10 February 2001

What's New

Having completed Jerry Jordan's account of formation in Belgium for members of the British-Irish Province this week we present Br. Richard Moran a member of the British-Irish Province, working at St. Joseph's Retreat Centre in Malpas, England

XXth Century SCJ Martyrs

In preparation for the March 11th Beatification of Fr Juan de la Cruz García Méndez scj of our Spanish Province (HI) we will be presenting a weekly series on our "SCJ Martyrs of the XXth Century." This series has been prepared by Stefan Tertünte (GE) using the work of Fr. Bernd Bothe (GE) Märtyrer der Herz-Jesu-Priester (SCJ Martyrs). This week features the story Fr. Kistian Hubertus Muermans from the Flemish Province who died in the Mittlebau-Dora Concentration camp on February 12, 1945.
 

13.01.01 Introduction
20.01.01 Frs. Josef Benedikt Stoffels and Nicolas Antonius Wampach
27.01.01 Fr. Mariano Johannes García Mendez
03.02.01 Fr. Franz Stanislaus Loh
10.02.01 Fr. Kristiaan Hubertus Muermans
17.02.01 Fr. Nicola Martino Capelli
24.02.01 Dutch SCJs in Indonesia
03.03.01  SCJs in the Congo

Education

In preparation for the July Salamanca Dehonian Education Conference this week we add to the preparatory documents an article in Portuguese by María Benjamin Chaloub:

EDUCAÇÃO EVANGELIZADORA EM UM MUNDO GLOBALIZADO

Justice & Peace

We add to the Justice & Peace page two documents regarding the situation in the Congo. The first is a reflection by Fr. Silvio Turazzi dated January 20, 2001 and the second Working for Peace in the Congo # 2. Both of these articles on in Italian.

Update

The community Trento I, Casa del Sacro Cuore, has a new email address: rettore@casacrocuore.org. The Trento I community also has a new website at: www.casasacrocuore.org which will be added to our links page.

NB Speaking of updating we hope to publish next week an updated congregational listing from the office of the secretary general, as well as an updated necrology through December 31, 2000.

What's Happening

Congratulations
 

It is with joy that on February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus, two Novices

Vincent NGUYEN CAO DUNG

Joseph NGUYEN CHI THU

made their first profession of vows before our superior general, Fr. Virginio Bressanelli, during his pastoral visitation to the Franco Euorpean Province. Fr. Umberto Chiarello, assistant superior general, gave the homily.

A number of their Vietnamese Friends form Paris and Germany came to witness their profession and to accompany them in prayer.

Joseph Furczón (EF)
05.02.2001
Argentina

Very sad news was received from the SCJ Latin American Novitiate (Maciel) in Argentina. On, February 3rd, a day after 10 young scjs made their first profession of vows three employees of the novitiate were involved in an auto accident on the way home from work. Marta, the head cook and her assistant Roxana were killed, while the driver Héctor, who also serves as house gardener, is in very serious condition. The three of them and their families are very close to our scjs in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Chile. They have worked at the Latin American Novitiate for the past twenty years. Please remember them in your prayers.

prepared by Juan Domingo Gfiffone (AU)
04.02.2000
Chile

The superior general with the consent of his council has confirmed the new provincial administration chosen at the Chilean election assembly held from January 23 to 26, 2001. The triennium begins on March 2, 2001.

Provincial: Theodorus Borst (second triennium)

Council

  1. Gerardo Strijbosch
  2. Jaime Eduardo Sánches Hernández
  3. Juan Fernando Gamboa Ferrada
  4. Jorge Torres Santibañez
India

Greetings from India where everything still goes well so far with me. It is two weeks now that I am here, still looking, seeing and participating in the everyday events of our community here in Aluva. Today, 03.02.01, I will be moving to stay with the community in Ponnarimangalam.
 


