Fr. Tom Cassidy congratulates Fr. Jan de Jong on his retirement.

Celebrated and honored

Fr. Jan de Jong, SCJ, left his native Holland in 1969 to come to Sacred Heart School of Theology to teach. Forty-three years later, he is retiring as president-rector of the seminary. On Friday, April 27, SHST students, faculty, staff, fellow SCJs, friends and family celebrated Fr. Jan’s many years of service with a special liturgy and retirement dinner.

Although his first assignment in the U.S. Province was at SHST, Fr. Jan’s nearly 40 years of ministry in the United States has gone well beyond the seminary. In 1974, he became a chaplain at St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee. It was a stepping stone to teaching in and eventually directing Clinical Pastoral Education programs (CPE) in Milwaukee and in Houston. He has also served on the ethics boards of several hospitals, something that he will continue to do in his retirement.

Before returning to SHST in 1999 as a professor of Moral Theology, Fr. Jan served as novice master for the U.S. Province for three years. In 2008, he was named president-rector of the seminary.

Click here to view photos from the retirement celebration.

Click here to read a letter from Fr. General on the occasion of Fr. Jan’s retirement.

Click here to read Fr. Tom Cassidy’s homily from the Friday liturgy.

Students and staff from Sacred Heart Southern Missions, including Fr. Jack Kurps, SCJ, executive director (standing, fourth from the left).

A taste of Mississippi in South Dakota

Twenty-three students and staff from Sacred Heart Southern Missions in Mississippi were in South Dakota, sharing a bit of Mississippi –– including GENUINE SOUTHERN COOKING –– with their counterparts at St. Joseph’s. While teachers and staff heard presentations about the history, ministries and people of Sacred Heart Southern Missions, students at St. Joseph’s learned about Mississippi history and culture from three pairs of students from SHSM’s Holy Family School in Holly Springs and Sacred Heart School in Southaven.

For over a dozen years the U.S. Province has hosted Mission Education gatherings. Held at SCJ ministry locations around the country, it is a time for staff, volunteers and others associated with the Priests of the Sacred Heart to spend time together and better learn about the community and SCJ spirituality.

While many people have been able to attend Mission Education, it is difficult (and costly) to bring everyone from a ministry to the national gatherings.  Generally, just a few representatives from each ministry attend Mission Ed on the province level.

Looking for a way to extend the Mission Education experience beyond the larger conferences, staff from St. Joseph’s Indian School and Sacred Heart Southern Missions teamed up to expand the Mission Education experience between them.

“We couldn’t bring all of our staff to St. Joseph’s so we brought St. Joseph’s to Mississippi,” said Fr. Jack Kurps, SCJ, executive director of SHSM.

In 2010, approximately 20 students and staff from South Dakota gave an in-service day to SHSM staff. This year, it was SHSM’s turn.

“This visit reinforced for me the idea that even though we live and work in very different areas, what we are doing is similar,” said one of the Mississippi staff. “It all follows the call of the SCJs’ founder, Fr. Dehon, to ‘get out of the sacristies.’”

Click here to read the full story about the Mississippi Mission Education experience.

Click here to view photos from gathering.

Teaming up

Br. Ray Kozuch, SCJ, vocation director, said that he is grateful for the help of Kevin Stanke, a member of province finance office. However, it wasn’t help with accounting for which Br. Ray is grateful. For over a year Kevin has been working with his parish, St. Gregory the Great in Milwaukee, to allow the province vocation office to organize a vocation gathering at the parish school. The months of persistence paid off. Last week Thursday, Br. Ray and Br. Long Nguyen, SCJ, teamed up with the School Sisters of Notre Dame to do a morning presentation for approximately 70 fifth through eighth grade students.

“It was a good experience with many excellent questions from the students,” said Br. Ray. “I hope that other people can help us in similar ways, opening doors to schools and other areas where we can meet with young people and talk about vocations.”

Please remember

Fr. Aegidius Warsito, SCJ, received word that his brother died in Indonesia. The brother, who was 51, suffered from multiple health concerns during the last few years; recently he was hospitalized with meningitis. Fr. Aegi was able to visit his brother last November. Please remember Fr. Aegi and his family in your prayers, especially Fr. Aegi’s mother, who has been severely debilitated by a stroke. Fr. Aegi is a member of the Indonesian Province ministering in Toronto.

