HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1980-08-07, Page 5OVARlekt
• John vanden Hengel is a slight yOung
man of 40 with a big job.
. Ho's the ne ly elected provincial super-
-lor-for Caned -the-Sacted-Heart_Orderea____
freer the eaethe Tetilv—ditiV: With—a—MA —
congregation of priests with its Canae , h
dianat
eLicentiate in theology. On graduatione
cree a Catholic presence and this was
done by establishing a boarding school.".
•' This work,,he adds, "began to decrease
when the immigrants were integrated into
the culture of the Canadian conirnunity.
The priests who came during that time also
• begen to diversify their work. Sortie are
found in parish work, while others are
Involved -in hospital chaplancy, teaching,
university apostolates, counselling, in the
issue of Canadian religious, education and
in work among separated and divorced
couples." In Canada, the Sacred Heart
• community has 70 members.
From the high school seminary; '.1`ohn
went on to his novitiate in Ste. Marie,
Illinois, then spent two years in college in
Honesdale, Pennsylviini ,Mn general arts,
with a speeialization in philosophy. In 1961
he graduated with a BA, philosophy major,
from the University of Ottawa, and in 1965
headquarters in Delaware, Ontario.
John came to the Seaforth area with his
parents back in 1953 when they emigrated
from Holland and started farming in
MoKillop Township. He's the fourth child
in a family of 11. •Although both his
parents, Gerald arid Mary vanden Henge•l
died afew' years ago, John has many
brothers and sisters in the area :and keeps
and values his links with this community.
. Now based in Ottawa, where he teaches
theology at St. Paul's University, he was in
Seaforth earlier this summer for a family
_reunion.
His new position of Jeadership in the
Canadian Sacred Heart community in-
volves responsibility fore the order . in
Canada, for the religious wellbeing of
members of the order and representing
Sacred Heart at international meetings.
The three major Capadian Communities are
in London, Toronio and Ottawa. Once
every six years, the leadership of the
order's 19 provinces worldwide get togeth-
er in Rome to elect a general adminstration
and deal with matters that concern the
community as a whole.
REVITALIZED BY 'IMMIGRANTS
Started hi Fiance in 1878 and moving to
Canada originally in 1910, John says the
Sacred Heart Order was revitalized after
the second world war with a new found-
ation of Dutch priests who came with the
influx of Western European immigrants to
Canada. John attended secondary schpol at
the Sacred Heart Seminary in Delaw
which he says "was origin
e,
y intended to
about aleohol and -drug addiction, With a
mother of nine and a group of teenagers,
the young priest helped establish a home
under a national Department of fiealth and
Welfare grant. ,
"The Itpme provided a suitable atmos-
phere for some teenagers who required a
different setting than their family home,
th"
and became a gathering . place for local
teens, he explains.
"What surprised me about a town the
size Of Aylmer, Quebec (near Ottawa) with
a population ef 8-7,000 people, was •the
number of •alienated teenagers and the
need for an alternative," John says.
"What the home provided," he con-
tinues, "was •a filace where they could
meet andlalk _with other teenagers .and
other coiAs?Ilm. e teenager could:find
a pair of reference to which thei• couIC
turn when in need,
Yji'tiiflineasure the success of
that home by looking at where the
1
THE, IIURQNgx0041TQR:,. 'AmOust
..•
been able to find its fawn place M a culture
dominated by science and teelleology.'
$ first reaction was one of denial, and
• then in the aggiornemento experience of
Pope John XXIII and in pie work of authors
like Teilhard de Chardhi it learned toalso
react positively,„Somehow got the feel-
ing that the church was hardly participat-
ing in modern life, . but was sbinehow
• finding itself on the periphery."
As with every religious commuhity, John
agrees the Sacred Heart Order found a
• severe drop in those interested in entering
the priesthood in the late Attlee. The late
seventies, however, have brought a rever-
sal.
But, John continues, "we will not likely
see a return to the large numbers of the
- past, but those who are entering now are of
a later age, with a greater variety of
backgrounds and work experience."
"THE CHM. CH1S-CIWIGING
The church too is changing and becom-
The biggest issue now facing the church is its "middle class identity"
• -
•was asked to stay at Ottawa for two years to
teach theology.
Postgraduate work, including the begin-
nings/alof a docto thesis, followed at the
University of INDinegen in the Netherlands.
When the tw students with whom he was
working on a dissertation left to take other
positions, Joh`n came back to Canada to
teach • at Ottawa', now called St. Pears
University, without finishing his doctoral
work.
SELF DISCOVERY
He's still teaching theology at St. Pauts
Christology (the study of Jesus as the
Christ) and Christian Anthropology (the
Christian view of man), and hopes -to
complete a new doctoral thesis next spring.
A tentative topic for his book is "The Home
of Meaning" and it deals, John explains,
with "the whole question of interpretation
of cultural doctiments arid through them,
the self discovery of people."
