The Province’s Annual Asian Formators’ Council Meeting was held in our Priory of St. Dominic on April 7, 2015. Presided over by our Provincial,  fr. Javier González, OP, it was attended by the following brothers: From Hong Kong, Hyacinth He, Timoteo Merino and Fernando Muñoz; from China, Paul Fan; from Korea, John Kim; from Myanmar, Hilario Plureth; from the Philippines, Raymond Mi; from Japan, Mariano González. Moreover, the brothers of the Formation Commission of St. Dominic’s Priory, Macau, were also present: Jarvis Sy, José Luis de Miguel, Edmond Eh and Fausto Gómez. As the secretary of the Province, fr. Fernando Muñoz acted as secretary for the meeting.

It was very interesting and hopeful to come to know well the reality of initial formation in the different vicariates, priories and houses and centers of formation of the Province in Asia. We have at present a good number of pre-novices (aspirants and postulants), novices, and students in the different stages of formation. The beauty of the meeting was the rich input coming from our brothers working with our formandi in the different places of work and mission of the Province, in particular in Asia.

The community, including in particular our student brothers, was very happy to invite them for lunch and supper. It was a joyful occasion to sharing ideas on and concerns for initial and permanent formation.

The members of the Formators’ Council of the Province were asked by fr. Javier to send to him comments on the draft of the new Ratio Formationis Generalis of the Order. He will then send comments and suggestions to the Dominican curia in Santa Sabina, Rome.

The brothers representing East Timor, Taiwan, Venezuela, Spain and Italy were not able to make it to the annual meeting this time. We missed them and their enriching contribution to the annual meeting on formation. They were with us in spirit and hopefully will be able to attend and participate next time.