Category Archives: Uncategorized

Justin Krenke

I first heard about the things the SCJs are doing in Mississippi when Lois Harrison, the Volunteer Coordinator for Sacred Heart Southern Missions, came to Chicago to give a First Friday reflection. She talked about Dehon Village, the HIV/AIDs ministry, the food pantry, and of course, the number of parishes that they run. After listening to all of this I asked Br. Duane, my formation director, if I could go to Mississippi and experience some of these things for myself. I knew this would be a place where I would be able to look back and say that I truly learned something from my time there.

Most of my time working at Sacred Heart Southern Missions was spent with Sr. Betteann helping with the HIV/AIDs ministry. We spent a lot of time traveling in Sr. Betteann’s car. We were either going to Memphis to pick up food from the food pantry run by Friends for Life, or we were running to someone’s house to drop something off for them and seeing if they needed anything. We would stay for a little and they would talk with Sr. Betteann about their kids or their job and all the things going on in their lives. I was amazed at how Sr. Betteann was able to talk to each person and you would think they were the only person she works with, she knew each of these people and cared for them. But even more so I was amazed by her energy. Here was this 78-year-old nun who was constantly on the move, and when she wasn’t out of the office she was getting paperwork ready for people to fill out when they came to see her, she was putting food in bags for people, she was always answering her phone or writing an email. It was constant movement but it didn’t seem to faze her at all.

When I wasn’t with Sr. Betteann I was sent by Lois to work on a few projects. The one that sticks out the most in my mind was working at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Riley. The Riley’s had no flooring in their entire house, it was just the concrete from the foundation, and their walls were just drywall. I assisted one of the other volunteers in laying down wood flooring in the kitchen. Unfortunately they had tried to put in a floor before I got there but ran out of flooring and couldn’t find any that matched what was already down. So we had to rip up what was already there, and then try and put down the new stuff. It was hard at first because the boards refused to snap into place, but eventually things got easier as we got more of it laid down.

But we didn’t just lay down flooring while we were there. We talked to the Rileys during lunch and they would come in and see if we needed anything to drink, and during those few days we got to know a little bit about them and their struggles. When we finished the kitchen floor Mrs. Riley said that the kitchen “was now their favorite room in the house” and that just having a floor in that one small part of the house made it feel more like a home than house. Unfortunately I had to leave Mississippi before the rest of the floors in the  house were put in; however I did email Lois and she told me that the Rileys now have flooring in every room in the house as well as baseboards around the entire house.

While most of my days were spent working at Sacred Heart Southern Missions, the rest of the time I spent getting to know the SCJ community down there. What amazed me about the SCJ community in Mississippi wasn’t that they took care of six parishes, although that was impressive, it was that they were able to connect with the people in each parish and form relationships with them even though they weren’t the “permanent pastor.” Each of them was able to go and say Mass at any one of the different parishes and at the end of Mass talk to the people as if they were the permanent pastor and didn’t have another Mass at another parish where they would do the exact same thing. They knew people’s names and were able to joke with them and really connect with them.

I truly did learn something from my time in Mississippi; I learned what ministry really is. Ministry isn’t just about going and helping people and then when you’re done, moving on the next project. Ministry is about making connections with people, talking with them, and learning about and from them. It’s about showing people that you truly do care about their situation and you want to be able to help as much as you can, even if it’s just listening. I truly am thankful to all the SCJs, and all the people at Sacred Heart Southern Missions who really made my time down in Mississippi so enjoyable, and I can’t wait until I’m able to go back.

-Justin Krenke, SCJ candidate

The small statue of Mary, Nossa Senhora de Aparecida, to which Fr. Tim refers in his reflection

The enormous impact of a tiny statue

As noted previously, Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ, spent the summer in South America, living and ministering with our SCJ communities there. This is his last blog entry from Brazil.

I want to conclude my reflections on my visit to Brazil by describing a fascinating symbol which, to me, says a lot about the church in Brazil. It is a statue of Mary, Nossa Senhora de Aparecida. The actual terra cotta statue is tiny — just over 12 inches tall. The statue was found in 1717, tangled in the nets of fishermen in the river Paraiba, stained dark by being submerged in the water.  It was recovered in pieces — first the body, then the head. The fisherman brought it home, and soon it became an object of devotion because of the many healings which took place. A sanctuary was built, and then enlarged, as devotion spread.

