informationes - sh churchshsmparish.co.uk/lib/o3s7oq/31_english-jd4qehcq.pdfdo we wait only for what...

Dear confreres,

There is an old joke about a Franciscan and a Jesuit, who both were smokers and found it difficult to pray for a long period of time without having a cigarette. They decided to ask the Pope for permission to smoke. When they met again, the Franciscan was downcast. “I asked the Pope if I could smoke while I pray and he wrote ‘no.’” The Jesuit smiled. “I

asked if I could pray while I smoke. He said ‘of course.’”

A lot depends on the way the question is asked.

When I was in the seminary, canon law was just one of the subjects I had to study. For the last 5 years I have been dealing with canon law issues. Sometimes I have to consult canon law experts. However, to have a meaningful answer from them I have to form the question in the right way. For that I have to prepare well through understanding the issue, reading the canon law and the commentaries, and then asking the question.

During the seminary lectures, we were told many times that canon law protects a person, but only when I deal with the canon law in real life I can see just how true that is. Although the law gives a lot of possibilities to superiors, it always protects a person or a lower/weaker unit.

The same applies to our religious rules. When the Ad-hoc Committee for the Revision of the Rules of the Society met with the Generalate, they recalled a comment of a canon lawyer years ago, who was impressed with the simplicity and yet exhaustiveness of our Constitution. They are very good. However, some changes are necessary for many reasons, some of which Fr. Milton notes in his pastoral letter Finding Again the Life-Giving Source (2017), no. 8 and no. 9. And as he indicates these should be done in such a way that they serve better the whole Society.

Before the very first General Chapter of our Society, our Founder said: “Finally, most precious sons, remember that the spirit of Christ is a spirit of universality, not of particularity. Because Christ died for all, our Society too has a universal character. Its laws can, therefore, not become fitted exclusively for one nation or another. Rather, they must take into account the needs of the whole world and of our holy mother church, which so desperately requires apostolic workers throughout the

whole world. In this way, the faith is reinvigorated among Christians and extended among nonbelievers” (Chapter Talks, 1902/10/06).

In addressing the challenges our Society is facing today, therefore, we must make sure that we make needed changes to our Constitution and that they be as universal as possible in order to fulfill our Founder’s words about universality while making the needed changes. The Constitution must set the principles that would be valid for all units and all members and for a longer period of time. This will be part of the task of the upcoming General Chapter.

Speaking of this, while I attended a General Chapter some years ago, I noticed that at the end, everyone was so tired, that I had the impression that if someone put a motion to vote that the Holy Trinity is composed of four persons: the Holy Father, the Son of God, the Holy Spirit and St. Anthony, we would just vote in favor of it in order to finish as quickly as possible.

Sometimes, when we elect delegates for the chapters, we are not concerned so much about the topics that will be discussed but rather, who is free at that time or who hasn’t been yet to the chapter or we tend to use some other criteria.

Our concern about our Society, our rules and our future must be translated into the way we prepare ourselves for the chapters.

Do we take an active part in the chapter preparatory process?

Do we elect delegates in the spirit of responsibility and universality?

Do we go to the chapter ready for the effort to study profoundly the materials we receive or are we just going there to vote and finish the business as quickly as possible?

Do we wait only for what others prepared for us, and we just vote on the 4th person of the Holy Trinity without thinking, or are we really prepared and responsible? Let us not be passive receivers who have no say on anything except to complain afterwards. Our Founder was strong against the spirit of criticism among members, but more often he encouraged his sons to be responsible and active. I hope that the time of the few months we have before the General Chapter will be a time of a good, solid and future-oriented preparation that will produce good fruits for the entire Society.

Fr. Krzysztof Kowalczyk SDS Procurator to the Holy See

Vol XI, Nr. 31 February 2018, Rome ………………...….…………………………….…………………………….…………………………….………..……………….….……..….

