CHRONICLE OF ST. DOMINIC’S PRIORY: January-April 2011
On January 8, after lunch, Fr Provincial Javier asked Fr. Prior Alejandro to read the appointment of Fr. Jarvis Sy Hao as the new Master of Students, and Fr. Xavier Lionel, our Sub-Prior, the letter of assignment of Fr. Jarvis to our community. Most welcome! (Our dear former master of Students, Fr. Lucio Gutierrez continues to be very sick at the St. Martin de Porres Hospital in San Juan, Metro Manila.) On this day, the Council of the Province met at our Priory. Fr Provincial also informed us that Fr. Ben (Peadar Beinidict MacCionaoith, OP), member of our community, was assigned to our House of St. Joseph in Kowloon Tong on December 28, 2010. Many thanks, Ben! On January 18, and at the end of the Mass, Fr. Alejandro read the letter of the new assignment of Fr. Fernando Muñoz, from our community to the new foundation of the Province in Yangun, Myanmar. Fernando, we will miss you and accompany you!
In the evening of January 18 the Master of the Order, Fr. Bruno Cadoré visited our community and stayed with us for three days. He conversed with the members of the community – the fathers and the students. He had a meeting with the members of the Provincial Council and of the Commission on Formation, another meeting with the bishop of Macau Joseph Lai and a third with the authorities of the University of Saint Joseph. It was a lovely fraternal visit: the MOP broke Bread with us, listened to us, laughed with us and showed a great interest in our Province and our mission, in particular the formation of our students.
On January 20, Fr Fausto Gomez went to Manila to participate in the Meeting of the Regents of Studies of the Asia Pacific Region, to attend the 400th Foundation Anniversary of the University of Santo Tomas, and give some lectures on bioethics at the Postgraduate Course of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. He came back on February 7. Later on (February 17-27), Fr Gomez attended the annual Conference of the Pontifical Academy for Life in the Vatican.
On February 9, Fr. Alejandro presented to the Council/Chapter of the House new assignments of the Priory, with no objection from the members: Fr. Lionel was named archivist; Fr. Jarvis, sacristan and liturgist, Fr. Athanasius, assistant treasurer, and Fr. Fausto, chronicler.
Among the visitors through February, we had (on February 10-12) two Chinese postulants, who stayed with us for three days: Jordan Zhnag Dangbo and Martin Chen Guoxing. Later on (on February 23), we had with us Frs. Juan Lera and Ezequiel del Pino, from our community in San Juan, Manila. We were all happy for their kind visit.
Fr. Peter Yu Jong from our mission in Japan visited us on March 2 and stayed with us for two days. Fr. Yu is helping Fr. Provincial re-launch the webpage of the Province – and he is succeeding! He came to take some pictures of our Convent and community for possible use in said web page, which needs the collaboration of all – to succeed fully! Two other visitors (on March 2) were Chinese postulants Pio and Michael. They are on the way to our convent of Santa Cruz in San Juan, Metro Manila, where they will improve their English before they begin the Novitiate in Rosaryhill, Hong Kong next July 2011.
Fr Felicisimo Martinez, Prior of our Convent of the Most Holy Rosary in Madrid came to live with us on March 16 and will live on April 28. He came to teach the subject
“Doctrine of God†(De Trinitate) in the School of Christian Studies of the Catholic University of Saint Joseph, Macau. During his time with us, he also pronounced (on April 6) at the said University a well-attended and highly appreciated lecture on “Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ: Recent Developments in Christology.†He spent some days with our Novices in Hong Kong, teaching them on Dominican Life. Moreover, he gave a retreat to the community of Rosaryhill, joined also by the community in Kowloon Tong, during Holy Week.
Fr. Javier Arrazola, from our mission in Korea was with us on April 4-7. On April 4, Monday, I was attending a meeting of the Council of Formation in Rosaryhill, Hong Kong, presided by Fr. Provincial Javier. During the morning meeting I was happily surprised by the voices coming from the chapel singing the lovely Lenten Gregorian song Media Vita. I inquired who was teaching our Novices the Media Vita and was told that it was Fr. Arrazola. I remember with fondness the late Fr. Maximo Puertas, OP, who rests in God’s peace, who loved this song. We remembered it together in our Convent in Peñalver, when we were at the middle of our road – Media Vita! I hope Fr. Arrazola, or Fr. Rafael Carpintero, OP from our mission in the Philippines will visit us and teach our students some Gregorian chant.
Another visitor, who is like member at a distance of our community, was Fr. Secundino Vicente, from Rosaryhill. He visits us frequently to wash our souls from our sins and human miseries. This time he was with us on April 5-7.
Our most frequent visitor – well, truly a member of our Priory, where he has a permanent room -, is Fr Provincial Javier Gonzalez, who lives in our house in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. He stayed with us some weekends of March and April. He talked with all the members of the community, in particular with our students. He also taught a tutorial course in Canon Law to two of our graduating students of theology.
On April 6 we had the pleasure of receiving in our Priory Fr. Dionisio Cabezon, a member of our Province assigned to the University of Santo Tomas, Manila. He has chosen our Priory for his summer vacation time. He will be with us up to May 20. Fr Dionisio is available to our students for consultation and will talk to and with our graduating students on the way to prepare well for entrance exams in different schools and universities abroad.
On April 12, we were gladly surprised by the visit of Fr. Vincent Lu, Assistant to the Master of the Order for the Asia-Pacific Region. He was accompanied by Fr Javier Gonzalez, OP and stayed with us for two days. He wanted to know our life and work here in Macau, particularly on the Dominican and theological formation our students are presently receiving.
On April 20, Fr. Athanasius Chen presented his masteral thesis at the University of St. Joseph, Macau. The title of the thesis: “Moral Values in Education: A Case Study of One Catholic Secondary School in Macau.†Before a panel of three, including Professor Vincent Davis, his Supervisor, our brother Fr. Athanasius defended his thesis and passed the ordeal very well. Our warmest congratulations!
Let me wrap up our chronicle with some more good news this time concerning Saint Paul School, run by our Fathers Alejandro, Jose Angel, and Athanasius. Its pioneering project – top of the line – on the use of modern technology in the field of education is called “Classroom 2012 Project.†The innovative project is a bold application of the school’s education policy ESOS (Empowering Students for an Open School). Congratulations and more power to you, amigos!
I am sending this chronicle to Fr. Emiliano on the morning of a lovely and quiet Holy Saturday. Easter is closing in! To all our brothers, we joyfully say: Happy Easter ¡Felices Pascuas de Resurrección! We are Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
(For more information on some of the news mentioned above and other news, you may wish to visit our simple webpage: www.dominicansmacau.org Muchas gracias!) (FGB)
(Published in BoletÃn de Información de la Provincia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, No. 82, pp. 16-20: Rosaryhill, Hong Kong, January-April 2011)
St. Dominic’s Priory
Macau, April 29, 2011