Journeying Together as Dominicans
Life is a journey! Student life is a journey! Religious life is a journey, too, indeed a unique or distinctive journey! Being both students and religious, graduation is quite an experience for us journeying together.
There is a saying, “if you want to walk fast, walk alone. However, if you want to walk far, walk with others.†I am convinced that this saying is particularly suitable for religious life, in which fraternal life is lived in the community. The strength of being in a religious community is to help one another when one is not in the right condition physically, spiritually, or intellectually. There is no room in it for individualistic approaches. He who is a religious community pursues his own interests and projects without being sensitive to others may perhaps achieve them, but he will not find anyone beside him to celebrate it together or to share his joy with.
Celebration never takes place in solitude. It occurs only in the community, as it is a joy to be shared.
As a Dominican, journeying together with one’s own community is something essential because community life is one of the four pillars of Dominican spirituality.  Accomplishing something together with others makes it truly enjoyable and meaningful since such joy is to be shared. That is the case with the group of Dominican brothers who this year graduate after five years of study in USJ.
We give thanks to the Lord for His many blessings bestowed on us throughout these years.
And we thank our fellow Dominicans [and the USJ academic community] with whom we journey together.
Author. Gabriel Kyaw Ko Ko, OP
On 21 June 2021, a group of 13 Dominican Student Brothers had their profession renewal in Macau. They promised obedience, chastity, and poverty to God, although only one of the three evangelical counsels Obedience is mentioned in the Dominican Order. This event has brought home to my mind a few thoughts that I wish to share in these lines.
Promising obedience to God means submitting ourselves to Him, listening to Him. In fact, the word “obedience [from the Latin ob-audire] means, in the theological reflection, listening. Listening to God is a way to express our intimate relationship with Him who has spoken and keeps calling to each of us through our hearts and minds. The Lord has called to follow Him in a special way; that is why we name it vocation and it is a privilege, a divine gift.
In promising obedience to God, we do not lose our freedom; rather we regain it! Why? Because we say yes to Him freely, without force or fear. Truly, there are renunciations in it, like other people (for instance, in marriage, in social duties) or like in the case of Jesus, who sought the will of his Father as the food who nourished his life; even in the difficult moments of the cross, he kept bedient until death seeing in such obedience a loving gift. Our religious renunciation does not mean losing our freedom? On the contrary, in the Christian understanding, religious obedience to God implies an intimate relationship with God.
God calls us since we were born: You did not choose me but I chose you (John 15:16); each of us has received from birth a special gift from God. He already knew what we were going to be in the future, while we when we are only dreaming to become someone as we grow old. Our parents may choose to have us, but they cannot choose what we are to be.
So, our Profession Renewal or Vows renewal simply means looking forward to our solemn profession, which is made until death. Religious life is a radical following of Jesus’ poor, chaste, and obedient. All things were done by Jesus according to His Father’s will. In the Garden of Gethsemane, His obedience was demonstrated by His acceptance of the cup of suffering. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus seeks the will of His Father in prayer. Obeying for him did not mean submission to tyrannical power, as it is the connotation in contemporary society. Obedience for Jesus was really an act of trust in His Father. Proportionally in our case, when we obey our religious superiors do so because we trust that, as legitimate authorities, they have our best interests at heart – leading us to what we could not or would not otherwise pick by ourselves.
For instance; I may be unwilling to obey traffic laws, but I trust they exist to protect me and people. This statement is indeed true because, in my driving, I could be so selfishly speeding toward my destination that I might not think of the safety of other people. To remind me that this should not be the case, the trusted authorities enact laws. In the same way, Jesus obedience was an expression of love and active trust. It is exactly the same love and trust that the religious profess when taking their solemn vow of obedience. Indeed, their vow of obedience is really a vow of trust in God first and foremost, even if they promise it also to their constituted religious superiors. The freedom they have regained is their full dedication to God’s service.
Bro. Cesar De Sousa OP.
We are Dominicans
We are members of the Order of Preachers, founded at the beginning of the thirteenth century by St Dominic of Guzman, which was established expressly for the preaching of the Good News for the salvation of souls. This Order of Preachers is made up of various Provinces. One of them, to which we belong, is the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary, missionary in character, present today in around 13 countries.