Informationes Society of the Divine Savior

Informationes, Vol XI, Nr. 31 February 2018, Rome ..………………….…………………………….…………………………….…………………….……….……..….…………………………….…………...….………….…… 2

Jesús y la multitud – Painting by Fernando Botero

Blessing Tor de’ Cenci

On 08 DEC 17, the very day of the foundation

of our Society 136 years ago the Society

opened a new international formation

community, the Salvatorian International

Formation House Mater Salvatoris at Tor de’

Cenci on the outskirts of Rome (also see

Informationes no. 30). The task and aim of

this new community is to prepare bright

young men to be ambassadors of the Gospel

in Western Europe. The inauguration

ceremony consisted of a Solemn Mass

presided by Bp. Paolo Logiudice, Auxiliary of

Rome. Afterwards, Fr. Milton Zonta,

Generalate

Generalate Travel Plans

The members of the Generalate will

be away from the Motherhouse on

these dates in February and March:

Fr. Raúl

22 FEB – O9 MAR: USA

US Provincial Chapter

24 MAR – 02 APR: Spain

Holy Week Celebration

Fr. Chris

19 – 23 MAR: Poland

Provincial Chapter

Fr. Agustín

02 – 09 MAR: India

Vicariate Chapter

Greetings

The Generalate wishes all of our confreres a

most holy completion of Lent and a most

joyous Easter season. May the Divine Sav-

ior fill you with many graces, courage, and

blessings through the working of the Holy

Spirit. And, may we find the salvation of

our God in the crowd.


Superior General blessed the house and an

image of the Mother of the Savior. The latter

was a gift from the Generalate of the Society.

Also present

were.members.of

the Generalate

of the Salvatorian

Sisters, leaders

from the units

of Austria,

Belgium, Great

Britain, and

Italy as well as from the Lay Salvatorians in

Italy. There followed a joyous get-together

and lunch with the many members of the

Salvatorian family who attended the

celebration. We pray for the success of this

new initiative, for the first group of four

young men who have come from Africa,

India, and Southeast

Asia, and for their

formators,. .Fr. Charles

Mushitu (Rector) and

Fr. Sayoni .Deogratias

Rukurugu (Vice Rector).

Colombia

We congratulate Fr. Alfredo Tinoco Rivas,

elected for a second term as Provincial

Superior of the Colombian Province. The

election took place during the XXX Provincial

Chapter (19-24 NOV 17) in Bogotá. Fr. Raúl

Gómez Ruiz, Vicar General and liaison to the

Province, was present along with the

Provincial Superior of the Salvatorian Sisters,

Sr. Luz Marina Prada, and the Coordinator of

the Lay Salvatorians in Colombia,

Dr. Mauricio Marín Mora. Also, elected to the

council are Frs. Gustavo Ruiz Cano (Vicar

Provincial), Luis Alfredo Escalante, Hugo

Antonio Jaramillo, and Erbin Ariel Guerrero.

Their three-year term began on 24 NOV 17.

We pray that their leadership will help our

confreres grow in their commitment,

perseverance, and ability to live the charism

and mission we have inherited from our

Venerable Founder.

Brazil

The canonical visitation of the Brazilian

province took place from 12 NOV-02 DEC 17.

The visitors were Fr. Milton Zonta, Superior

General, and Fr. Thomas Malal, General

Consultor. Because the country is so vast and

the members spread out widely, the visitation

was quite intense and involved much travel.

The history of the foundation of the Society in

Brazil goes back to the end of 1896. The

Founder sent two confreres, Frs. Sabas

Battistoni and Ambrosius Mayer to begin the

Salvatorian apostolic presence in the area of

Rio de Janeiro. Over the years the confreres

have grown both in numbers as well as in the

variety of apostolates and places where they

work. These include, among others, schools,

missions, and parishes. The Province was

established in 1935 and continues to receive

vocations.

Currently there are 63 professed members

with an average age of 50. Among them is an

emeritus bishop, Mons. Valter Carrijo. Six of

New Leadership

Visitation


the confreres work or study outside of the

Province in Rome, Mozambique, Peru and

the International Novitiate in Colombia.