In 1930, Nossa Senhora de Aparecida was declared the principal patroness of Brazil and in 1955 construction began on a new sanctuary building which, according to reports, is second in size to St. Peter’s in Rome and the fourth most visited Marian shrine in the world. And in its place of honor, a 12 inch tall statue.

What continues to amaze me is the hold that this tiny, dark brown image exerts over the Brazilian church. Almost everyone is familiar with the gigantic white statue of Christ the Redeemer that watches over the city of Rio de Janeiro. Most churches I visited in Brazil have large, sometimes life-sized, gleaming white statues of Our Lady of Fatima, or Our Lady of the Rosary, or so many others, gazing longingly up to heaven; but none of these were chosen to be the principal patroness of Brazil. That honor goes to this small, dark statue, staring straight ahead, as if to say: I am one of you. I did not descend from heaven, supported by clouds of angels — I was brought up from the water, stained dark from the earth. I was not even whole; I was broken and healed.

This statue sums up for me the character of the Brazilian people and the Church in Brazil: multicultural, always concerned about the poor and oppressed, the little ones. As other memories and impressions from my travels fade and jumble together, this one symbol remains strong in my memory: we will not forget you, the little ones.

Personal note: as I return from my travels and settle in with the formation community in Chicago, I have decided to continue writing, and I have started my personal blog at thebodaciousword.blogspot.com I hope to see you there!

Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ

A parish community served by Nossa Senhora de Graca in the South Brazilian Province.

As noted previously, Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ, is spending the last part of his sabbatical in South America, living and ministering with our SCJ communities there. In early August he wrote the following:

On August 1 I headed to the South Brazilian Province, in the cooler part of Brazil that still has very strong European traditions (quite a few SCJs grew up speaking German at home and only learned Portuguese when they began school.)

However, while there may be European traditions, the church here is definitely run along the Latin American model — large parishes are composed of smaller communities, from half a dozen to 20 or 30, each community with its own chapel and facilities for religious education, meetings, and social activities. They are similar to what we would call “missions” in the United States. They range in size from tiny one-room buildings to large complexes.

I tried to explain to some of the SCJs how parishes work in the United States, and they were scratching their heads trying to understand how one large parish could only have one community. (Ironically, many US dioceses are now closing and merging parishes, and since we don’t have any other model of parish to work with, many people see a pastor’ being responsible for several different communities as a bad thing).

I also saw something else which was different from my own experience: all of the seminaries I visited — three in South Brazil, two in Central Brazil, and one in Maranhao — had SCJ parishes and other SCJ ministries in the same city, so that the seminarians were able to do ministry in an SCJ context, the other SCJs in parish ministry had “a home away from home” at the seminary, and the seminary would also serve as an additional resource to the parishes, for retreats and other gatherings. Lay Dehonians and other leaders would often be included in SCJ social gatherings.

Another surprise for me was the fact that nearly all the parishes I visited in Brazil published their own full-color, high quality monthly or bimonthly magazine, which contained not only the news which a weekly bulletin would carry, but also magazine-quality articles written by SCJ or other columnists — another indication of the SCJ commitment to education and training.

Fr. Jim Walters during his recent visit to Spain.

Fr. Jim Walters, SCJ, is director of the Hispanic Studies Program at Sacred Heart School of Theology. Through the fall semester he is on a sabbatical that began in Avila, Spain this year. He writes:

For years I had hoped to study the works of Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus.  A year ago I became aware of a course offered through the Catholic University of Avila (UCAV), Spain.  The course is taught in Spanish and offers study from the original texts.

During my time in Avila, I chose to live with a community of Discalced Carmelites, three of whom were my instructors for the duration of the course.

What I had anticipated as an academic experience proved to be much more.  Our classroom sessions (Monday – Friday) were scheduled for three hours daily.  We were encouraged to spend four to five hours of study and praying with the major works of both saints in preparation for each day.  Saturdays were spent on visits to the historic sites relevant to the lives of John of the Cross and Teresa.  These included: Salamanca, Fontiveros, Alba de Tormes, Segovia, and Toledo, in addition to frequent visits throughout the city of Avila to monasteries, convents, and hermitages.

