment in French Canada. He arrived in Canada in 1949.  There, he had his first experience with hospital chaplaincy, a ministry that remained close to his heart. He taught in Canada and the United States, and in 1957, left for the missions in South Africa. In 1974, Pope Paul VI named him bishop of Aliwal North, South Africa.

Bishop Baaij served as bishop of Aliwal North until 1981 when health concerns prompted him to resign. In recent years he was a chaplain at Nazareth House.

An article about Bishop Baaij, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, was posted on the province website last year. Click here to read it.

Fr. Tom Cassidy wrote a letter to the South African Province, remembering the bishop. Click here to read the letter.

Updates

Fr. Jim Schifano: Fr. Jim called to let us know that the number we published for his room is actually for his cell phone. So to clarify, Fr. Jim can be reached at:

Room: 414-409-4831
Mobile: 414-688-4621

Fr. Terry Langley: as we noted last week, Fr. Terry moved to Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake. His room number is 402 and his phone number is 414-525-2443. At the Provincialate you can reach him at 414-427-4263.

Fr. Greg Speck: As of February 1 Fr. Greg began his new assignment with the pastoral team in northern Mississippi. He is a member of the SCJ community in Nesbit and his new phone numbers are:

Work: 662-342-1073
Home: 662-429-8424
Work fax: 662-342-7733

Former ESL students renew vows in the Philippines

Fraters Jonathan Schneiders and Sergio Matumoto renewed their religious vows on January 22 in Cagayan de Oro, Phillippines. They are doing their seminary studies in the Philippines in preparation for future ministry in the country. Click here to read a story previously posted on them.

“The ceremony was presided over by Fr. Donald  and concelebrated by our dear Fr. Bene our district superior,” wrote Fra. Jonathan, who added that the vows were done in Portuguese, the native language of the students, as well as Fr. Bene, who is also from Brazil.

“The chapel was lovingly decorated by seminarians from Vietnam,” he continued, “there were beautiful songs by our 54 trainees who graced the celebration with their thunderous choruses. Grace, one of our lay Filipino SCJs, was part of the celebration and sang a beautiful song especially for the occasion.”

“Sergio and I are very grateful and happy for the calling of God,” wrote Br. Jonathan. “We have been accepted and well-received in this country and this SCJ community. We give special thanks to our provincial superior and council in Brazil who allowed us to be here to live in the spirit of Sint Unum.”

Four ordinations in Congo

On January 22, four SCJs were ordained to the priesthood for the Congolese Province: Frs. Antoine Twal, Gustave Mania, Aegis Safari, and Jean-Pierre Mokonzi. Present for the ordinations was Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho, superior general, who was in the midst of a visitation of the province. Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa of Kisangani was the ordaining bishop.

Updates

Fr. Tom Fix: As we noted in January, Fr. Tom Fix is being treated for cancer in Indonesia.  The American SCJ is a member of the Indonesian Province and has spent most of his religious life there.

He has been in a Jakarta hospital since January 23 where his condition is reported to be “up and down.” Fr. Andreas Madya, the provincial superior, said that lay people and SCJs have been taking turns spending time with Fr. Tom so that there is always someone at the hospital with him.

Fr. Tom continues to receive chemotherapy.

Fr. Rein van Leeuwen: After several weeks of hospitalization and rehabilitation, Fr. Rein van Leeuwen returned home to the SCJ community in Montréal on February 4.

Keep in prayer

Br. Long Nguyen returned from the Philippines earlier than planned due to illness. He is back home at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake.

Please remember

Fr. Celestino Llamazares Redondo, a member of the Spanish Province, died February 3. He was born in 1949, professed in 1967 and ordained in 1991.

Also, we recently learned that two former SCJs died during 2011: Tony D’Angelo and Nick Waytowich.

A window into fund raising

The NonProfit Times, an online publication for nonprofit management, did an interview with Kory Christianson, the executive director of development for St. Joseph’s Indian School in South Dakota. In the interview, published February 1, Kory talks about how St. Joseph’s not only tries to raise funds for the ministries of the school but also raise awareness and appreciation for Lakota culture.

Click here to read the interview.

New password

A reminder to SCJs: there is a new password for the Members’ section of the province website. If you have not received it or have misplaced it, please contact Mary Gorski at the Provincialate.

Provincial’s Time

Fr. Tom Cassidy is in Milwaukee this week. Tuesday and Wednesday, February 7-8, he has meetings with the Provincial Council.

Upcoming meetings and events:

February 7-8: Provincial Council Meeting
March 5-6: Local Coordinators/Superiors Meeting (Hales Corners)
March 27-28: Provincial Council Meeting
April 15: Easter Concert at Sacred Heart Monastery/School of Theology
May 15: Mass for the Anointing of the Sick, SHM/SHST
May 30-31: Provincial Council Meeting (budgets)
June 15: Feast of the Sacred Heart
June 28: Provincial Council Meeting (conference call re: formation)
July 9-12: Province Assembly, Hales Corners
July 16-21: General Conference, Neustadt, Germany
July 23-25: SCJ Major Superiors Meeting, Neustadt, Germany

Looking into the next year, keep in mind that the next province election assembly will be the week of June 3, 2013.

Happy birthday

And finally, a special birthday note to our province treasurer, Dn. David Nagel, who turns 61 today (February 6).