News
Father James S. Prehn, SJ, will serve as socius for the Midwest Province beginning June 12, 2023.
New Socius Appointed to
Midwest Province
Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ, has appointed Fr. James S. Prehn, SJ, socius for the USA Midwest Province effective June 12, 2023. Fr. Prehn will also serve as admonitor and province consultor to Midwest Provincial Fr. Karl J. Kiser, SJ.
Father Prehn brings close to 20 years of administrative and internal governance experience to his new role. He succeeds Fr. Glen Chun, SJ, who is finishing his sixth year as the Midwest Province’s first socius.
“Glen has served the province faithfully and selflessly, offering his counsel, care and support to Fr. Brian Paulson, SJ, and me,” says Fr. Kiser. “On behalf of the province, thank you, Glen.”
Father Prehn is a former principal of Walsh Jesuit High School and dean of student development at John Carroll University. Since 2016 he has worked at Loyola University Chicago (LUC) as chief of staff and vice president.
“Jim’s demonstrated acumen as chief of staff to the president at Loyola University Chicago, and his tenure as rector of the Loyola Jesuit Community made him the ideal choice for this new assignment,” says Fr. Kiser.
In addition to his work at LUC, Fr. Prehn has served as superior of Canisius House Jesuit Community, vocation director and provincial assistant for secondary education in the Midwest Province.
Father Thomas Sweetser, SJ, is the founder and current director of the Parish Evaluation Project.
A Half-Century of Parish Help
This spring, the Parish Evaluation Project (PEP) celebrates 50 years as a resource to Catholic parishes across the United States and beyond.
The project began in March of 1973 when a group of priests attending the National Federation of Priests’ Councils Convention in Detroit learned how to uncover the needs and desires of parishioners, and respond with creative plans and actions. In short, PEP helps parishes reach the next level of their faith journey. The process has evolved through the decades, historically involving lengthy meetings stretched out over weeks with long-term strategic planning in mind.
Along the way, the project’s founder and current director, Fr. Thomas Sweetser, SJ, determined that a more basic resource was needed—providing time for personal prayer and group discernment. In September of 2018, the Parish Leadership Retreat became the newest resource offered by PEP. Retreats are designed to help pastors, staffs and lay leaders grow in their own prayer life, their call to ministry and their involvement in group interaction.
To date, 44 parishes have gone through the experience in Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Connecticut, Texas and Iowa.
“God has greatly blessed this adventure and has allowed me to witness over the last five years people’s spiritual growth and group interaction,” Fr. Sweetser says. “This is perhaps the most enriching and rewarding period for PEP over the 50 years of its existence.”
Midwest Jesuits building superintendent Wayne Sipich will oversee the solar-panel installation.
Midwest Jesuits Go Green
Construction is set to begin this spring on comprehensive energy-efficient upgrades—including a vast solar energy system—to the Midwest Jesuits Province offices in Chicago. The changes are expected to result in a significant savings on energy bills in addition to their environmental benefits.
Phase one of the construction will include the installation of new roof with energy-efficient insulation. In phase two this summer, Verde Solutions will install multiple solar panels on the new roof.
“This is absolutely the biggest improvement project we’ve ever undertaken at this office,” says Wayne Sipich, building superintendent. “And there’s a greater good to it besides just saving a few dollars.”
It is believed that the solar panels will have the capacity to generate 47% of the building’s normal electricity consumption. Compared to electricity created by burning coal, the solar-panel system will reduce carbon emissions by 237,000 pounds (118.5 tons) annually.
The project is subsidized by federal and state grants, similar to those applied to private homes.
PROFILE
Cristo Rey Alum Works In HR at Microsoft
Kiara Machuca was born in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, to parents from Morelos, Mexico, and raised in South Minneapolis. She always had a streak of independence, and when she was 14, she noticed a flyer in her brother’s shop. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Twin Cities was recruiting its inaugural class. Immediately she began researching the first Cristo Rey school, which, by coincidence, was in her old neighborhood in Chicago. She loved the Cristo Rey mission and decided to register, eventually letting her parents in on the idea. Did we mention her independent streak? “If I didn’t go to Cristo Rey, I would’ve followed a different path,” she says. “I knew that this was the best choice for me.”
JESUITS HAD INSTILLED COURAGE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CALCULATED RISK-TAKING
She made wonderful connections with her Cristo Rey teachers. “It was a really great experience because the school was small enough to allow our voices to be heard, and it unlocked our potential by letting us dream,” she says, calling particular attention to Jesuit Fathers Bill Johnson, Tim Manatt and John Paul. “I really admire the Jesuits. They have this courage and bravery. They were selfless and very generous with their time, allowing us to be our authentic selves.”
Machuca went on to Santa Clara University, (SCU) which welcomed her much like Cristo Rey had. She thrived there, becoming aware that she was a role model not only to her family, but also to the Cristo Rey students who followed her.
Years after graduating from SCU, she returned to her high school alma mater. “I got tapped by someone from the Twin Cities about an open position at Cristo Rey,” she says. “I felt this calling. I interviewed for the job, got a job offer and decided I could make a difference. I wanted to help students graduate from high school and go to college.”
The Jesuits had instilled courage and the importance of calculated risk-taking in Machuca, so while she was working at Cristo Rey, she also pursued a Master’s in Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR) at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She wanted to show Cristo Rey students, and the world, that Cristo Rey alums could excel in both college and graduate school. Master’s in hand, she relocated to Seattle and now works for one of the world’s most renowned companies, Microsoft. With a worldwide group of employees in her network, she encounters daily opportunities to live according to the lessons she learned at Cristo Rey and SCU. “I give all the credit to the Jesuits,” she says. “They taught me the value of each and every human being, and to listen when God calls.”
