January 2004
Fr. Eduardo Aguero, after finishing his courses at CTU in Chicago, on December 14, 2003 left for Argentina, where he will take his vacations and spend Christmas with his family.
Here, below is the content of his letter addressed to the SCJs in the Philippines, where he shares about his experience and plans:
Dear Confreres,
Before I leave for my country I would like to send you my Christmas
greetings. It has been a time of Grace for me these months here in the
States. Yesterday we celebrated the fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe in our
Community with songs in Spanish and what more, they made me a "Despedida"
Party. I brought some Argentinean wine and we had a great time together. The
people here have been very good to me and I really felt at home. I finished
my four courses at CTU and I am grateful to see that it has opened for me
ways of continuing my growth and reflection in Spirituality and
cross-cultural dialogue. I keep you always in my prayers and thank you for
the opportunity you have given me to deepen in my commitment to God's
Kingdom. I will fly tomorrow. My mother is already waiting for me in Buenos
Aires. She will be 70 in April. Please include her in your prayers.
May the Lord who comes encourage your hope as you share your life with his
people.
Merry Christmas!
Eduardo
Here is a translation of the Christmas message John Paul II gave, in Italian, at midday on December 24, 2003 in St. Peter's Square.
Christmas Message of John Paul II
1. "Descendit de caelis
Salvator mundi. Gaudeamus!" The Savior of the world has come down from
heaven. Let us rejoice! This proclamation, filled with deep rejoicing,
echoed in the night of Bethlehem. Today the Church renews it with unchanged
joy: The Savior is born for us! A wave of tenderness and hope fills our
hearts, together with an overpowering need for closeness and peace. In the
crib we contemplate the One who stripped himself of divine glory in order to
become poor, driven by love for mankind. Beside the crib the Christmas tree,
with its twinkling lights, reminds us that with the birth of Jesus the tree
of life has blossomed anew in the desert of humanity. The crib and the tree:
precious symbols, which hand down in time the true meaning of Christmas!
2. In the heavens there echoes the proclamation of the angels: "To you is
born in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).
What wonder! By being born in Bethlehem, the Eternal Son of God has entered
into the history of each person living on the face of the earth. He is now
present in the world as the one Savior of humanity. For this reason we pray
to him: Savior of the world, save us!
3. Save us from the great evils which rend humanity in these first years of
the third millennium. Save us from the wars and armed conflicts which lay
waste whole areas of the world, from the scourge of terrorism and from the
many forms of violence which assail the weak and the vulnerable. Save us
from discouragement as we face the paths to peace, difficult paths indeed,
yet possible and therefore necessary; paths which are always and everywhere
urgent, especially in the Land where You were born, the Prince of Peace.
4. And you, Mary, the Virgin of expectation and fulfillment, who hold the
secret of Christmas, make us able to recognize in the Child whom you hold in
your arms the heralded Savior, who brings hope and peace to all. With you we
worship him and trustingly say: We need You, Redeemer of man, You who know
the hopes and fears of our hearts. Come and stay with us, Lord! May the joy
of your Nativity reach to the farthest ends of the universe!
Homily at Midnight Mass
1. "For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given" (Isaiah 9:5).
The words of the Prophet Isaiah, proclaimed in the First Reading, contain
the truth of Christmas, which together we relive this night.
A Child is born. In appearance, just another of the world's many children. A
Child is born in a stable in Bethlehem. He is born in a condition of extreme
deprivation: poor among the poor.
But the One who is born is "the Son" par excellence: "Filius datus est nobis."
This Child is the Son of God, of one being with the Father. Foretold by the
Prophets, he was made man by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a
Virgin, Mary.
When, shortly, we shall sing in the Creed "... 'et incarnatus est de Spiritu
Sancto ex Maria Virgine et homo factus est,'" we shall all kneel. We shall
meditate in silence on the mystery which is accomplished: "'Et homo factus
est!'" The Son of God comes among us, and we receive him on our knees.
2. "The Word became flesh" (John 1:14). On this extraordinary night the
Eternal Word, the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:5), is born in the lowly and
cold cave of Bethlehem.
"Be not afraid," says the angel to the shepherds, "for to you is born this
day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).
Like the unnamed and fortunate shepherds, let us too run to meet the One who
has changed the course of history.
In the austere poverty of the crib we contemplate "a babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12). In the vulnerable and
weak newborn babe who cries in the arms of Mary, "the grace of God has
appeared for the salvation of all men" (Titus 2:11). Let us pause in silence
and worship!
