Our Spiritual Director
Father Dominic Peluse, SCJ, brings compassion, joy, and an abiding devotion to the Sacred Heart in his role as Spiritual Director.
Originally from Poughkeepsie, NY, he is the second of three boys in a devout family. Deciding to pursue his vocation upon graduating high school, he visited a seminary operated by the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJ). In a matter of days, he had found his home.
“There were such wonderful priests and brothers at the seminary. They talked about Fr. Dehon and about the Congregation. The more I learned, the more I wanted to be part of them,” he recalls. In 1967 he professed his first vows. He was ordained in 1974.
“Except for a short time doing vocation work, most of my priesthood has been in parish ministry. I really loved it; being in a parish, making friendships, being part of people’s lives in both good times and bad. It is a way that we can be Eucharist to others.”
Fr. Dominic’s pastoral experience underpins his role as Spiritual Director. “It’s just that now the congregation is bigger,” he chuckles.
“Being present to others and being supportive is a way to give joy and hope. You can’t buy joy, but in giving of yourself you receive joy. That’s what I learned in parish ministry, and that’s what I bring to my work as Spiritual Director.”
Father Dominic In Action
Fr. Dominic enjoys meeting benefactors and sharing with them as much as he can about the SCJs. He feels blessed to be able to visit SCJ missions around the world and get to know the people served by the Priests of the Sacred Heart. He’s proud of the Congregation for its ministry among the poor and needy, and for its spirituality.
“Being an SCJ has expanded my knowledge of who the Body of Christ is. The Body of Christ is the people, the people of our world.
What makes me proud to be an SCJ is that we are trying to be a living Gospel for others and helping to bring that out in those to whom we minister. We are the Body of Christ.”
Pray with Father Dominic
Father Dominic invites you to find inspiration and strength in the abundant love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Join him in prayer and view devotional videos.
A Message from Father Dominic
On behalf of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, I want to thank you for your gifts. Your prayers and faithful generosity allow our priests and brothers to share the message of Christ’s love and peace and care for people in need throughout the world.
More than one hundred years ago, our congregation’s founder, Fr. Leo John Dehon, involved himself – despite cautions and hesitations from some brethren — with the poor, the repressed and those in danger. His call for social action in ministry did not rise from a sense of moral obligation as much as a response to the love Jesus revealed on the cross. It was to show love and mercy to others.
Love and mercy … each is such a simple word, but has great impact — impact that daily remains so important to the world! These concepts are central to the ministry of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, and through your generosity, you exemplify both.
Through your kindness, our priests and brothers continue reaching out to the poor, repressed and those who are threatened. In an era burdened by unimaginable circumstances, who can doubt the world needs more mercy … more love?
My friend, please know we at the Priests of the Sacred Heart are praying for you and your family. In turn, I hope you will pray for us.
Gratefully in Christ,