The challenge of working with 16^th Century Spanish, at first seemed somewhat daunting, but an extensive research library was available with lexicons and contemporary Spanish translations and commentaries on the major works of both saints.  Our liturgies together focused our study on how each of us is called to live the vocation to contemplative prayer in the midst of daily ministry.  I was reminded often of Fr. Dehon’s hope that his sons would be contemplatives immersed in the struggles of the world.  I came to appreciate the spirituality of John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus as one that very much calls us to appreciate and affirm the beauty and dignity in all of humanity and to empty ourselves of all that keeps us from living in union with God and one another.

The highlight of my time in Spain was a weekend pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Although time constraints prevented me from walking the Camino, I was able to make the trip by train.  I arrived at 7:00 AM and literally had the Cathedral to myself.  I concelebrated the traditional Pilgrim Mass with an international gathering of priests and the archbishop of Santiago, Mon. Julián Barrio.  Fortunately, I was able to witness the preparation and swinging of the “botafumeiro,” a four-foot thurible, used at special events including the novena of masses in preparation for the celebration of the feast day.

Although I was not able to connect with many SCJs from the Spanish Province due to summer vacations and other commitments, I was able to spend a day with the community at Colegio Fray Luís de León in Madrid.  They were very hospitable and gave me some great insights into our ministry in education throughout Spain.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have studied in Spain and have been enriched by the deep spiritual life very much present throughout the country.  Wherever I went, people recognized our congregational cross and the “padres reparadores.”

-Fr. Jim Walters, SCJ

As noted previously, Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ, is spending the last part of his sabbatical in South America, living and ministering with our SCJ communities there. On July 31 he wrote the following:

Fr. Tim Gray

On Friday, during my last week in Rio de Janeiro, I was taken on a visit to the favela (slum) served by the SCJs at the other parish, Bom Jesus de Penha. Unfortunately, there was not room for me to stay at the rectory there, so my visit was limited to a day trip.

Even if I had more time and space to describe a favela, it would be difficult. You can Google it to get a rough idea. Try to imagine a small city, broken into many pieces, and jammed back together chaotically. Many of the pieces of a city are there, but not as you expect. Almost everything looks temporary, or under construction, which it probably is.

The favelas, while they started quite randomly, are also like a laboratory in which many types of social experiments have been tried, both by governments as well as NGOs and others. What would be safe to say is that whenever the powerful act, whether it is the government, or business, or drug lords who normally control the favelas, the poor pay the consequences.

Fr. Renivaldo, who had worked in this parish as a seminarian and had visited many houses here, drove me up the steep alley leading into the favela, waving at people he recognized. We saw one of the six chapels in the favela itself; they serve the same purpose as parish chapels anywhere else in Latin America — a place where Mass is celebrated on certain days, and a community center for many types of meetings and classes during the week. The chapels were the one part of the favela that seemed most “normal” — and I think that sums up the presence of the SCJs there: to give people an opportunity to live at least a part of their lives in a way that gives them respect and hope.

The parish church at Bom Jesus is huge, since it serves a wide area, including the favela. It offers seven weekend Masses, confession and Mass every day, and serves as the meeting place for larger gatherings, such as the novena of Masses, talks, and celebrations to prepare for the parish feast on August 5. I noticed that the local committees from each of the chapels were represented in the parish activities, so that it is not just ministry TO the favela residents, but BY them as well.

As I found in all of our Dehonian parishes in Brazil, there is a very great commitment to education and formation of adults for ministry and community.

Although the Brazilian Catholic Bishops consistently stress their concern for the poor and oppressed, resources are always limited. Not all favelas receive attention from the local parish. It is small wonder that evangelical churches are multiplying across Brazil, to fill a gap the Catholic Church cannot. Despite the fact that the faith came to Brazil nearly 500 years ago, many parts of it still remain mission territory.

-Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ

Fr. Tim next to the famous Christ the Redeemer statue which overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro

As noted previously, Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ, is spending the last part of his sabbatical in South America, living and ministering with our SCJ communities there. On July 23 he wrote the following:

I look down from the Corcovado, the mountain on which is erected the well-known statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Only in Brazil.

