On September 5, 2026, the parish church of Saint Andrew of Esgueira (Aveiro) hosted a solemn Eucharistic celebration on the occasion of the first religious professions of the novices Luiz Henrique Costa Santos, Serhii Barnych, and Karlo Cicvarić, who, on this particularly meaningful day, consecrated their lives to God within the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Participants
The celebration was presided over by the Superior General of the Congregation, Father Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú, and took place in the presence of the Provincial Superiors of Portugal, Father João Nélio Simões Pereira, of Poland, Father Sławomir Knopik, and of Northern Italy, Father Stefano Zamboni, as well as numerous Dehonian priests from Portugal, Poland, Ukraine, and Croatia.
Message from the Superior General
In his homily, the Superior General highlighted the importance of communion and fraternity in consecrated life, recalling that the religious vocation is lived not only as a personal response to God’s call, but also within a community called to walk together. He likewise expressed his deep joy and gratitude for the vocational journey of the three novices, who took this important step in their commitment to the Lord and to the service of the Church, according to the Dehonian charism.
A Moment of Thanksgiving
The celebration constituted a moment of great joy and thanksgiving for the entire Dehonian community of the Portuguese Province, the Polish Province, and the Italian Province, to which the newly professed religious belong, as well as for the parish community of Saint Andrew of Esgueira, which joined in prayer for the three new professed. After the Eucharistic celebration, the newly professed received congratulations from parishioners, family members, confreres, and the numerous guests present. The gathering concluded with a solemn fraternal lunch, experienced in an atmosphere of joy, communion, and thanksgiving for this most significant moment in the lives of Luiz Henrique, Serhii, and Karlo, as well as the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, their new religious family.
The Newly Professed
- Luiz Henrique Costa Santos is Portuguese and a member of the Portuguese Province,
- Serhii Barnych is Ukrainian and a member of the Polish Province,
- Karlo Cicvarić is Croatian and a member of the Italian Province.
