THE NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF October 15, 2007...
Provincial’s time After celebrating his 65th birthday on Saturday (October 13) Fr. Tom Cassidy flew back from Pinellas Park to join in council meetings Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday through Friday he meets with the monastery community and has board meetings at Sacred Heart School of Theology. On Saturday, he flies to Rome to take part in the meeting of major superiors. He will be in Rome until the end of the month. Updates Fr. Frank Burshnick Sacred Heart Residence 6701 82nd Ave. N. Pinellas Park, FL 33781 727-541-2661 Province of Cameroon New e-mail: prov.cmscj@yahoo.it Province of Argentina New e-mail: scj_provincia_ar@yahoo.com.ar Also, please note that a new personnel directory is expected to go to the printer this week. We will try to get it in your hands as soon as possible. SEAS As many of you know, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Houston will be ministered to by diocesan priests as of November 1st. The parish is holding a farewell Mass and dinner on October 19. The new address (as of November 1) for SCJs who were at SEAS: 9811 Gold Cup Way Houston, TX 77065-4121 281-890-6294 Living there will be Fr. Richard Johnston (who is moving from Wallis, Texas), Fr. Bob Tucker, Fr. Bob Naglich and Fr. Ed Kilianski (who is currently on a study sabbatical in Mexico). More good-byes Yesterday (October 14), the Dehon Formation Community in Chicago held a farewell party for Fr. Mike Burke, who, after many years in formation, leaves the community to minister in Lower Brule, SD. And what timing, yesterday was also Fr. Mike’s 70th birthday, so the community celebrated that as well. Long travels Br. Willy Kapingo Kawala, a summer student in the ESL program, is on his way back to his home province of Congo. Fr. Paul Grizzelle Reid, ESL director, says that the SCJ probably has the longest return trip of any ESL alumni in the history of the program. Br. Willy’s return to Congo takes him from Milwaukee to Cincinnati to Washington, DC to Rome to Addis Abba, Ethiopia to Brazzaville, Congo to Kinshasa, Congo. The journey lasts three days and still leaves him several hours from his final destination. When he finally gets home, Br. Willy is expected to return to the other side of the classroom. He is a teacher in the province. Free posters to a good home! The vocation office has a few posters left from its fall mailing. If you would like more vocation posters or prayer cards for your parish, office, school… really anywhere that young people might notice it, please contact the office at 414-529-4255 (800-609-5559). You can also e-mail Nancy Grzesiak at: nagray@wi.rr.com. Commemorating 100 years Knowing that the German Province would be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008, the U.S. Province asked Fr. Herman Falke, the Canadian Region’s resident artist, to prepare a piece in honor of the anniversary. The subject of his woodcarving was Thomas and Jesus following the Resurrection. “I thought that it was very appropriate; it is one of the best representations of the Sacred Heart, namely presenting us a Jesus who goes all out to show his human love, even to a friend in partial trouble,” wrote Fr. Herman. “’Put your hand in my side.’ How much more intimate could he get?” The German provincial superior, Fr. Heiner Wilmer, recently wrote after receiving the gift. “Thank your very much for your gift, which has arrived right in the beginning of the 100th jubilee of the German Province,” wrote Fr. Heiner. “Mild, gentle and friendly, Jesus opens his arms towards the other person. Eye in eye, they look at one another, a look which reminds us of our own roots. “The figure reminds us of the gift of God we all received in our common history, when after World War I, the German SCJs, even though they had to leave Cameroon, they did not give up trust in God and in his mysterious way of leading us. Troubled but not confused, they came to your country and experienced the privilege of settling a new SCJ presence. “And now, the wooden figure of Jesus is a lasting reminder of our link and boundaries, of our belonging to one another and our friendship. During the year of our jubilee the figure is wandering in our province from community to community, showing the goodness of a divine heart open to everyone who comes across his way. “Once again, thank you very much for the meaningful gift. Please, give my very best to all confreres in your Province.” A photo of the artwork is on the Fridge Notes homepage: www.fridgenotes.org.