Also, keep Don Lirette, the husband of Marge Lirette, in prayer. Marge worked for over 20 years at Sacred Heart School of Theology, and now assists with the retirement community at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake. Mr. Lirette had surgery last week.

Memorial for Fr. Tom Fix

On Thursday, April 26, a Memorial Mass was held for Fr. Tom Fix, SCJ, who, as we noted last week, died in Indonesia on April 21.

Click here to read Fr. Charles Yost’s homily.

Click here to read the words shared by Fr. Tom’s brother, George, at the end of Mass.

Moment of fame

If you look closely,  you can see that Fr. Ed Zemlik, SCJ, is a photo that made the front page of the April 29 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He is standing behind Cardinal Timothy Dolan in a story about the cardinal’s special Mass of thanksgiving on Saturday at the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, at Holy Hill. It was his first “official” visit back to Wisconsin since he became a cardinal.

Below, Fr. Ed is circled in the photo. Note that the picture is copyrighted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Fr. Ed Zemlik (circled in yellow) made the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in its story on the cardinal's Mass of Thanksgiving near Milwaukee.

International treasurers meeting

From April 23-28 treasurers and finance personnel from around the congregation met in Rome. Dn. David Nagel, SCJ, attended as the treasurer for the U.S. Province and in his role as a member of the General Finance Commission.

“We finished our conference with Mass on Saturday, followed by pranzo (lunch),” said Dn. David.  “Fr. Ornelas [general superior] asked me to serve as deacon for the Mass; that was a nice honor. The meetings were good.  I had a chance to present my thoughts on fund raising in the United States and to introduce the topic of benefactors and donors to the conference.

“The conference ended with a great talk by a Salesian sister who is a professor of economics.

“The meetings were a good chance to visit with SCJ treasurers from other countries, especially those from Vietnam, India, Congo, and the Philippines –– entities that the U.S. Province helps to support.  Fr. Giovanni Pross from Congo talked to me about the needs of the Congolese Province, including the building project SCJs have undertaken in Kisangani.  The countries in Asia also have many needs with a growing number of vocations.”

Click here to view photos and reports from the conference on the English section of the general website.

Leasing information

As we noted last week, deposits are already being taken for apartments in the second wing of Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake. Apartments for the general public are expected to be ready for move-in on August 1.

For information about rentals, or to tour the site, call 414-409-4848 or email sacredheart@oakbrookcorp.com.

Birthday correction

In last week’s birthday listing we incorrectly stated that Fr. Vincent Suparman, SCJ, is to celebrate his 49^th birthday on May 6. We aged Fr. Vincent by a month. He was born on June 5, 1963.

Provincial’s time

Fr. Tom Cassidy starts the week in Mississippi with board meetings at Sacred Heart Southern Missions. He will be back in Milwaukee on Wednesday for the North American councils meeting, which begins Wednesday evening and runs all day on Thursday.

Fr Cassidy remains in the Milwaukee area until May 24, when he visits Pinellas Park, Fl.

Upcoming meetings and events:

May 2-3: North American Councils meeting, Hales Corners.
May 15: Mass for the Anointing of the Sick, SHM/SHST (1 p.m.)
May 30-31: Provincial Council Meeting (budgets)
June 15: Feast of the Sacred Heart (11 a.m.)
June 28: Provincial Council Meeting (conference call re: formation)
July 3-4: Provincialate Offices closed for Independence Day.
July 9-12: Province Assembly, Hales Corners
July 16-21: General Conference, Neustadt, Germany
July 23-25: SCJ Major Superiors Meeting, Neustadt, Germany
October 12: Dedication of Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake

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

Fr. Tom Fix blessing an Indian SCJ at his ordination.

He followed his childhood dream

Diagnosed with cancer in January, Fr. Tom Fix, SCJ, died April 21 in his adopted home of Indonesia. He was 79 and had been a member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart for over 60 years.

