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From Provincial USC
Date July 09, 2012 @ 15:23
General Chapter Week Four
Greetings Dear Friends of the Chicago Province,
The XVII General Chapter started its final week this Monday morning with a visit from Pope Benedict XVI. Check out the photos on the SVD Curia blog: http://svdgc2012.blogspot.it/ Scroll down a bit further to view the photos from Sunday’s travels to the Catacomb of Domatilla (staffed by the SVDs), the residence of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters and the Colegio.
Chicago Province Media Director Theresa Carson arranged for newly-elected Vice-Superior General Robert Kisala to be interviewed by the Chicago Catholic New Service via e-mail. You can read the article at: http://www.chicagocatholicnews.com/?p=1322
Keep up to date with the perspective and pictures from the Chicago Province delegates at: www.divineword.org/news/general_chapter_2012.aspx.
Please continue to pray for the Council delegates this week as they hear the reports of the four lay collaborators – one from each zone – and continue work on the text of the Congregational Directions, the Chapter document that will animate and guide our life and ministry for the next six years and beyond.
NOTE: There have been intermittent interruptions in the internet service at Techny (campus wide) today, Monday, July 9, 2012. The problems are external – caused by Comcast, the internet provider – and affect an area wider than the Techny campus. Please be patient.
From Provincial USC
Date Friday July 06, 2012 @ 06:54
July 6, 2012
General Council Election Completed
Dear Confreres,
On Friday, July 6, the members of the General Chapter elected the final two councillors for the new General Council. Again, the principal concern of the voters was to have wide representation of all parts of the Society.
Fr. Arlindo Dias (Brazil Central Province) was elected on the first ballot today. He has served on the General Council for the past six year. Arlindo was provincial in Brazil and a communications specialist before beginning his service at the Generalate. His election further solidified the continuity on the new council: three return from the previous sexennium (Kisala, Pinto and Dias) and there are four new members on the council. [61 83 84 88 88]
Fr. José Antunes da Silva (Portugal Province) was elected on the second ballot. He has been provincial of the Portugal Province since 2007. After serving in Ghana he began studies in Religion and Culture. In the early 1990s, he lived at the Washington House while completing work on a master's degree. It was there that he first met Fr. Heinz Kulüke, our new Superior General. He is just now preparing to defend his long-delayed doctoral dissertation in Portugal. His gentle spirit and his long-term commitment to both study and missionary outreach will be important strengths for his service on the council. [57 75 76 83 84]
Gregory Pinto Elected Admonitor: The last step in the election process was to elect one of the councillors as the admonitor. The duty of supporting the Superior General (through kind admonishment) went to Gregory Pinto, from India.
The impression of the capitulars is that the General Council not only has a lot of talent, but that it also seems very well-balanced in terms of experience, personality and interests. They should make a great TEAM.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers as the Chapter turns its attention to some new business and looks forward to the visit of the Holy Father on Monday, July 9.
Keep COOL!
In the Divine Word,
Thomas J. Ascheman, SVD
Provincial
P.S. To stay up to date on a daily basis, I encourage you to go to SVD Curia’s official blog: http://svdgc2012.blogspot.it. For a more personal view of the General Chapter, follow the Chicago Province blog at: www.divineword.org/news/general_chapter_2012.aspx.
From Provincial USC
Date Thursday, July 05, 2012 @ 07:41
July 5, 2012
Three General Councillors Elected
Dear Confreres,
Three more members were elected to the General Council today – Thursday, July 5.
Bro. Guy Mazola (Congo Province) was elected by a wide margin as first councillor. He has been serving as the chief editor of Verbum Bible, a center for Bible studies in the Congo Province. He has also served as the formation coordinator for the AFRAM Zone. His considerable experience in both Bible ministry and formation will be valuable for his service on the Council. [62 82 84 92 **]
Fr. Gregory Pinto (India – Mumbai Province) was re-elected to the General Council as the capitulars selected a second councillor. Gregory's ministry has long focused on counseling and spiritual direction. His return to the Council will help to assure some continuity in the new sexennium. [48 69 71 77 78]
Fr. Paul Budi Kleden (Indonesia – Ende Province) was also elected to the General Council today. For the past ten years Budi has been working in formation at Ledalero, the largest SVD seminary in the world. He did doctoral studies in systematic theology in Germany. Given the huge number of young confreres trained at Ledalero who receive first assignments all around the world, his presence on the Council will be especially helpful. [65 85 87 92 93]
The focus of these elections is on forming a team, so that the various zones, language groups, and Brothers have a representative voice on the General Council. Tomorrow the General Chapter will complete the election process by selecting two additional councillors.
To stay up to date on a daily basis, I encourage you to go to SVD Curia’s official blog: http://svdgc2012.blogspot.it.
For a more personal view of the General Chapter, follow the Chicago Province blog at: www.divineword.org/news/general_chapter_2012.aspx.
Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers as we work to prepare the general government of our Society for the coming six years.