John vanden Henget learned a great deal
about people in what he describes as
peak experience of his ca
returning from
he
cr so far. On
e Netherlands to Canada,
ot involved in the late sixties and early
seventies with a group of about 200 young
people called Tillage who were concerned
teenagers are today. Some- are happ'ily
married now, some are in universify and
others have degrees. There are others who
are in jail and others who still don't know
where they are going. Still I feel the work
was worthwhile and I consider it has been a
very rich period df my life."
About his home community and its
teenagers, John says "if the problein
exists in Seaforth, these people must feel
the need to talk about the problems and
there nt" also- be- a—place where the
community responds to those needs before
anything can be done."
- His work with Tillage was a great
experience, John says, because he learned
close up the urgency and desire for life that
teenagers have "the basic honesty and
need for communication and the value for
life they show.
What about the church in
in the eighties?
Joh
orth Amerce
The major issue it faces.,
vanden Henget believes, is its
"middle class identity."
"It's a church that has encapsulated
itself within middle class values with
regard to life." Even an issue like abortion,
he says "comes out of a culture of
abundance. The fact is, the church hasn't
kMs•ammommemmimmin•
ing less clerical.: "The most striking
phenomenon of the times," John feels, "is
the growing involvement of, lay people in
the ministry of the church. Perhaps the
decrease ef priests is a signal of things to
come:"
As the church changes, so do its priests
John vanden Henget says "the crisis
experience of many priests in the last two
decades has been the search of identity,
the question 'what is it to be a priest in eur
time?' particularily with the growing
secularization and the new problems our
time has generated.
In Vatican 11 there is a growing
awareness that the church is 'the people
God' and is not identified
previously with
chu
strongly as
the priests...With the
hecoming less clerical, many
priests have found that the distinction
between them and the so-called laity has
decreased. Many priests welcome this, and
see it as a positive development but others
feel somehow threatened."
The revival of interest in religion today
has made the position of a priest less
questioned now than it was in the sixties,
John says. But still, it hasn't clarified a
new identity for priests, because many of
the revival movements are lay oriented,
with leaders who aren't prieets.
LIFE EXPERIENCE
But that deesn't mean we no longer need
priests: These day, though, John feels "to
enter religious life, demands a measure Of
'life experience and maturity which is
different from the past." Then, he says,
there were many social -and religious
support systems for the clergy which don't
et any more. ,
'For that reason," he says, "the
pers,onal committenerit has.to be of a higher
quality. But the need for 'people who wish
to commit themselves to a life of service
and religion is still highly felt."
To someone who's seriously considering
a religious life John's advice' is to "get in
touch with a religious order or community
who will give him or her the guidance
that's needed." •
7•'
"A ,basie challenge to the contemporary
• church lies in the area of social justice and
human rights," John believes. "We (the
church) have yet to learn that we extend
beyond the boundaries of North America
and Western Europe because we .seek the
brother and sisterhood of all .peoples."
The great task of Christianity, he feels,
cannot be achieved as long as "we live on a
basis of confrontation between east, west,
,north and south."
John says he admires the courage of
Pope John Paul on his recent visits around
the world and "his confrontatien of the
•
1980.
-.-
-powers:•that-be 1* Such cenuttiPgqi{Jte
land, the ILS,, Meilen And piaz1L';
A-CRALLEN E
"It has been said;” 'he adds "that the
first world, the wealthy countries, can see
themselves reflected in the exploitation,
thee'ocial Conditions and the poverty of the
third world. It remains the challenge of th;
Christian -community to initiate an effect, a
transformation."
What advice does Father vanden Henget
have for Christians today, for people in
what he still considers his hometown? (By
the way., headmires small towns, and feels
they give those who live there "a
self-reliance, a willingness to take on
responsibility and make their own way.")
"Reflect on one's Christianity, one's
belief," he says. "Try to live beyond the
* surface, to enter into it, to live more
• consciously.
"One should n'ot fear that the Gospel as
such is out -dated, is not meant for our
time. Before one expresses that, one
should first examine our Christian convic-
tions."
"We often live on the surface of things,
being instructed by all kinds of messages,
often consciously or unconseiously.athe
mass media, commercials, consumerism. •
We may find the effort to strenuous to dig
beneath the surface."
"But," says John vanden Henel, teacher
writer, counsellor and priest, "without
• undertaking such a search, life itself might
,
escape us.
Staffa WI hears all about Perth libraries,
Correspondent
MRS. JOHN TEMPLEMAN
345-2346
One of the highlights of
the Agriculture and Can-
adian industries meeting of
theStaffa Wornens institute
held at the home of Mrs.
Cameron Vivian on Wed-
nesday July 30 was the .
presvatioe of a life mem-
Vrship badge and certificate
-to Mrs. Russell Worden.•
The presentation was
made by the President Mrs.