Fr. Tom Fix, SCJ

Being a missionary is something that Fr. Tom dreamed of doing since he was in third grade. And while many people lose enthusiasm for their childhood dreams, Fr. Tom never did. Four years later when Fr. Jim Alexander, SCJ, visited Fr. Tom’s school, Fr. Tom was anxious to study with the Priests of the Sacred Heart. “I learned they had missions –– I wanted to join them,” said Fr. Tom.  That was in seventh grade.  A year later he went to Divine Heart, the province’s minor seminary in Donaldson, Ind.

Fr. Tom professed his first vows in 1951 and was ordained in 1958, still holding onto the dream of serving in the missions. When he heard that there was a need for priests and brothers in Indonesia he quickly volunteered. He became one of eleven SCJs from the United States to serve in the country.  Among the first to arrive, he was the last American to remain in the Indonesian Province.

A Funeral Mass will be held for Fr. Tom in Indonesia; Fr. Johnny Klingler, SCJ, who is in the Philippines teaching English, will represent the U.S. Province.

On Thursday, April 26, at 10:30 a.m., there will be a Memorial Mass for Fr. Tom at Sacred Heart Monastery in Hales Corners, Wis. Fr. Mark Fortner, SCJ, will be the homilist and Fr. Charles Yost, SCJ, will be the main celebrant; both SCJs also served in Indonesia.

Click here to read more about Fr. Tom.

Fr. Johnny Klingler with his students

Second week of school

Fr. Johnny Klingler, SCJ, made another post to the province blog from the Philippines, where he is spending much of April and May teaching English.

“The  second week of school went well and I continue to feel very positive about what I am doing,” he wrote. “Besides being in the classroom the students call on me to help them with their punctuation and writing assignments. They are eager to learn and all need individual  help. I have already used film and popular songs  to help them. I recall my days at the seminary in Kilroe teaching writing and multimedia.”

Click here to read the full post.

SCJs and visiting diocesan priests in Vietnam following the final vows celebration

3 profess final vows in Vietnam

“On Sunday, April 15, we had the great joy to have in Vietnam the profession of perpetual vows of our brothers Thai, Loc, and Khoa,” wrote Fr. Rino Venturin, SCJ, superior of the SCJ community in Vietnam, in a letter to Fr. General. “It was the first time that our hymn “Non tingat aras” was sung in this blessed land of martyrs. We hope and pray that it will happen many more times in the future!

“The vicar general of the diocese presided at the Eucharist, concelebrated by eight SCJs and 12 diocesan priests.

“The church was packed with religious, relatives and friends of the three brothers; a meal with over 200 followed.”

Leasing begins

Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake opened leasing to the general public earlier this month. The contractor anticipates that the second wing will be ready for move-ins on August 1.

There has been steady visitor traffic at the property and already 17 people have put down deposits for apartments. “Not bad for the first two weeks,” said a member of the rental staff.

For information about rentals, or to tour the site, call 414-409-4848, or email sacredheart@oakbrookcorp.com.

Retirement dinner

On Friday, April 27, Fr Jan de Jong, SCJ, will be honored at Sacred Heart School of Theology for his many years of service to the seminary as a teacher, and in recent years, as its president-rector. He retires at the end of this semester.

Check the province Facebook page after the event for a few photos.

Happy birthday

May is literally just around the corner! Those SCJs celebrating birthdays in May include Fr. Charles Yost (80) and Fr. Mark Fortner (72) on May 4, Fr. Byron Haaland (63) and Fr. Vincent Suparman (49) on May 6, Fr. Bryan Benoit (50) and Fr. Jack Kurps (61) on May 7, Fr. Guy Blair (61) on May 8, Fr. Anthony Kluckman (65)  and Fr. Elié Ngoy (45) on May 12, Bishop Joseph Potocnak (79) on May 13, Fr. Thi Pham (37) on May 14, Fr. Jim Casper (74) on May 20, Fr. Bob Tucker (60) on May 21, Fr. Wayne Jenkins (65) on May 25, Fr. Stephen Huffstetter (53) and Fr. P.J. McGuire (70) on May 31.

Traveling SCJs

Bishop Joe Potocnak, SCJ, returns to the United States this month from South Africa. He has been alternating his retirement in the South African and U.S. Provinces.