In the Divine Word,
Thomas J. Ascheman, SVD
Provincial
From: Provincial USC
Date: Wednesday, July 04, 2012 @ 04:05
July 4, 2012
Kisala Elected Vice-General Superior
Dear Confreres,
On the 4th of July, many in the United States will be remembering independence and celebrating liberty.
BOB KISALA ELECTED VICE-GENERAL SUPERIOR: Robert Kisala, originally from Chicago, will remember the fourth of July for another reason. He was elected on the first ballot as vice-general superior of the Society of the Divine Word at Nemi, Italy. He will assist the new Superior General, Heinz Kulüke, in guiding the Society for the coming six years. After years of service in Japan, Bob was elected to the General Council in 2006. His experience and acquaintance with the many parts of the SVD world will be particularly helpful as a new General Council is formed.
As members of the Chicago Province we can take pride that one of "our own" can offer this service for the sake of our confreres all over the world. And it never hurts to have a friend in high places!
POPE BENEDICT XVI WILL VISIT NEMI: Next Monday, July 9, the Holy Father will leave his summer residence at Castel Gondolfo to address the General Chapter delegates. This visit marks fifty years since Joseph Ratzinger, then a 35-year-old professor of theology from Germany, came to Nemi to work with other periti and Superior General Schütte on the Second Vatican Council Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity (Ad Gentes).
To stay up to date on a daily basis, I encourage you to go to SVD Curia’s official blog: http://svdgc2012.blogspot.it.
For the lighter side of the General Chapter, follow the Chicago Province blog at: www.divineword.org/news/general_chapter_2012.aspx.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers as the elections continue.
Have a happy and safe 4th of July ... and remember those without power and those suffering from the excessive heat.
In the Divine Word,
Thomas J. Ascheman, SVD
Provincial
From: Provincial USC
Date: Tuesday, July 03, 2012 @ 12:50
Superior General Heinz Kuluke
On this momentous day when Fr. Heinz Kulüke was elected as the eleventh Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word, the communication offices at the Generalate and at Techny have been busy.
The General Chapter blog has a seven-minute video of the Superiors General – incoming and outgoing – offering their thoughts, followed by another video in which dozens of Chapter delegates offer their words of congratulations. Find it at: http://svdgc2012.blogspot.it/
The Chicago Province website has a press release about the election of the new Superior General with links to three video segments about Father Kulüke and his ministry in the Philippines. Go to: http://www.divineword.org/news/press_releases.aspx
Within minutes of the election, Bernie Spitzley managed to be photographed with the two Superiors General – incoming and outgoing. In the third photo of Father Pernia with the Brothers attending the General Chapter, Bernie is seated at the right hand of the Superior General. View all three pictures at the Chicago Province Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Divine.Word.Missionaries.Chicago.Province and read about the election on the Chicago Province website’s General Chapter blog: http://www.divineword.org/news/general_chapter_2012.aspx
This is the press release from the Generalate:
From: Provincial USC
Date: Tuesday July 03, 2012 @ 06:58
Superior General Elected
July 3, 2012
Dear Confreres,
SUPERIOR GENERAL ELECTED: Fr. Heinz Kulüke has been elected the 11th Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word.
The election results were very clear. Fr. Heinz was elected by an overwhelming majority on the first ballot this morning, Tuesday, July 3. Heinz has been serving as the provincial of the Philippines South Province. He is best known for his work to help street people and sex workers in Cebu City.
Fr. Heinz has a bit of a connection to the Chicago Province. In the early 1990s he did a year of graduate studies in philosophy at the Catholic University of America and was part of our community in Washington, D.C. That was where I first met him. I know him as an outstanding missionary and I'm sure he will make a wonderful leader for our Society.
He was born in 1956, professed vows in 1981 and was ordained in 1986.
The official press release can be found on the Generalate website: [http://www.svdcuria.org/public/infonews/curia/20nn/201n/1206gc17/docs/120703sg.htm]
Please continue to keep us in your prayers as the elections for the General Council continue tomorrow … and pray also for our confreres (see below) and the many others affected by the recent storms, power outages and excessive heat in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic States.
In the Divine Word,
Thomas J. Ascheman, SVD
Provincial
P.S. Some additional notes on the power outages.
WEST VIRGINIA: Parishes in Gassaway and Webster Springs had power restored Sunday night. The 10 residents in our emergency shelter were able to return home today. We're returning to normal.
As of 8:30 p.m. on Monday, however, our parishes in Summersville (Xavier Cooney), Richwood (Dominikus Baok), and McDowell County (Rogers Hannan) are still without power. Daytime temps still in the 90s, so it’s difficult without even a fan! Most stores are closed, with long lines at gas stations that have power.
WASHINGTON DC: We lost power at our house on Varnum Street on Friday evening. As of Monday morning, there was still no power. The heat is above 95 degrees, but the temperature drops after midnight allowing confreres to get some sleep.
FORT WAYNE: The storm hit on Friday evening with 91-mile-per-hour winds. Over 100,000 people were left without power. St. Patrick’s has not had power since Friday and may not get power at the rectory and church until Wednesday. Most grocery stores and restaurants have the same problems and are just beginning to reopen.
