On November 25, and during the Community Mass, Bro. Francis Naw San, OP, renewed his simple profession before Fr. José Luis de Miguel, OP, Prior of St. Dominic’s.
On December 15, 2014, Bro. Peter Zya Reh also renewed his simple profession before our Prior, F. Jose Luis and also during the morning Eucharistic Celebration.
Fr. Jose Luis encouraged Brothers Francis and Peter before renewing their simple profession to be faithful to their Dominican charism as good servants of our Father St. Dominic. Fr. Prior reminded us all of the privilege of being called, and encouraged us to be committed to our vocation to announce the Good News of Jesus.
In his Message for the Year of Consecrated Life (November 21, 2014), Pope Francis expects from us religious to be joyful, to wake up the world, to be experts in communion and to go to the peripheries of the world.
After renewing their simple profession Brothers Francis and Peter were warmly applauded on November 25 and December 15 respectively by the other 26 members of our Priory of St. Dominic.
Brothers, fraternal congratulations!
On December 13, 2014, Fr. Vincent Ha Vien Lu, OP, who is the Assistant to the Master of the Order for the Asia/Pacific Region, made a fraternal visit to our Dominican community in Macau. He talked with the fathers and had a meeting with the students. It was a pleasant and cordial visit
Earlier he had visited Taiwan, the Chinese Vicariate and our Vicariate. And from here, Fr. Vincent will go to Myanmar to know our mission and share time with our brothers ministering there. Before going back to Rome, Fr. Vincent will be with our communities in Hong Kong.
On the 8th of December, 2014, the Good Shepherd Sisters of “Good Shepherd Center†community organized a significant social activity in Macau. Called “Walk for Women,†the social activity was sponsored by “JML Properties International Ladies’ Club of Macauâ€. The people taking part in the event gathered together at the Park called “Garden of Vasco Da Gama,†which is near “Royal Hotel†and not far from our Priory of St. Dominic. The walk began at 2:30 in the afternoon and ended half an hour later at about four in “Sintra Square.â€
The theme of this social activity was “to raise the voice or conscience of society to respect the dignity of women, to ask for equal rights for women in society and to stop all types of violence against women.â€
There were around 200 people who participated in this activity. They were women and men belonging to different associations, institutions and religious congregations, including the majority of our Dominican Brothers and Sisters. After the walk, a two-hour program followed at “Sintra Square.†The main speech was pronounced by the Mother Superior of the Good Shepherd Sisters, Sr. Mary Juliana Suzanne Devoy, who runs the Good Shepherd Center for Women. There is a need to raise awareness on the social issue of discrimination against women. As human beings, as Christians, we are all asked to denounce any kind of discrimination and to be on the side of the victims and help them. After the inspiring talk, other numbers of the simple program followed: an interesting skit, some songs, dances and games. The whole program was conducted in Cantonese.
The social activity “Walk for Women†was indeed an important and relevant social activity in Macau. As human beings, as believers in Jesus, we are all social beings and belong to the human and/or Christian family and therefore concerned with the well-being of one another, in particular the needy and marginalized like the victims of discrimination, including women who are the group most discriminated against in our world. Let us close this brief report with the words of Pope Francis on a kind of discrimination against children and women, which is human trafficking: “Human trafficking is a crime against humanity… Our efforts must be accompanied and reinforced by the mercy of the Gospel, by closeness to the men and women who are victims of this crime.â€
Bro. Francis Nge Nge, OP
St. Dominic’s Priory, Macau
PREPARING FOR THE ORDER’S JUBILEE 800
On November 30, 2014, the Jubilee Promoter of the Province
suggests in a letter to the brothers two possible
activities that highligh the continuing
preparation for the Jubilee 800
JUB 800/2
November 30, 2014
Dear Brothers in St. Dominic:
Fraternal greetings to all and happy day of the inauguration of the Year of Consecrated Life! With my second email, I wish to continue our conversation on the Order’s Jubilee 800 and on possible future activities.