Dn. David Nagel, SCJ, province treasurer, is also traveling. He is at the Generalate in Rome through the week for the meeting of the congregation’s treasurers. Besides being the treasurer of the U.S. Province, Dn. David also goes in his role as a member of the General Finance Commission. Fr. Maurice Légaré, SCJ, from the Canadian Region is also at the meeting.

Please remember

The 89-year-old mother of Bishop Adam Musialek, SCJ, of De Aar, South Africa, died last week in Poland. Bishop Adam is an alumnus of the ESL program at Sacred Heart School of Theology where he learned English in preparation for his first assignment in South Africa.

Provincial’s time

Fr. Tom Cassidy, SCJ, is in the Milwaukee most of this week. On April 29 he leaves for Mississippi.

Upcoming meetings and events:

May 2-3: North American Councils meeting, Hales Corners. Note: all SCJs in the Milwaukee area are invited to join the North American councils for dinner at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake on May 3. The social begins at 5 p.m. and dinner will be at 6 p.m. SCJs outside of the retirement community at SHML are asked to let Mary Gorski know if they are coming.

May 15: Mass for the Anointing of the Sick, SHM/SHST (1 p.m.)
May 30-31: Provincial Council Meeting (budgets)
June 15: Feast of the Sacred Heart (11 a.m.)
June 28: Provincial Council Meeting (conference call re: formation)
July 3-4: Provincialate Offices closed for Independence Day.
July 9-12: Province Assembly, Hales Corners
July 16-21: General Conference, Neustadt, Germany
July 23-25: SCJ Major Superiors Meeting, Neustadt, Germany
October 12: Dedication of Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake

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

During his sabbatical in North America last year Fr. Zénon visited several of our benefactors. Here he and Pam Milczarski of the province development office are with a long-time friend of the Priests of the Sacred Heart.

Familiar face to American donors named to lead Congolese Province

During his sabbatical in North America last year Fr. Zénon Sendeke, an SCJ from the Congolese Province, visited several of our benefactors. He is pictured above on one of those visits with Pam Milczarski of the province development.

In March, Fr. Zénon was named provincial superior of his province; he will be the first Congolese SCJ to hold the position (his term begins on July 1). Congo follows the African provinces of Mozambique and Cameroon who are also being led – for the first time –– by citizens of their own countries.

The Priests of the Sacred Heart are evolving from being a missionary presence in Africa to truly being African.

This is quite a change from the early 1970s when a young Zénon told an SCJ at his parish that he too wanted to be a priest. When Fr. Zénon was accepted as a candidate in 1975 there was no novitiate, no philosophy nor theology program.

“No one knew where to send the young Zeno,” laughed Fr. Zénon, who, after taking part in a novitiate program operated by another religious community in Kinshasa, professed vows with the Priests of the Sacred Heart in 1978.

Noting the many changes that the Congolese Province has gone through, Fr. Zénon said that while it is sad to see the number of missionaries decline, there is great pride in the fact that so many Congolese are now taking over parishes and other activities in the province. “It is a blessing, and I trust that our missionaries take great pride in seeing their mission continuing.”

A story about Fr. Zénon and the Congolese Province is now on the province website. Click here to read it.

A new assignment in a new SCJ project

After spending much of his sabbatical in the ESL program at Sacred Heart School of Theology, Fr. Wladyslaw T. Mach is heading back to Europe, and soon, to his new assignment in Berlin, Germany. A Polish member of the Austria-Croatian District, Fr. Wladyslaw will join an international community of SCJs in Berlin who are just beginning a new initiative.

Fr. Wladyslaw Mach, SCJ

“Our international team is going to live at a large parish,” said Fr. Wladyslaw, “and live in the spirit of Fr. Dehon. Our team includes two Brazilians who have already been a part of the German Province for some time, a German, a Pole and myself.”

The team will do traditional parish ministry, and pastoral care at a nearby university and clinic, as well as ministry to Berlin’s Portuguese immigrant community. However, Fr. Wladyslaw said that it isn’t the ministry itself that is unique but instead, the commitment of the team to do ministry as an international religious community, based in Dehonian spirituality. “We are not ministering as individuals, we are ministering together as a religious community. It is an important signal to those discerning a vocation. We are a religious community and they will see us living that.”