If this were the United States, this would be a large cross, challenging believers to repentance and unbelievers to mount furious lawsuits.

But this is Brazil, land of tolerance, and the monument is noted with pride by all Cariocas (residents of Rio) as a symbol of God’s acceptance and love for all people.

This certainly is one of the most beautiful panoramas in the world, and has gained Rio the distinction of hosting World Youth Day in 2013, the World Cup in 2014, and the Olympics in 2016. However, the daily reality of residents of this overgrown metropolis of 12 million people presents enormous social challenges, and as usual, the SCJs (who call themselves here the Dehonians) are in the middle of it.

The first sight that greeted me as I arrived at Sagrado Coracao church was a long line of pathetic-looking people lining up for the weekly distribution of food. Fr. Jose Luis Gouvea, the pastor, pointed out to me with pride that the youth ministry had collected four tons of food in a one-week drive to stock the food pantry. Indeed, the 6:30 p.m. youth Mass on Sunday night was overflowing with enthusiastic youth and lively music. In fact, each Mass here has its own character; the 6:45 and 8:00 a.m. for senior citizens, the 9:30 a.m. for children, the 11 a.m. for couples, 6:30 p.m. for youth and the 8:00 p.m. for a group called Maranatha, which volunteers to work with the chemically dependent. The number of volunteers in many different areas of the parish is staggering.

I was quite fortunate to be able to attend this week the semi-annual retreat for the lay Dehonian group, which counts 50 members in this parish and 35 in Bom Jesus da Penha, the other Dehonian parish in Rio de Janeiro. It was heartwarming to see lay people so excited about our charism and so dedicated to putting it into practice. Next week I will visit the parish in Penha, which serves some of the infamous favelas (slums) of the city.

-Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ

Fr. Mark does a baptism for a military family.

Fr. Mark Mastin is finishing his first year as an Army chaplain at Schoefield Barracks on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. He recently wrote with an update on his work:

I really feel honored to do this ministry. Every time I look at the photo I have of Fr. Dehon helping soldiers during the war of his era, I cannot but think how he and I are connected. We share the same desire to help soldiers regardless of the reason for war. We both have felt saddened by what war does to the soul and spirit of people. We both have felt a purpose in some small way of bringing the presence of God or at least a sense of peace and consolation to those afraid and feeling depressed, discouraged or emotionally or physically injured because of war. Finally, he must have felt the loneliness of being separated from his community members, family and friends. There is no glory of in any of this ministry.

Fr. Mark Mastin

Is it hard?  Yes! There days that I can feel drained and exhausted when trying to help a soldier, or help a family member cope with an issue of suicide, death, tragedy, deep emotional and psychological problems, sacramental preparations, etc.

But yes! I have good days and experiences when I feel that I have made a difference.

It has been extremely busy here at the battalion, as well as at the garrison chapels. In the battalion, we have had more field exercise trainings over the last several months, especially during Lent and Holy week. Yes, our scheduling shop planned these exercises during these time periods without looking at any religious calendars or consulting me. My commander was not pleased at this oversight.

At the garrison chapel level during these last four months, I not only had to perform my tasks in the field of operations at a Marine base, but I also had to leave every day to come back to each Army installation or Air Force or Navy base to either lead or help out with ceremonies, Lenten or first confessions, first communions, baptisms, daily masses, Living Stations of the Cross with the teens, Lenten and Holy Week activities, Confirmation Retreat, Easter Vigil and MC at the confirmations with the Military Auxiliary Bishop Buckon. Welcome to the military! Even though this was a difficult period, I really enjoyed the experiences.

My battalion is to perform more field exercises in the next several months. More desert training on the mainland. I will also be at sea helping. We have been notified that we are supposed to be going to the war zone overseas in phases beginning in June through August of 2013 for our nine-month tour of duty. We’ll see if this happens. We have had two cancellations last year.

We are still short of priests here in the on the island and elsewhere. I am one of two. The other priest is gone half of the time. So, I continue to manage the garrison chapels and all of the sacramental and administrative things. A retire-recall priest is coming by the end of the month, which will be a great relief for me.