Most of our communities started to pray the Jubilee Prayer on the Feast of All the Saints of the Order, November 7, 2014. On this day, the one-year preparation of the eighth centenary of the Order began officially in our Province. As you know, the Jubilee 800 shall start on November 7, 2015. The daily recitation of the Jubilee Prayer is putting us on the “Jubilee Mode,†the mode of personal and communitarian renewal. Hopefully, the common prayer will strengthen our determined resolve to begin earnestly the dynamic process of renewal: the renewal of the Order is aim of the Jubilee. We do not forget that the main protagonist of the renewal is each one of us. Let us pray for one another so that we all may be truly motivated to walk on the path of personal and communitarian renewal.
The Order is asking each Province, Vicariate and community to plan different activities. Our superiors with the help of brothers in charge of study, formation, mission, justice and peace, etc. will guide us to plan together specific activities. Among the activities recommended by the Order’s Jubilee Committee are “Special Liturgical Celebrations.†Our communities may wish to invite to the liturgical celebration other members of the Dominican Family – when possible. The first liturgical celebration recommended to all communities is on December 22, 2014, which commemorates the 798 Anniversary of the first Confirmation of the Order by Pope Honorius III.
Another significant activity that our communities could perhaps plan during Advent 2014: the common reading of Chapters II and III of the Acts of the General Chapter of Trogir (2013) on the Celebration of the Jubilee: II, nos. 40-49; III, nos. 50-62.
Let us recall that the theme of reflection of the Order for the year 2015 is the following: “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:31-32); “For freedom Christ set us free” (Gal 5:1) – Dominic: Government, Spirituality and Freedom.
(For resources and more information, kindly see the web page of the Order on the Jubilee 800)
Your brother,
Fray Fausto Gomez, OP
St. Dominic’s Priory, Macau
faustogomezb@yahoo.com
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On November 2, 2014, the new Prior of St. Dominic’s Priory, Macau, started officially his three-year term of office. He was elected, approved and confirmed a few days earlier, on October 28.
Fr. José Luis de Miguel Fernández, OP, made the required Profession of Faith as the new Prior within the Mass of November 2, All Sous Day, which was presided by Fr. Javier González, OP, Prior Provincial, and concelebrated by the eight Dominican priests of St. Dominic’s. The Eucharistic celebration was animated by the songs of the twenty student-brothers and the faithful participating in the Eucharistic celebration.
After the reading of the official letter of the Prior Provincial approving and confirming the election of the new Prior, Fr. José Luis spoke of his gratitude and his hopes. He underlined the Dominican call to fraternity, freedom, solidarity, service and cooperation. Before the end of the Mass, Fr. Javier expressed the deep gratitude of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary to the new Prior for accepting the office, and to the previous Prior, Fr. Alejandro Salcedo, OP, who ended his second term as St. Dominic’s Prior on October 19, 2014.
Born in Renedo de Valdetuéjar (Leon), Fr. José Luis was ordained a priest in Valladolid on June 30, 1963. He crowned his ecclesiastical studies with a Licentiate and a Doctorate in Oriental Ecclesiastical Sciences at the Oriental Institute in Rome in 1968. Thereafter, he was a professor of theological subjects in the Philippines, Chile and Spain. The new Prior was earlier Prior In San Juan, Metro Manila, and in Santiago de Chile. He has been widely  involved in formation and publications, particularly in the Philippines and in Chile, where he ministered for  25 years. At present he is a member of the Council of the Dominican Province, Assistant Master of Students at St. Dominic’s and visiting professor at St. Joseph University, Macau.
After the November 2 Sunday Eucharist, the concelebrants, the student-brothers and the faithful attending the Mass of All Souls Day shared together a simple meal offered by the Dominican community.
Fr. José Luis, fraternal congratulations!Â
Fr. Alex, many, many thanks!
We praise the Lord!
May the Holy Spirit accompany us all
to walk by the path of Dominic, our dear Father!
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!
