Tag Archives: Dehonians

Getting out of the sacristies and going to the people!

Posted on January 30, 2017 | Leave a comment

Participants at the Dehonian Youth Mission experience in Brazil

“Entering each house was like opening a book and each page brought something completely different and new”

-Frater Juan Carlos Castañeda Rojas

Frater Juan Carlos Castañeda Rojas is in Brazil, where he is doing a ministerial year with a focus on youth ministry. On February 1 he will renew his temporary vows along with other SCJ students in Brazil. Frater Juancho writes:

The first phase of the Youth Dehonian Mission (M.D.J) took place from January 13-22 in Terra Boa, Parana, in Brazil. Every three years a different city is selected to be the host city of the Brazil Youth Dehonian Missionaries.

In 2017 the mission began in Terra Boa with 122 participants including priests, fraters (seminarians) and young lay Dehonians. Divided into nine communities of mission in different areas of the city we visited many houses to share stories, ideas, and the Word of God.

What an incredible experience it was to see the young Dehonians who had so much enthusiasm in their heart for this experience. In the same way, the people of Terra Boa were expecting our visits. The weather was very hot, but that did not stop us from our mission. Entering each house was like opening a book and each page brought something completely different and new. We met really humble people who opened not just the doors of their homes but their hearts to us as they shared with us their feelings.

To my surprise and joy, in one of the many houses that I visited I had the opportunity to meet and get to know a Buddhist family. I was impressed by the way they spoke about Catholics and even more how they spoke about Fr. Leo John Dehon. I was amazed by their knowledge about our founder as well as their love for Pope Francis. Furthermore, to make this experience even greater, I was invited to light incense as an offering to their ancestors.

“My ancestors are going to be very happy with your presence and offering,” they said to us.

This is how this mission also gave me an intercultural and inter-religious experience that taught me again to be more respectful and understanding of other cultures and religions. And that is what Pope Francis is doing by inviting us to engage in inter-cultural and religious dialogue with other people and faiths.

The youth mission banner

It is true that it was a tiring experience that included long walks, super-hot weather, and visits at night that included different celebrations. But these challenges were nothing compared to the gratitude we saw on the faces of the people we visited. Even days after our visit they remembered us and greeted us again with a nice smile and big hug every time we met. So I was able to realize how blessed I am because among all the people, among all the Dehonians around the world, I was there in Terra Boa, which in English means “Good Soil.” It is a perfect fit for the Gospel of Luke 8. 8: “Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.”

I was called to be part of this mission to awaken and nourish my missionary vocation. I was called to be a disciple and plant seeds in this soil so they could to produce good fruit.

I cannot say enough about the beautiful devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida here in Brazil, It was really wonderful to be present to pray the Rosary with a big group of men who every week gather to pray the Rosary. A total of 345 men gathered that day, and everyone came with an open heart and dedication to pray together.

However, during our mission, a dark and sad cloud covered the shining sun. Two of the members of the mission lost members of their families in a car accident. One of them, Danillo, who was part of my group doing visits, lost his father. It was a horrible experience for him and all of us. We tried to be present for him and we cried with him while gathering him into a big hug to show our love and support for him. The next day we also accompanied him and his family to the funeral. It was a sad situation. But I felt blessed again to be present for him in that moment and to witness how beautiful and powerful the human heart can be when we really understand and share the pain of others.

Continuing with these great experiences, we celebrated Mass with young people in the area. There was a huge crowd of young people who sang and danced to show their love to God. Learning the steps was not easy, but I did my best and I sang and danced along with them. I was even able to use what I learned years ago when I did some theater. I was invited to take a small part in a skit that we were going to present to the young people before Mass. I have to say that I was nervous, but the experience was super nice.

When the day came to say good bye to the people of Terra Boa there were many tears –– tears of joy, tears of satisfaction for our mission, tears of gratitude, and tears of sadness for leaving that place and the many friends we made.

