What's New

Because we have not been listing e-mail addresses for individual scj houses Zdzislaw Huber put the e-mail address for The Procure in Brussels (procure.scj.bxl@skynet.be) under Congo/Zaire province since that is how it is listed in Index Domorum (page 40).

We present the seventh in our series of Dehon cartoons by Javier Prate, a collaborator on several SCJ publications in Spain. The images are displayed in the church of Saint Martin, Saint Quentin (GA). They are aimed at young people, but can be appreciated by all generations. They depict different scenes in Fr. Dehon's life and his spirituality. this week's image is entitled: "Le père Dehon envoie des missionaires".

For those looking for past (or future) cartoon postings Steve Pujdak (US) has them available in a convient format on the Williacy County Catholic Churches website (CF. DEHON ILLUSTRATED at http://www.vsta.com/~spujdak/cartoon.htm#Top).

What's Happening

Fr. General, along with Ryszard Mis (CU) celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart in Poland where they are continuing a month long fraternal visit.

We received a note this week from Stefan Tertünte who is in Albania along with Giuseppe Perintino (IS) and Mariou Putzo (IM) to assit in the Kosovar relief effort. We present here an English translation of the original German provided by Patrick Cremer (US). For those wishing to read the German text please link here: Mirdita aus Albanien zum Herz-Jesu-Fest!

From Albania on the Eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart!

Thanks to Caritas of Spain while on a visit to Sctari I have the opportunity to email you in order to offer some 'disorganized' impressions.

Without having to ask about this wherever we went everyone, whether young or old, spoke of Fr. Michele. They spoke to us about his temperament, his poverty, his ministry. For example, as I was traveling with Sr. Aurora yesterday on our way to Gurëz I saw a man who obviously had been handicapped, spending each day at the same spot on the street. "Fr. Michele was one of my best friends, he called me another Jesus." There were a lot of other examples of Fr. Michele.

As of yesterday I am working in Gurëz in our warehouse filled with relief supplies. The church, kindergarten, catechetical center are overflowing with supplies. About noon Sr. Aurora, a man from Kosovo and I left in a truck to distribute boxes of food to the poorest familles in the parish. Thus we came to one of the poorest areas (at present no one from Kosovo). The truck was quickly surrounded by men, women and children.

A lot of shouting! They plead with Sr. Aurora, shout at her, seize her by force. Her voice can be heard above the din. As we wanted to drive away our man from Kosovo jumps from the back of the truck and into the front seats letting us know the situation in back is out of control. Some women and men had climbed into the back and started to take some of our food rations. While we lost some we were able to save others for distribution to other poor families. Another group was not so luck when their tractor broke down. Their whole load was stolen. It was hard on families to whom nothing could be given.

In the evening at the 6:00 PM Mass I noticed a Kosovo Albanian family with their 35 year old son. The son is handicapped and spends his whole day in a kind of hammock chair. I think of the hardships the family endured to bring their son over the mountains dragging him so far. I began to tremble and asked myself while distributing communion: "Who is giving the bread of life to whom...?"

After Mass we watch the TV news. There is talk of peace. I feel relieved. We see the first pictures of the Serbs retreating. Outside the front door is Sr. Donata (a native of Kosovo). She remarks: "I do not believe in peace. We have not been fighting for the autonomy of 1980, but for independence. The rift is deep...."

Today, the Feast of the Sacred Heart along with Fr. Civerra in Gurëz we prayed Lauds together. "Prophets of love and servants of reconciliation" would certainly have a difficult time in this land, but nevertheless such an important calling!

Auguri from Albania

Stefan Tertünte (GE), p. Giuseppe Perintino (IS), p. Mario Bosio (IM)

The following article appeared on the Vidimus Dominum web site and was passed on to us by Maurice Légaré. Angelo Cavagna (IS) is a well known for his Justice & Peace activities throughout Italy. http://www.vidimusdominum.org/giornale/EN/newsinfo/1999/N990614-02.htm

Justice and Peace: Dehonians, Stop to Chemical and Bacteriological Weapons - The religious also ask to transform the national armies into international police

Rome (Italy), June 14th (VID) - The elimination of the national armies, to condemn nuclear persuasion and the possession of chemical and bacteriological weapons: is the request of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Dehonians. The taking of this position was made public at the meeting of the Episcopal Commission of Social Problems of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) which took place in Rome Friday and Saturday, and was signed among others by Father Angelo Cavagna who on Thursday the 10th interrupted a hunger strike which had lasted 16 days for the cession of the war in the Balkans.

"We need to aim directly at the elimination of national armies" write the Dehonians, "favoring their radical transformation into an international police force which depends on the UNO." From this point of view however, "the true alternative" to war is "the popular nonviolent defense."

The Dehonians maintain that the Church should declare itself to be against the use and the simple possession of chemical and bacteriological weapons.

Finally for as far as Italy is concerned, "we permit ourselves to suggest to the CEI to also allocate a part of the eight per thousand [part of the taxes assigned to the Church - ndr] to actions of peace and reconciliation among peoples," following the example of the Waldesian

Dehon Photo of the Week

This week Stefan Tertünte reflects on Fr. Dehon the Traveler in our continuing series presenting Dehon photos from the Dehonian Archives. Stefean begins his commentary by writing:

At the age of almost 70 (!) years we see Fr. Dehon in the Mont Blanc massif not far from Chamonix (approx. 9 August 1912). The same Fr. Dehon, who tells his spiritual director P. Freyd in his early 70's he was convinced of his imminent death, the same priest of whom the people of La Capelle on the occasion of his First Mass thought he wouldn't say many more masses, the same Dehon, who is afflicted again and again by diseases, the same Dehon who tells us - starting with his 60th anniversary - almost every year in his Notes that he will pass away quite soon - this Fr. Dehon we meet in the Swiss Alpes in his late 60's! In fact the matter Fr. Dehon's illnesses and vitality is quite interesting by not a well examined topic.