I have made some good friends here. Many of them are pilots and very active Catholics. Having meals with them and their families is fun, especially in watching the war hardened pilots try to curb their language around me. On a recent weekend night we had a concealed wine tasting contest to determine which would be the best wine to order for our Masses; the winner was a Jewish wine. Go figure! The current wines that the Protestants have bought for us have been so bad that even Jesus would had to have performed another miracle to make it taste better.

In other areas of fun I have been running with members of my Battalion in 5-8  kilometer races for local charitable groups in Honolulu. In the recent 5k race, I came in tenth out of a several hundred. It was a bear of a run through the mountains and mud and rain. There were young grade school and high school kids that ran in this race too who were quite good. My commander said that some of these kids beat him and other adults in last year’s run. There was an ongoing joke that someone had to beat these kids. Well, unashamedly, I met the challenge. Everyone was quite pleased that I beat these kids!!! My commander jokingly calls me the “Beast” for still having the athleticism of a 20-year-old even though I’m 55. I pray every day that I will be able to remain healthy.

My battalion commander and other higher ranking commanders have been very pleased with my work and ministry, as well as being grateful to the Priests of the Sacred Heart for endorsing me.

That’s all for now,

Fr. Mark Mastin, SCJ

Fr. Tim visits a family in one of the rural communities of Maranhão, Brazil.

As noted previously, Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ, is spending the last part of his sabbatical in South America, living and ministering with our SCJ communities there. On July 15 he wrote the following from the Brazilian state of Maranhão:

On July 9 I arrived in Maranhão. The SCJs came to this neglected, underdeveloped state 43 years ago and demonstrated their commitment to it by making it an official region of the community (now, a district). As also happened in parts of the United States, the SCJs used their own resources to finance ministries which the local church could not afford.

The night after I arrived I concelebrated Mass at Santa Paulina, the newest of the three parishes which SCJs have established on the periphery of São Luis, the capital. Mass was celebrated in the parish hall, while funds are raised for the new church. I was quite surprised at how bare and plain the hall looked, compared to the lavish decorations found in the simplest churches in Brazil; only one statue, a life size image of St. Paulina, presided over her flock.

Threading our way past several classrooms and meeting areas to vest before Mass, we paused at the Eucharistic chapel. Perhaps as proof of our SCJ devotion to the Eucharist, this was the only room with air conditioning!

We finally arrived at the tiny room that served as the sacristy, and now I understood why there were no other statues in the church. They were all here! They were huddled together on a table about the size of a card table, like a Noah’s ark, waiting for the day when they will be given their proper places in the new church building. Who knows, maybe they are being held hostage as well.

After Mass, It happened that there was a big parish fundraiser in the street outside that evening, and so I discovered the rich folkloric tradition of Maranhão as two different dancing groups in exotic costumes put on quite a show. Who needs Carnival in Rio when you can see all this for free, take videos and then come out and join the dancers at the end?

The next day I saw quite a different dimension of Maranhão. I hitched a ride with a priest and two seminarians to Santa Lucia. After a five hour ride, slowing for each of the dozens of speed bumps which mark the entrance to each village along the way, we arrived at 2:30 a.m. The sleepy town, the lonely church, the dogs sleeping among the weeds growing in the middle of the street told me I was in for a culture shock. Seeing things the next morning in the light of day did not do much to change my impression that this was a place forgotten by the outside world.

Except for the SCJs.

The dedication of the SCJs in this city (I wanted to say remote city, but there are many places much further down the road) has contributed to the establishment and growth of 180 base communities; 40 in Santa Lucia and 140 in “the interior.” Most of these communities have Mass celebrated twice a year. In the rural community I visited, as with most others, a small chapel built by the community members themselves is home to Bible study classes, catechetical instruction, and local celebrations. During the annual parish celebration (which, in typical Brazilian fashion, runs from October 31 till December 13, the feast of Santa Lucia), thousands of people gather from all over the area at the mother church for the various processions, Masses, parish renewals and retreats, dinner, concerts, and folkloric presentations (The youth ministry has taken on the task of using the local folkloric tradition as a catechetical instrument.)

