ASIA PACIFIC REGENTS’ MEETING

Dominican Regents of Studies of the Asia pacific Region met in Manila on January 21-22, 2011. Of the seven Regents, five were able to participate in the meeting: Fr. Paulson Deepak, Regent of the Province of India; Fr. Roland Mactal, Regent of the Philippine Province, Fr. Philip Pan, Regent of the Chinese General Vicariate of Taiwan, Fr. Fausto Gomez, Regent of Our Lady of the Rosary Province, and Fr. Hilary Martin Representative of the Regent of the Province of Australia/New Zealand. Two other Regents were no able to attend: Fr. Joseph Le Minh, Regent of Vietnam, and Fr. Jamshed Albert, Regent of Pakistan. Fr. Marcio Couto, Assistant to the Master of the Order for the Intellectual Life, presided the meeting which was held at the University of Santo Tomas.

In the two-day and 13-hour meeting, the participants studied together the teachings on study of the latest General Chapter of the Order held in Rome in September 2010 and exchanged information and views on the place of study in their respective Dominican entity. Under the guidance of an expert on the matter, they also reflected on the method of analysis called SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), recommended by said General Chapter.

The meeting opened on January 21 with a Prayer led by Fr. Gomez, followed by the opening remarks of Fr. Couto. Through the day, the Regents presented the current situation of study in their respective Province or Vicariate. The over-all evaluation of study, an essential element of the Dominican charism, is substantially positive in all entities.

In the afternoon session of the first day, Fr. Couto shared with the Regents relevant information on DOMUNI, a Dominican website which aims at making theology courses available to as many people as possible through the use of internet. Up to now the programs offered are in French; soon some theological courses will also be offered in English. Fr. Couto asked for the cooperation of the Provinces of Asia Pacific in this promising endeavor. (By the way the Province of Spain with the help of the other Iberian Provinces presents and manages a successful website in Spanish.)

On the second day of the meeting, a resource person was invited to enlighten the Regents on the so-called SWOT analysis. Professor Gilda Resurreccion developed expertly the four steps of SWOT within the framework of strategic planning. The method seems to be a useful instrument often used in the corporate world to increase the strengths, reduce the weaknesses, use well the opportunities and neutralize the threats. Using the reports of the regents, professor Resurreccion pointed out strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities and threats. Finally, she proposed some specific strategies towards the development of intellectual life in the Provinces and Vicariate.

In the afternoon of the second day, Fr. Couto showed some statistics on the state of the Order and spoke of the need for interprovincial collaboration on the matter of study, including exchange of professors and students, etc. The Order is generally well in the Asia Pacific, with a growing number of vocations in Vietnam, India, the Philippines and Our Lady of the Rosary. The Province of Australia and New Zealand is also blooming in the Solomon Islands. For its part, the Chinese General Vicariate shows signs of hope too.

Also in the afternoon sessions, the Regents studied and discussed with Fr. Couto the provisions on study found in the Acts of the General Chapter of Rome 2010, particularly Chapter IV De Studio (nos. 83-127).

The final session of the meeting studied and approved certain proposals to be submitted to the meeting of the Provincials of the Asia Pacific Region to meet with Fr. Bruno Cadoré, Master of the Order of Preachers, at Caleruega, Batangas, Philippines on February 7-9, 2011. At this session, interprovincial collaboration in the Asia Pacific Region was underlined, in particular the possibility of pooling together resources of personnel and finances and removing obstacles which inhibit movement from one entity to another.

The final act of the meeting of Regents was the election of a new coordinator. Fr Paulson Deepak of India was elected new coordinator of the Regents of Studies of the Asia Pacific Region. He succeeds Fr. Fausto Gomez of Our Lady of the Rosary Province. The next meeting of the Regents of Studies of the Asia Pacific Region shall be held during the first part of 2013 and before the next General Chapter of the Order which will be held in September 2013.

The Assistant to the Master of the Order for Intellectual Life and the five Regents of Studies expressed their deep gratitude to Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, OP, Rector of the University of Sato Tomas for inviting them to have the meeting at UST; Fr. Rodel Aligan Prior of  St. Thomas Aquinas Priory for providing them with board and lodging at the Priory, the UST Ecclesiastical Faculties for the use of their facilities for the meeting, and most particularly Joel Sagut, Secretary of the Ecclesiastical Faculties, who acted expertly as secretary of the meeting.

Fr. De la Rosa also invited Fr. Couto and the Regents to attend the ICUSTA International Conference which was held also at UST on January 25-27, 2011. (ICUSTA means International Council of Universities of Saint Thomas Aquinas.)  The meeting of the Regents of Studies and the ICUSTA Conference were held in the University of Santo Tomas as part of the UST 400^th Foundation Anniversary. Invited also by the UST Rector, the Regents attended the Grand Day of the 400^th, that is, January 28, the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Patron of the university. The Quadricentennial Grand Day was a superb testimony to the great 400-year history of the University of Santo Tomas. UST is the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, the Catholic University of the Philippines, which was founded by Our Lady of the Rosary Province in 1611. (FGB)