Four hundred and seventy-five! That was the total number of years of Dehonian religious life celebrated at this year’s Province Jubilee Celebration on June 4 at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, WI.
Fr. Richard Johnston, SCJ, leads the nine jubilarians this year with 75 years of religious profession; he made his first vows in 1951, well before Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, provincial superior, and all but one member of the Provincial Council were even born.
The other Dehonian jubilarians include Fr. John Czyzynski (70 years – pictured below at the dinner); Fr. Joseph Dean and Fr. Greg Speck (60 years); Fr. Charles Brown and Br. Frank Presto (50 years); and Fr. Rafael Querobin and Fr. Jean Claude Mbassi with 25 years.
Fr. Vien Nguyen, SCJ, provincial superior, was the main celebrant and homilist at the Jubilee Mass. His closing words:
“Our founder, Fr. Leo John Dehon pointed us to two great Dehonian spiritual pillars: Ecce Venio (“Behold, I come to do your will”) and Ecce Ancilla (“Behold, the handmaid of the Lord”). Ecce Venio is our Dehonian expression of absolute availability — our willingness to be an instrument of God. Ecce Ancilla is our deep, trusting acceptance of whatever God does in our lives.
“Like the Sea of Galilee, we cannot hoard God’s grace or keep our vows tucked away for ourselves. We have to let Christ’s love flow through us to a world that, quite frankly, sorely needs it right now.
“To our jubilarians: thank you. Thank you for your combined 475 years of searching, and for the daily, quiet “yes” that brought you to this day. May we all, inspired by your commitment, continue this divine dance together — with much kindness, a commitment to walk humbly, and a shared, burning passion for the Heart of Christ.”
Click here to read Fr. Vien’s full homily.
During the jubilee dinner, a moment of prayer and silence was held for Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ, who has been missing since 2022. He professed his first vows 60 years ago and was among those honored at the jubilee.
Click here to read about the jubilarians on the province website.
Click here to view the online photo album.
