On March 02, 2021, was the ordination of two brothers: Deacon Julius Della Peña Socorro, SCJ was ordained, priest and Bro. Reneboy Della Peña Socorro, SCJ was ordained deacon. The ceremony of ordination took place at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Bayugan, Agusan del Norte, their parish of origin, and was presided by the Bishop of Butuan Diocese, Most Rev. Cosme Damian Racine Almedilla, D.D. Continue reading
Celebrating a jubilee is a cause of joy and happiness. It reminds us of something that happened and became history. It makes us look back and get a sense of the life we have consecrated. It is true that to celebrate is to remember, but that is not sufficient. To commemorate something means to make it present again and to live it as an act of gratitude. Looking at Father Dehon, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of his priestly ordination and his first Mass. On December 19, 1868, our founder was ordained as a priest at Saint John Lateran, Rome, with another 200 ordinands. The first mass took place the following day.
We can read again the words of our founder: “The impressions of the ordination cannot be expressed. I became a priest, owned by Jesus, and all is filled with him, his love for the Father, his zeal for souls, his spirit of prayer and sacrifice”(NHV 6/85).
On December 20th, Father Dehon celebrated his first Mass at Saint Claire Seminary: “It was emotional. When my father and mother approached for communion, no one could hold back the tears. Personally, I was crazy with love for our Lord and full of contempt for my poor, little self. It was the best day of my life “(NHV 6/86).
These words express many feelings: love, emotion, lively gratitude to God for so many gifts that he has received. Days of grace and happiness. In the preparation for ordination he carried out a course of spiritual exercises. He states: “Our Lord wanted to prepare me himself, giving me abundant graces. He certainly had in mind my current mission. I see it today, clearly. He gave me so generously that spirit of love and reparation which is the characteristic of my vocation” (NHV 6/82).
Priestly ordination and first Mass are two great days of celebration, as he wrote: “the best of my life” (NHV 6/82), always characterized by a profound experience of God, his gifts and the marvels of his love.
For us, as Dehonians, this commemoration is a day of celebration and joy; we give thanks to God because of Father Dehon and of the offering of his Dehonian vocation. We remember and celebrate this jubilee of our founder.
Let us ask God, the Father of mercy, to grant him the gift of Beatification, as a model of virtue and zeal; who sacrificed so much to remain faithful to His call, to spread the devotion to the Divine Heart of Jesus.
By: Fr. Ramón Domíngez Fraile, scj (dehon.it)
On June 29, 2017, on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, Dn. Dennis Macasero, SCJ, was ordained priest. The ceremony of ordination took place at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Buug, Zamboanga Sibuguey, his parish of origin and was presided by the Bishop of Ipil, Most Reverend Julius S. Tonel, D.D.
Fr. Dennis Macasero is the 18th SCJ Filipino priest and 2nd SCJ ordained by Bishop Tonel. His vocation story goes back to the year 2000 when became a “convent boy” in his parish. Helping for four years in the rectory, he was able not only to finish his high school education, but also observe the life of a priest, which attracted him very much. It was during that time that he met an SCJ priest assigned in the nearby parish in Kumalarang. As a result of that, after graduating from St. Paul School in Buug, he applied to the SCJ Formation Program in Cagayan de Oro City. In 2011 he made his first profession of vows in the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and proceeded to study Theology at the Loyola School of Theology (LST) in Manila. On June 29, 2016, he was ordained deacon and was assigned first in Tanay, Diocese of Antipolo and later in Bagong Silang, Diocese of Novaliches.
The ceremony of ordination was beautifully prepared by the Buug Parish and was attended by almost all SCjs, diocesan priests from the Diocese of Ipil and Pagadian, religious sisters, parishioners and friends.
The ordination of Fr. Dennis was the culmination of the three-day activities, which included ordination to the Diaconate and First Profession of Vows.
On June 3, 2016, on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Deacon Sergio Shoiti Matumoto, SCJ, was ordained priest. The ceremony of ordination was held at the Paróquia Nossa Senhora de Lourdes (Our lady of Lourdes Parish) in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, run by the Priests of the Sacred Heart and was presided by the Most Rev. Vilsom Basso, SCJ, bishop of Caxias in Maranhão, Brazil.
Prior to this, the parish had a three-day special preparation for this event from May 31 – June 2, 2016. Just before the ordination Fr. Sergio shared in his email “I am really blessed to be ordained on our great Feast! I am a little nervous, anxious, feeling unworthy of such wonderful grace, I know I don’t deserve it and I am afraid not to correspond to so great grace but on the other hand I am very happy of being chosen by God a sinner who experienced God’s merciful love. … I hope to be a real Priest of the SACRED HEART OF JESUS; I hope to be a prophet of love and a minister of Reconciliation wherever you send me.”
The ceremony of ordination of Fr. Sergio, which was live streaming over the internet, started at 7:30 PM (6:30 AM – June 4, 2016, Manila Time) and lasted for more than two hours. The celebration was attended by many SCJs from the BSP Province and friends. The Philippine Region was represented by Fr. Aloisio Back, SCJ. In his thanksgiving speech, the newly ordained priest greeted the Philippines in English and Tagalog.
November 30, 2012, Feast of St Andrew Apostol and Bonifacio Day in the Philippines, was a very special day for the SCJ Philippine Region. Four of our confreres: Patrick, Thai, Khoa and Loc received the Holy Order of Priesthood. Patrick is a Filipino while the three others come from Vietnam. The celebration was held at San Lorenzo Ruiz Parsh in Quezon City, a walking distance from the Dehon House where our scholastics live. The ordaining bishop was his Excellency Antonio Tobias, DD, the bishop of Novaliches, our old-time friend from Pagadian Diocese. The celebration was very nice and was attended by more less 500 people. Majority of them were Vietnamese, members of different religious congregations and friends of the new priests.
SCJ Philippines Region 