We Come from Different Regions and Walks of Life
Spain, China, Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea, Myanmar, East Timor, Singapore, Venezuela.
Pre-novitiate
The Pre-novitiate is the first stage of formation. It comprises two years and two stages–the aspirancy and the postulancy–in which the candidate gets to know the Dominican friars and their lifestyle, living with them. They also dedicate time to study languages, especially English, and to acquire firsthand experience of this new way of life.
Novitiate
It is one year of intense formation for encounter with Jesus, for immersing oneself in the Religious Life and the Dominican Spirituality, and for familiarization with the history of the Order of Preachers.
Studentate
The Studentate is a five or six-year period of formation on Dominican spirituality and community life, during which the brother continues to attain maturity, consolidation, and development of that Dominican spirituality already initiated in the Novitiate. The Studentate is a time of intense study, blended with some pastoral experiences proper to the Order. And it is a time for greater integration of two different elements, namely, the Dominican life and the plan of studies proper to it. Both of them are ordained to preparing the students for their future mission as priests and Dominicans.
Further Studies
We normally follow complementary or specialized studies, focused on the requirements of the future mission to be entrusted to the different brothers, and according to their own personal interests and talents.
We Work in Different Areas
Education, Research, Pastoral work, Retreats, Preaching, working with the various social groups, particularly the poor, etc.
Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare
“To praise, to bless, to preach”: This is one of the mottoes of the Order of Preachers, and, therefore, our motto, our way of life, and our mission.
Veritas, Truth
The quest and effort to study in search of the truth, and the preaching of the Truth for the well-being of our people is the identity of each Dominican.
St. Dominic in Macau started walking in 2007. It is a Dominican community belonging to the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary, which is a missionary Province of the Order of Preachers (also known as the Dominicans). By the way, the Dominicans initiated their presence in Macau as early as 1587. In fact, the primitive house of St. Dominic is considered the second oldest house of the Province, the first one being Santo Domingo in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines.
The community of St Dominic’s Priory in Macau is currently composed of thirty-four (34) Dominican friars, of whom 10 are priests and 24 are simple-professed student Brothers. All of the 24 are enrolled at the University of St Joseph (USJ), pursuing the 5-year institutional studies program of the Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy. Due to the coronavirus restrictions, six students are currently following the courses online from Hong Kong, as they cannot so far enter Macau.
As for the ten Dominican priests, four of them are currently pursuing graduate studies at USJ. Even so, they and the rest of the Fathers are directly involved in either preaching, teaching, writing, or engaging information and in the education apostolate. In fact, four of them are working in the diocesan school of St Paul and the other five are committed to Dominican formation or teaching at the University of Saint Joseph. Some priests are also involved in pastoral work in the diocese, as in celebrating the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation in parishes or in religious communities.
The whole community participates in the daily liturgy of the Priory Chapel, which is open to the outside religious and lay faithful. The main event is the Sunday Mass, at eleven in the morning. All the members of the Priory are likewise members of the Association of Macau Religious Men (AMRM), participating in its regular activities throughout the year, and a few represent the community in the monthly meetings of the Association.
This Priory houses also the Provincial Studentate and the Center for Institutional Studies. Henceforth, it plays an important role in the Province as far as religious vocation promotion is concerned, focused not so much on recruiting new vocations, but rather on forming those who have joined us. This factor adds a typical characteristic to this community, namely, to be truly international and intercultural, as it gathers brothers from nine different nationalities.
Prayer, Study and Fraternal Life in common
Inside the Priory’s walls, the community of Brothers, consecrated by the profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, hold regular observances, marked by a daily schedule of prayer, study, and community life.
Prayer: We start our day by praying the Rosary in honor of Our Lady, the Patroness of the Province; then, we have the Morning Prayer (Lauds) integrated with the Eucharistic celebration. Parallelly, every evening we have together a 15-minute period of meditation, followed by Evening Prayer (Vespers) and the Office of Readings. In the late evening, the student brothers close their hour of common study with the Night Prayer. The community also holds an annual retreat, which usually takes place during the Holy Week. We invite also Brothers and Sisters from other religious Congregations in Macau to give us some talks. We have Eucharist Adoration once a month and other moments of personal prayer, aimed at fostering spiritual growth and ongoing conversion.
