ON THE AIR - Fr. Stephen Huffstetter, SCJ, was a recent guest on a WCAT TV's "Teaching Preaching" podcast. Former vicar general of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Steve will soon take on duties as president-rector of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. Although the focus of the show was on homiletics (one of the interviewers, Dcn. Steve Kramer, is SHSST's Director of Homiletics); Fr. Steve was also asked to talk about the Dehonians and his own vocation to the community. As a teen, Fr. Steve attended Divine Heart Seminary in Donaldson, IN, but had no intention of pursuing a religious vocation. He went to the minor seminary as a high school day student. "By the time I was a senior in high school and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life I said, 'Well maybe I'll give this [religious life] a try,' said Fr. Steve. “The priests and brothers at the school were our basketball coaches and our driver's ed teachers and worked alongside us cleaning things and fixing things and I just got to see them as 'normal people' who had gifts that they wanted to share with people in the church. Because they were very human I could see myself doing what they were doing; there was holiness too and inspiration, but I just really was struck by the human relationships and the relatability of these men." Fr. Steve applied to become a candidate and continued his studies, eventually professing vows in 1982. When asked about how he prepares his homilies, Fr. Steve noted the often-cited image of Fr. Leo John Dehon with a newspaper in one hand and a bible in the other. "You need to pay attention to the times," he said. "If you don't, you aren't talking about the really important things that people are struggling with." And he emphasized the need to live what you preach. "If you talk about how much God loves you but you don't pay attention to people when you see them outside in the parking lot after Church... people know." View the full interview at the link below. #DehoniansUSA #dehonians #priestsofthesacredheartofjesus #PriestsoftheSacredHeart (fb)

On Memorial Day we pray... God of power and mercy, you destroy war and put down earthly pride. Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears, that we may all deserve to be called your sons and daughters. Keep in your mercy those men and women who have died in the cause of freedom and bring them safely into your kingdom of justice and peace. We ask this though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Prayer from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops #DehoniansUSA #Dehonians #PriestsoftheSacredHeart #PriestsoftheSacredHeartofJesus #MemorialDay (fb)