June 2004
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After 14 months of Novitiate, the following novices: Wenifredo A. Astronomo, Marcial C. Aguire, Dennis S. Vallar, Jigger C. Ganados, Donald S. Longno and Rechie C. Gier took their first vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. The celebration took place in the Novitiate House in Manila on May 31, 2004. The vows were taken in the presence of SCJ confreres from different communities, some other religious and lay people, members of their families and friends. It was accepted by the District Superior Fr. Rino Venturin, SCJ. The celebration was nice but simple, giving hope for the future of the District and the Congregation.
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The Feast of the Sacred Heart is the most important celebration in the whole congregation. The normal custom in the Philippines is that all the members of the District celebrate it together in one of the Formation Houses. This year, the Feast of the Sacred Heart on June 18th, was connected with the closing of the Year of the Sacred Heart in the Philippines and therefore it was held separately by each of the four communities. Nevertheless, in all the SCJ places the celebration was nice and meaningful. The Holy Eucharist was "the heart" of this and it was attended not only by the members of the Dehonian Family, benefactors and friends, but also by many other people. (Here below, is how the community of Cagayan de Oro celebrated this feast in their place).
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The community in Cagayan de Oro is growing in numbers. Last April 2004, the existing community (Fr. Rino, Fr. Indra and Fr. Vincent) was joined by Fr. Franciszek Pupkowski, a person in charge of the fundraising project and at the same time the district secretary. Also, the number of students has meaningfully increased. At the moment there are more than fifty students on different levels of formation and preparation: 12 in pre-college, 31 in college, 5 college graduates and 6 postulants preparing for the novitiate. Another big improvement is the new extension of the main building and a chapel for the pre-college students.
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- Meeting in Zamboanga
- From July 26 - 30, 2004, the representatives from Indonesia, India, Vietnam and all the members of the SCJ Philippine District will take part in a special seminar in Zamboanga City. The main topic of this seminar will be the inter religious dialog. This will be also an opportunity to meet together and to discuss the common matters of the SCJ geographical zone in Asia. Among the representatives for this seminar will be two former members of the Philippine District: Fr. Yohanes Sono Pribadi and Fr. Jerry Sheehy.
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- Visit of Bishop Marcelo Palentini
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Fr. Lukas Hadi Siswo Sasmito
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Fr. Lukas Hadi Siswo Sasmito, scj, is an Indonesian. He was born on July 12, 1966 in Metro Lampung. He is the second of six children. He has four brothers and one sister. In 1982 he entered the Minor Seminary in Palembang and then in 1987 the SCJ Novitiate in Gisting. From 1988 to 1993 he studied philosophy and theology. After this as a deacon he was assigned in a new parish in Pamulan, southern part of Jakarta. On November 23, 1994 he was ordained a priest. As a young priest, he spend one year and a half in Archdiocese of Jakarta, and then he applied to join the mission in the Philippines. The next step was to study English in USA and to prepare himself for the new assignment. He arrived in the Philippines in 1996. For almost six years he was assigned in Mindanao, mostly in the parish of Kumalarang and for a short time in Dimalaling in Zamboanga del Sur. At the present, he is assigned in the Formation House in Manila where he is the local superior. His work is not only to accompany the young SCJ students, but also to help in the Novitiate and to take care of the papers of the members of the District. At the same time, he is the first councilor of the District and the District Council Secretary. Being for some time in the Philippines, he feels being encouraged by the presence of many new young people who joined the congregation, which is the fruit of the work of the SCJ missionaries. He also sees the SCJ presence in the Philippines as very promising not only for the SCJ District in the Philippines, but also for the whole congregation, particularly in Asia. |
- Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.
St. Francis of Assisi
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July
August
- 6 - Transfiguration of the Lord
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- 10 - Fr. John Karl Cabaluna - Birthday (1972)
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- 12 - Death of Fr. Leo Joh Dehon (1925)
- 15 - Feast of Assumption of BVM
