The 2014-2015 school year is ending. Students, professors and other brothers start in July-August their longed for summer vacation or a different kind of work or mission. In our Priory most of its members – priests and student brothers alike – are journeying to different places and missions: some are going on vacation with their families to their respective country; others are going to various Asian countries for pastoral exposure, and still others will leave Macau for improvement in languages, arts, theology or education.
While a few priests will remain at the Priory during summer, other new members will be added in a few days: five of the seven newly professed in Rosaryhill, Hong Kong just last Saturday July 4, 2015. These five brothers – four from Myanmar and one from Korea – will start their Dominican institutional studies by the second week of September at the Catholic University of Saint Joseph, Macau. (By the way, on the same day of the first profession of our brothers (seven in all) on July 4, seven postulants received their Dominican habit, including – for the first time – two from Timor Leste).
Summer is a great time to rest, relax and enjoy the wonders of God’s creation. It is a wonderful time to examine our loves and our hopes in a peaceful environment. Tomorrow will be better if we begin today. Really tomorrow does not exist; only today, this moment is in our hands. In fact, “Life is a series of moments either lived or lost.â€
May you all – brothers, friends, relatives and co-pilgrims – have a restful, enjoyable and hopeful summer! Prayer always helps!
See you all healthy, relaxed and happy – when summer is gone! (FGB)
On 28 June 2015, Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, four of our student brothers made their Solemn Profession at the Chapel of St. Dominic’s Priory in Macau.
The moving and touching ceremony took place within the Eucharistic Celebration which was presided over by Fr. Javier Gonzalez, OP, Prior Provincial of Our Lady of the Rosary Province. The Holy Mass was concelebrated by fifteen Dominican priests from our St. Dominic’s Priory and from various countries of Asia. Our brother priests from Asian countries are currently participating in the Common Study Program organized by the Asia/Pacific Region of the Dominican order that is being currently held in Hong Kong. The liturgical celebration was indeed very joyful, colorful and inspiring.
In his short homily, Fray Javier commenting on the proclaimed Word of God underlined the great importance of faith and generosity. The daughter of Jairus was brought to life by Jesus counting on Jairus’ faith. On the way to the house of Jairus, a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years was healed by Jesus because of her faith, which Jesus “felt†when she “touched†His clothes (see Mk 5:21-43). The preacher questioned incisively: “We who are chosen by the Lord and who touch Him many times, how come we seem not to experience much change in our life? Why?†Perhaps, we are like the crowd pressing around Jesus and even touching Him but, maybe, without or with little faith.
With faith in Jesus who has called them, the four lucky brothers come to make their Solemn Profession, that is, “usque ad mortem,†or until death in the Dominican Order. With humble faith and hopeful trust they consecrate their life to God: to do His will by following Jesus by the path of St. Dominic de Guzman; by imitating Jesus who has shown us all His unconditional obedience to the Father, and His infinite love for humanity.
Our four Dominican brothers, Mariano Kai, Paul Aung Myint Win, Mikele Gei, and Lawrence The Reh pronounced their vows to God, promised to be obedient until death kneeling before our bother Javier, who represented Fray Bruno Cadoré, OP, the Master of the Order. As the four brothers prostrated on the ground, as a sign of obedience to God through Jesus in the Spirit, the choir sung solemnly: “Here the eternal Spirit of God tells us a new world’s begun.â€
The liturgical celebration was wonderfully animated by our Dominican sisters from Taipa. The chapel was totally filled up to the point that many were standing both inside and outside the lovely Chapel. Beside the regular Sunday Mass participants, there were the Dominican brothers who are attending the Common Study Program of the Asia-Pacific Region, some distinguished professors from the Catholic University of Saint Joseph, Macau and friends of the Dominican community of Macau.
After the wonderful Eucharist and the touching rites of the Solemn Profession of the four brothers, all the people attending were invited to share with the Dominican family in a fraternal agape at the Hall of the Priory.
As we leave the Chapel, the meaningful lyrics of the song “Hear I Am Standing Right Beside You†keep ringing in our hearts:
Here I am standing right beside you.
Here I am; do not be afraid.
Here I am, waiting like a lover.
I am here; I am here.
Bro. Paul Aung Myint Win OP
St. Dominic’s Priory, Macau
On June 24, 2014, nine brothers from our studentate in St. Dominic’s Priory renewed their simple profession during the morning Community Mass. Fr. José Luis de Miguel, OP, Prior, received the brothers’ personal and free decision to continue their commitment to the religious vows, obedience to Christ through the Dominican Constitutions, and willingness to accept being sent to the missions of the Dominican Missionary Province of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The brothers who said YES to the Dominican call and renewed their resolve to continue being Dominicans for one or two more years are the following:
Paul Thu Reh
Michael Tony
Pio Yu Yousin
Joseph Tran Van Huong
Francis Naw San
Ignatius Ngo Van Thu Giang
Peter Kyaw Thinn
James Ye Min Tun
Abraham Nin Ki Gei
Three other brothers of our studentate renewed their simple profession in their respective country. They are:
Michael Song Jeong Sin
Francis Nge Nge
Peter Zya Reh
  To the twelve brothers, another name has to be added: the name of brother Joseph Pakhu, who renewed his simple profession once more and for one year on June 27, 2015. It is understood that the renewal of the religious profession is done as another step on the way to the solemn profession.
