Advent is a time reminding us the importance of Christ in our lives, preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas, and referring to his second coming at a future time. In keeping with these principles, the priory held a retreat on December 16, 2023 for the student brothers on the theme of “Detachment or Vow of Poverty.” The preacher, Fr. Hyacinth He, O.P. stressed on that point with his personal experiences. In the afternoon, the brothers received the sacrament of reconciliation. The recollection was ended with adoration and vespers.
The Priory recently celebrated the birthdays of some of the brothers, including the master of the student brothers and two kitchen staffs.
The birthdays’ celebrants of October were Fr. Edmond, Fr. Paul, Br. Francis Kim, Br. John Ai and Br. Jean Carlos. The community wished them ” Ad Multos Annos.”
It was a joyous occasion that brought everyone together in celebration of community life and fraternity.
A yearly recurrent ephemerides at this community of St Dominic’s Priory in Macau is the religious profession renewal of some of the student brothers. This year the event took place on 21 June. On that day, seventeen brothers, wearing their black and white Dominican habit, renewed their promise of obedience to God, to Blessed Mary, to Blessed Dominic and, through the local superior, to Fr Gerard Francisco Timoner, the current Master of the Order of Preachers. They likewise pledged fidelity “to go to the foreign Mission whereever assigned by their superiors” as it is customary in the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was one step forward for them towards their solemn profession.
By circumstance, this year the 17 brothers found themselves in different countries on that very day of 21 June: Bro. Innocent Han-Zaw-Htun was in Yangon; Bro. Reynaldo Chang, in Hong Kong, Bro. Benedito de Jesus, Cesar Lino de Sousa, Agostinho Mendonça, Andre Pereira, Joao Baptista Pereira, Gaspar de Jesus, Agostinho Maia dos Santos, Natalino da Costa, in Timor Leste; Bro. Mark Noh Seung, in Korea; and the rest, Bro. Gabriel Khun Ri, Luigi Yu Reh, Aloysius Thurein-Htun, Francisco Zin Ko Lin, Francis Kim Eung Woo and Joseph Hung Naing Ling remained in Macau. In this way, the joyful event was witnessed by a larger number of brothers, some of them young aspirants and novices, in the Missions of the Province. As seen in the pictures they shared with us after the event, their faces reflected joy.
In Macau, at St Dominic’s Priory, the ceremony of the renewal took place in the evening of that day during the Vespers and the conventual Mass, presided over by the Prior of the community, Fr Javier Gonzales, and concelebrated by Frs. Fausto, Edmond Eh, Paul Fan and Lawrence Reh, and participated by the rest of the student brothers. The celebration ended with the singing of the Salve Regina and the O Spem Miram to our Father Dominic.
Our warmest congratulations to all the brothers for this act of generosity towards God. Congratulations also to our Korean Brother Mannes John Kim Su-Myeong, a former student in Macau, who on this same date made his solemn profession in his home country, South Korea. Our prayers for all of them, with the wish that the Lord who started this good work may take it to fulfillment.
This year 2022, the Ash Wednesday, which in the liturgical calendar marks the beginning of our Lenten journey towards Easter, was a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace in Ukraine, as requested by Pope Francis.
Here at St Dominic’s in Macau, the community Mass was presided over by its Prior, Fr Javier Gonzalez, during which the ashes were imposed on all its members with the customary words “Repent and believe the Gospel.” The Mass readings of that day highlighted the Lenten itinerary in expressions such as “Return to the Lord…” (prophet Joel), “Be reconciled to God” (St Paul), “When you pray…When you give alms… When you fast…” (Jesus). Our response both as individuals and as a community could not be other than “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned” (Resp. Psalm). We continue praying for our personal conversion and for peace in the world.
On Friday, 18 March 2022, the University of Saint Joseph in Macau celebrated its 25th Year Anniversary with a Mass in the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady, presided over by the diocesan Bishop, D. Stephen Lee. The Rector of the University, Rev. Deacon Stephen Morgan, assisted the main celebrant as Deacon. Likewise, our Dominican community was actively involved in the liturgical celebration: some priests-professors concelebrated with the bishop, and our student brothers assisting also during the Mass, some as acolytes and the rest in the music ministry as members of the choir. Other members of the assembly participated in different ways, from proclaiming the readings to presenting the intercessory prayers on behalf of the entire community. USJ administrators, professors, staff members, alumni and students alike were also present.
It was a Thanksgiving Mass to commemorate the important landmark of the USJ Silver Anniversary of the USJ, which under the motto “Tradition, Innovation, Vision” continues committed to play a significant role in the evangelization in this part of the world. Bishop Lee, during his homily, highlighted the meaning and relevance of the event. As it coincided with the festivity of St Joseph, the bishop cited the Holy Father’s Pastoral Letter Patris corde (“With the heart of a father”) and encouraged everyone to imitate the fatherly virtues of the Holy Patriarch Saint Joseph. He ended by giving thanks to the Lord for the growth and development of USJ in the past 25 years and requested the academic community present, students and teachers alike, to ask for grace for the next 25 years.
After the Mass, invited guests and participants took a group photo at the nearby Ruins of Saint Paul’s, a place where Catholic Higher Education began in East Asia and a reminder of how the University is rooted in a long tradition of intercultural exchange that has been the hallmark of Catholic higher education in Macau since the College of Saint Paul, founded in 1954.
Journeying Together as Dominicans
Life is a journey! Student life is a journey! Religious life is a journey, too, indeed a unique or distinctive journey! Being both students and religious, graduation is quite an experience for us journeying together.
There is a saying, “if you want to walk fast, walk alone. However, if you want to walk far, walk with others.†I am convinced that this saying is particularly suitable for religious life, in which fraternal life is lived in the community. The strength of being in a religious community is to help one another when one is not in the right condition physically, spiritually, or intellectually. There is no room in it for individualistic approaches. He who is a religious community pursues his own interests and projects without being sensitive to others may perhaps achieve them, but he will not find anyone beside him to celebrate it together or to share his joy with.
Celebration never takes place in solitude. It occurs only in the community, as it is a joy to be shared.
As a Dominican, journeying together with one’s own community is something essential because community life is one of the four pillars of Dominican spirituality.  Accomplishing something together with others makes it truly enjoyable and meaningful since such joy is to be shared. That is the case with the group of Dominican brothers who this year graduate after five years of study in USJ.
We give thanks to the Lord for His many blessings bestowed on us throughout these years.
And we thank our fellow Dominicans [and the USJ academic community] with whom we journey together.
Author. Gabriel Kyaw Ko Ko, OP
