PASPAC E-Newsletter 02

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Papua New Guinea Indonesia Philippines India China Vietnam Korea Japan - New Zealand - Australia

PASPAC e-NewsletterMarch 2011

Dear Brothers,

These past few weeks have seen major events in our region events that came about as a

result of commitments made over three years ago during the course of the Seoul PASPAC

Assembly held in 2007. It is with great joy that I share the following with you all.

PROFESSION OF VOWS - 2011

On February 28, in the Retreat

of Saint Paul of the Cross in

Glen Osmond, Australia, five

young men made their initial

commitment to the Lord and

the Congregation as

Passionists. In the presence of our General Consultor, Father Clemente Barron; the Provincial of Holy

Spirit Province, Father Joachim Rego; the Provincial of the Korean Martyrs Province, Father Peter

Dong-Ho Shin; the Superior of the Vietnam Mission, Father Jefferies Foale; many clergy and

religious of the Archdiocese of Adelaide, including the Chancellor, Mrs. Heather Carey;

representatives of our wider Passionist Family, including the Passionist Sisters of Saint Paul of the

Cross and the Sisters of the Cross

and Crown, lay-Passionists of our

Australian Companions and the

Passionist Family Movement; all

of the Passionists Priests and

Brothers who came from across

the Australian Province and our

Region; the profession ceremony

was held in great solemnity and


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deep joy along with many members of the Vietnamese, Chinese and Philippine communities,

benefactors and friends.

Two students from Vietnam

(Brothers Thomas and Peter) and

three students from China (Brothers

Peter, Joseph and Matthew) vowed

to live our Passionist life for the

next three years, after which, please

God, they will make their perpetual

commitment to our way of life. This

long process of discernment in their native countries, followed by language training in the Philippines

and culminating in their year-long Novitiate period in Australia and profession of temporary vows is a

testimony to their determination to live Passionist life and to be a critical part of the initial period of

foundation in their respective nations.

The commitment of our region and the gracious support offered by our two houses of Formation in

the Philippines and in Australia have all provided the means for this historic event to take place.

Special mention must be made of the Local Community of Glen Osmond and their openness to this

whole process. The work of Novice Master Father Wilfredo Estraza and his Assistant, Father Tomy

Kanjirathinkal, played a particularly crucial role in preparing these five men for their future in the

Congregation and the wider Church. All the vowed members of PASPAC, I am certain, will give

thanks to the Lord for this gift to the Church these young men have vowed to become.

Brother Thomas and Peter of Vietnam will return to their country during the first week of March,

while the newly professed from China, Brothers Peter, Joseph and Matthew, will go once again to

Manila where they will continue their education.

NEW NOVICES 2011 and Beyond

The three candidates from Vietnam will join the already vested Novice of the Australian Province in

early April and will be vested shortly after their arrival there. There have been some problems with

the IELTS (International English Testing System) examination, but it was felt that this issue could be

handled either in the Philippines prior to their departure or after their arrival in Australia. The three


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candidates have all received their special visas to enter Australia and thus this major hurdle has

already been accomplished. I know that your prayers accompany these young men as they begin their

novitiate and hopeful integration into the Congregation as vowed religious.

There have been encouraging comments that indicate that other units within PASPAC are considering

sending their novices to the International House of Formation for both language training and/or their

canonical novitiate. This past January and February two professed students of the Province of the

Korean Martyrs Brothers Mario Ri and Paul Park spent almost two months of English training in

Manila along with our Vietnamese brothers. It is hoped that they will be the first of many more to

follow in their footsteps.

Already two candidates from Papua New

Guinea, Joseph and William, have been

accepted as postulants for the Australian

Province and it is planned that they will

join the next PASPAC novitiate of 2012.

Pictured are Passionist Fathers Felix Kialoi

and John Auram, on the left and right

respectively, of our two candidates from

Papua New Guinea. May they know joy as

members of our Congregation.