In addition to visiting all the communities of

the Province, the visitors met with the two

provincialates of the Salvatorian Sisters in

Lages (Santa Catarina) and Santa Barbara do

Oeste (São Paulo) respectively. They also met

with various Lay Salvatorians: Brazil has the

privilege of having 627 lay members

organized into 55 groups spread throughout

the country and engaged in various

apostolates. The three branches in Brazil

work well together on various projects of

common interest.

During the visitation they also met with some

of the bishops of the dioceses where our

confreres work. There was an opportunity as

well to visit the Pontifical Catholic University

of Paraná (PUC) in Curitiba where the

postulants study philosophy. They also visited

the Theological Institute of São Paulo

(ITESP) where the Salvatorian scholastics

study theology and are able to earn an STB

from the Pontifical University of

Sant’Anselmo (Rome). The scholastics in our

international theologate study at ITESP.

The Province has put much effort into work

with youth and vocation promotion and the

results are being seen. Consequently initial

formation is a priority of the Province with a

well-developed formation program. Currently

there are 34 young men in the various stages

of formation. Especially in the area of

formation, the Province has shown great

openness to international cooperation.

The visitators express their deep gratitude for

the warm welcome by all the confreres. Many

thanks to Fr. Álvaro Macagnan, Provincial

Superior, and his council for the well-

organized visit schedule and to Fr. Selvino

Baldissera who accompanied the visitators.

We are very grateful for all that the

Salvatorians in Brazil do to make our charism

more visible in their service to the local

Church and especially to those most in need.

Salvatorian World Youth Days Coordination Team (27-30 NOV 17)

The members of the Salvatorian WYD

Coordination Team met in Cartagena,

Colombia to continue their planning and

preparation for the gathering of youth

associated with Salvatorian apostolates,

which will take place on 16-21 JAN 19 in

Cartagena. This will be just prior to the World

Youth Day 2019 scheduled for Panama City

on 21-27 JAN 19. The team consists of Frs.

James Oliveira (BR), Eder Arrieta (CO), and

Meeting


Luis Domingo Díaz (VE). The Generalate

liaison is Fr. Raúl Gómez Ruiz. Registration is

now open for both the Salvatorian event and

the official WYD event and will stay open up

to 15 DEC 18. A letter has been sent to the

unit superiors asking them to promote and

encourage the Salvatorian event along with

instructions on registration. If someone plans

to participate in both the Salvatorian

gathering in Cartagena and the event in

Panama City, they must register separately

for both events. Registration for the

Salvatorian event can be done by following

the link:

https://goo.gl/forms/GGSbJpWsmzlHIKLH3.

In terms of registering for the official WYD

gathering in Panama, please indicate in the

proper place that you will be part of the

Salvatorian group. For more information or

help please contact the-coordinating-team-at:

[email protected].

New Mission at Cuernavaca (MEX)

At the request of the General Superior,

Fr. Agustín Van Baelen, in his function as the

General Mission Secretary of the Society,

went to the Diocese of Cuernavaca in order to

conduct an investigation visit on 15-24

NOV 17. Cuernavaca is a three-hour drive

from the capital, Mexico City. The region is

known among other things for its many

historic monasteries, which unfortunately

were severely damaged by the earthquake of

19 SEP 17. In total 320 churches and

hundreds of houses, were completely

destroyed; thousands of people are living in

tents in very precarious conditions. The Local

Ordinary, Bishop Ramón Castro Castro,

demonstrated about 15 different potential

sites for our foundation, all with their

advantages and disadvantages.

New Foundations


After having heard the presentation of the

report regarding the investigations, the

Generalate has decided to initiate a new

mission at Xoxocotla. The inhabitants, who

are of indigenous tribes, characterize the

place. The Salvatorian community will have

responsibility over 5 chapels beginning on

02 FEB 18, the World Day for Consecrated

Life.

The Salvatorian community will consist at the

beginning of two confreres. Fr. Jakub

Trzópek, who is 31 years old, professed his

first vows in the Society in 2007, and was

ordained a priest in 2013. He is a member of

the Polish Province.

