On May 11, 2015, Brother Andreas Kim Sung Dae, OP, was liturgically sent-off as a missionary of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary, Dominican Missionary Province. The Send-off ritual took place within the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. It was presided over by Fr. Javier Gonzalez, OP, Prior Provincial of the Province. The brothers of the Priory were present.
Like other member of the missionary Province, when Bro. Andreas made his solemn profession, he promised his readiness to be sent to any of the different missions of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary. During the Mass of May 11, Monday, he was formally sent-off to the missions. After the Prayer of Petition and Prayer of Blessing, Br. Andreas received the Missionary Cross from Fr. Javier. The meaningful ritual ended with the singing of the Salve Regina to Our Lady.
After completing his institutional studies and earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from the University of Saint Joseph, Macau, Br. Andreas from Korea was ready for pastoral exposure and work in our missions before his ordination to the diaconate and priesthood. On May 14 he is flew to Dili, East Timor, to learn from and help the newest mission of our Province which started three years ago.
The send-off ritual for missionaries has a long tradition in our Province. It was started by the end of the 18th century after the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary was inaugurated in 1587. Manila was then the place of formation and initiation of our missionaries. Before going to their assigned mission in Asia the missionaries visited the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, the famous La Naval de Manila, and asked the help of Our Lady with a meaningful ceremony which always ended with the singing of the Salve Regina. The sending-off of our brother Andreas continues this wonderful tradition.
Ours Dominican brothers in Spain invite us to the Ordination to the Priesthood of fr. Juan Franco Perez, and to the Ordination to the Deaconate of fr. Carlos Y. Simbajón, who lived with us for a year at our St. Dominic’s Priory. Another brother from the Spanish Province of Andalucia will also be ordained as deacon, fr. Angel L. Fariña Perez.
The ordinations will take place on May 30, 2015, at our Parish of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Philippines in Madrid, Spain. The ordaining prelate will be our Dominican brother bishop the Most Rev. Juan Jose Larrañeta Olleta.
The accompanying biblical text reads:
“Name something that you have that you have not received? (1 Cor 4:7)
We pray for our brothers who are to be ordained!
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CHRISTMAS IS ALLOWING OURSELVES BEING LOVED BY GOD
That God loves us is something that we believe and celebrate. But that we allow ourselves to be loved by Him it is neither so clear nor easy. The reason is because our pride and selfishness prevent it.
This is why I was stricken by a statement I saw this Christmas season on a board in our parish of Catia, in Caracas (Venezuela). The message displayed is very simple, almost childish, but quite deep. It reads in Spanish: ¡Navidad es dejarnos amar por el Niño Jesús! [Christmas is allowing ourselves being loved by the Child Jesus]
To my mind this message contains the key for the coming Christmas festivities to become either a joyous season or, on the contrary, an annual routine. Everything depends on whether in contemplating the incarnated God we allow ourselves to be loved by Him.
This explains my decision of adopting this message as the motto for my Christmas greetings this year. And I translate it into a wish, namely, that we may bring to our lives with humility and generosity a bit more of passion, understanding, goodwill, and appreciation for others. These elements would suffice to transform our Christmas season into joy.
May the Birthday of the Child Jesus bring us peace and joy.
Thank you very much for your greetings.
¡MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED YEAR 2015!
Fr Javier
Jubileo 800 (in diversas lenguas)
Macau, October 19, 2014
Dear Brothers:
Fraternal greetings!
As Provincial Promoter of the Jubilee 800 of the Order (2016), it is my duty to suggest some possible activities for our Province and communities.  My suggestions shall be properly cleared out with our Prior Provincial, Javier González, OP.
In my first email to you all, I suggest to starting to pray daily the Jubilee Prayer and thus join our voices, minds and hearts to our Dominican brothers and sisters throughout the world. Some of the communities of our Province in Asia are already reciting daily said prayer. Considering that November 7 is an important Dominican Feast (All Saints of the Order) and that the Jubilee Year will start on November 7, 2015 (and end on January 21, 2017), it would seem appropriate that all  communities begin to recite the Jubilee Prayer on this coming November 7.
I am attaching hereto the Jubilee Prayer and the explanatory text from the Jubilee Central Committee of the Order. Taking into account that the celebration of the Jubilee is of the whole Dominican Family, you may share it with other branches of our Family. I am also attaching the “estampita†we made in Macao that is being currently used also in our communities in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Let me thank in advance the brothers who will kindly send suggestions and comments directed to make of our celebration a path to joyful renewal for each one of us and for our communities. Â Moreover, I will also appreciate information on the programs for the preparation of the Jubilee (from November 7, 2014 to November 6, 2015) of the different communities.
I am certain our superiors will lead our communities in carrying out appropriate activities and programs according to the different places and cultures where we evangelize. Of these activities and other related matters we hope to speak in future emails.
Meanwhile, let us pray the Jubilee Prayer every day at the most convenient time.
Your brother, vuestro hermano
Fray Fausto Gómez, OP
“Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.†These were the words the ordaining Bishop said to each one of our five Brothers being ordained deacons while presenting to them the Book of the Gospels. This moment had been preceded by the laying on of hands on them and a prayer of consecration.
The ordination ceremony took place in the evening of 7 October, 2014, on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, in a cozy church of Tsimshatsui, in the heart of the tourist belt of Kowloon, Hong Kong. Our brother Deacons were Peter (Vietnamese), Matthew and Alfonso (Burmese), Antonio (Korean), and John Vianney (Chinese). The ordaining Bishop was the Most Rev. Joseph Ha, Chi-Shing, OFM, Auxiliary Bishop of Hong Kong.
Witnessing the solemn occasion were a crowd of about 200 persons, among them 40 concelebrants and a significant number of our young Dominicans in formation (students, novices, postulants) from our three communities in Hong Kong and Macau. The Dominican laity of Hong Kong and representatives of our communities in Korea, Japan and Mainland were also present. The Apostolic Delegate in Hong Kong graced the occasion also with his presence.
It was an intense moment of gratitude to God for the increasing number of vocations that He is giving us. It was a marvelous opportunity to give thanks also to Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary, as expressed in the canticle of the Magnificat and in the concluding song, the Salve Regina.
A festive agape in the adjacent parish hall crowned the occasion. As we share this news with all the members of the Province let us pray for the newly ordained brothers, heralds of the Gospel, so that they may indeed believe what they read, teach what they believe and practice what they teach.
Fray Fernando Muñoz, OP
Secretay of the Province