Mariano Fernandes
Placido Rebello

Step by step the first two religious of the District of India are moving towards the order of Priesthood. Yesterday, the 02.02.01 at 18.00 in the chapel of our formation house in Aluva, we witnessed the regional Superior, Fr. Martin Van Ooij, installing Fraters Mariano Fernandes, scj and Placido Rebello, scj to the order of Acolyte. Concelebrating in that liturgy were Frs. Zolile, (who is in India for a visit), Teja, Angelo and Valerius.

In his homily Fr. Martin explained the importance of the ministry of Acolyte as a service to the Church and encouraged the two brothers to treasure it. Let us continue to pray for them and the whole district of India in its slow but surely growth.

From Zolile Mpambani (CU)
03.02.2000
News received from North Brazil

Social formation

From January 26 to 28, 2001, 25 lay people took part at a course on Social Formation "Faith and Social Commitment". That event organized by Lay Dehonians and J&P Committee, aims to prepare leadership for our parishes. The second part will take place in July.

Priestly Ordination

On January 26, deacon Valdir Manoel dos Santos was ordained priest at Catende, where he was born. This was the first ordination in that town. On February 2, the deacon Arlindo Soares de Matos was ordained in Paulista (cf. news from 03.02.01).

Professions:

On February 2, six novices from BS Province made first vows in Maciel, Argentina where they made the novitiate. They will study Theology in Recife (cf. news from 03.02.01).

Provincial Assembly

On February 13-15 the annual provincial Assembly will take place in Recife at the provincial house.

"Fraternidade Mariana" in Northeast Brazil?

"Fraternidade Mariana" is a new group of female religious founded by an scj from the South Brazilian Province, Fr. Aloisio Boeing. Now there is the possibility to bring this new congregation to Northeast Brazil. Our confreres Luis Carlos Silva and André Vital are to take the first steps which will include a visit of Fr. Aloisio and Sr. Neide to Recife. Last year two candidates visited Jaraguá do Sul, where this congregation was founded.

Please Remember

 

+ Fr. Petre Schouten (NE)

born: 22.07.1914
first profession: 08.09.1934
ordained: 14.07.1940
died: 28.01.2001 at Eindhoven

After his ordination Fr. Petrus worked for one year in Cadier en Keer and another in Rips while waiting to go to the missions. From 1942 until 1945 he taught in our minor seminary at Helmond. After the end of the war he taught for one year in Lanaken, in the Flemish province. On May 1, 1946 he finally could set off for the Congo. He worked in Bafwabaka, Pawa, Ibambio and Wamba. Due to 1965 revolution he had to return to Holland.

From 1968 to 1970 he was assistant at the parish of Saint Joseph in Deurne. In 1971 he moved to the parish of St. Peter, in Bladel, and from '72 up to '79 in the parish of Saint Paul, at Oss. From 1979 he was living in Eindhoven, being cared for by two of his sisters. In February 2000 he moved to the Brothers of Charity in Eindhoven where for years he had helped out at liturgical services. Finally, in October 2000 he retired to the house for senior scj religious in Asten until his death.

+Fr. Frank Aresta (US)

born: 22.07.1938
first profession: 28.08.1965
ordained: 23.04.1981
died: 29.01.2001 at Milwaukee, WI

+Fr. Theodor Johannes Ev. Schütt (GE)

born: 25.08.1915
first profession: 15.08.1937
ordained: 19.03.1947
died: 30.01.2001 at Thuine


+ Fr. Pietro de Franceschi (MZ)

born: 29.04.1937
first profession: 27.12.1960
ordained: 26.06.1966
died 30.01.2001 near the community of Mocubela

NB In addition to the information sent to us by the Mozambican Province (cf. link + Fr. Pietro de Franceschi (MZ)) Paolo Gazzotti, provincial secretary of the North Italian Province and translator of our website into Italian, sent along an article that appeared in Friday's Italian paper Avvenire (cf. MISSIONARIO MUORE PER PORTARE AIUTO).


Seminary Chapel window at Aluva (Kerala), India