3. O Child, who willed to have for your crib a manger; O Creator of the
universe, who stripped yourself of divine glory; O Redeemer, who offered
your vulnerable body in sacrifice for the salvation of humanity!
May the radiance of your birth light up the night of the world. May the
power of your message of love thwart the proud snares of the evil one. May
the gift of your life make us understand ever more clearly the worth of the
life of each human being.
Too much blood is still being shed on the earth! Too much violence and too
many conflicts trouble the peaceful coexistence of nations!
You come to bring us peace. You are our peace! You alone can make of us "a
people purified" and belonging to you forever, a people "zealous for good
deeds" (Titus 2:14).
4. For to us a Child is born, to us a son is given! What an unfathomable
mystery is hidden in the humility of this Child! We would like to touch him;
we would like to embrace him.
You, Mary, who keep watch over your all-powerful Son, grant us your eyes to
contemplate him with faith; grant us your heart to worship him with love.
In his simplicity, the Child of Bethlehem teaches us to rediscover the real
meaning of our existence; he teaches us "to live sober, upright and godly
lives in this world" (Titus 2:12).
5. O Holy Night, so long awaited, which has united God and man for ever! You
rekindle our hope. You fill us with ecstatic wonder. You assure us of the
triumph of love over hatred, of life over death.
For this reason we remain absorbed in prayer.
In the luminous silence of your Nativity, you, Emmanuel, continue to speak
to us. And we are ready to listen to you. Amen!
Pope's Message for World Day of Peace
Message of His Holiness Pope
John Paul II
For the Celebration of the World Day of Peace
1 January 2004
An Ever Timely Commitment: Teaching Peace
My words are addressed to you, the Leaders of the nations, who have the duty
of promoting peace!
To you, Jurists, committed to tracing paths to peaceful agreement, preparing
conventions and treaties which strengthen international legality!
To you, Teachers of the young, who on all continents work tirelessly to form
consciences in the ways of understanding and dialogue!
And to you too, men and women tempted to turn to the unacceptable means of
terrorism and thus compromise at its root the very cause for which you are
fighting!
All of you, hear the humble appeal of the Successor of Peter who cries out:
today too, at the beginning of the New Year 2004, peace remains possible.
And if peace is possible, it is also a duty!
A practical initiative
1. My first Message for the World Day of Peace, in the beginning of January
1979, was centered on the theme: "To Reach Peace, Teach Peace."
That New Year's Message followed in the path traced by Pope Paul VI of
venerable memory, who had wished to celebrate on January 1 each year a World
Day of Prayer for Peace. I recall the words of the late Pontiff for the New
Year 1968: "It would be Our desire, then, that this celebration take place
each year as a sign of hope and promise, at the beginning of the calendar
which measures and guides the journey of human life through time, in order
that Peace, with its just and salutary equilibrium, will dominate the
unfolding of history yet to come."(1)
Faithful to the wishes expressed by my venerable Predecessor on the Chair of
Peter, each year I have continued this noble tradition by dedicating the
first day of the civil year to reflection and to prayer for peace in the
world.
In the twenty-five years of Pontificate which the Lord has thus far granted
me, I have not failed to speak out before the Church and the world, inviting
believers and all persons of good will to take up the cause of peace and to
help bring about this fundamental good, thereby assuring the world a better
future, one marked by peaceful coexistence and mutual respect.
Once more this year I feel bound to invite all men and women, on every
continent, to celebrate a new World Day of Peace. Humanity needs now more
than ever to rediscover the path of concord, overwhelmed as it is by
selfishness and hatred, by the thirst for power and the lust for vengeance.
The science of peace
2. The eleven Messages addressed to the world by Pope Paul VI progressively
mapped out the path to be followed in attaining the ideal of peace. Slowly
but surely the great Pontiff set forth the various chapters of a true
"science of peace". It can be helpful to recall the themes of the Messages
bequeathed to us by Pope Paul VI for this occasion.(2) Each of these
Messages continues to be timely today. Indeed, before the tragedy of the
wars which at the beginning of the Third Millennium are still causing
bloodshed throughout the world, especially in the Middle East, they take on
at times the tone of prophetic admonishments.
A primer of peace
3. For my part, throughout these twenty-five years of my Pontificate, I have
sought to advance along the path marked out by my venerable Predecessor. At
the dawn of each new year I have invited people of good will to reflect, in
the light of reason and of faith, on different aspects of an orderly
coexistence.