John Miller and District
President Mts. John Temp-
lernan. Mrs. John Miller
presided opened the
meeting.
During busin ns a report
OUR
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ALE OF
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•-i-VALUES to $189.50
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Shorts, Regulars & 'Tails-. Every suit is
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Ptain weav99 & popular stub sultings
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CARHARTT'S BOYS SIZES
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MEN'S KNIT POLO SHIRTS . . 25% off
MEN'S DRESS SHIFITS 25% off
MEN'S SPORT SHIRTS - 25°/0 off
MEN'S SPORT JACKETS , . . 25% off
••••••
of the District executive
meeting was given and the
tentative date for thc bus trip
was set for Nov. 13. A
display is to be sct up at
Mitchell fair with, Mrs.
Charles Douglas and Mrs.
John T ernpleman in
charge.. Mrs. Douglas dow
has the tickets available for
the production "Annie Get
Your Gun" at the Huron
Country Playhouse Aug. 20.
Mrs. Cartcr Kerslake pre-
sided for the progrem. The
colleen was most interesting
as members were asked a
question pertaining to Agri-
culture in Canada. Seventeen
members eand Jour vis hoes
anewered, Mrs. Ellen lman,
Monktonlwas present iod as
a member of Perth County
Library Board and Monkton
librarian discussed the li-
braries in Perth crity and
what they had to offer.
GUEST SPEAKER
Guest speaker for the
evening was Mrs. Irene
Keutsch, Scbringvillel who
gave a most Int cresting
account of agriculture cond-
itions in Australia and New
Zealand displaying many art-
icle s from both countries
and showing' very scenic
pictures of her trip to Aust-
ralia and New Zealand this
past spring.
Interesting ht5usehola
hints were given by Mrs.
OrphNorris. -
Mrs. George. Vivian dis-
played many articlesewhiph
she had decorated with dried
flowers &nd explained how
this was done.
Lunch was served by the
hostess M Ts. Vivian, Mrs.
Ruby Reed and Mrs. Alvin
Barbour.
PERSONALS
Michelle and Rebecca'
Martyn, Russeldale. holi-
dayed this past week with
their grandparents. Mr. and
Mrs. John Templeman and
family.
Mrs. Bruce Armstrong.
Mrs. John Drake, Mrs. Reg
Finlayson and Mile have
returned home after enjoying
a 3 week holiday in the
western provinces.
Mrs. Lavern Wallace and
girls planned a community
shower for bride -elect Beth
Hurley on Tuesday everting
In Cromarty Church. Marg-
aret Laing chaired the pro-
gram which included step
dancing by Andrea Scott,
Trudy and Tracy Quance and
Shirley Miller, a piano
-instrumental by Joanne Wal-
lace, and reading by Jean
Carey.
°
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Pim Wallace conducted a
couple.of contests. Margaret
Laing read a address of good
wishes and Beth was pre-
sented with many gifts. for
which she expressed her
appreciation to all.
St. Colunnban girl f
Miss Joanne Murray, and C
daughter Mr. and Mrs T
J. Murray h
In
e for Rankin
et In the •North West
Territories where she has
accepted a teaching position
with the Board of Educetion.,
Visiting with Audrey Ma-
lone and family on Sunday
were Mr. and Mrs. Emmett
Malone, Frank Maris, Mary
Malone and Clarence Malone,
Isabel Rau, all of Seaforth
and.Gret Malone of Windsor
on the occasion of Emmett
St. John Ambulance in-
structors in Ontario trained
more than 85,000 people in
safety oriented First Aid in
1978. The 4,000 members of
its uniformed St. John Am-
bulance Brigade aided more
than 72,800 casualties during
the year. Why not enrol in a
St. John Ambulance First
Aid course
Children's show
planned at Blyth
Strange noises and lots of
laughter have been emana-
ting from behind closed
doors in Myth for the past
seven weeks. and the reason
for all the merriment will
become evident 011 August 14
and 15. On that date. the
Young People's Theatre
Workshop of the Blyth Sum-
mer Festival will present its
first major production. Char-
lie And The Chocolate Fac-
tory, at the "Second Stage".
otherwise known as The
building besiA the bank in
Blyth.
The play is a fantasy about
a magical and marvellous
chocolate factory. In the play
the workings of the factory
realize the fondest dreams of
a Rftle girl. and go on a long
way to bringing back the,
childhood dreams of people
of all ages. There will be only
four performances of the
play. on August 14 at 2 p.m.
and 7 p.m.. and on August
IS, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Because there is limited
space available. patrons. are
asked to call the Blyth Sum-
mer Festival box office (523--
9300) to reserve a space for a
performance. The only ad-
mission that will be asked is
that audience members wear'
an imaginative hat to this
imaginative performance.
The Young People's The-
atre Workshop is a group of
10 -to -15 -year-olds from Blyth
and area who have been
attending workshops in the-
atre performance
MASONRY
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25 Years Experience
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