SCJ Philippine District

On-going projects
At the moment all the five SCJ communities are involved in different constructions and renovations:

1. The Novitiate Community in Pagadian City is finishing the renovation of the facilities and accommodation of the Novices.




2. The Community of Dumalinao, after finishing of the renovation of the convent, started the renovation of the parish church.




3. The Community of Kumalarang is busy with the new ceiling of the parish church and building a new convent.




4. The Community of Cagayan de Oro continues the construction of the Formation House in Dansolihon, in the part of Lumbia Parish entrusted to the SCJs.


5. The Manila Community is finalizing the plans and arrangements of the new building for the theology students.

Hopefully, there will be no lack of energy and resources to finish all these projects.

Transfer of the SCJ Novitiate
On March 18, 2005, the SCJ Novitiate in Manila was officially transferred to Pagadian City. The new temporary Novitiate is located at the compound of the Holy Infant Seminary (Diocese of Pagadian) where the SCJ District rents two of the existing buildings. The new place is very nice and suitable.

Welcome Fr. Alex
Fr. Alexander Miskat Sim Lagajaya, another SCJ from Indonesia is taking his sabbatical in the Philippines. According to the information received, he arrived in Manila in the beginning of March 2005 and will stay in the Philippines until May 28, 2005. His plan is to come down to Mindanao and visit all the communities. Welcome and have a nice time!

Graduation of Fr. Agus Setyoaji
On March 5, 2005, Fr. Agustinus Setyoaji, a member of the Indonesian Province, defended his thesis in Liturgy. The official graduation will take place on April 16, 2005. After that his plan is to visit once again all the SCJ communities in Mindanao and then on May 28, 2005 to return to his Mother Province. On our side: Congratulations and thanks for being with us!

New Assistant Parish Priest in Kumalarang
Fr. Laurentius Suwanto, after finishing his language studies in Cebuano in Davao City, was assigned as an Assistant Parish Priest in Kumalarang. Fr. Suwanto will replace Fr. Andrzej Sudol, who on May 16, 2005 will move to the formation community in Cagayan de Oro City. His assignment took effect on March 1, 2005.

Fr. Vincent Sri Herimanto, a long time formator at the Sacred Heart Formation House in Cagayan de Oro, is going to spend his sabbatical year in Rome in Italy studying “Dehonian Spirituality”. Before his departure, first for Indonesia and then for Italy, the Formation Community in Cagayan de Oro organized a special Farewell Mass. It was held on March 3, 2005 and was attended by some close friends of Fr. Vincent and of the SCJ Congregation. The celebration was followed by a simple dinner.

75 candidates from different places in Mindanao attended the "Search-in Seminar" in Cagayan de Oro organized by the SCJ Vocation Team. Majority of them come from high schools and the others are either 4th year college students or college graduates. They are from the following provinces: Zamboanga Sibugey, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis oriental, Misamis Occidental, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Camuigin Island, Bukidnon and Cebu.
During the three days of activities they will discern their personal vocation and learn more about the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, its founder and spirituality. Those who will apply to the congregation will proceed to the next step which is individual interview. All accepted canditates will pass through the personal follow-up and hopefully next June 2005 will start their studies and preparation to the religious life at the Sacred Heart Formation House in Cagayan de Oro.

For more details, please see our Vocation Promotion Photo Album

Another Christmas Party was held on December 19, 2004 at the center of Kasanag Daughters Foundation in Cagayan de Oro City. It was a family type celebration with some invited friends and benefactors. Simple, but joyous. Full of life and inspiration. Encouraging and spontaneous. And this is what the girls at KDF really need - understanding and support... Good word and warm heart... Merry Christmas to all of you! God bless and guide you!

To see the pictures, please see the KDF Photo Album

The time before Christmas in the Philippines is a time of different gatherings and parties. Also, the Dehonian Family composed of SCJ priests, seminarians, lay professionals and dehonian youth in Cagayan de Oro City celebrated their own Christmas Party. The celebration took place on December 17, 2004 at the Sacred Heart Formation Center in Aluba, Macasandig. It started at 6:45 pm with the common dinner and was followed by the second part composed of different presentations and numbers. The theme of this celebration was "Journeying Together in Love and Reconciliation", which is also a part of the motto of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. It was not only a very nice party, but also an occassion to be together and to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas which is God's Love revealed in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, who came to save us.

On December 1, 2004, Fr. Franciszek Pupkowski, currently assigned in Cagayan de Oro community, celebrated his birthday. Wishing him all the best we would like to invite you to see some more details of this celebration in our photo album.

The month of November in Cagayan de Oro City was the Month of Vocations to the priesthood and religious life. It was organized by the Vocation Committee in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. The culmination of all activities called "Vocation Jamboree" took place on November 28, 2004 in Cagayan de Oro City in the compound of one of the colleges. It was a whole night affair attended by more than 1000 young people searching for the meaning of their lives, many priests and religious sisters. It was also attended by the SCJ Vocation Director Fr. Indra Pamungkas with the group of seminarians and Lay Dehonians. The SCJ seminarians, under the supervision of Miss Grace Escobia, formed a choir which added up the splendor and solemnity to the Holy Mass celebrated as a closing of the Vocation Jamboree.

November 26 in the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart has a special meaning and dimension. It is commonly known as an SCJ Memorial Day. The purpose of this celebration is to remember all the SCJs who died as martyrs on the field of apostolic work and evangelization. At the moment there are at least 45 SCJs who died as martyrs. The idea of celebrating this Memorial Day came out during the XXI General Chapter and was aproved by the General Council in Rome. The chosen date for this celebration is the date of death of an SCJ Bishop Mons. Joseph Wittebols, who was killed together with 27 SCJ missionaries in Congo during the rebellion on November 26, 1964. According to the directives of the General Council it should be celebrated in the whole Congregation, especially in the formation houses. In Cagayan de Oro formation community the celebration was preceeded by 9-day Novena and a special Mass on November 26, 2004. The concelebrated Mass was attended by some visitors: priests, religious sisters and the group of Lay Dehonians of Cagayan de Oro Chapter.

On November 5, 2004, seven of the pre-Postulants were admitted to the one-year and half Postulancy Program. The celebration took place in the SCJ Formation House in Cagayan de Oro City during the Holy Eucharist presided by the local superior Fr. Indra Pamungkas, scj. The new Postulants will join the older batch of five, which is going to start its Novitiate by the end of March 2005. These are the names of the new Postulants: 1. JC O. Cabangahan 2. Jonathan R. Bonje 3. Florante T. Cascot 4. Elpidio Z. Luza Jr. 5. Niño B. Etulle 6. Joseph Butlig 7. Diosdado Perater Jr.

Kasanag Daughters Foundation or KDF is an institution providing a shelter and professional assistance to the young girls, victims of sexual abuse. It is managed by the SCJ Community of Cagayan de Oro. At the moment there are 20 girls recovering from their traumatic experience in the past. Recently, through the efforts of Fr. Rino Venturin, scj, the program coordinator, and with the help of some benefactors from Italy, the facilities of KDF have expanded by a new building. It provides an additional space for counseling and meetings. The blessing of the new building took place on September 4, 2004 and was led by Fr. Eduardo Aguero, scj, the founder of Kasanag.