And, Fr. Mario José Pulido Pulido. He is

32 years old. He made his first profession in

2012 and was ordained a priest in 2016. He

belongs to the Vicariate of Venezuela. We

thank both confreres for their availability and

we wish them a good start and perseverance

as they oversee the birth of this new

missionary initiative.

Reorganization of the Salvatorian Mission in Guatemala

The Salvatorians are present since 2002 in

the Northern part of Guatemala, near the

border with Mexico, where they have

developed and accompanied many social

projects on behalf of the poorest population,

as well as projects in the area of pastoral and

catechetical formation. This mission was

started by the Spanish Vicariate, which has

decided during its last Chapter held in

September 2017, to request the Generalate to

take it over and to help them with needed

restructuring. Consequently the General

Mission Secretary, Fr. Agustín Van Baelen,

was requested by the General Superior to go

and visit this mission from 25 NOV until

03 DEC 17.

After having seen the projects and talked with

the confreres on-site and with the people

involved in our Mission, a possible strategic

plan for this mission area was presented to

them and to the Superior and the Council of

the Spanish Vicariate in an extraordinary

meeting at Logroño on 18 DEC 17, as well as

to the Generalate, which approved it. The first

concrete steps will be taken soon and will

hopefully be significant contributions for the

future presence of the Salvatorians and for

the development of the mission.

Likewise, it is worth mentioning that on 25

JAN of this year the first Salvatorian from

Guatemala has professed vows and that two

other young men have started in the same

month with their novitiate in the

International Novitiate at Manizales. May

God bless them all!


Salvatorian Month of Prayer

Our Founder Fr. Francis Mary of the Cross

Jordan called us to be “men of prayer” in

order to carry out our Salvatorian Mission. To

fulfil that call we pray in our communities

and individually for the intentions of the

whole Church as well as for particular local

needs of those people entrusted to our care.

As much as we strive to be “men of prayer”

we ourselves need prayer support.

For this reason and in accord with the

recommendation from the last General

Chapter we want to introduce the Salvatorian

Month of Prayer. During it we want to pray

for our Salvatorian needs, communities and

ministries. And, we also ask others to pray for

us.

Taking into consideration that we work in

many different countries, cultures and

continents it is difficult to find just one

particular month, which would be suitable to

all of us. Consequently, instead of

establishing one month for the whole Society

we suggest that each Unit in our Society takes

up a proposed month for these prayers. Our

International Vocation Team has prepared a

set of prayers for each month, which has been

translated into seven languages. This prayer

is to be offered for 30 days. The text of these

prayers is available from our new Vocation

Resource..Center..website:…https://vocation.

sds.org/asklord/prayers-resources/sds-month.

Once each Unit accepts a month for these

prayers, that information will be published on

our websites in order to be aware who is

praying for our Society in any particular

month. This will not only help us to pray for

each other but it will promote our

communities and ministries to the wider

society. Let this dedicated Month of Prayer

that we undertake bring reward and God’s

blessing and graces upon our Salvatorian

Travelling to Rome

Members needing a visa in order to enter

Italy are asked to note the following:

One is required to provide the following

information: the first and last names of

the member as they appear in his

passport; the member’s place of birth

(i.e., city/state/country); the number of the

member’s passport and dates of arrival

and departure from Europe.

This information should be sent directly to

Father Krzysztof (Chris) Kowalczyk at the

Generalate ([email protected]).

Since it takes some time to complete all

the steps, please send this information

sufficiently in advance of the planned

visit.

Members planning to visit the

Motherhouse are asked to contact

directly the local superior, Father Juan

Carrasquilla Ossa, in order to request

guest rooms and make other

arrangements. Father Juan can be

reached at:

E-mail: [email protected]

Fax: +39 (06) 68629.400

Telephone: +39 (06) 68629.213

Please be advised that because of the

planned papal celebrations and

audiences, we may be unable to meet

you at or take you to the airport,

especially on Sunday and Wednesday.