The area of Berlin in which the team will be based is “very multicultural,” said Fr. Wladyslaw. “It is also very secular. It is important to be able to offer a Christian response to the questions people have in their daily lives…

“I am very grateful to the U.S. Province for the opportunity to take part in the ESL program,” said Fr. Wladyslaw, who initially asked to study English “as more of a personal fulfillment or hobby,” he said. “But now I realize that I will be able to use it in Berlin since it is such a multicultural area.

“My time at Sacred Heart was a beautiful and useful time for me,” he continued. “I was able to learn English but also meet a diversity of cultures. I will bring these experiences into my new assignment.”

Two of Fr. Johnny's students working in the formation house garden.

Blogging from the Philippines

As we noted previously Fr. Johnny Klingler is in the Philippines teaching English. Yesterday (April 15) he wrote his first blog post from the formation community in Cagayan de Oro.

“On my first day at our seminary and community house in Cagayan de Oro, I was awoken at 4:30 a.m. by a symphony of cock-a-doodle-doos, the barking of dogs, the songs of birds and the tape-recorded call to prayer of our Muslin neighbors,” wrote Fr. Johnny.

“It was Wednesday morning and I went around introducing myself to the librarian, the secretary, two cooks and the lady who does the washing,” he continued. “They are all so lovely. I took my writing pad with me in order to write down their names, which helps me to remember. The class of Vietnamese aspirants that I will teach are all so friendly. They range in age from 21 to 29. They all look much younger. The first question that they ask me is, “How old are you”? It appears it is the way to get the conversation going. I start out with 42 years and work myself up to 76! They ask many questions and want so much to learn English.”

Click here to read the rest of the post

And remember, we encourage SCJs, co-workers and other collaborators to write for our province blog. The text does not need to be long; just a couple of paragraphs about something interesting that happened to you or in your ministry. Click here to submit a blog post, or contact Mary Gorski at the Provincialate Offices at 414-427-4266 to learn more about doing so.

Aging with grace, aging as an SCJ

The major superiors of Europe came together last month to continue and expand a conversation begun at the 2009 General Chapter: how do the Priests of the Sacred Heart ensure quality care for their elder SCJs and how does the congregation respond to the needs of aging and dying provinces?

Fr. Jim Schroeder, SCJ

Previously, we noted that Fr. Jim Schroeder of the U.S. Province is a part of the General Curia’s Working Group on Aging. The group of six SCJs was developed as an advisory body to the general administration; it met for the first time in February, 2011.

The working group helped to organize and facilitate the March 12-16 gathering of European major superiors held at the Dutch retirement community in Asten.

“Asten was wonderful; it showed what can be done in our communities, in places like Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake,” said Fr. Jim. “There are ways that we can help men remain in community longer… There was a strong community spirit in Asten.”

During the conference, each major superior was invited to talk about how his SCJ entity is addressing issues of aging.

“There were several examples of innovative communities,” said Fr. Jim.

In France, SCJs sold one of their buildings to a private corporation that now operates a senior residence for both SCJs and non-SCJs. The North Italian Province operates a mixed senior facility that includes SCJs, diocesan priests and laity.”

Besides discussing the needs of aging individuals, the major superiors also discussed concerns related to aging provinces.

Click here to read the full article on the province website.

Also, the March 12 National Catholic Reporter published an article about the aging of priests in the United States. Click here to read it.

Provincial’s time

Fr. Tom Cassidy is in the Milwaukee area the next two weeks. On April 29 he leaves for Mississippi.

Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, take a look at Fr. Tom’s journal from his visit to the Philippines in March. Click here to go directly to it.

Upcoming meetings and events:

May 2-3: North American Councils meeting, Hales Corners
May 15: Mass for the Anointing of the Sick, SHM/SHST (1 p.m.)
May 30-31: Provincial Council Meeting (budgets)
June 15: Feast of the Sacred Heart (11 a.m.)
June 28: Provincial Council Meeting (conference call re: formation)
July 3-4: Provincialate Offices closed for Independence Day.
July 9-12: Province Assembly, Hales Corners
July 16-21: General Conference, Neustadt, Germany
July 23-25: SCJ Major Superiors Meeting, Neustadt, Germany
October 12: Dedication of Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake

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