austraLasia #3407

 
'Thanks - and reconnecting'
New deacons
Other news

ROME: 29 March 2014 --  With elections out of the way, there might be a temptation to think well, that's about it - it's all downhill from here on.
It doesn't work that way! GC27 was only partly about elections. What it is really about is "to discern God's will at a specific moment in history for the purpose of rending the Church better service" (C. 141) and while elections are part of that, the job is not yet (and will never be!) finished.  So, on it goes and back to work on the main theme(s).
Meanwhile ....
- The new/old regional, Fr Klement wishes to give thanks to Fr Andy Wong and look to reconnecting.
- Life moves on in our Provinces: new deacons in the Philippines but for more than just the Philippines
- Other news: a papal visit; consecrated life appointments.
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Thanks - and reconnecting: a letter from our Regional, Fr Klement
Dear Brothers, Sisters and Friends,

As you know already, last Friday the Lord asked me to take over again (after 6 years) the role of General Councillor for the East Asia - Oceania Region, through the GC27 elections, although there are still two more weeks before the end of the General Chapter. Indeed it was a new and unexpected call, which I accept only with deep trust in the power of the Holy Spirit (C1). After travelling around more than 90 countries in the past 6 years I'm glad to recover old friendships and 'return' to familiar provinces of the EAO Region. Only the MYM becomes the place to explore for the first time.

I am very grateful for the sacrificing and dedicated service of my predecessor Fr Andrew Wong (2008-2014) as the second EAO Regional Councilor. Being an experienced Provincial, formator and missionary, for the past 6 years by his witness of life he was able to consolidate especially the primacy of God in our beloved Region. During his term the EAO region grew in number of Salesians and works, became the major missionary sending Region of the whole Congregation and in almost all sectors of the Salesian mission.

Today I would like to ask you: (1) Pray for the GC27 EAO members over these last two weeks that we might be able to get clearer inspiration on how to share our path towards a Radical Witness to the Gospel in our provinces starting from April 13, day 1 after the Chapter, and (2) Share any good ideas and experiences of how to animate the EAO region with greater wisdom. Please, don't hesitate to share any suggestion as soon as possible by email. Now is the time to think of the 6 year plan...

   Finally I'm entrusting all of you to the motherly care of Mary, Help of Christians and all Salesian Saints of our Region, especially the two Holy Martyrs, Sts. Louis Versiglia and Callistus Caravario.

Yours in Don Bosco,


Fr Václav Klement, sdb

New deacons ordained for the Region

MANILA (Paranaque): 30 March 2013 --  FIN, Seminaryo ng Don Bosco, Paranaque City – Right in the middle of our Lenten journey, six deacons were ordained in a solemn ceremony on 29 March, in the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians in Better Living Paranaque City by Bishop Pat Buzon, Bishop of Kabankalan.

The following are our newly ordained deacons:
FIN (Philippines North)
Rev. Michael Angelo Hernandez, SDB
ITM-INA (Timor and Indonesia)
Rev. Silverius Andang Kencana Aji, SDB
Rev. Ambrosio Lucas Da Silva, SDB
Rev. Jacinto Tadeo Gusmao, SDB
VIE-MONG (Vietname and Mongolia)
Rev. Mario Gaspar Dos Santos, SDB

Our new deacons took up the Scriptural theme “Mary treasured all  these words and pondered them in her heart,” taken from Luke 2:19, as they manifest their desire to take Mary as their teacher in carrying out their ministry for it is in this verse that Luke portrayed Mary in his Gospel “as a model of prayer, of faith and of being in the service of the Word”  as Rev. Gene profoundly shared in his gratitude speech on behalf of his group.
Bishop Buzon, the ordaining prelate, is himself a Salesian, having been the provincial superior of the neighboring Southern Philippine Province (FIS) before being named as a bishop to his current diocese for over a decade now.
In his homily, Bishop Pat reminded the newly ordained that their “first ministry of the Word starts with listening.” He cited that the first homily of the new Rector Major, Fr. Angel Artime, zeroed in on this point. He also emphasized that “the ministry of proclaiming the Word  is ultimately a ministry of witnessing.”
Fr. Danny Torres, SDB and Fr. Henry Bonetti, SDB vice provincial of FIN and Rector of Parañaque respectively, concelebrated along with other confreres who came for the occasion.

Other news
The Chapter continues (more about that next time around), but on Monday makes a visit to Pope Francis. The RM has prepared his address - it would hardly be appropriate to publish it ahead of time!  So that too, next time around.

And while still on 'papal' matters, who noticed the recent appointments to the Congregation of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic life?  Two of them are easily understandable, since they are Salesian religious - the other one must mean that there is also a cost to consecrated life - which we all know, but I mean a 'financial' cost as well :-):

New members of the above Institute now include:
Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga SDB
Archbishop Luc Van Looy SDB
Cardinal George Pell (formerly of Sydney, now Prefect of the Secretariat for Finance).
Also from our region is the Archbishop of Osaka, Leo Jun Ikenaga. Interssting to see that Luc is the only Bishop in the group. The rest are all cardinals and arrchbishops.

And finally a reminder in case you have not see this for a while: The EAo Vision and Mission Statement: Modified and Approved by the EAO Superiors on 21 November 2013 – Lysterfield, Melbourne:
We envision East Asia-Oceania Region as a communion of Salesian Provinces, creatively faithful to Don Bosco’s Charism and effectively collaborating with each other to be evangelizers of the young, especially those who are poor.
Thus, we commit ourselves
to inculturate the Preventive System in our Provinces
to cooperate in common projects such as  formation, youth ministry, Salesian family, social communications,  and other services
to show solidarity and practical support in times of natural calamities that frequently occur in many places of the region
to strengthen and deepen our communication with each other and to use the English language as the medium of communication.