The Founder

mailto:[email protected]


ministry so that “all may know the only true

God and the one whom you have sent, Jesus

Christ” Savior of the World.

Centenary & XIX General Chapter Blog

Please remember: materials for use by

members for the celebration of the Centenary

of Death of Fr. Jordan are available at

www.sds.org. The Chapter Blog is accessible

at http://www.sds19.org/. And if you would like

to contribute to the blog please send photos and

brief reports to [email protected].

Why I became a Salvatorian…

Because I felt to have been called to share with others the Good News of salvation I had received.

Fr. Adam Teneta, Postulator General

To see other statements and photos go to

sds.org/vocations and click on each of the

first four categories: “Called by God,”

“Consecrated Religious,” “To be a

Salvatorian” and “Formation Stages.”

Final Profession of Vows

Congratulations to the following confrere who

made his final profession of vows:

On 10 DEC 17, Br. Anneluck Kaseba Ngongo

SDS of the Congo Missionary Pro-Province

at the St. Charles Lwanga Parish,

Lubumbashi, to V. Rev. Dieudonné

Kongolo, Vicar Provincial.

Ordination to the Diaconate

Congratulations to the following confreres

who were ordained deacons:

From Father Jordan:

Zeal for the Society

“May the zeal, the enthusiasm for the Society, in which you have taken vows and are incorporated, always grow and increase from day to day. To insure this happens, that you increase in love and zeal for the Society, consider especially these two points: first, the grandeur and holiness of the purpose and mission of the Society. Contemplate this, penetrate into the holiness of the task of our Society, into its beauty, its nobility. And the second point that should impel you to love and be zealous for the Society are the many good things, material and spiritual, that you have obtained through the Society!” (Chapter Talks, 1900/01/19)

Last Words

(See Postulation Press, no. 10, July 1998):

“God is so good! May his will be done!” (Fr. Jordan’s prayer when he was alert while suffering on 06 SEP 1918).

Congratulations


On 09 DEC 17, Cl. Celestino Manuela

Madaba SDS of the Brazilian Province at

the N. Sra. da Conceição Parish, Chókwe,

Mozambique by Most Rev. Lúcio Andrice

Muandula, Bishop of the Diocese of Xai

Xai;

On 05 JAN 18, Cl. Francisco Navas SDS of

the Venezuela Vicariate at the El Amparo

Formation House Chapel, Catia / Caracas

by Most Rev. Helizandro Terán OSA,

Bishop of the Diocese of Ciudad Guyana;

On 06 JAN 18, Cl. Raphaël Kasongo Kavula

SDS of the Congo Missionary Pro-Province

at the Cathedral of St. Barbara and St.

Eligius, Kolwezi by Most Rev. Nestor Ngoy

Katahwa, Bishop of Kolwezi.

Ordination to the Priesthood

Congratulations to the following confreres

who were ordained priest:

On 09 DEC 17, Dc. Davide Caísse SDS of

the Brazilian Province at the N. Sra. da

Conceição Parish, Chókwe, Mozambique by

Most Rev. Lúcio Andrice Muandula, Bishop

of the Diocese of Xai Xai;

On 06 JAN 18, Dc. Eric Ngoy Mwamba SDS

of the Congo Missionary Pro-Province at

the Cathedral of St. Barbara and St. Eligius,

Kolwezi by Most Rev. Nestor Ngoy

Katahwa, Bishop of Kolwezi.

Jubilees of Profession During 2018

Congratulations!