Study: Study is an essential part of our Dominican tradition. In fact, the book Constitutions of the Order of Preachers stresses the vital role study has ever had in Dominican life from the time of its foundation by St Dominic. This is very relevant today as our society values studies and education so much that, without them, there is no place to work for daily survival. Still, for us Dominicans, the study is not simply ordered to get a job or to earn a living, but it is rather part of our spirituality: we study to become preachers, which is our charism. This explains why practically all the members of St Dominic’s Priory are involved in academic activities, whether at St Paul’s School or mainly studying and teaching at St Joseph University. The Priory houses also a good library for the service of the brothers.
Common life: Inside the Priory’s walls, an outstanding fraternal atmosphere and coexistence among all the members prevails, something that has been taking place throughout the years.
A positive characteristic of our community is, for instance, the joy of our domestic celebrations: weekly social activities, birthday celebrations, anniversary celebrations, special feasts, etc.; these show the standing fraternal relationships prevailing in the community as well the generous mutual help and collaboration among its members. There is an equally good collaboration, great respect, and a sense of evangelical justice towards our employees. The brothers, likewise, enjoy the community recreation time. All this is more admirable when our great differences (cultural, ethnic, linguistic, educational, etc.) are considered.
The community tries to be faithful to its responsibilities regarding its scheduled religious observances. At times, however, this is not without some difficulties, due to the different schedules, commitments, absences, and the like of the brothers.
Looking at the future with hope
It is a great joy for the current priests and students of the Priory to realize that a good number of their former student brothers in Macau are now Dominican priests working for God’s Kingdom in Myanmar, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, East Timor and even in Spain and Venezuela. As they continue their journey in Macau, the members of St Dominic’s Priory are trying to do better what they have to do, above all, concerning their two main commitments, namely Catholic education, and the philosophical and theological formation of their student brothers.
Certainly, and as long as our Center of Institutional Studies continues in Macau, the Dominicans wish to be part of common projects of the religious men and women in Macau and particularly of the diocese.
The happiness of witnessing the yearly professions of their brothers in formation, the ordination to the priesthood of those brothers who came to their community searching for their real identity, the passing of the torch of their ancestors to establish the Dominican Order, and, in a special way, the charism of the Our Lady of the Rosary Province among other people, are visible in the community. They are visible not because the members of the priory waited for it, but because, like the first three friars who arrived in the territory of Macau in 1587, and the brothers of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary along all these years, they also respond with a willingness to be open and sent in answer to God’s invitation.
Faithful to a glorious past, which began here with the first three friars who arrived in the territory of Macau in 1587, and marching towards a hopeful future, the Dominicans in Macau walk in the present by steps of creative fidelity to their Dominican and missionary vocation and to love for humanity. Thus, we celebrated gratefully and joyfully the Jubilee 800 of the establishment of the Dominican Order in 1216, and, in this current year 2021, the Jubilee 800 of the death of our Founder St Dominic de Guzman.
Family History My name is Shunsuke Hyodo. My Christian name is Joseph Gabriel. When I was a child, my friends called me Hyochin, and my family called me Shun.
I was born on December 13, 1979, in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. My family is my father, my mother, my younger brother, and me. My father is a police officer and my mother is a housewife. My brother is self-employed, and he is already married and has one son.
My family doesn’t have a specific religion. So I am the only Christian in my family. I hope that they will be baptized Catholic too.
My hometown is located in the west of Japan, near Hiroshima. It is situated between the Sikoku Mountains and the Inland Sea of Japan. We can get a lot of food from the land and sea. My hometown has a hot spring that is named Dogo Hot Springs. It is a very famous place so many local and foreign tourists visit there, too.
My father was a police officer, so my family had to move to another city several times. He sometimes worked in a police substation where the office was also our home so I could see my father’s work sometimes. I want to work for many people because I was brought up in this environment.
My family doesn’t have a specific religion but I could see my father’s job up close. Police officers who are public servants work for many people. His job greatly influenced me on my vocation that I want to work for and help many people too.
Childhood When I was a child, I liked to read books, biographies, and narrative literature. I was a curious child while I was growing up. I wanted to know how to do something, then I liked to read an encyclopedia. Its information filled my curiosity.
