THE NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF January 22, 2007...
Provincial’s time Fr. MacDonald is in South Dakota this week for various meetings. Please remember… •Donna Woodbury, the niece of Fr. Richard Woodbury of the Canadian Region, who died January 18. She was 34 and is survived by her husband and two young daughters. •Bishop Joseph Potocnak, who received superficial stab wounds in a failed robbery attempt. •Eileen Neary, the sister of Fr. Dermot Twomey, who died January 18 of cancer. She was in her early 70s. Fr. Dermot was not able to attend the funeral. At the end of last week he was still hospitalized for tests to determine the cause of his weakness thought to be related to his own cancer. •The mother of Karen Powers, who died last week. Karen is curator of the Waseda Art Gallery at St. Joseph’s Retreat Center. •Thomas Reddy Penta Reddy, 22, who died on January 14. He was a novice with the District of India. Thomas became an SCJ candidate in 2001, and joined the minor seminary in Guntur, when Fr. Thomas Fix, SCJ was rector. After completing philosophy studies in Aluva, Kerala, at Dehon Vidya Sadhan, Thomas entered the novitiate on April 30, 2006, in Nambur, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh. In November, 2006, Thomas began having pains in his chest and had difficulties eating. Tests determined that he was in an advanced stage of cancer. After spending some time with the novitiate community, Thomas returned to his home in Thalacheruvu, where SCJs visited him often. On the day he died, SCJs, family and friends celebrated the Eucharist with Thomas for the last time. Updates Fr. John Klingler has a new e-mail address: klinglerjohn@yahoo.com Help needed A parish in the Diocese of Gary, pastored by a graduate of Sacred Heart School of Theology, is looking for help for Holy Week and Easter. The pastor has recently faced some major health issues. If you might be available, please contact Fr. Bob Naglich. His e-mail is: fatherbob@gmail.com. SCJs on Medicare… The Treasurer’s Office reminds SCJs on Medicare that when they receive an “amount due balance” from a health care provider that they send to the provider a copy of their CBA card. Remind the health care office that CBA is our secondary plan. It is important that the doctor’s office, or other provider, has a current copy of the CBA card so that expenses are billed and paid appropriately. If you have questions regarding your insurance, contact Kevin Stanke (414-427-4270) or John Kuxhause (414-427-4269). Ratio The newly approved Ratio Formationis Provincialis (the order of religious and priestly formation) for the U.S. Province is in the mail. If you need further copies, please contact Fr. Bernard Rosinski. Dehonian family On Friday and Saturday, 18 people –– primarily laity –– gathered in Hales Corners to further discuss ideas raised at the October Provincial Conference on the Dehonian Family. The meeting was called for by lay participants at the conference. Fr. Jack Kurps facilitated the meeting, and Dn. David Nagel gave a presentation on Fr. Leo Dehon, focusing on those who influenced the founder. Other SCJs who participated included Fr. Bernie Rosinski and Fr. Francis Vu Tran. Fr. Richard MacDonald celebrated the closing Mass. The group talked about Fr. Dehon, his charism, and how they see that charism lived out today by both SCJs and laity around the world. They reflected on whether this might be the appropriate time to promote the wider Dehonian family in the United States. And if it is, how could that be done? There was strong support for expanding knowledge of Fr. Dehon and his charism. “Regardless if a ‘lay movement’ comes about,” said one participant, “it is essential that more be done to educate people on Fr. Dehon. He was so ahead of his time on issues of social justice.” Participants were adamant that the gathering not simply be a meeting to plan for another meeting. On-going dialogue is vital in regards to the idea of a “wider Dehonian family;” however, action needs to take place if the idea is ever going to move beyond dialogue. At the end of the meeting, the group named three committees to address some of the ideas raised during the gathering. The committees: Retreat (to develop a retreat based in Dehonian charism for laity), Internet (to create ways for interactive dialogue and education on the Dehonian charism) and Materials (to review materials by or about Fr. Dehon that could be more widely distributed; this includes a sub-committee headed by representatives from Schools in Collaboration that will develop age-appropriate materials for children). As the work of the committees unfold, it will be shared in Fridge Notes and other province resources. Traveling archivist Fr. Wayne Jenkins, archivist, recently gave presentations in Vancouver, Canada and at St. Joseph’s Retreat Center in Baileys Harbor, Wis. In Vancover he presented “Living Out the Liturgical Year: Recalling the Easter Cycle,” and at St. Joe’s it was a similar topic done as a part of the pot-luck series.