25 Years of Profession

CO Fr. Pablo Sexto Arrieta Arrieta 25 JAN 1993

CO Fr. Luis Alfredo Escalante Molina 25 JAN 1993

IN EA Fr. Vara Prasada Rao Gujjala Vyakula 19 MAR 1993

IN Fr. Shaji Sebastian Kallukeerthouty 19 MAR 1993

IN Fr. Philip Pukkurayil 19 MAR 1993

US Fr. Glen Sayers 15 AUG 1993

PL AS Fr. Adam Babinski 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Roman Hamny 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Grzegorz Jabłonka 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Łukasz Kleczka 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Tadeusz Kochanowicz 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Jacek Łabęcki 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Andrzej Pacholik 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Stanisław Pajestka 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Waldemar Pszeniczny 08 SEP 1993

PL AS Fr. Ryszard Sadowski 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Piotr Ślęczka 08 SEP 1993

PL AS Fr. Zygmunt Śmigowski 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Piotr Szyrszeń 08 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Jacek Wawrzyniak 08 SEP 1993

PL Br. Marcin Wojtczak 08 SEP 1993

CD Fr. Emmanuel Ntumba Nyamazumbi 29 SEP 1993

PL Fr. Dawid Adamczak 11 OCT 1993





CO Fr. Armando Chaves Chaves 22 JAN 1978

PL AS Fr. Marian Brzozowski 08 SEP 1978

PL Fr. Bogdan Giemza 08 SEP 1978

PL CA Fr. Krystian Golisz 08 SEP 1978

GB Fr. Alexander McAllister 08 SEP 1978

PL Fr. Michał Piela 08 SEP 1978

PL Fr. Jan Strama 08 SEP 1978

PL Fr. Józef Tarnówka 08 SEP 1978

BG Br. Theo Dielkens 24 SEP 1978

CO MH Fr. Juan Carrasquilla Ossa 25 JAN 1968

PL CA Fr. Józef Kobos 15 AUG 1968

PL Fr. Stanisław Pieczara 15 AUG 1968

PL Fr. Krzysztof Seweryn 15 AUG 1968

BG CD Fr. Jaak Henkens 08 SEP 1968

BG Fr. Jos Houben 08 SEP 1968

BG Fr. André Keppens 08 SEP 1968

BG Br. Jos Luyten 29 SEP 1968

PL Fr. Emil Jarco 24 OCT 1968

BR Fr. Lauro Spohr 02 FEB 1958

US Br. Peter Farnesi 19 MAR 1958

TM Fr. Simon Chen Shang-I 08 SEP 1958

US Fr. Richard Driscoll 08 SEP 1958

PL Br. Hieronim Drobik 08 SEP 1958

BG VE Fr. Miguel Grobben 08 SEP 1958

US Fr. Andre Papineau 08 SEP 1958

BG Fr. Willy Smeets 08 SEP 1958

PL Fr. Stanisław Wąsik 08 SEP 1958

PL Fr. Stanisław Piwowarczyk 05 OCT 1958

AU Fr. Elmar Kahofer 11 OCT 1958

AU Fr. Andreas Mohr 11 OCT 1958

CH CD Fr. Paulus Wey 08 DEC 1958




Jubilees of Ordinations During 2018

Congratulations!