The result has been a synthesis of teaching about peace which is a kind of
primer on this fundamental theme: a primer easy to understand by those who
are well-disposed, but at the same time quite demanding for anyone concerned
for the future of humanity.(3)
The various colors of the prism of peace have now been amply illustrated.
What remains now is to work to ensure that the ideal of a peaceful
coexistence, with its specific requirements, will become part of the
consciousness of individuals and peoples. We Christians see the commitment
to educate ourselves and others to peace as something at the very heart of
our religion. For Christians, in fact, to proclaim peace is to announce
Christ who is "our peace" (Eph 2:14); it is to announce his Gospel, which is
a "Gospel of peace" (Eph 6:15); it is to call all people to the beatitude of
being "peacemakers" (cf. Mt 5:9).
Teaching peace
4. In my Message for the World Day of Peace on 1 January 1979 I made this
appeal: To Reach Peace, Teach Peace. Today that appeal is more urgent than
ever, because men and women, in the face of the tragedies which continue to
afflict humanity, are tempted to yield to fatalism, as if peace were an
unattainable ideal.
The Church, on the other hand, has always taught and continues today to
teach a very simple axiom: peace is possible. Indeed, the Church does not
tire of repeating that peace is a duty. It must be built on the four pillars
indicated by Blessed John XXIII in his Encyclical "Pacem in Terris": truth,
justice, love and freedom. A duty is thus imposed upon all those who love
peace: that of teaching these ideals to new generations, in order to prepare
a better future for all mankind.
Teaching legality
5. In this task of teaching peace, there is a particularly urgent need to
lead individuals and peoples to respect the international order and to
respect the commitments assumed by the Authorities which legitimately
represent them. Peace and international law are closely linked to each
another: law favors peace.
From the very dawn of civilization, developing human communities sought to
establish agreements and pacts which would avoid the arbitrary use of force
and enable them to seek a peaceful solution of any controversies which might
arise. Alongside the legal systems of the individual peoples there
progressively grew up another set of norms which came to be known as "ius
gentium" (the law of the nations). With the passage of time, this body of
law gradually expanded and was refined in the light of the historical
experiences of the different peoples.
This process was greatly accelerated with the birth of modern States. From
the sixteenth century on, jurists, philosophers and theologians were engaged
in developing the various headings of international law and in grounding it
in the fundamental postulates of the natural law. This process led with
increasing force to the formulation of universal principles which are prior
to and superior to the internal law of States, and which take into account
the unity and the common vocation of the human family.
Central among all these is surely the principle that "pacta sunt servanda":
accords freely signed must be honored. This is the pivotal and exceptionless
presupposition of every relationship between responsible contracting
parties. The violation of this principle necessarily leads to a situation of
illegality and consequently to friction and disputes which would not fail to
have lasting negative repercussions. It is appropriate to recall this
fundamental rule, especially at times when there is a temptation to appeal
to the law of force rather than to the force of law.
One of these moments was surely the drama which humanity experienced during
the Second World War: an abyss of violence, destruction and death unlike
anything previously known.
Respect for law
6. That war, with the horrors and the appalling violations of human dignity
which it occasioned, led to a profound renewal of the international legal
order. The defense and promotion of peace were set at the center of a
broadly modernized system of norms and institutions. The task of watching
over global peace and security and with encouraging the efforts of States to
preserve and guarantee these fundamental goods of humanity was entrusted by
Governments to an organization established for this purpose -- the United
Nations Organization -- with a Security Council invested with broad
discretionary power. Pivotal to the system was the prohibition of the use of
force. This prohibition, according to the well-known Chapter VII of the
United Nations Charter, makes provision for only two exceptions. The first
confirms the natural right to legitimate defense, to be exercised in
specific ways and in the context of the United Nations: and consequently
also within the traditional limits of necessity and proportionality.
The other exception is represented by the system of collective security,
which gives the Security Council competence and responsibility for the
preservation of peace, with power of decision and ample discretion.
The system developed with the United Nations Charter was meant "to save
succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime
has brought untold sorrow to mankind."(4) In the decades which followed,
however, the division of the international community into opposing blocs,
the cold war in one part of the world, the outbreak of violent conflicts in
other areas and the phenomenon of terrorism produced a growing break with
the ideas and expectations of the immediate post-war period.
A new international order
7. It must be acknowledged, however, that the United Nations Organization,
even with limitations and delays due in great part to the failures of its
members, has made a notable contribution to the promotion of respect for
human dignity, the freedom of peoples and the requirements of development,
thus preparing the cultural and institutional soil for the building of
peace.