FATHER CHARLES CORBETT 1918-2011

One of the joys of our lives as a religious is when we

have the privilege of knowing and having been

touched by our members who have lived long and

very holy lives as Passionists. Among them must be

counted Father Charles Corbett, a member of the

Province of the Holy Spirit. He served as the

Provincial Superior of that Province from 1960 until

1972 and as a member of the Provincial Council on

a number of occasions. On February 18, Father Charles left this world to be with our Heavenly Father

after a period of declining health. Dying at a full 92 years of age, his last three years were spent with


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the Little Sisters of the Poor where he received the special care that

he needed. Among the highlights of his stay with these good Sisters

was a very quiet visit in 2008 of our Holy Father, Benedict XVI

while he was in Australia for the World Youth Day held in Sydney.

Father Anthony Egar preached at his funeral Mass, in which he

spoke of Charles effective leadership of the Province in a time of

great turmoil. He emphasized Charles integrity and great pastoral

sense especially of the sick and dying which he was often called to

do as a hospital chaplain for many years. May he rest in peace,

knowing that his brother Passionists loved him deeply, thankful for his generous life of service and

leadership.

May Father Charles of the Holy Family,

along with all of our faithful departed, rest in the peace of the Lord. Amen.

Diocese of Vanimo Papua New Guinea Golden Jubilee Year Celebration

Fifty years ago, the Diocese of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea

came into being under the auspices of the Congregation of

the Passion, Province of the Holy Spirit. Below are some

excerpts from a report by Father Thomas McDonough, pastor

of the Passionist Parish in Port Moresby, the capital of the

country. Vanimo is located in the Northwest corner of the

country and many Passionists from Australia, New Zealand,

the Philippines and Indonesia and other Provinces have

labored over these many years. Father Thomas report:

Our mass at 9.00 in the morning (March 6) at Daci parish church, was attended by Bishops

Cesare (Ordinary of the Vanimo Diocese) and Alphonse (formerly Kimbe), plus most of the

coastal clergy, all the seminary clergy and seminarians, the religious and, most importantly

hundreds of parishioners from the villages and stations so many of you worked in. Logging

roads made it possible for many to. All of them were asking after their favorites and looking


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for you among the Passionists.

The Choir was absolutely splendid, and the

dancers were chosen from the different villages,

Entrance, Bible, Offertory and Recessional

processions. Joachim (Rego) preached beautifully

and the Bishop spoke stirringly begging Clemente

(Barron) to ask Fr. General for more Passionists,

at which he turned to the people who roared their

approval.

While only a very small number of our men

who served in Vanimo were present, in fact

the presence of every one of you was

present, especially those now with God,

whose presence was palpable. The love and

memories of the people, their eager

questions about so many of you, their gasp

of dismay on learning of Fr Pat's (Cooper) fall and inability to attend - it made those of us

privileged to be there so proud of all of you our brothers and your legacy so completely alive

among the people who you served and who cared for you as you cared for them.

The feasting and dancing and singing began. Ossima donated a cow for the proceedings,

the Bishop contributed 5000K. Each village received food to prepare the night before, and it

started to arrive by the truck load. The dancing and singing went on all afternoon, the various

villages and stations, the coastal parishes, the youth groups and Sunday schools, the

Mamas and the seminarians all had prepared

something to honour the Passionists on this

marvelous occasion.

There will be much better photos and recounts

of the day, this is just a first taste. It was one of

those occasions that so often brought tears to


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the eyes, as you watched the old men

and woman hugging and crying over

the former missionaries and our

Passionist brothers. Brothers, they

miss you who were their Passionist

brothers so very, very much.

You the former missionaries deserve

the congratulations. Tom C.P.

CONCLUSION

PASPAC is in a period of profound change where the future of the Congregation in our part of the

world is already taking on characteristics that seemingly will allow a new reality to slowly evolve.

The Congregation is old in many ways but the spirit of love for the Crucified One and the crucified

of today is taking on new faces, languages, cultures and ways of thinking. There are very concrete

ways in which we have shown ourselves and others our solidarity with each other that continue to

surprise us. Somewhere in all of this newness and the daily surprises of life, the Holy Spirit of God is

working for the good of the Church and the good of our most beloved Congregation. May the coming

season of Lent be an opportunity for us all to give thanks for the blessings the Lord has showered

upon us.

Your brother always in the Crucified Lord,

Bro. Laurence M. Finn C.P.Executive Secretary - PASPAC

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PASPAC E-Newsletter 02