PREPARATIONS FOR THE JUBILEE 800 OF THE ORDER

In a recent meeting, the Provincial Council approved

the following points related to the preparations

for the 2016 celebration of the Jubilee 800

of the Order of Preachers

 

1. Plan of the Order. The Order has drawn a well detailed plan to commemorate the 800^th year anniversary of the foundation of the Order. The Jubilee 2016 is seen as important in our lives. (Cf. Program details in the website of the Order).

2. Provincial Plan. The Prior Provincial informed that recently Fr Fausto Gómez has been appointed as Provincial Promoter or Coordinator for the Jubilee 2016. He is coming out with some particular ways to celebrate that particular event, maybe through some Conferences, etc. He is persuaded that for the Jubilee to be meaningful there must be AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE (of our sources) and METANOIA (interior renewal).

Another important point to remember, and as suggested by the Provincial Promoter of the Jubilee, the preparations for the Dominican Jubilee should include members of the other branches of the Dominican Order, that is, of the whole Dominican Family.

3. Organization of Special Courses and Lectures. As the 2013 Provincial Chapter  recommended, courses similar to those of “Viday Misión” (Life and Mission) and “Predicación dominicana” (Dominican Preaching) be organized at the Provincial level and “be held on the occasion of the Jubilee 2016, so that the friars may enter into contact with the doctrinal and spiritual tradition of the Order” (Provincial Chapter 2013, Acts, 175).The Provincial Council recommended that a Formation Course similar to the one successfully held in Avila in the summer of 2011 be organized for our young Dominicans; this course will be complemented with pilgrimages to landmark Dominican places in Spain, France and Italy.

                                                    

4. A Great History Project. Given the need of a textbook on the History of the Province, Fr Provincial Javier proposed the following:

a) The translation into English of Fr. Pablo Fernández’ Dominicos donde nace el sol (Dominicans Where the Sun Rises).

b) The writing of the History of the Province through the Past 50 Years.

After a sharing on the matter, the Council suggested that before the translation of Fr. Pablo’s book is undertaken, it would be better to review the literary style of the book and to prepare a compendium of the thick book. Fr Ángel Daniel Blázquez could be invited to undertake the role of revising and preparing this compendium.

As for the writers of a short history of the last 50 years of each mission, this Council decided to kindly request it to the following Brothers:

For Venezuela, Bro. Benjamín; for Korea, Bro. Peter Yu; for Taiwan, Bro. Tomás Miguel; for China, Bros. Jarvis and Edmond; for Japan, Bro. Delgado or Bro. Saturnino; for Spain, Bro. Teodoro or Bro. Medina; for Myanmar, Bro. Fernando Muñoz; for Singapore, Bro. Antonio or Bro. Edmond; for the Philippines, Bro. Laurentino and Bro. Prol

Fernando Muñoz, OP,

Provincial Secretary

Kowloon Ton, Hong Kong: April 24, 2014

THE CHRONICLE OF THE PRIORY FOR JANUARY-APRIL 2014

ST. DOMINIC’S PRIORY

 Our chronicle narrates briefly events that took place between January and April, 2014. The “happenings” in which our members participated actively are chronicled under the following headings: the Priory, St. Dominic Center of Institutional Studies, St. Paul’s School, Faculty of Christian Studies of the Catholic University of Saint Joseph, and the Association of Men Religious of Macau (AMRM). (For a more extensive coverage of some of those items, you may wish to visit our modest web page: www.dominicansmacau.org)

v  THE PRIORY

New Member in Our Community – On January 17, 2014 the Priory received a new member: Brother Peter Zya Reh, OP from Myanmar. After completing one year novitiate, Bro. Peter made his first simple profession as a Dominican of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary on December 15, 2013 at St. Albert’s Priory, Rosaryhill, Hong Kong.

All the twenty seven members of the Dominican community in Macau warmly and joyfully welcomed Brother Peter. Our Brother Peter will continue his philosophical and theological studies at the Faculty of Christian Studies of the University of Saint Joseph.

