On 6 April 2018, the Holy Father, Pope Francis had nominated Fr. Heiner Wilmer, SCJ, to be a bishop of Hildesheim, Germany.
Fr. Heiner was born 9 April 1961 in Schapen. He grew up on a farm in Emsland. In 1980 he graduated at the Leoninum, a high school operated by the Dehonians in Handrup close to his hometown. In the same year, he entered the novitiate of the congregation in Freiburg. From 1981 to 1986 he studied theology in Freiburg and romance philology (romance languages) in Paris. After that he was ordained as priest by Archbishop Oskar Saier, the archbishop of Freiburg. He then went to Rome to study at the Gregorian Pontifical University; his focus was French philosophy. In 1991 Wilmer earned a Doctor of Theology in Freiburg, where he dealt with the concept of mysticism in the philosophy of Maurice Blondel. His works were awarded the Bernhard Welte Prize.
Shortly after that, he studied for a Master of Arts in History. Sometime before he finished his first master’s degree Wilmer met the Dutch priest Henri Nouwen. At the request of Nouwen, Wilmer represented him for four months as a pastor at L’Arche Daybreak in Toronto, a facility for people with disabilities. After that he worked for two years as a school counselor and taught religion, political science and history at the Liebfrauenschule Vechta (a German high school) in Niedersachsen, Germany. In 1997 he went to the United States for a year to teach German and history at the Fordham Preparatory School, a Jesuit high school in the Bronx (New York). Upon his return, he became headmaster of the SCJ high school Leoninum in Handrup.
In 2007, Fr. Wilmer was elected for Provincial Superior of the German Province of the Dehonians.
Five years later he published a book (“Gott ist nicht nett – God is not kind”) in which he reflected on his faith and his decision to become a priest.
On May 25, 2015, Fr. Wilmer was elected by the Dehonians as its 10th Superior General.
He succeeded Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho, SCJ, who held the office for 12 years (two six-year terms). Carvalho is now bishop of the Diocese of Sétubal (Portugal).
Fr.Wilmer speaks French, English, Spanish and Italian in addition to his mother tongue German.
On February 5, 2018, the SCJ Philippine Region started its annual assembly. The assembly is being held at the Sacred Heart Formation House in Cagayan de Oro City and is attended by 30 confreres, including Fr. Eduardo Aguero, SCJ from Macao (ICA) and Fr. Khoa Viet Nguyen, SCJ representing the District of Vietnam.
On December 2, 2017, the Immaculate Concepcion Parish in Aluba, Cagayan de Oro City, celebrated the dedication of its newly constructed church. The construction of the new parish church officialy started on February 28, 2015, and in less than three years has been completed. It looks impressive! All the details has been studied and implemented by the construction committee under the supervision of the parish priest Fr. Janusz Burzawa, SCJ, who was the initiator of this project and also fundraiser. By the way, this is the third project that Fr. Burzawa is involved. In his past assignments he built a new church in Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur and prepared complete plans for the new church in Dumalinao, also in Zamboanga del Sur, which now is in its final stage of completion.
Each November 26 is a special day of remembrance of all SCJs who have died in the field as martyrs. Since November 26 this year falls on Sunday, the SCJ community in Cagayan de Oro celebrated the SCJ Memorial Day on November 25, 2017. The main celebrant and homilist was superior of the community Fr. Patrick Gutib, SCJ. The celebration was attended by the SCJs from the area of Cagayan de Oro, members of the Dehonian Family and friends. At the end of the Holy Mass took place a 10 minute presentation about the SCJ martyrs. As usual the celebration concluded with a common meal.
On November 20, 2017, seven (7) SCJ scholastics were installed to the ministry of Lector. Three (3) of them belong to the SCJ Philippines Region and four (4) to the District of Vietnam.
