“Travel is so important, it is a way to immerse yourself in another culture. We go to places that are so different than where we are from. But no matter where we are, we can also feel at home. If I walk into a church, I see the Blessed Sacrament and I am at home. It is the same here, it is the same in Brazil, it will be the same in Asia. I will be at home.” - Frater Alexandre Caetano, SCJ
On February 2, 2025, Frater Alexandre Caetano, SCJ, professed his first vows in Brazil and became a member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart.
A year later, he renewed those vows, but this time in Wisconsin, at Sacred Heart Monastery. Receiving them was fellow Brazilian Fr. Rafael Querobin, SCJ, who made his own first profession 25 years earlier. Fr. Rafael is now a formation director in the US Province.
“I am far from home, but I am still at home,” said Fra. Alexandre. “I am in a Dehonian community, so I am still with my brothers.” Though he added that his home in Wisconsin is a much colder one than his home Brazil. “It is my first time seeing snow!”
Fra. Alexander arrived in January to study in the ECS program (English and Culture Studies) at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. He is brushing up on his English skills in preparation for his seminary studies. They will take place not in Brazil and not in the United States but in Macau (China).
The Dehonians have had a presence in Macau for several years. Last year, the community invited a small cohort of SCJ students to do their theological studies there. The international SCJs already in Macau would serve as their formation directors. One of those directors is an alumnus of SHSST’s ECS program –– Fr. Daniel Antônio de Carvalho Ribeiro –– another Brazilian SCJ who, in 2013, studied at SHSST to prepare for his own future mission in Asia.
The SCJ students currently studying in Macau are primarily from other Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Vietnam, India and Indonesia. Fra. Alexander is the first SCJ student from the Americas.
Quite a surprise!
Fra. Alexandre said that it was “quite a surprise” when his superior asked him to consider going to Macau for theology. “Just a few weeks earlier he had a different plan for me,” said Fra. Alexandre. But soon after those plans were put in place the invitation for an SCJ from Brazil to be a part of the second student cohort arrived. Because he already knew English (theology classes in Macau are in English), Fra. Alexandre was one of the first students to be considered for Asia. He was given a day to make up his mind.
“I saw that it was God calling me, this is his plan for me,” said Fra. Alexandre. “I made the decision quickly. And when I learned the name of the university – St. Joseph’s – I felt like it truly was a part of a divine plan. I have always had a special devotion to St. Joseph.”
Also, the Portuguese influence on Macau interested him. The district was tied to Portugal from the first Portuguese settlement there in 1557 until its transfer to China in 1999. Many streets and buildings have Portuguese names, and Portuguese continues to be one of the official languages of the district, though its use has greatly diminished in recent years. As a Brazilian, Portuguese is Fra. Alexandre’s first language. Besides English, he also speaks fluent French. He hopes to soon add Cantonese to his linguistic toolbox.
Known Dehonians his whole life
Fra. Alexandre, 27, became familiar with the SCJs through his home parish where the Dehonians had extensive youth ministry programs. “It was in the youth programs that I came to know about Fr. Dehon and Dehonian spirituality,” said Fra. Alexandre. “I decided to become a Dehonian because I felt drawn to their lifestyle and ministries.”
But first, to get a better sense of his vocation, he wanted to consider other options. After high school he entered the university to study mechanical engineering. “I love cars,” he said, adding that he loved to learn about how engines work. He envisioned himself working as an engineer in France with a company such as Renault. It was the reason that he learned French.
However, after two-and-a-half years he realized that his vocation truly was to religious life and the Dehonians. He left the engineering program and became a candidate with the SCJs.
His mother, father and younger sister are all supportive of his vocation. Although they were surprised to learn that he would be traveling to the other side of the world for theological studies, they soon started talking about the possibility of a family visit to Asia.
“Travel is so important, it is a way to immerse yourself in another culture,” said Fra. Alexandre. “We go to places that are so different than where we are from. But no matter where we are, we can also feel at home. If I walk into a church, I see the Blessed Sacrament and I am at home. It is the same here, it is the same in Brazil, it will be the same in Asia. I will be at home.”
Fra. Alexandre (second from right) with Br. Andy Gancarczyk, ECS residential director, and fellow Brazilian students Fr. Tecio Andrade (L) and Fr. Rodrigo Bento.