Indeed, “people come and people go.” One new brother arrived in our community and another brother went out. We have to add here that a student brother left our Priory: Brother Christopher Max decided to leave the Order. He left for Myanmar on January 18, 2014. He was grateful to the community, which wished the best for him and a good future. Christopher was a first year theology student.

Examination for Priesthood and Hearing Confessions – The exam took place on January 14, 2014 at the Council Room of St. Dominic’s Priory, Macau. The Panel of Examiners appointed by Fr. Javier González, OP, Prior Provincial was composed of the following: Fr. Fausto Gomez, OP, Chairman, and Fathers José Luis de Miguel, OP and Edmond Eh, OP, members.

Bro. Sebastian passed both oral tests with the unanimous approval of the tribunal. He will be ordained priest with Fr. Paul F., OP, on February 9, 2014 at the Chapel of Rosaryhill. Bro, Sebastian is a member of the Vicariate of Taiwan and Bro. Paul, of the Convent of Saint Albert, Rosaryhill, Hong Kong.

Migrants Day In Macau – The World Day of Migrants was celebrated in Macau, and in the whole world, on Sunday, January 19, 2014. Hundreds of migrants from many different parts of the world working in Macau celebrated the 100^th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The joyful celebration consisted of a Solemn Mass, an agape for all, and a cultural program. Our Dominican brothers and sisters from Myanmar, Korea, Vietnam and China took part in all the activities. The migrants in Macau filled up St. Augustine Church for the celebration of the Solemn Mass. Many of them were dressed up in the colorful and beautiful costumes of their respective country. The Holy Eucharist was presided by the Bishop of Macau Most Rev. Jose Lai, DD and concelebrated by eleven priests from different religious congregations, including the Order of Preachers. After the Eucharist, the celebration continued with a sumptuous lunch at St. Joseph’s Auditorium and closed with a cultural program of dances and songs from different countries.

Chinese New Year – The Priory, the University of Saint Joseph and St. Paul’s School celebrated the New Year, the Year of the Horse on different days and with different activities. St. Dominic’s Priory celebrated it on New Year Day, January 31, with a solemn Mass of Our Lady of China. The family celebration with fraternal agape, and bingo was held on the night before, that is the last night of the previous Lunar New Year. As it is customary, all the brothers received from the Prior a red envelope. The elegant and brave horse symbolizes for us excellence in studies, teaching, preaching and school administration, fraternal and prayerful community life, and committed and joyful apostolate. We hope and pray it will be so!

Sister Helen Gives Course on Catechetics – From February 3 to 7, Sister Helen gave an excellent mini-course on Catechetics to our students. Sister Helen is a consecrated lay woman who has been teaching catechetics and other related subjects in Taiwan for over fifty years. The Priory is most grateful to her for her significant presence in our community.

Visitors – On April 11-13, we had some special visitors, who had attended and participated in the Provincial Council meetings at St. Albert’s Convent, Rosaryhill, Hong Kong: from the Vicariate of Spain, Brothers Pedro Juan Alonso and Mario Jabares; from Korea, Fr. John King, Regent of Studies of the Province. Our Priory also enjoyed the presence of lawyer Don Luciano Lopez, a good friend of our Priory and of the Dominicans of our Province. As usual brothers from our communities in Hong Kong and China visited us from time to time. We were also blessed with some relatives of members of our Priory and friends.

v  ST. DOMINIC CENTER OF STUDIES, ST. PAUL’S SCHOOL,

USJ FACULTY OF CHRISTIAN STUDIES,

St. Dominic Center of Studies – The center continued offering the two special simultaneous courses, one for the general audience on Liturgical Symbols and Psalms given by Fr. Jose Luis de Miguel, OP and the other for religious men and women in Macau on The Evangelical Councils, by Fr. Jarvis Sy, OP. The monthly Saturday Lectures started the New Year with lectures on January 4, 2014.

On March 7, 2014, St. Dominic’s Center of Studies celebrated solemnly the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas at St. Paul’s School, Macau. The morning celebration consisted of three parts: lecture, Mass and fraternal agape. More than one hundred people attended the memorable event. The Holy Eucharist was presided by the Bishop of Macau Dom Joseph Lai and concelebrated by a good number of Dominicans with some religious from other congregations. The public lecture was given by theologian Felicísimo Martínez, OP, who is currently teaching at the University of Saint Joseph. The title of the lecture was “Truth, Meaning and Faith: How to Approach These Questions?”

