THE NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 25, 2008...
Provincial’s time Fr. Cassidy is in the office much of this week. Next week, he joins the council in its joint meeting with the Canadian administration on Monday (March 3) in Hales Corners. Tuesday, the Provincial Council will continue its meetings. Wednesday, March 5, Fr. Cassidy has meetings with the board of directors of Sacred Heart School of Theology. Happy birthday! Those celebrating birthdays in March include: Fr. Joe Dean (61) on March 3, Fr. Jim Brackin (62) on March 4, Fr. Terry Langley (58) on March 12, Fr. Pat Lloyd (66) on March 17, Fr. Richard MacDonald (69) on March 18, Fr. Charles Brown (54) on March 19, Fr. Frank Wittouck (70) on March 23, Bishop Evert Baay (87) on March 24, Br. Gabe Kersting (86) on March 27, and Fr. Frank Burshnick (70) and Fr. Jim Schroeder (64) on March 30. Happy birthday! Please remember… Fr. Atitilio Carminati, a member of the North Italian Province, who died February 4. He was born in 1921, professed in 1940 and ordained in 1947. Fr. Joannes Hooft van Huijsduijnen, a member of the Dutch-Flemish Province, who died February 19. He was born in 1909, professed in 1930 and ordained in 1937. Update Fr. Tony Russo E-mail: thedonscj@yahoo.com Also, please note that there are two SCJs in the Canadian Region who are not listed in the Provincial Directory. Fr. Aegidius Warsito of the Indonesian Province is with the community on High Park in Toronto. His e-mail is: aegiscj@gmail.com. Second, Fr. Gustave Lulendo of the Congolese Province is now a member of the community on Daly in Ottawa. His e-mail is: glulendo@yahoo.fr We will share more about both SCJs in next week’s Fridge Notes. Available Fr. Wayne Jenkins notes that the Felician sisters donated a four-volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours. If you or your community can use them, contact Fr. Wayne at provarch@poshusa.org. Insurance issues at HR meeting A meeting of the province Human Resource directors was held on February 19 at the Provincialate Offices. The HR directors include Karen Jeltz from the Sacred Heart League, Donna Dean from St. Joseph’s Indian School (C-POSH), Linda Church from the Province Development Office, and Sally Smits from Sacred Heart School of Theology. The focus of the meeting was discussion of the possibility of moving toward a common provider for insurance benefits.  Joining the HR directors in their meeting were David Obernberger, province insurance consultant, and Kathleen Dahlgren, province attorney. The group decided that each of the province entities will use the same insurance provider for short-term disability, long-term disability, the dental plan and life insurance. This move to common providers for insurance benefits has been in the works for over 20 years, said Dn. David Nagel. Going to the insurance agencies with a larger pool of employees will allow the province to get benefits at a lower cost. The group discussed how it might move toward a common medical plan and outlined how this could be done over the next year. It hopes to meet again in spring to continue discussions. The Provincial Council is encouraging a greater equality of benefits in the various province entities. Thanks Fr. Wilson Hobold, provincial superior of the Congolese Province (see February 11 Fridge Notes), wrote to Fr. Tom Cassidy soon after his recent visit to Wisconsin. The Congolese provincial was here primarily to visit with Fr. David Maher, an American member of the Congolese Province who is being treated for Leukemia. “I appreciate so much the great care you have given and continue to show to our brother, Fr. David Maher,” he wrote. “I again want to acknowledge the great appreciation we, the members of the Congolese Province, have for you and the members of the U.S. Province,” continued Fr. Wilson. “For over 30 years, you have provided financial, spiritual, emotional and personnel support to the Congo. Without this help, the Congolese Province would not have been able to survive the wars and traumas of the last 30 years. Your financial support has been paramount in allowing us to do the work of bringing the Good News to the people of this very difficult country. Fr. David Maher, Br. Jerry Selenke, Fr. Charles Brown and Fr. Leonard Elder, to name a few, have all represented the U.S. Province with great charity and kindness. We will always remember their contribution to the people of Congo. “The charity and kindness of your province continues to all our Congolese professed religious and students who have been and are presently in the ESL program offered at Sacred Heart School of Theology. The men return to our province and become teachers in our schools, work in administration, and in some cases, go on for further studies. The English language gives us a sense of being a part of our ‘international’ Dehonian family.”