THE NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF October 22, 2007...
Provincial’s time Fr. Tom Cassidy will be in Rome through the end of the month attending the Major Superiors’ meeting. Personnel changes In a letter that was sent to the province today via e-mail, several personnel changes were noted. They include: St. Martin of Tours: Fr. Tony Russo will retire as pastor of St. Martin of Tours at the end of the year. Fr. Yvon Sheehy will become the new pastor. Vocation Central: Fr. Thi Pham will become director of the Province Vocation Office as of January 1. Because of prior commitments, Fr. Thi will not assume duties full-time at the office until February. Dn. Mark Mastin, after completing his assignment at St. Martin of Tours, will join Fr. Thi at the vocation office as of July 1. St. Joseph’s Indian School: After helping with the transition at the vocation office, Br. Ben Humpfer will go to St. Joe’s to become school chaplain. His new assignment takes effect on July 1. Sacred Heart School of Theology: Fr. Jan de Jong will serve as president-rector of SHST for a three-year term. The SHST board approved the appointment last week and the Provincial Council finalized the appointment during its conference call this morning (October 22). More Updates Fr. Gary Lantz is retired and has moved to Chamberlain. His new address and phone: P.O. Box 6 104 Cliffs Dr. Apr. 3 Chamberlain, SD 57325 Phone: 605-280-6563 Cell: 605-945-2344 Fr. Howard Melzer has a new direct number to his room at Clement Manor: (414) 546-0364. SEAS St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Houston held a farewell liturgy and reception on Friday, October 19, to celebrate the SCJs’ years of service to the parish community. The new priests –– a diocesan and a religious priest from the Oblates of the Sacred Heart –– were announced at the celebration. Besides the pastoral staff (Fr. Bob Tucker, Fr. Peter Mastrobuono and Fr. Bob Naglich), Fr. Frank Wittouck , Fr. Anthony Kluckman and Fr. Vien Nguyen also attended the liturgy and reception. Frs. Frank, Anthony and Vien had all ministered at SEAS previously. Fr. Vien called from Houston to say that it was a very good celebration with several hundred people in attendance. Fr. Bob Tucker, out-going pastor, gave the homily and spoke of the SCJs’ history with the parish. The people of SEAS, he said, would always be in the prayers of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. Please remember… Fr. Mark Garrow, a 1973 graduate of Bellfontaine, died October 19 of cancer. Fr. Mark was recently superior general of his order, the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. Missing art Fr. Ed Griesemer e-mailed to say that he is missing an original oil painting from the lower level basement of Villa Maria. The painting has been missing since July and he thinks that perhaps someone may have taken it for display, not knowing that it was his. It shows a brown teddy bear holding three balloons. If you happen to have it, please contact Fr. Ed at Villa Maria. The painting is to be hung in a children’s room this December. Excellence in Education Sr. Margaret Sue Broker and Mrs. Jennifer Hodge, both on the staff of Sacred Heart School in Mississippi (a ministry of Sacred Heart Southern Missions), were recently recognized for their “Excellence in Education.” The recognition, in the form of certificates and $500 grants, came from the DeSoto County Foundation for Excellence in Education. Sr. Margaret Sue’s winning proposal was for Touch Math training. “The Touch Math program is very visual and tactile and so it builds on the preferred way that young children learn,” she said in Happenings, the newsletter of SHSM and the Sacred Heart League. “I hope to get the entire staff fired up and willing to explore a new and different approach to teaching an often dry subject. I want my kids to see, feel, explore and learn math. I want them to want math. And I want our primary teachers to see and feel the excitement and joy that comes when a child really understands and gains mastery of a new skill.” Jennifer’s grant will be applied to her ongoing mentorship of the robotics program at Sacred Heart, a program that has brought recognition and honor to the school in the past few years. She also is most concerned with getting her students “excited about math and science,” she said. “The program allows a student to demonstrate talents that might not show up in a regular classroom situation: art, design, computer skills, photography, working with their hands and tools, oral presentation and more.” Jennifer has recruited a teacher from DeSoto Central Middle School to also try the program.