The Priory celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary

The Priory celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary

Today, October 7, 2023, the Priory celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary. Here is the homily of our very own Fr. Javier Gonzalez, OP, Prior of St. Dominic Priory, delivered during the solemn mass.

” On October 7, the Catholic Church celebrates the yearly feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

We, too, as a community, are gathered together on this day to honor our Mother and Patroness. We are not simply praying to Mary, but we are praying with Mary in our midst, reenacting the scene of the Acts of the Apostles in the Upper Room, where the latter “with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with some women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Act 1:14). Mary is in our midst, maternally watching over us that we do not miss the point of our very existence. With Mary we echo today her words: “The Almighty has done great things for me; holy is His name,” making them ours. With Mary we reaffirm, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” With Mary, we glorify God.

This solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary has a prime Dominican flavor. From its beginning, the Order of Preachers showed special honor and devotion to Mary, Mother of God. The Rosary, which places before us the chief mysteries of the infancy, life, passion and resurrection of our Savior, has been one of the chief ways in which the Order has expressed this devotion.

In 1208 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St Dominic in the church of Prouille, France, and gave him a chaplet of beads representing roses commending to him the devotion which had spread among the faithful. St Dominic then gave the Rosary to his Sisters and Friars Preachers to use it in their efforts to convert the Cathars and the Albigensians in Southern France. It was indeed a powerful prayer. 

Our brother Alan de La Roche (1428-1478) helped to define the structure of the Rosary and promoted its recitation. In 1470 he established the first Confraternity of the Rosary. 

A century later, another member of the Order of Preachers, Pope Pius V, turned to the Virgin Mary in an hour of need. He began a rosary campaign through Europe for the Christian fleet at Lepanto, who was vastly outnumbered by the Muslim Turkish fleet. But the Christian soldiers were victorious. The Pope attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and established the feast of “Our Lady of Victory” on October 7, 1571. (Pope Paul VI renamed it “Our Lady of the Rosary” in order to remind the people of God how effective the Virgin Mary’s prayers are.)

Our Dominican Province, founded in 1587 “to preach the Gospel in the Philippines, in China and the rest of the nations of the Far East,” was recognized by the General Chapter of Venice [1592] under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary. 

It has been a tradition in our communities the daily recitation of the Rosary, ended with the oldest known Marian prayer (“We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all dangers. O glorious and blessed Virgin Mary.”) 

“It has always been the habit of Catholics in danger and in difficult times to fly for refuge to Mary”, Pope Leo XIII wrote.

Pope Pius XII called the Rosary a compendium of the gospel. This expression was repeated by Pope Paul VI in Marialis Cultus. It is a form of contemplative, mental and vocal prayer, which brings down God’s blessing on the Church. It is a biblically-inspired prayer centred on the meditation on the salvific mysteries of Christ in union with Mary, who was so closely associated with her Son.

Pope John Paul II, in October 2002, with his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, made a landmark contribution to the prayer of the Rosary by adding the five luminous mysteries. He selected some significant moments in the life of Jesus: his Baptism, his first miracle at Cana, his Preaching of the Kingdom, his Transfiguration and the Institution of the Eucharist.

The Rosary appeals to many. It is simple. The constant repetition of words helps create an atmosphere in which to contemplate the mysteries of God. We sense that Jesus and Mary are with us

in the joys and sorrows of life. We grow in hope that God will bring us to share in the glory of Jesus and Mary forever.

As we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, our Patroness, let us remind her with filial devotion to turn her merciful eyes towards us now, and to show unto us

 the blessed fruit of her womb, Jesus, at the end of our earthly exile. 

Let us place under Mary’s maternal protection the Church, our Order, our communities, our families and our beloved ones. 

Let us entrust to her our Province, our Missions currently spread in Asia (Philippines, Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Myanmar, East Timor), in Europe (Spain, Italy) and in South America (Venezuela). Twelve countries, which I fancy represented in the 12 stars of Our Lady’s crown. 

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us! “

[Fr. Javier Gonzalez, OP]

Macau, October 7, 2023

Easter Vigil 2023

Easter Vigil 2023

On the 8th of April 2023, Saint Dominic’s Priory celebrated the Easter Vigil. This is the apex of the liturgical calendar and of all litrugical celebrations in the Church.