Escola Sao Paulo Celebrates Patron – St. Paul’s School celebrated its feast, the solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul, which this year was held on January 24, Friday. The multi-faceted commemoration consisted of the celebration of the Eucharist, presentation of a cultural program, and a family banquet.

The celebration of the holy Mass was presided by the Bishop of Macau, the Most Rev. Jose Lai, DD, and concelebrated by nine Dominican priests from the communities of Macau and Hong Kong, and two other priests close to the Dominicans. Held at the main auditorium of the school, it was attended by about nine hundred students, and academic and administrative staff.

The short and entertaining cultural program of songs and dances was opened by Fr. Alejandro Salcedo, OP, Director of the Escola Sao Paulo, who expressed the deep gratitude of the school to all the teaching staff and students, his Dominican brothers, and the benefactors and friends of the school.

The banquet at a well-known restaurant and convention center was a family affair with good food, and spontaneous and excellent singing by some teachers, students and alumni, including our brother Fr. Athanasius, OP, Director of the school’s Campus Ministry and of the radio station “Saint Paul.”

Escola Sao Paulo or Saint Paul’s School is a Catholic school of the Diocese of Macau run by our Dominican brothers. It is a leading school among the thirty four Catholic schools of Macau. About two hundred and eighty (full or part time) teachers impart lessons to and walk with over three thousand students of kinder, primary and secondary schools as they pursue their studies at St. Paul’s.

USJ Faculty of Christian Studies – Second semester began officially on January 19, although for some of our students it started two weeks earlier. These had to attend classes in Eschatology imparted by a visiting professor from Portugal.

An important development this semester is the transfer of the library of theological sciences from the USJ location at NAPE 1 to the Seminary of Saint Joseph, where our students pursue their studies now.

The series of academic lectures 2013-2014 of the Faculty of Christian Studies began the year with a lecture on January 16, 2014. The overarching title of the series is Initiation in Christianity. On March 27, 2014, Fr. Felicísimo Martínez, OP, then teaching at the USJ Faculty pronounced a lecture on “Current Trends in Christology.” On April 24, Fr. Fausto Gómez, OP, professor of the faculty spoke on “Initiation into Spirituality.”

The Faculty celebrated the feast of the Patron of the University, St. Joseph with   a midday Mass and a simple lunch. It was attended also by our students and professors. It also celebrated with the university the season of Easter with a Mass on April 28 at the Chapel of the Seminary of St. Joseph. It was presided by our Bishop and concelebrated by the priests who are professors and students of the Faculty of Christian Studies.

v  RELIGIOUS MEN IN MACAU

Day of Consecrated Life in Macau – Religious men and women working in Macau for the Kingdom gathered together on February 2, 2014, to celebrate joyfully and prayerfully the Day of Consecrated Life, which is celebrated throughout the world on this day, the Presentation of our Lord.

The meeting started at 5:30 p.m. at the seminary with a talk by Fr. John Ledesma, SDB, on Our Spirituality. After the reflection, the sisters and the brothers went to the Chapel of Saint Joseph Seminary for the solemn celebration of the Holy Eucharist, which was presided by Bishop Jose Lai, and concelebrated by 15 priests. Over one 100 religious men and women participated in the Mass. In his homily, the bishop echoed the discourse of Pope Francis to Major Religious Superiors last November at the Vatican. He also underlined the fact that Macao is ‘mission territory’ and needs the commitment of all religious men and women.

Paschal Celebration – On April 21, Easter Monday, the associations of religious men and of religious women ministering in the Macau Diocese organized a paschal celebration at the St. Joseph Church, which is run by the Combonian fathers. The simple and fraternal celebration included the Mass and an agape. The Bishop of Macau Dom Joseph Lai presided over the concelebrated Mass.  The celebration of the Eucharist was followed by a dinner – a pleasant and tasteful agape with plenty of food and laughter and everybody having a good time. It is the first time consecrated men and women working in Macau celebrated Easter together. (Fray Fausto Gómez, OP)