When I was a child, I had infantile asthma. I often suffered from an asthma attack. Once I had pneumonia and rashes appeared on my skin after I had an asthma attack. Then I received treatment for two weeks in a hospital. Since then I didn’t have an asthma attack.
My grandparents often came to my house and I often went to their house too. I visited our ancestor grave with my grandmother, and she took me to some Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Then I became increasingly interested in religion. My grandfather liked history. He and my great-grandmother often told me about old times. Then I also became increasingly interested in history.
My great-grandmother and grandparents have a good effect on my curiosity and my vocation.
School Days When I was a child between six to fifteen years old, I received compulsory education then I went to Nitta High School, which is a private school. After I graduated from high school, I went to “Tokushima Bunri University, which is a private school, too. And then I graduated from university and advanced to the master course. When I was a university student, I specialized in Japanese history. I learned in university about cultural treasures, education subjects, and museology. I got a teaching license and a curator license. I wished to become a historian.
One of my classmates who was a Japan Self-Defense Force official was my favorite classmate. His name is Noguchi.
We often went somewhere. Once we rode motorcycles to Noguchi hometown. My motorcycle slipped on the road and we got cold in the snow. It was a thoughtless plan. I was sorry about this trip, but I can’t forget this memory.
When I was a graduate student, I went to a Buddhist temple for the investigation of treasures. I could examine much Buddhist scripture and many historical materials. It was a good experience for me, and I learned some Buddhist wordings.
Interests and Hobbies I have an interest in history, especially in ancient Japan.
I collected many toys, especially robot toys. Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, Grendizer, and Voltes V. I like Japanese Robot Animation.
I participated in a puppet show that was to promote volunteer activities. We visited some nursing homes, and sometimes we played puppet shows in Matsuyama Church for elderly parishioners. Matsuyama Church is in my hometown. It is where I saved and attended mass. Aside from doing charity shows for volunteers. I also worked for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In the place, I often made an appeal for contributions and I also visited Fukushima.
Matsuyama Church has a Filipino community. When the Philippines had a terrible flood, we collected many clothes and sent them to the victims. I appealed to parishioners to bring many clothes and a lot of money. I thanked them for their help.
I was in a church office when I was in Matsuyama Church. I worked for my church and the parishioners. This experience made a significant impact on my vocation.
Young adult experiences It was my first time leaving my home when I entered Tokushima Bunri University. The university is in another prefecture far away from my hometown. After I graduated from graduate school, I went to Nagano, Japan, and I got a job at a computer spring factory. After I worked there for a short time, I got a job as a postman. I worked as a postman for about eight years.
I got an award for outstanding post office branch manager. The post office launched a project to get postal service contracts with local companies. My branch was the most successful in the whole of Japan. I wasn’t afraid to try new ways to get business for the post office and this made me and the branch a success.
I decided to become a Christian. I was baptized on 23 April 2011. This time, I thought that I want to change my life. At that time, I had doubts about my life. For example, I was a postman and earned enough money. I bought my car, motorcycle, etc. However, I wasn’t satisfied there. Actually, I want to buy new things more and more. I was afraid of my earthly desires. At the same time, my grandmother died, I broke up with my girlfriend, and I was busy with my job. I wasn’t able to get a holiday. Then I was running on nervous energy.
I went to Matsuyama church Ehime, Japan in October 2010. Then I started to prepare for baptism. I already thought that I wat to enter a monastery. I was baptized and received the Sacrament of Confirmation on April 23, 2011. I became a leader of parishioners one year after I was baptized. It was a difficult duty for me because I had just become a Christian and I didn’t know anything, but the parish priest and parishioners helped me do everything. I was able to serve a four-year term. Then I was baptized after one year I joined the parish council in Matsuyama church. I perform my duties until the end of my term. While this term I had a meeting with the Salesians students about God’s mercy. They were able to talk about it but I wasn’t able to it. I was impressed them. Then I want to know about God, truth, and justice. One of The Orders of Preacher’s purposes is the pursuit of truth through study. This purpose fitted my purpose about I want to know about God well. So I chose The Order of preachers. So God already called me when I visited Matsuyama church.
