THE NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 10, 2008...
Provincial’s time Fr. Cassidy is out of town for the next ten days. Monday through Wednesday he will be at the Region V CMSM meeting. Then he heads to Arizona to visit his sisters for a few days and check up on the Brewers at spring training. He is back in Milwaukee on March 20. Please remember… The family of Fr. Adrian Visscher; his sister-in-law died on Friday, March 7. Fr. Adrian is a member of the Canadian Region. Mary Shortino, the aunt of Fr. Jim Walters, who died earlier this month. She was 78 and suffered from Lymphoma. Eucharistic Congress The next Eucharistic Congress will be June 15-22 in Quebec City. Br. Brian Tompkins of the Canadian Region will attend the congress. There is a good travel package from Toronto based on double-occupancy. If an SCJ from the U.S. Province would like to join Br. Brian, he should contact him at: briantompkins2002@yahoo.ca, or call 416-531-1454. Unfortunately, the congress is the same week as the U.S. Provincial Chapter. Delegates to the chapter would be unable to attend the congress. Oops! In a previous Fridge Notes we misspelled Br. Dieudonné Tchouteu’s name with an extra “a.” Please note the correct spelling here. Br. Dieudonné, originally from Cameroon, is a member of the Montréal community. In the next SCJ News, Br. Dieudonné writes about a water program for the people of his home country. The program is funded with the help of benefactors in the Canadian Region. “In North America, water is not thought about,” wrote Br. Dieudonné. “You turn on the tap and the water comes out in abundance, clear and healthy. But in the huts and villages of Cameroon, to get drinking water is a constant concern. Often, it is necessary for the people to walk many miles to draw their water. This is why I am working with my confreres in Canada on a project to dig water wells, equipped with a manual pump.” Makénéné, approximately 100 miles from the capital of Yaoundé, will be the first recipient of the pumps. It is a village of approximately 25,000 people. Currently, villagers rely on rainwater and small streams for water. However, the streams are often not suitable for drinking and during the dry seasons there is simply no water source near the village. “If all goes as plan we should begin the water well project in December, 2008,” said Br. Dieudonné. Missing art Fr. Ed Griesemer continues to look for a painting that is missing from the basement room of Villa Maria. The picture of a teddy bear and balloons was painted by Fr. Ed and was to be given to the child. The child’s birthday is coming up in June. If someone knows the whereabouts of the painting, please contact Fr. Ed at Villa Maria. Founder’s birth Friday, March 14, is the 165th anniversary of the birth of Fr. Leo John Dehon, founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. “That date represents an important and specific point of reference for celebrating and bringing up-to-date a marvellous heritage that has enriched the Church and allowed our charism to manifest and express itself: ‘I leave you the greatest of all treasures, the Heart of Jesus,’” wrote Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho, general superior, in his recent letter to the congregation. “It was on Léo Dehon’s gift of life that the Spirit made our congregation burgeon 130 years ago, forever linking these two occasions in a single gift made for the good of all. The gift made to the world on that March 14th continues to live and be offered today in our life. To celebrate this date is, therefore, to make a sincere and loyal reference to the original inspiration of our existence as a religious family.” The full text of Fr. General’s letter is available for download by clicking HERE or at www.dehon.it where the text is available in a variety of languages. St. Joe’s students well read In addition to spring fever, March also brings the annual Read Across America program to St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, SD. Originally created to celebrate the joy of reading, the National Education Association’s Read Across America celebration coincides with the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss. At St. Joseph’s, special time is set aside for staff and older students to read to younger students. St. Joseph’s students are encouraged to read at every opportunity. They have regular library time during school, and books are available in their homes for reading in the evenings. During the last two years, more emphasis has been placed on reading as a vital step in the entire learning process. St. Joe’s administrators recently reported that students’ reading scores have made a big jump! Nationally, schools showing a 3% gain in standard testing are considered to show normal progress. Last year, St. Joseph’s students showed a whopping 18% gain!