The activity of national Governments will be greatly encouraged by the
realization that the ideals of the United Nations have become widely
diffused, particularly through the practical gestures of solidarity and
peace made by the many individuals also involved in Non-Governmental
Organizations and in Movements for human rights.
This represents a significant incentive for a reform which would enable the
United Nations Organization to function effectively for the pursuit of its
own stated ends, which remain valid: "humanity today is in a new and more
difficult phase of its genuine development. It needs a greater degree of
international ordering."(5) States must consider this objective as a clear
moral and political obligation which calls for prudence and determination.
Here I would repeat the words of encouragement which I spoke in 1995: "The
United Nations Organization needs to rise more and more above the cold
status of an administrative institution and to become a moral center where
all the nations of the world feel at home and develop a shared awareness of
being, as it were, a family of nations."(6)
The deadly scourge of terrorism
8. Today international law is hard pressed to provide solutions to
situations of conflict arising from the changed landscape of the
contemporary world. These situations of conflict frequently involve agents
which are not themselves States but rather entities derived from the
collapse of States, or connected to independence movements, or linked to
trained criminal organizations. A legal system made up of norms established
down the centuries as a means of disciplining relations between sovereign
States finds it difficult to deal with conflicts which also involve entities
incapable of being considered States in the traditional sense. This is
particularly the case with terrorist groups.
The scourge of terrorism has become more virulent in recent years and has
produced brutal massacres which have in turn put even greater obstacles in
the way of dialogue and negotiation, increasing tensions and aggravating
problems, especially in the Middle East.
Even so, if it is to be won, the fight against terrorism cannot be limited
solely to repressive and punitive operations. It is essential that the use
of force, even when necessary, be accompanied by a courageous and lucid
analysis of the reasons behind terrorist attacks. The fight against
terrorism must be conducted also on the political and educational levels: on
the one hand, by eliminating the underlying causes of situations of
injustice which frequently drive people to more desperate and violent acts;
and on the other hand, by insisting on an education inspired by respect for
human life in every situation: the unity of the human race is a more
powerful reality than any contingent divisions separating individuals and
people.
In the necessary fight against terrorism, international law is now called to
develop legal instruments provided with effective means for the prevention,
monitoring and suppression of crime. In any event, democratic governments
know well that the use of force against terrorists cannot justify a
renunciation of the principles of the rule of law. Political decisions would
be unacceptable were they to seek success without consideration for
fundamental human rights, since the end never justifies the means.
The contribution of the Church
9. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Mt
5:9). How could this saying, which is a summons to work in the immense field
of peace, find such a powerful echo in the human heart if it did not
correspond to an irrepressible yearning and hope dwelling within us? And why
else would peacemakers be called children of God, if not because God is by
nature the God of peace? Precisely for this reason, in the message of
salvation which the Church proclaims throughout the world, there are
doctrinal elements of fundamental importance for the development of the
principles needed for peaceful coexistence between nations.
History teaches that the building of peace cannot prescind from respect for
an ethical and juridical order, in accordance with the ancient adage: "Serva
ordinem et ordo servabit te" (preserve order and order will preserve you).
International law must ensure that the law of the more powerful does not
prevail. Its essential purpose is to replace "the material force of arms
with the moral force of law,"(7) providing appropriate sanctions for
transgressors and adequate reparation for victims. This must also be
applicable to those government leaders who violate with impunity human
dignity and rights while hiding behind the unacceptable pretext that it is a
matter of questions internal to their State.
In an Address which I gave to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy
See on 13 January 1997, I observed that international law is a primary means
for pursuing peace: "For a long time international law has been a law of war
and peace. I believe that it is called more and more to become exclusively a
law of peace, conceived in justice and solidarity. And in this context
morality must inspire law; morality can even assume a preparatory role in
the making of law, to the extent that it shows the path of what is right and
good."(8)
Down the centuries, the teaching of the Church, drawing upon the
philosophical and theological reflection of many Christian thinkers, has
made a significant contribution in directing international law to the common
good of the whole human family. Especially in more recent times the Popes
have not hesitated to stress the importance of international law as a pledge
of peace, in the conviction that "the harvest of justice is sown in peace by
those who make peace" (Jas 3:18). This is the path which the Church,
employing the means proper to her, is committed to following, in the
perennial light of the Gospel and with the indispensable help of prayer.
The civilization of love
10. At the conclusion of these considerations, I feel it necessary to repeat
that, for the establishment of true peace in the world, justice must find
its fulfillment in charity. Certainly law is the first road leading to
peace, and people need to be taught to respect that law. Yet one does not
arrive at the end of this road unless justice is complemented by love.