Fr. Dehon taught us to get out of the sacristy and go to the people and Pope Francis has invited us to do the same thing. That invitation has a more powerful meaning in my heart now. We Dehonians understand the needs and suffering of others and we go to the people when they need us. But when I say Dehonians I include lay Dehonians who also understand the meaning of that invitation. And it was reflected not just in the young Dehonians but also in the many lay Dehonians who accompanied us during our days in Terra Boa.

My words of gratitude extend to the many people who were present and willing to give their time and dedication so we would have a place to stay and food to eat.

What a blessed experience it was. I can truly say my heart rejoiced in it and my vocation continues to grow each day. We have all been called to be present to others in many different ways, not only to show care and respect to people but to show the face of God to others and to be able to also see the face of God them. I was able to put in practice some of the pastoral skills that I have been learning. But it was also a great opportunity to learn even more about myself and learn more about how to be present to others and see the face of God in them.

I heard many times during our visits that our presence was a blessing for them. But my response was that they were a blessing to me because all the people I visited were a blessing to me on my journey and to my vocation. With all due respect, this experience actually taught us something that we could not learn in any classroom: how to reach out to people and really understand the meaning of getting out of the sacristy. We learned the theory of how to reach out to people in the classroom but this experience really taught us the reality of reaching out to others.

Muito Obrigado! Thank you so much Terra Boa, thank you to the missionaries and thank you God for your calling to live this experience of being Dehonian.

Frater Juancho and friends in Brazil

Pongal: a celebration of thanksgiving in India

Posted on January 16, 2017 | 1 comment

Fr. Michael with members of the Franciscan Sisters of Aloysius Gonzaga during the Pongal celebrations

Fr. Tom Cassidy is back in the Indian District where he spends several months each year assisting with formation and administration. As in the past we will share excerpts from his journal on the US Province blog. On Sunday he wrote:

Saturday was a day of mixing ancient and modern traditions. For me it began with Mass at the Holy Family Brothers’ minor seminary just down the road from us. I usually say Mass on Saturdays and Sundays since I now have an international drivers license and can drive myself to and from. It was good to get back as I enjoy the enthusiasm and fine singing of the young men, probably ranging in age from early to late teens. Following Mass and breakfast (my usual Indian breakfast of bread and peanut butter) I headed out for my walk. Getting it in early was a necessity given the plans for the rest of the day.

The community was preparing to celebrate the Tamil Nadu Pongal festival. [Pongal is a festival of thanksgiving] I believe it’s the first time our Christu Dehon Nivas community in Eluru is celebrating it. Fr. Michael Augustine, SCJ, our rector, was born and raised near Chennai in the heart of Tamil Nadu (the state). I’m not entirely sure we would have gone to the effort if it were not for the sisters’ postulant community next to our Nambur novitiate as both Sister James and Sister Augustine (the house superior) and their postulants come from Tamil Nadu and did much of the necessary work that goes into this harvest festival. While the feast comes out of the Hindu tradition, Christians have made adaptations to it.

Our local Pongal celebration began just a tad late as the sisters took the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, a local representation of the important religious sites and events in the life of Christ, run somewhat like an amusement park or museum. Our own Fr. Joseph Kasmir, SCJ (assistant novice master and treasurer of our Nambur community) served as their driver and took part in our house celebration.

Making the Pongal rice

Usually Catholic celebrations begin with Mass but the most important event of Pongal is the cooking the Pongal (a rice dish). A special pot just for the occasion is prepared and decorated; our own Br. Mary Babu Kota, SCJ (3rd year) decorated our pot with floral designs. As the Pongal cooks to perfection participants do a dance around the Pongal pot and when all is ready our Pongal pot was led in procession as the community processed into our temporary chapel. The Mass was celebrated in Tamil with Fr. Michael as our principal celebrant. It followed the Indian Rite.

Fr. Michael is the only Tamil-speaking priest in our local community but he was able to get some of the concelebrants to dip their tongue into Tamil during the division of parts that take place in the Eucharistic Prayer. The introduction to the Mass was prepared by Br. Shaba Dennis, SCJ (3rd year) who also speaks Tamil while the homily was shared by the postulants of the Sisters of Aloysius Gonzaga. They prepared (in English) a brief history of the Pongal feast while Fr. Michael added how it has been adapted by Christians. A good example is that that Sun God is seen as Jesus the Light of the world and just as the sun is necessary for human existence so Christ is to the salvation of the human family.

