Jubileo 800 (in diversas lenguas)
Macau, October 19, 2014
Dear Brothers:
Fraternal greetings!
As Provincial Promoter of the Jubilee 800 of the Order (2016), it is my duty to suggest some possible activities for our Province and communities.  My suggestions shall be properly cleared out with our Prior Provincial, Javier González, OP.
In my first email to you all, I suggest to starting to pray daily the Jubilee Prayer and thus join our voices, minds and hearts to our Dominican brothers and sisters throughout the world. Some of the communities of our Province in Asia are already reciting daily said prayer. Considering that November 7 is an important Dominican Feast (All Saints of the Order) and that the Jubilee Year will start on November 7, 2015 (and end on January 21, 2017), it would seem appropriate that all  communities begin to recite the Jubilee Prayer on this coming November 7.
I am attaching hereto the Jubilee Prayer and the explanatory text from the Jubilee Central Committee of the Order. Taking into account that the celebration of the Jubilee is of the whole Dominican Family, you may share it with other branches of our Family. I am also attaching the “estampita†we made in Macao that is being currently used also in our communities in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Let me thank in advance the brothers who will kindly send suggestions and comments directed to make of our celebration a path to joyful renewal for each one of us and for our communities. Â Moreover, I will also appreciate information on the programs for the preparation of the Jubilee (from November 7, 2014 to November 6, 2015) of the different communities.
I am certain our superiors will lead our communities in carrying out appropriate activities and programs according to the different places and cultures where we evangelize. Of these activities and other related matters we hope to speak in future emails.
Meanwhile, let us pray the Jubilee Prayer every day at the most convenient time.
Your brother, vuestro hermano
Fray Fausto Gómez, OP
“Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.†These were the words the ordaining Bishop said to each one of our five Brothers being ordained deacons while presenting to them the Book of the Gospels. This moment had been preceded by the laying on of hands on them and a prayer of consecration.
The ordination ceremony took place in the evening of 7 October, 2014, on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, in a cozy church of Tsimshatsui, in the heart of the tourist belt of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Our brother Deacons were Peter (Vietnamese), Matthew and Alfonso (Burmese), Antonio (Korean), and John Vianney (Chinese). The ordaining Bishop was the Most Rev. Joseph Ha, Chi-Shing, OFM, Auxiliary Bishop of Hong Kong.
Witnessing the solemn occasion were a crowd of about 200 persons, among them 40 concelebrants and a significant number of our young Dominicans in formation (students, novices, postulants) from our three communities in Hong Kong and Macau. The Dominican laity of Hong Kong and representatives of our communities in Korea, Japan and Mainland were also present. The Apostolic Delegate in Hong Kong graced the occasion also with his presence.
It was an intense moment of gratitude to God for the increasing number of vocations that He is giving us. It was a marvelous opportunity to give thanks also to Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary, as expressed in the canticle of the Magnificat and in the concluding song, the Salve Regina.
A festive agape in the adjacent parish hall crowned the occasion. As we share this news with all the members of the Province let us pray for the newly ordained brothers, heralds of the Gospel, so that they may indeed believe what they read, teach what they believe and practice what they teach.
Fray Fernando Muñoz, OP
Secretay of the Province
On September 14, 2014, XXIV Sunday of the Year and the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, three of our student brothers made their Solemn Profession at the Chapel of St. Dominic’s Priory in Macau.
Our Dominican brothers Mario Oo Shwe, Alphonso Bo and Matthew Shing Mang Tun made their promise to God to be obedient until death before Fr. Javier González, OP, Prior Provincial of Our lady of the Rosary Province. The sober and moving ceremony was part of the Holy Eucharist which was presided by Fr. Javier and concelebrated by brother Dominicans from the communities of Macau, Hong Kong and China. Fr. Franz Gassner, SVD, graciously participated  in the Mass. Fr. Provincial in his homily spoke of the significance of the Cross in our lives; of the cross as the icon of unconditional obedience of Jesus to the Father, of doing always God’s will. Indeed, doing the will of God by the way of Jesus unveils the deep meaning of the Solemn Profession: to do God’s will, “nothing more, nothing less, nothing else! The choir sung: “Set apart for You, Lord / I choose to be holy / Set apart for you, my Master / Ready to do Your will.â€
The chapel was filled up – many were standing – with the faithful who regularly attend our Sunday Mass, friends of the professing brothers, and the Dominican brothers and sisters in Macau. Our Dominican student brothers and the postulants of the Dominican Missionaries of the Rosary animated wonderfully the whole liturgy. The singing of the awesome Latin hymn to the Holy Spirit while our three brothers prostrated on the ground contributed to the contemplative mood of the celebration: Veni Crteator Spiritus, / mentes tuorum visita,/ Imple superna gratia / Quae tu creasti pectora.
Dear Brothers Mario, Matthew and Alphonso,
our fraternal and warm congratulations. You are most welcome particularly
by all the members of the Dominican Province of Our Lady of the Rosary.
We hope and pray to journey together by the path of Dominic our Father and Founder.
After the liturgical celebration, a fraternal agape, to which all those attending the Mass were gladly invited, followed at the Hall of the convent
As we finish this brief report, lyrics of one of the lovely songs which enlightened the prayerful and joyful Eucharistic celebration keep coming back:
Here I am
And I long to do your will,
Here I am
I follow Your commands,
Here I am
Until my calling is fulfilled,
Here I am, here I am!
Last Friday, 4th of July at St. Albert’s Priory in Hong Kong, the novices had their Dominican Vestition. Among them there are: 6 from Myanmar or Burmeses, 2 from China, 1 from Korea and 1 from Macau. The celebration was presided by the Fr.Provincial and it took place in the small chapel of the community in an very familiar and brotherly atmosphere of friendship, joy and hope.
Congratulation to the new novices and let us pray so that they may persevere until the end.
On the Feast of Saints Peter & Paul, Sunday June 29, 2014, a young girl from Macao was baptized and confirmed at the Priory’s Chapel during the Eucharistic Celebration. She also received Holy Communion for the first time.
Miss Petra Leung, after having been properly prepared by Dominican Sister Camino of St. Paul School, received the three Sacraments of Initiation from Fr. Alejandro Salcedo, OP, Prior of St. Dominic Priory.
Certainly, the Baptism of Petra is a historical event: the first celebration of the three Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist at the Chapel of the Dominican Priory in Macau.
Being a Sunday, the Chapel was packed with the family of Petra, our Sunday Mass faithful and the whole Dominican community. Â The Mass was concelebrated by the other Dominican priests of the community and animated by beautiful and meaningful liturgical songs led by our student brothers.
After the Mass, all the members of the Priory were invited by the family of Petra to share lunch in a Chinese Restaurant located in the popular and elegant tourist spot, the slim Macau Tower.