For the first time since the COVID-19 Pandemic began, the Priory has been able to celebrate this solemn feast with no pandemic restrictions or requirements. Thus, many of the faithful were able to come and keep watch for the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. After the Vigil, there was a reception with plenty of food and drink together with the faithful.

As the whole world is coming out of the pandemic, we hope and pray that celebrations like these become the norm once again. Since the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Faith, may we all be credible witnesses of His Resurrection with our lives.

Eleven Brothers Receive the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte

Eleven Brothers Receive the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte

It was a moment of great joy for the whole community that our beloved brother Prior Provincial
visited our Priory. Since his election as Prior Provincial, it was his very first time to have a canonical visit to us because entering Macau requires following strict regulations. Thanks to God
we were able to meet our brother in person. Taking his presence as a blessing, 11 of the student
friars received the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte in order to proclaim the word of God during
liturgical celebrations and to carry out the service at the altar as altar servers or as Eucharistic Ministers.

Here is the list of the brothers and let us share with you some of the pictures taken during the Holy Mass.

1. FR. CESAR LINO DE SOUSA XIMENES
2. FR. AGOSTINHO MENDOCA
3. FR. ANDRE PEREIRA
4. FR. JOSEPH GABRIEL HYODO SHUNSUKE
5. FR. INNOCENT HAN ZAW HTUN
6. FR. JOAO BAPTISTA PEREIRA
7. FR. GASPAR DE JESUS
8. FR. FRANCISCO ZIN KO LIN
9. FR. AGOSTINHO MAIA DOS SANTOS
10. FR. NATALINO DA COSTA
11. FR. JOSEPH HUNG NAING LING

Visitation of the Prior Provincial

Visitation of the Prior Provincial

The Prior Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary, fr Ruben Martinez, visited Saint Dominic’s Priory during the month of November. He saw this visit as an opportunity to connect with his fellow brothers. He met with the brothers individually and shared in the life that they lived here in Macau. He also listened to their thoughts on the state of their own lives as well as of the community as a whole. The brothers were quite happy to see him and he himself was happy to see them as well. As a whole, his entire visit was a pleasant experience for everybody.

Lecture in Honour of St Thomas Aquinas

Lecture in Honour of St Thomas Aquinas

In honour of St Thomas Aquinas, Fr Franz Gassner, SVD, the Dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy of the University of St Joseph, delivered a lecture entitled Quinque Viae Ethicae Oecologiae: Five Ways to Care for Our Common Home – Ecological Ethics at St Dominic’s Convent in Macao.

The lecture outlined five different ways to explain how the relationship between humanity and the rest of creation should be using St Thomas’ thought. It gives us an opportunity to rethink how we should treat creation especially with the different environmental issues in our world today.

The Dominican Family in Macao, composed of the friars, sisters, and lay Dominicans, was in attendance. Some friars outside Macao also followed it online. After the lecture, Holy Mass was celebrated for the Feast of St Thomas Aquinas and lunch followed afterwards. It was a great day not only because it was the feast of our brother St Thomas but also that the whole Dominican Family was with us throughout.

New Prior in Macao

New Prior in Macao

On 24 November 2021 Fr Javier Gonzalez accepted his office as Prior of St Dominic’s Priory in Macao. Three days later, he took the office during the community prayer of Vespers. It was a simple, meaningful ceremony, which consisted in the profession of faith and the oath of fidelity. Afterwards, Fr Javier addressed a few words to the community. He first explained that the public profession of faith and the oath taking indicated that he was accepting the office of Prior in the name of the Church. Then he welcomed the newly arrived student brothers from Hong Kong, inviting them to feel at home. He further thanked the former Prior, Fr Paul Fan, for his services to the community during the previous years and wished him success now in his new position as Master of Students. Finally, Fr Javier thanked the members of the community for their trust and evoked those words of St Augustine saying that the superior should strive to be loved by the brothers rather than feared, ever mindful that he must give an account of them to God.  In closing, as the moment marked the very beginning of Advent, he encouraged everyone to let the new liturgical season be also the beginning of a new life, while he placed himself at the service of the community.