Upon the conclusion of Mass it was time to eat our Pongal and begin our cultural program. It was a departure from our usual performances as we not only had dances and skits by our Christu Dehon Nivas brothers but also by the Franciscan Sisters of Aloysius Gonzaga postulants.

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Tagged Dehonians, India, SCJ, Tom Cassidy

Is there a patron saint of copy machines?

Posted on September 20, 2016 | 1 comment

Fr. Tom and the students after the blessing

Fr. Tom Cassidy writes from India:

In the Catholic Church there seems to be a prayer and a blessing for everything and everyone (including animals who will be blest in many parts of the world on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th).

Yesterday our new copy machine was delivered. The house has been without one since before I first came to Christu Dehon Nivas in 2013. The brothers [students] who get 300 rupees a month [about $4.50) pocket money to take care of personal needs, recreation, etc., have been paying 1 rupee a page for anything they need copied for school. At the first community meeting before the opening of the school year the request was made for a house copy machine.

To make a long story short I heard about the need and when I was given money from two residents at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake for India I suggested to Fr. Michael Augustine, SCJ, (our rector) that it be used towards the copy machine. Their gift came to just under 50,000 rupees [about $750]. Fr. Michael Benedict, SCJ (district treasurer) said that the district could cover the difference.

Indian Catholics believe in having just about everything blessed, especially if it is new. Thankfully, as I noted at the beginning, there is a blessing for almost everything, and if you can’t find one you can create one.

Since it was our donors at SHML who were instrumental in getting the new copy machine Fr. Michael asked me to bless it. In the Church ritual book there is actually a “Blessing of Technical Installations or Equipment.”

Fr. Tom blesses the new machine

I asked Br. Manish Nayak, SCJ (2nd year) to do the reading as he and I were going to do the blessing of the new clothing shop in Vempadu, during last week’s inauguration of the our new house but that got postponed as the room wasn’t ready. It’s now on our future to-do list when called upon. There was a rather long reading that Manish prepared for the occasion and since he didn’t get a chance to deliver it in Vempadu I thought it fitting he do the reading for our copy machine blessing.

I’ll briefly quote from the blessing service’s introduction: “Through the work of our hands and the help of technology we cooperate with the Creator to improve the earth as the dwelling place of the human family. By our efforts to bring the work of creation to perfection, we contribute to the advancement of society and carry out Christ’s mandate to follow him in serving one another in love. Let us, then, bless God as we use these products of technology [our new copy machine] for our advantage and never forget to offer praise to him, who is the true light and the fount of that water which springs up to eternal life.”

Though I won’t mention the names of our two benefactors from Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake here, I did let the brothers know who they are and asked them to pray for them and their needs. So often our generous benefactors are like ghosts to are the recipients of their kindness, i.e., unknown to us. When you can put a name or a face to the generosity of others I think it is more meaningful.

The machine is located in the brothers computer room; all four computers are wired to it. The next model up allowed for a wireless connection but the expense was beyond our capabilities. Laptops can be brought to the room and manually connected when printing is needed.

So in closing, we are most grateful to the generosity of others for making life and education here at Christu Dehon Nivas not only better but in ways that will aid in our spiritual, educational and human interaction and communication.

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Tagged Dehonians, Fr. Tom Cassidy, India, Priests of the Sacred Heart, SCJ

Seminarian “jumps in” to ministry in Brazil

Posted on September 15, 2016 | Leave a comment

Frater Juancho’s youth team from the Ecce Venio camp

Ecce Venio!!!

Frater Juancho Castañeda Rojas, SCJ, just began his ministry year in Brazil. All students do at least a year of ministry prior to their final profession of vows. Frater Juancho writes:

Jumping in!! Yes, that was the way how my ministry began in Brazil. I could never have imagined that I would have such amazing experiences only two days after my arrival in Brazil. I am grateful to experience a new culture, new language, and a new community whose members have been really welcoming to me.

