Fr. Mahenintsoa Mampionona Rakotomanandafy (Region of Madagascar), Fr. José Valdinã Santos de Jesus (Northern Brazil Province), and Fr. José Sócrates Alferes (Mozambique Province) are the new specialists in “Dehonian Studies.”
The concluding session of their formation journey, held in the conference hall of the Villa Aurelia hotel, brought together the Superior General, Fr. Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú, his Council, the community of the International College Leon Dehon, as well as several guests, religious and friends of the Congregation. The fraternal and solemn atmosphere of the celebration, illuminated by the living memory of the Founder, became a meaningful moment of recognition and sending forth.
Throughout their formation, each scholarship recipient developed a personal academic research project—an expression of the richness and complexity of the Dehonian charism. However, their journey was not limited to academic study: the scholarship holders also took part in a variety of practical activities, which were deeply formative, serving both the Congregation and the General Curia. These included daily care for the Dehon Library, organizing the Congregation’s photographic archive, transcribing and cataloging letters, reflections, retreats, and documents of the Founder, as well as offering technical support for the Dehondocs project.
Thanks to the work of the CSD—and in particular, the generous commitment of the scholarship holders—the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus can now offer the Church the spiritual treasure of the Founder’s writings, making a rich pastoral and spiritual heritage more accessible.
The students also carried out internships in various Congregational Entities, offering up-to-date formation on the life and teachings of Fr. Dehon. This missionary dimension of the formation journey allowed them to share the fruits of their studies with different communities and, at the same time, to enrich themselves by experiencing the cultural diversity of the Congregation worldwide.
While presenting the certificates of specialization, the Superior General recalled the origins of the CSD, which was founded during the administration of then-Superior General Fr. Albert Bourgeois (1967–1979). With words of deep ecclesial resonance, he said:
“The CSD represents one of the significant responses of our Congregation to the directives of the Second Vatican Council. At that time, consecrated life was called to renew itself by returning to the sources from which it was born.
For more than fifty years, a dedicated group of religious has helped us deepen our roots and understand the rich spiritual and apostolic heritage we have received. We are deeply grateful to the SCJs of yesterday and today who have committed themselves to this precious work.
The CSD fulfills a fundamental mission by forming, researching, publishing, and supporting the knowledge and appreciation of our Dehonian charism during Congregational gatherings and throughout the entire Dehonian Family. That is why it is essential to continue forming religious in this area. It will allow us to remain faithful to our origins while responding coherently to the challenges of our times.”
He concluded by expressing his gratitude to Fr. Victor de Oliveira Barbosa, coordinator of the CSD, and to Fr. Aloysius Yudistiro, his collaborator, as well as to all the specialists who have passed through the CSD, whose contributions have been a gift to the entire Congregation. He expressed his hope that the knowledge acquired by the new specialists would continue to bear fruit throughout their lives.
Fr. Victor also addressed those present. He thanked the Superior General and the Congregation for their ongoing support of this vital formation project, congratulated the three religious on completing the program, and emphasized the ecclesial and congregational value of this specialization. In his words:
“As we conclude the formation journey of another group in the Scholarship Program for Dehonian Studies at the Study Center in Rome, three confreres have received from the Superior General their certificates as ‘specialists in Dehonian studies.’ This means offering the Congregation, its Entities, and the geocultural areas they belong to, individuals prepared to preserve and competently communicate the legacy of Fr. Dehon and the Dehonian charismatic heritage, so essential for strengthening our spiritual identity and mission.”
Fr. Victor also acknowledged the natural challenges of this path: leaving one’s own Entity and culture, entering a new environment, and facing the demands of rigorous scientific and academic formation—“a kind of fatigue that bears fruit,” as he described it. He added that the experience of collegiality, fraternity, and community life within the CSD speaks to the value of this formation journey, which also enriches the Center’s own staff.
Now, with their specialization complete, these newly trained religious enter a living network of service and collaboration, ready to conduct research, offer formation, and faithfully transmit the charism inherited from Fr. Dehon.
Each group that completes this formation process strengthens the Congregation’s ability to pass on its charism to new generations of religious, to renew and deepen its mission, and to offer the Church the gift of the Holy Spirit expressed in the inspiration of Fr. Dehon. Thus, we celebrate not only a conclusion, but the beginning of a new chapter of service, fidelity, and witness.