Justice and love sometimes appear to be opposing forces. In fact they are
but two faces of a single reality, two dimensions of human life needing to
be mutually integrated. Historical experience shows this to be true. It
shows how justice is frequently unable to free itself from rancor, hatred
and even cruelty. By itself, justice is not enough. Indeed, it can even
betray itself, unless it is open to that deeper power which is love.
For this reason I have often reminded Christians and all persons of good
will that forgiveness is needed for solving the problems of individuals and
peoples. There is no peace without forgiveness! I say it again here, as my
thoughts turn in particular to the continuing crisis in Palestine and the
Middle East: a solution to the grave problems which for too long have caused
suffering for the peoples of those regions will not be found until a
decision is made to transcend the logic of simple justice and to be open
also to the logic of forgiveness.
Christians know that love is the reason for God's entering into relationship
with man. And it is love which he awaits as man's response. Consequently,
love is also the loftiest and most noble form of relationship possible
between human beings. Love must thus enliven every sector of human life and
extend to the international order. Only a humanity in which there reigns the
"civilization of love" will be able to enjoy authentic and lasting peace.
At the beginning of a New Year I wish to repeat to women and men of every
language, religion and culture the ancient maxim: "Omnia vincit amor" (Love
conquers all). Yes, dear Brothers and Sisters throughout the world, in the
end love will be victorious! Let everyone be committed to hastening this
victory. For it is the deepest hope of every human heart.
From the Vatican, 8 December 2003.
JOHN PAUL II
* * *
Notes
(1) Insegnamenti, V (1967), 620.
(2) 1968: 1 January: World Day of Peace
1969: The Promotion of Human Rights, the Road to Peace
1970: Education for Peace Through Reconciliation
1971: Every Man is My Brother
1972: If You Want Peace, Work for Justice
1973: Peace is Possible
1974: Peace Depends on You Too
1975: Reconciliation, The Way to Peace
1976: The Real Weapons of Peace
1977: If You Want Peace, Defend Life
1978: No to Violence, Yes to Peace
(3) These are the themes of the successive twenty-five World Days of Peace:
1979: To Reach Peace, Teach Peace
1980: Truth, the Power of Peace
1981: To Serve Peace, Respect Freedom
1982: Peace: A Gift of God Entrusted to Us!
1983: Dialogue for Peace, A Challenge for Our Time
1984: From a New Heart, Peace is Born
1985: Peace and Youth Go Forward Together
1986: Peace is a Value with No Frontiers North-South, East-West: Only One
Peace
1987: Development and Solidarity: Two Keys to Peace
1988: Religious Freedom, Condition for Peace
1989: To Build Peace, Respect Minorities
1990: Peace with God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation
1991: If You Want Peace, Respect the Conscience of Every Person
1992: Believers United in Building Peace
1993: If You Want Peace, Reach Out to the Poor
1994: The Family Creates the Peace of the Human Family
1995: Women: Teachers of Peace
1996: Let Us Give Children a Future of Peace
1997: Offer Forgiveness and Receive Peace
1998: From the Justice of Each Comes Peace for All
1999: Respect for Human Rights: The Secret of True Peace
2000: "Peace on Earth to Those Whom God Loves!"
2001: Dialogue Between Cultures for a Civilization of Love and Peace
2002: No Peace Without Justice, No Justice Without Peace
2003: "Pacem in Terris": A Permanent Commitment
(4) Preamble.
(5) John Paul II, Encyclical Letter "Sollicitudo Rei Socialis," 43: AAS 80
(1988), 575.
(6) Address to the Fiftieth General Assembly of the United Nations, New York
(5 October 1995), 14: Insegnamenti, XVIII/2 (1995), 741.
(7) Benedict XV, Appeal to the Leaders of the Warring Nations, 1 August
1917: AAS 9 (1917), 422.
(8) No. 4: Insegnamenti, XX/1 (1997), 97.
- Since the SCJ spirituality has a lot to do with the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we would like also to make it special on our web site. Starting this month one of the buttons on our menu on the left side, will serve as a link leading to the different articles, prayers, etc. regarding this devotion. We hope, this will help our visitors to deepen their personal devotion and reflection on God's love, of which the Heart of Jesus is a visual sign.