“Juan, would you like to participate in the Ecce Venio Camp?” was the question that would change and give direction to my journey in Brazil. “Ecce Venio” [Behold, I come] –– many times I have heard that phrase and understood it as a pillar of our Dehonian charism. Because of the purpose of the camp I cannot reveal the activities that we did, but I can say it was not what I was expecting at all. It was more intense than I thought it would be, filled with many challenges that required strength, team effort, trust, and abandonment.

Ecce Venio Dehonian cross

I was able to feel the energy of all the participants and the leaders of the event. It was really amazing to be among this group of young people who had the desire to feel the presence of God in their lives. But most of all, it was wonderful to feel the presence of God in their lives through Dehonian spirituality. Seeing so many people wearing Dehonian crosses as a symbol of identity was really encouraging to me. It was just as encouraging as the experience I had in Poland at World Youth Day where I was able to see and feel Dehonian spirituality being alive in them and carried out by young people there.

Tears, fears, lack of trust — not only in others but the lack of trust we have in ourselves — these were the feelings we had when we faced challenges. But joy, satisfaction, courage, humility and abandonment were the feelings we shared after accomplishing all of the challenges. And the faces filled with joy and marked by tears of happiness were stronger than the physical pain and tiredness we all felt.

At the end of the camp, all of us received the Dehonian cross on which was engraved the phrase “Ecce Venio.” What a beautiful gift of identity and what a wonderful way to start to live Ecce Venio as part of our lives and spirituality as Dehonians.

I really have to admit I was super-tired after this camp. But the physical feeling did not take away the overwhelming feeling of renewal of my spirituality as a Dehonian. That was because the camp gave a stronger meaning to what Ecce Venio really means. It was an amazing experience and as someone helped me remember, most of the best experiences in our lives are also the most tiring or painful.

This is how my pastoral year has become not just a learning experience about our ministry and mission in Brazil, but also a spiritual experience of learning more about myself and deepening the meaning of Ecce Venio in my life guided by the spirit of abandonment in God’s will.

The full group of participants at Ecce Venio

Fr. Ed joins Dehonian youth at WYD

Posted on July 28, 2016 | Leave a comment

Frater Justin, Fr. Ed and Frater Juancho

Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, arrived in Kraków on Saturday to join the group from Our Lady of Guadalupe, Houston, at the World Youth Day activities. Fr. Ed wanted to attend WYD not only because of its significance in the Church, but also because of the significance of the group from the US Province: Fr. Ed had been pastor of OLG until his election as provincial superior in 2015. Most of the young adults in the group are people whom he knew as children at the parish, people whose families he was well acquainted with when he was pastor.

From Krakow Fr. Ed writes:

They have been keeping us on the go since I arrived on Saturday evening. There are more than 250 Dehonian Youth from approximately 19 countries including the U.S. and Canada. There is an amazing spirit among them. Many new friends have been made across cultures and borders. On Monday, Fr. Heiner celebrated Mass and gave a talk on mercy. He had the youth in the palm of his hand.

Praying during the Dehonian youth gathering

Tuesday we went from the seminary in Stadniki to Kraków. Thousands of young people are in the city from around the world. The spirit among them is incredible! Lots of singing on the streets and greetings among the nations. Each group carries its national flag. Whenever we passed a group from the U.S. there was always the chant of “USA, USA!!”

Wednesday morning the Dehonian Youth walked to the first and only parish church of St. John Paul II. In the afternoon they had workshops on mercy and Dehonian Spirituality in language groups, followed by a cookout at the seminary in Stadniki. On Thursday we gather again in Kraków to welcome Pope Francis.

The SCJs from Poland have been most welcoming to us all. There is an excellent spirit of fraternity and community. I feel truly blessed to have this international opportunity with our confreres from around the Congregation. It has also been fantastic to be with the group from Our Lady of Guadalupe. Br. Andy has done an amazing job of organizing the pilgrimage for them.