austraLasia #2740
RM arrives in Philippines
Manila: 20 October 2010 -- With barely three hours sleep after arriving from Seoul and braving heavy rainfall, Fr Pascual Chávez, with Fr Adrian Bregolin and Fr Juan Bartolomé, travelled on 19 October for two hours to Pampanga, north of Manila, for the first day of his short visit to the Philippines North Province (FIN). The helicopter service that would have brought the Rector Major to Pampanga was cancelled due to strong winds caused by a super typhoon locally (and aptly named Juan!)
But the heavens cooperated with the second coming of St John Bosco’s ninth successor to FIN. The heavy downfall became drizzles, which made the atmosphere cooler, when the Rector Major began the Mass of Bl Michael Rua in the school chapel. In attendance were around 130 professed confreres of the FIN, plus the more than 50 aspirants and a further 60 students of theology of 12 nationalities. Concelebrating prelates were Salesian Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, Salesian Bishop Patrick Buzon of Kabankalan, southern Philippines, and Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of San Fernando, Pampanga. Before the Rector Major’s arrival, Cardinal Zen shared a Chinese proverb which says that when important people visit, they bring the rains with them.
The Rector Major spent an hour with the confreres, doing away with his prepared speech and speaking extemporaneously from his heart on matters of concern about consecrated life, not sparing Salesian life, today. After the Rector Major’s succinct and stirring speech, the presentation of the heroic virtues of Fr Charles Braga took another hour. Those who spoke about Fr Braga, a pioneer of the Salesian work in the Philippines, were the three prelates. FIN is resolved to formally initiate the cause for sainthood of Fr Braga. Incidentally, also in Manila for the first East-Asia Oceania Congress of the Association of Mary, Help of Christians is the new Salesian Postulator General for the causes of saints, Fr Pier Luigi Cameroni.
The program during lunch presented brass band pieces by the aspirants and then some more pieces, all of Mexican or Spanish origin, from selected confreres from different houses of the FIN. The highlight of the program was the spontaneous number by Frs Pascual Chávez and Juan Bartolome, accompanied on the accordion by Fr Adrian Bregolin.
While the confreres went for games after lunch, the Rector Major and his companions were given time for a much-needed and well-deserved rest before their flight to Cebu, the Philippines-South Province (FIS). Thus was the first day.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2010 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
RM arrives in Philippines
Manila: 20 October 2010 -- With barely three hours sleep after arriving from Seoul and braving heavy rainfall, Fr Pascual Chávez, with Fr Adrian Bregolin and Fr Juan Bartolomé, travelled on 19 October for two hours to Pampanga, north of Manila, for the first day of his short visit to the Philippines North Province (FIN). The helicopter service that would have brought the Rector Major to Pampanga was cancelled due to strong winds caused by a super typhoon locally (and aptly named Juan!)
But the heavens cooperated with the second coming of St John Bosco’s ninth successor to FIN. The heavy downfall became drizzles, which made the atmosphere cooler, when the Rector Major began the Mass of Bl Michael Rua in the school chapel. In attendance were around 130 professed confreres of the FIN, plus the more than 50 aspirants and a further 60 students of theology of 12 nationalities. Concelebrating prelates were Salesian Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, Salesian Bishop Patrick Buzon of Kabankalan, southern Philippines, and Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of San Fernando, Pampanga. Before the Rector Major’s arrival, Cardinal Zen shared a Chinese proverb which says that when important people visit, they bring the rains with them.
The Rector Major spent an hour with the confreres, doing away with his prepared speech and speaking extemporaneously from his heart on matters of concern about consecrated life, not sparing Salesian life, today. After the Rector Major’s succinct and stirring speech, the presentation of the heroic virtues of Fr Charles Braga took another hour. Those who spoke about Fr Braga, a pioneer of the Salesian work in the Philippines, were the three prelates. FIN is resolved to formally initiate the cause for sainthood of Fr Braga. Incidentally, also in Manila for the first East-Asia Oceania Congress of the Association of Mary, Help of Christians is the new Salesian Postulator General for the causes of saints, Fr Pier Luigi Cameroni.
The program during lunch presented brass band pieces by the aspirants and then some more pieces, all of Mexican or Spanish origin, from selected confreres from different houses of the FIN. The highlight of the program was the spontaneous number by Frs Pascual Chávez and Juan Bartolome, accompanied on the accordion by Fr Adrian Bregolin.
While the confreres went for games after lunch, the Rector Major and his companions were given time for a much-needed and well-deserved rest before their flight to Cebu, the Philippines-South Province (FIS). Thus was the first day.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2010 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