25 Years of Ordination

PL Fr. Jan Matuzik 15 AUG 1953

PL Fr. Tadeusz Skwarczek 15 AUG 1953

PL Fr. Henryk Żurek 15 AUG 1953

PL Fr. Jan Lasek 08 SEP 1953

US Fr. Thomas Novak 08 SEP 1953

PL Fr. Joachim Strzelecki 08 SEP 1953

US Fr. Roman Stadtmueller 08 SEP 1948

AU Fr. Wolfgang Worsch 11 OCT 1948

CO Fr. Luis Francisco Pinzón Sierra 02 FEB 1953

CO Fr. David Restrepo Rodríguez 02 FEB 1953

D Fr. Bernhard Eisele 01 JUN 1953

PL Fr. Stanisław Diaków 15 AUG 1953

PL Fr. Zygmunt Hajduk 15 AUG 1953

CD Bp. Charles Mahuza Yava 08 MAY 1993

D Fr. Heribert Kerschgens 09 MAY 1993

D Fr. Maximilian Segener 09 MAY 1993

PL D Fr. Marek Bednarski 29 MAY 1993

PL Fr. Tomasz Czubiel 29 MAY 1993

PL CA Fr. Jarosław Dziuba 29 MAY 1993

PL Fr. Hubert Kaliszewski 29 MAY 1993

PL Fr. Andrzej Kusiak 29 MAY 1993

PL CA Fr. Marek Pączka 29 MAY 1993

CH Fr. Wiesław Stempak 29 MAY 1993

PL Fr. Andrzej Waśko 29 MAY 1993

D Fr. Friedrich Emde 26 JUN 1993

US Fr. Joseph Rodrigues 06 NOV 1993

TM US Fr. Dominic Su Kun-Yung 05 DEC 1993






US Fr. Peter Coffey 17 FEB 1968

CO Fr. Mario Agudelo Roldán 30 MAR 1968

BG Fr. Louis Bongers 30 MAR 1968

BG CD Fr. Jean Schreurs 30 MAR 1968

PL Fr. Józef Zmełty 22 JUN 1968

IT Fr. Gino Mattia 29 JUN 1968

D Fr. Alfons Minas 29 JUN 1968

US Fr. Julian Guzman 06 SEP 1968

US Fr. Robert Marsicek 06 SEP 1968

US Fr. Eliot Nitz 06 SEP 1968

PL Fr. Bernard Ondruš 11 SEP 1968

PL Fr. Józef Fugiel 17 JUN 1958

PL Fr. Helmut Juros 17 JUN 1958

PL Fr. Paschalis Policki 17 JUN 1958

PL Fr. Paweł Stanoszek 17 JUN 1958

GB Fr. Eric Powell 29 JUN 1958

GB Fr. Peter Preston 29 JUN 1958

D Fr. Josef Juros 26 OCT 1958

D Fr. Bernhard Eisele 20 DEC 1958

GB Fr. Malachy McBride 29 JUN 1953

D Fr. Bernward Meisterjahn 05 JUL 1953

AU Fr. Wolfgang Worsch 19 DEC 1953

US Fr. Bruce Clanton 01 APR 1978

PL Fr. Jan Szpilka 29 APR 1978

PL Fr. Zdzisław Tracz 29 APR 1978

US Fr. Dennis Thiessen 12 MAY 1978

D Fr. Georg Fichtl 25 JUN 1978

D Fr. Josef Mayer 25 JUN 1978

CH Fr. Thomas Sackmann 25 JUN 1978

D Fr. Konrad Werder 25 JUN 1978


Salvation Through Healing

"I was sick and you cared for me..." (Mt. 25:36)

Our Society has been active in Tanzania with missionary, educational and social initiatives since 1955. Over 30 years ago the work with local vocations and initial formation was undertaken and now there are over 100 Tanzanian professed Salvatorians who work in parishes, schools and health centers. And, Salvatorians are in Namiungo since 1976; therefore they know the people, the culture and the other local actors.

Our Tanzania Mission Pro-Province is quite unique in that it counts a large number..of religious brothers.

And some of them have specialized in a vocation, which is more common among the Salvatorian Sisters, namely nursing and caring for the sick: they are skilled nurses or clinicians.

They run dispensaries at JUCO (in Morogoro) and in the mission compound of Mkuranga. Since 1998, our brothers have been successfully running St. Joseph Dispensary as nurses and clinicians at Namiungo in the southern part of Tanzania, officially serving six villages but in practice also including other distant villages. People come to the dispensary from villages far

outside its designated geographic area. The population served is around 15,000 excluding the additional villages. The work of the dispensary is highly regarded by the population as well as by the local health authorities.

The Tanzanian leadership decided to upgrade this apostolate in favor of the.poorest..population in a deprived region of Tanzania. Within

2 years the following was realized with the assistance of SOFIA (2013-2015): - Construction of a Mother-and-Child Hospital; - Purchase of medical equipment, supplies and medicines for the maternity unit; - Purchase of means of transportation for patients and the community health workers; - Purchase of laboratory equipment; - Organization of Education: training sessions and awareness camps on hygiene, basic health and mother-and-child care, with a focus on nutrition and vaccination; - Nutritional program implemented in the villages of the designated zone.