God called me when I visited Matsuyama church and he gave me some jobs in the church. For example, I played a puppet show for elder people with the church youth. We went around some care houses on Saturday or Sunday. Elsewhere I worked for victims of the Northeast Japan great earthquake. I appealed to parishioners after mass and I collected much money for them. Then I realized when I worked for many people, I felt satisfied. And when I talked with other Christians about God, my heart was satisfied. And my resolution which I want to join the Dominican was still going strong. I discovered it while I work in the church. Then I announced to the parish priest that I want to join the Dominican. So he called me, he gave me many jobs and through charity.
At first, I didn’t know why I chose the Catholic Church but now I know that God called me and caught me. And I recognized these things:
God called me through charity.
God called me when I visited Matsuyama church in the beginning.
God called me to Matsuyama church.
Friends and family• When I decided to become a priest and to join the Dominicans, my parents agreed with my decision. My family and my siblings are looking forward to my profession and my ordination because when I invite them to my profession, they can travel to another country. Of course, this is a joke. They worry about me but they trust me, I guess they said that because they miss me. I am happy about their consideration. If they revealed their true feelings, I would have suffered inside. Now I know they didn’t say they’re true feelings so I could leave my home without regrets.
I learned many things from my family and my relatives. I learned from my father to work for many people is a valuable thing. I learned from my grandmother to venerate our ancestors is important.
The present Why did I choose to be a Dominican? I chose to be a Dominican because my church is a Dominican church. I can relate to the Dominicans easily.
The Dominican fathers are kind to me and I often help them. I can have a good relationship with them.
Once I had a meeting with some Salesian students. Our topic was mercy. I tried to talk to them but I couldn’t explain mercy. Since then I wanted to know more about God. Then I chose the Dominicans because to be a Dominican is to study the truth so it conforms to my purpose in life.
I was baptized by Fr. Luis Gutierrez. O.P. was the parish priest of Matsuyama church. He taught me Catechism, how to pray, etc. I owe him my Christian life.
My Dreams
I told him that I want to join the Dominican to Fr. Luis Gutierrez, OP, who later wrote to his superiors so that I could enter the Dominican Order. I was also encouraged by some Catholics from the parish, who sent letters of recommendation to the Dominicans, generously praising my good qualities.
On the day, I submitted my application to the Dominican Vicar of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary, residing in Matsuyama. Once approved by the admissions committee, through a previous examination, I was accepted as an Aspirant. In October 2016, I was sent to Manila to improve my English; and to Hong Kong on August 15, 2017, to begin my novitiate. After the novitiate, in 2018, I was assigned to the Dominican student house in Macau to pursue my studies in philosophy and theology. And here I am, happy in this international community, burning my eyebrows with metaphysics, Latins, and Greeks. My native logic is not the Greco-Roman logic of the University curriculum where I study, but I sense this is the logic of God who has brought me here. And the latter is the one I am learning for now. I have already started theology.
I like to teach something to somebody. I want to talk about the knowledge that I got through studying. I can contribute to my ministry about teaching or preaching. And I want to acquire the talent to speak in English. Now I am studying English because it is important to me. I need to use English when I talk to other people. And when I become a priest, I need to speak in English. Because we now live in a global world so I have many chances to talk with foreigners. If I go back to Japan and I work in a Japanese Church, I need to say mass to foreigners so I need to study English.
I want to become a parish priest because we need priests in Japan. I also want to study the history of the Church and Catholic dogma because I am a historian and I’m interested in Catholic dogma.
If I have a chance as a Dominican, I will try to promote vocations in Japan. Now there are very few. For example, I am the only Japanese Dominican seminarian in our house. We need Japanese priests but the applicants are very few vocation candidates there. We need to try to increase vocations in my country. This is my challenge.
At last
It is said that the postman always rings twice. I, in the performance of my office, rung many more to the church-parish of the Dominicans. Until one day, I went in and nothing was the same anymore. This time I was the one called. God in his mercy did it and assigned me many tasks, all related to love.
Now my goal is to fulfill His mandate.
I have great desires to learn, to teach, and to preach; and a dream: to promote Dominican vocations in Japan.
Joseph Gabriel Shunsuke Hyodo
Macao, 1 November 2020