More than 60 participants attended the Search-in Seminar, organized by the SCJ Vocation Team, from December 26 - 29, 2003 in Cagayan de Oro City. They came from different parts of Mindanao, majority of them High School graduates, to learn more about us, our work and to recognize their personal vocation. All of them, before coming to this seminar, had to pass a special qualification exam. During these four day activity members of the Vocation Team presented them the history, spirituality and pastoral involvement of our congregation and its members. The final result of this was, that more than 40 of them expressed an interest in our congregation, of which around 30 were approved as candidates. The whole seminar was an opportunity to get closer to God, to learn more about the Church and to have fun too.
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- "Who wants to be an SCJ?"
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- "Do you want to see us in action...?
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- The Vocation Team
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- Fr. Harry Subekti, SCJ
Fr. Harry Subekti is an Indonesian SCJ, who took his sabbatical year in the Philippines. He arrived in Manila on January 16, 2003, where he spent a little bit more than a year. During this time, as a part of his personal renewal program, he took some courses and modules in Spirituality. Living together with the Novices, he had not only an opportunity to go back to the sources of his vocation and religious life, but also actively participate in the life of our SCJ Novitiate. According to the Novices he was an example of prayer and punctuality: "...Adoration, rosary, monthly recollections and retreats, he never missed any despite his class schedules and study demands..." On the other hand, he showed himself as a person full of joy and energy. His funny stories, crack jokes and comments about the Philippine politics, earned him the title of "tension easer".
As Fr. Hari plans to go back to Indonesia on January 21, 2004, we thank him for being with us, for visiting all our places and wish him all the best in his new pastoral assignment.
- Fr. Aloisio Back left for Brazil
- Fr. Aloisio Back went to Brazil for his two months vacations. He left Manila on January 3, 2004. Before leaving, at the airport, he learned that his elder brother Jose Back is seriously sick and then in Brazil that he already died. Let us remember him and his family in our prayers.
- Visit of General Superior
- From February 15 - March 7, 2004, the General Superior Fr. José Ornelas Carvalho, together with his Councillor Andreas Madya, will visit the Philippine District. Their plan is to visit all SCJ communities and take part in the Annual District Assembly (March 1 - 5, 2004) in Cagayan de Oro City. On March 7, 2004 they will depart for Indonesia.
- Ordinations to the Priesthood
- Our two deacons Arthur Guevara and John Karl Cabaluba are about to be ordained. The ordination of John Karl Cabaluna will take place in his hometown in Margosatubig on February 24, 2004 at 9:00 am. He will be ordained by Bp. Edwin dela Peña, Bishop of Marawi and Administrator of Diocese of Pagadian. The ordination of deacon Arthur Guevara is foreseen sometime after the visit of the General Superior. Let us support them with our prayer.
- Death of Bishop Soudant
- The former bishop of Palembang, Indonesia, Bp. Joseph Soudant, SCJ died last December 29, 2004 in Lanaken, Belgium. He was born in 1922, professed in 1942 and ordained in 1949. A missionary in Indonesia beginning in 1950, he was consecrated as a bishop in 1961 and retired to the Netherlands in 1997. Let us remember him in our prayers.
Father Vincentius Sri Herimanto was born on July 20, 1966 in Gisting, Indonesia. He is the eldest and the only son among the four siblings. His father is a retired teacher and his mother a housewife. The story of his vocation started quite early. Since the SCJ Novitiate in Gisting is a walking distance from his house, he had many opportunities to pay a visit there and to observe what religious life is all about. His family was very close to the Novitiate. His father at least twice a week played volleyball with the Novices. The Novices also many times visited their house. It was the time, when he got attracted by their kindness and simplicity and decided to become one of them. This was also a wish of his father. Here, he recalls his words, who told him one time, that he and his family would be very proud of him if he would offer his life to God in the name of the family. In 1982, after completing his studies in High School, he entered the Minor Seminary in Palembang, which he finished in 1986. The next step was the Novitiate (1986-1987) and after that studies of Philosophy and Theology in Yojakarta. He was ordained as a priest on November 23, 1994. After the ordination, the superiors wanted to send him for further studies, but it seems he did not like too much this idea. The decision to come to the Philippines, he took still in the seminary and it was influenced very much by the first group of missionaries going to the Philippines. Inspired by them, he thought that time: "I also want to be a part of you". When the rector of the seminary was looking for volunteers to the Philippines, he had a hard time to find somebody. It was then when Fr. Vincent volunteered. He arrived in the Philippines in July 1996 together with Fr. Lukas Sasmito. His first assignment was in Dimataling and later on until the present, in the formation at Cagayan de Oro.
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