The ultimate goal is the creation of a full-fledged Health Centre, one level up from a Dispensary on its way to a well-equipped and functioning Hospital. Before we embark on constructing an Operation Theatre, we want to better equip and boost the existing Dispensary, the Mother and Child Clinic and the services offered.

To that end SOFIA continued fundraising for this apostolate and obtained grants in the past year for - hygiene: construction of additional outside toilets; - construction of a storage building for

SOFIA Salvatorian Office

for International Aid


medicines; - capacity building activity: consultancy by personnel from Mnero hospital; - electricity: acquisition of solar-powered refrigerators; - water: drilling of a borehole.

It cannot be estimated enough what difference electricity for refrigerators means for the sick. Or what it means for the nurses to not have to walk 4 km several times a day to get water from the local river, carrying 20-liter-buckets on their heads. In the Gospel according to St. Matthew salvation is linked among other actions to corporal works of mercy. As such, our brother-nurses/clinicians are essentially fulfilling the Lord's mandate, to care for the least among us, far away in the deprived southern regions of Tanzania. They speak louder than the loudest homilist. SOFIA is happy to support this apostolate with its know-how on fundraising and project development and will continue to do so.

Prayers

Please Pray for…

Belgian Province Preparatory

Chapter for the XIX General

Chapter (15 FEB 18)

Mission Procuras Meeting, Rome

(19-22 FEB 18)

Polish Province Election Chapter

and Preparatory Chapter for the

XIX General Chapter (19-23

FEB 18)

US Province Election Chapter and

Preparatory Chapter for the

XIX General Chapter (26 FEB-

02 MAR 18)

Congo Missionary Pro-Province

Preparatory Chapter for the

XIX General Chapter (07-

09 MAR 18)

SOFIA Advisory Board Meeting,

Rome (22-23 MAR 18)

The success of the new Salvatorian

community in Xoxocotla, Mexico

The official recognition of the ICDS

by the Dicastry for Laity, Family

and Life

Successful yearlong celebration

of Fr. Jordan’s Centenary of

Death

Those in Formation and their

Formators

Acceptance of a miracle for the

beatification of Fr. Jordan

Our deceased confreres

Please note that we are posting death notices on the SDS website (www.sds.org). We also send them to each member at their mailsds.org email address.


Our Extraordinary Founder in a Nutshell

Kushangazwa na Padre Francis Jordan

[Surprised by Fr. Francis Jordan] is a booklet

in Kiswahili edited by Fr. Lazarus Msimbe

SDS of the Tanzanian Mission Pro-Province.

It unveils important aspects of the Founder’s

and the Society’s history in five chapters

summarizing Fr. Jordan’s career (in the form

of an extensive chronology of his life), his

teachings and legacies as well as the charism,

mission, spiritual life and identity of the

Salvatorians inspired by the central

exhortation of Jn 17:3: to know the true God

and Jesus Christ. If you want to receive

copies of the publication please contact the

Tanzanian Mission Pro-Province.

Centenary Novena

Our confrere Fr. Piotr Filas SDS, Superior of

the Polish Province, has edited a Novena in

the Polish language particularly for the

“Father Jordan Year” 2018. The original

brochure entitled Nowenna w duchu Ks.

Franciska od Krzyża Jordana [Novena in the

spirit of Fr. Francis of the Cross Jordan],

inspired by the Founder’s Spiritual Diary, had

been originally elaborated by Fr. Stefan Horn

SDS and translated into Polish by Fr. Hubert

Ordon SDS. It contains short pieces for

reflection as well as Fr. Jordan’s statements

and prayers for each of the nine Novena days

and a special prayer for the beatification

process. Please refer to the Polish Province

secretariat for copies.

Publications


Informationes Society of the Divine Savior

The Generalate Via della Conciliazione, 51 00193 Rome, Italy www.sds.org

informationes - sh churchshsmparish.co.uk/lib/o3s7oq/31_english-jd4qehcq.pdfdo we wait only for what...

Documents