I visited two of the six other parishes, which also struggle to stretch resources. One has a parish retreat center — it was the third one that I have seen so far! Amazing! In Mississippi we had to drive hours to find a diocesan retreat center, and three of our parishes here have one within walking distance. Of course, the dormitory here is a room with 40 hooks for hammocks… but there is an adequate kitchen, and rooms for talks, and a chapel. The commitment to formation of leaders is so evident.

Guess what! Two of the parishes also have their own local radio stations! In places with so little entertainment, that is a great ministry.

Of course, the hospitality of the SCJs has been outstanding — especially the enthusiasm of the younger members. Of the nine SCJs in these parishes, two are deacons and one a seminarian. Almost all of them are from thousands of kilometers away in the traditional heartland of Brazil, and have made the commitment to join this young District. It is truly missionary work.

-Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ

Br. Timothy Murphy, SCJ, died July 12, after having been hospitalized since July 1 following a seizure, and later, a heart attack. Br. Tim was 74 years old. He professed his first vows in August, 1965, and his final vows in August, 1968. Soon after learning the news of his death, Fr. Mark Mastin, SCJ, a chaplain in the US Army, shared the following:

I am very saddened at the death of Br. Tim.  I notified many of my Donaldson classmates about Tim’s death.  I write this with swollen eyes.

Br. Tim was probably one of the most liked SCJs by all of the students at Donaldson during my era of 1971-1975; no offense to those other great men who were there.  He was one of those unique individuals that was truly interested in all of the students and who never tried to play favorites with a particular group.  He spoke our language and never placed any type of rules upon us.  You could talk to Br. Tim in confidence and he usually gave you great advice.  I also remember his dog Toby. Br Tim and his dog were inseparable.

Br. Tim was noted for frequently taking a few of us to various events or just a night on the town for a movie or ice cream — and yes, Plymouth, Walkerton and Argos were towns.  Sometimes, we got to the really big city of South Bend!!!  He knew that being cooped up all of the time at the school was not always a good thing for us. Going with him was better than sneaking off and getting into trouble — admittedly though, sneaking off was good too!

I remember Br. Tim’s truck as being pretty cool.  It was a hard covered truck with benches built into the flat bed.  One could open up one of the bench compartments to reveal soft drinks and snacks.  Just those small acts that he did for us made our seminary stay enjoyable.  His acts of kindness diminished the loneliness that we young men can experience when living so far from home.  

Finally, many of us remember Br. Tim as the muscle man.  He looked like a body builder and was quite strong.  I remember visiting him in Florida in 2003 and saw a man still physically fit and hoped that I could look that fit when I reached his age.

Since my years at Donaldson and onward, Br. Tim kept in touch with me and many of those from my high school era.  I will miss his yearly Christmas cards.  I am certain that all who knew him will miss his caring nature.  God bless you Br. Tim.

As noted previously, Fr. Tim Gray, SCJ, is spending the last part of his sabbatical in South America, living and ministering with our SCJ communities there. On Independence Day he wrote the following:

Fr. Tim Gray

July 4, Lavras, Brazil.  Fireworks are going off; the SCJs are preparing churrasco and chilling beer to get ready to watch the big football game. But it’s not a USA Independence Day celebration, just another big showdown between archrival teams in this soccer- crazy country.

Suddenly, I realize that I am a fan of one of the teams — Boca, from Buenos Aires, whom I adopted on my visit to Argentina in 2005. They feel like the Boston Red Sox of soccer. So I joined in the cheering and teasing (and like the Red Sox of old, they lost).

The celebration was an informal send-off as I prepare to move north (toward the equator) to visit the District of Maranhao, As I travel, I notice one charism that seems common to most SCJ places I have ever visited; SCJs make large investments in improving the well-being of society.

So far, in Brazil I have only visited the orphanage and social service centers at Sao Judas in Sao Paulo, the school of philosophy/theology in Taubate (serving the entire archdiocese), the drug treatment center, community clinic, vocational school  and the retreat house here in Lavras. There are many other such institutions in Brazil which serve the church and society, places where SCJs choose to invest their resources in “promoting the reign of the heart of Jesus in people and in societies.”

Our US Province participates in many such ministries. We may not run large universities or hospitals, but we certainly leave our mark.