The profession ceremony was simple and meaningful. Appropriate songs marked joyfully the spiritual rhythm of the unique event: “Here I am Lord. I come to do your will.â€
The Priory continues praying for the perseverance and happiness of the brothers who decided to continue journeying with us in their following of Christ by the path of St. Dominic and with the help of Mother Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary.
To one and all: Warm and fraternal congratulations!
The celebration of the Holy Eucharist at St. Dominic’s Priory on May 10, 2015, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, had an added significance: the simple liturgical ritual for the installation of 16 simply professed brothers of the Priory for the Ministry of Lector and 13 among them also for the Ministry of Acolyte. Fr. Javier Gonzalez, OP, Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of Our Lady of the Rosary, presided over the concelebrated Mass and the rites of installation. Our dear lay faithful who attend regularly our Sunday Eucharist were also present and shared in the joy and hope of the Dominican community.
The ministries of Lector, or Reader, and Acolyte are steps on the way to the “major orders†of Diaconate and Priesthood (cf. Canon 1035). Both ministries are part of the continuing formation of religious brothers and seminarians. As we read in our Dominican Constitutions: “The ministries of reader and acolyte may be given to the brothers as a way of forming them gradually and prudently in the apostolate†(LCO 215bis).
The two Ministries of Lector and Acolyte carry certain responsibilities. The function of lector is threefold: first, reading and proclaiming the Word of God in the liturgical assembly; second, instructing children and adults in the Christian faith and preparing them towards the reception of the sacraments; and third, bringing the Good News to those who have not yet received it. The function of acolyte is serving at the altar and assisting priests and deacons, and preparing the altar and the sacred vessels; when necessary, the acolyte may distribute Holy Communion to the faithful (Canon 943).
All the brothers of Saint Dominic’s Priory in Macau rejoice heartily and congratulate warmly the new readers and acolytes. By the way, almost half of the brothers who were installed as lectors and acolytes are currently preparing for their hopeful Perpetual Vows or Solemn Profession in their Dominican religious life, for the day when they will say “Yes†to the service of the Lord by the path of St. Dominic for life. Other brothers among the new lectors and acolytes hope to renew their simple profession in the Dominican Order one or two years more.
The words of Fr. Javier in his homily continue ringing in our ears: To be is to love. God is love and loved us first. Our vocation is to love others like Jesus, that is unconditionally and fully, in the first place the brothers and sisters abandoned on the margins of life. All ministries in the Church are ministries of service.
May the new lectors and acolytes respond faithfully to their new call to serve the Church and continue preparing for the deaconate and the apostolate! We all pray for our brothers, the new readers and acolytes.
 On April 25, 2015, the Dominican brothers of St. Dominic’s Priory and the Dominican sisters of the Holy Rosary gathered together at the sisters’ convent of Our Lady of Carmel in Taipa, Macau to celebrate the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, the great 14th century Dominican saint, virgin and doctor of the Church. Considering that her feast day is on April 29, a working day this year, its celebration was advanced to the previous Saturday.
The celebration began at six in the evening with the opening song, which was followed by the praying of psalms. Pertinent songs were elegantly sandwiched between the various parts of the well-thought out program. Then the presentation of the life of St. Catherine and the relevance of her teachings today followed. The sisters did a great job in presenting movingly and even passionately the life and works of the great Dominican mystic and apostle. Some scenes of Catherine’s life were realistically portrayed by the young sisters and captured in beautiful video clips.
Thereafter, an aspirant of the sisters’ community shared some interesting personal comments. Recalling what Fr. Felicisimo Martinez OP had said in his homily to them, she expressed her conviction that sisters must also preach. They should also preach to the Fathers and not just the Fathers preaching to them – the sisters. In her sharing, she emphasized Catherine’s teaching that distinguishes between our desire for gifts and our desire for the giver of these gifts: “Those who are afire with love look only to God, the giver, and not the giftâ€; “the gift is loved because of God, the giver, and not because of the gift’s consolation.†Moreover, the inspired aspirant stressed Catherine’s conviction that God calls each of us to mystical union, no matter how weak and imperfect we are.
After the insightful sharing, the sisters sung together “Saint Dominic Superstar†in Spanish. With this song, the main part of the celebration of St. Catherine of Siena ended gloriously. The lover of “the Sweet Jesus†and of the poor and of the Church is always attractive, always relevant, always calling us Dominicans to drink of the waters of her Dialogue and Letters and follow her Dominican path.
The next part of the celebration was a fraternal/sisterly agape: a delicious banquet shared by all. All the participants enjoyed the varied and tasteful foods joyfully and competently prepared by the sisters. Thus the real love of the Dominican family was wonderfully witnessed. Around 8 pm, the celebration ended. The celebration was as beautiful as the sunset of the day and as the sisters who organized it so well.
Bro. Paul Aung Myint Win OP
