S.C.J. CARDINALS

Cardinals entering St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on October 21, 2003.

On October 21, 2003, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II created thirty (30) new Cardinals. Among these are two members of our religious family: Archbishop Eusebio Oscar Scheid, SCJ, Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro; and Fr. Stanislaus Casimir Nagy, SCJ, of the Polish province.

They are the first members of the congregation to be promoted to the dignity of cardinal in the 125 years of our existence. With them we rejoice and give thanks to God. Their nomination is a sign that validates the charism, mission, and service that our congregation renders the church.

Over the years, many members of our Congregation have been called to serve as Bishops. The first SCJ Bishop was Bishop Emile Cabriel Grison, SCJ, the apostolic vicar of Stanley-Falls (Kisangani) in the Congo who was consecrated on October 11, 1908. He along with fifteen other SCJ Bishops are now deceased.

Today, there are 22 SCJ bishops in nine countries (Argentina, Brazil, Finland, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Poland, Portugal, and South Africa). In Brazil, there are eight SCJ Bishops.

In his homily on October 21, Pope John Paul II reminded the new cardinals of their new responsibilities:

The crimson of the Cardinal's robes symbolizes the color of blood and recalls the heroism of the martyrs. It is a symbol of a love for Jesus and for his Church that knows no bounds: love to the point of sacrificing one's life, "even to the shedding of blood."

The two new Cardinals concelebrated Mass with SCJs from Rome and surrounding areas on October 23 at the Generalate. In his homily, Cardinal Scheid emphasized the value of Sacred Heart spirituality in his ministry as bishop.

CARDINAL EUSEBIO OSCAR SCHEID, SCJ

Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid, SCJ, Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro.

Archbishop Eusebio Oscar Scheid, SCJ, was born in Joaçaba, Santa Catarina, Brazil on December 8, 1932. He professed his first vows as a member of the South Brazilian Province on February 2, 1954. He completed his theological studies and was ordained a priest on July 3, 1960 in Rome. In 1964, he received a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome writing a thesis on the Theology of the Sacred Heart.

Upon his return to Brazil, he was professor of theology at Christ the King Seminary and Northeast Regional Seminary in Recife (1964-1965) and then at the SCJ Theological Institute in Taubaté (1965-1981), where he was also Superior of the community and a Provincial Counselor. He taught at the Pontifical Catholic University of San Paolo (1966-1968).

In 1981, he was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of São José dos Campos. Ten years later, he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Florianopolis. In September of 2001, he was named archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, a position he holds today.

Among Cardinal Scheid's published works are "Preparation for Marriage and Family Life" and "Introduction to Family Pastoral Care."

Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid, SCJ, with our Holy Father.

The Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro has a population of 5.59 million, including 3.88 million Catholics. The archdiocese has seven auxiliary bishops, 11 resident bishops emeritus, 213 diocesan priests, 94 priests of other dioceses who work in the city, 270 religious-order priests, and 34 permanent deacons. There are also 27 non-ordained men religious, and 1,200 nuns.

The archdiocese includes 66 religious communities, three societies of apostolic life, 44 lay apostolate movements, 64 fraternities, 7,232 catechists, 3,842 extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, and more than 20,000 missionaries engaged in the popular mission.

CARDINAL STANISLAUS CASIMIR NAGY, SCJ

Cardinal Casimir Nagy, SCJ

Cardinal Stanislaus Casimir Nagy, SCJ, was born on September 30, 1921 at Bierun Stary, Poland. He made his first profession of vows on September 22, 1938 and was ordained a priest on June 8, 1945. He received a doctorate in Theology from the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, in 1952.

After completing his studies, he became professor of theology at Lublin, superior of the minor seminary in Kraków and of the major seminary of Tarnów, both belonging to the Priests of the Sacred Heart. Since 1958, he has taught theology at the Catholic University of Lublin.

Twice Cardinal Nagy participated as a theological expert at the Synod of Bishops in Rome (1985, 1991). From 1986 to 1996 he was member of the International Theological Commission. He was a teaching colleague of Pope John Paul II at the University of Lublin and professor at various diocesan and religious seminaries in Poland.

He used to ski with the future pope near Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains and served the then-archbishop of Krakow as a theological consultant in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The two have remained friends all these years and Cardinal Nagy has often visited with the pope in Rome and at Castel Gandolfo.

Father Nagy was ordained a bishop on October 13, 2003, in Krakow, Poland.