Typhoon 'Hato' shatters Macau and HK
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| Typhoon Hato which hit Macau and Hong Kong on 22 August left 16 people dead in South China |
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| Those braved the winds to be outdoors were up for a surprise, and holding on to anything stable was important |
At
least 16 people died in the Signal #10 Typhoon Hato,
which landed in South China on 22 August. Eight of the victims died in Macau,
while the others were from neighbouring Guangdong in Mainland China, according
to the state-run CCTV. About 27,000 people were evacuated to temporary shelters
in the Chinese province.
Residents
in Macau began clearing debris Thursday a day after the casino hub was lashed
by hurricane-force winds and torrential downpours,
which also battered southern China and brought Hong Kong to a standstill
Wednesday.
Hato
was the strongest typhoon to hit the region in 18 years, resulting in injuries
and property damage, flooding and uprooted trees.
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Training the Trainers for the Mission
A
year ago we have spoken about a training programme on NLP given in Epiphany
parish by Ms. Cecilia, Tan Chew Yen. Cecilia, a Professional trainer who holds
training sessions for corporate groups, is a parishioner of Epiphany parish.
For the past many years she has been availing her expertise for the Church in
the Mainland China. Over the years she has trained hundreds of priests, nuns and
lay leaders. Recently she was in Bianchun one of the most flourishing Catholic
places in Mainland. We have many friends there. Ms. Cecilia shares
her experience:  |
| Concelebrants with the Perpetually professed nuns in Bianchun |
Since
the millennium, Sister Nancy Mak has engaged me to take part in her ministry of
educating young nuns and priests in China. From the use of computers
to NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), later to communication to leading a
team. Together with her, I travel to different parts in Guangxi and
Guizhou. Later there were demands from different convents and other
Catholic organisations in Hebei and Zhejiang. NLP can enhance their
effectiveness in their evangelisation work, and help them better serve the
disabled, the aged, the poor and the congregation.
In
August 2017, I conducted workshops for two NGOs who served the disabled in
Beijing and Tangqiu on how to collaborate better as a team. Almost
95% of the staff are Catholics. From the feedback, I would like to
think that I have made some impact as there were tears, joy and more
importantly concrete action plans to bring about changes.
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| The Final Vow of the Nuns |
Our
Lord also grant me the opportunity to witness the final vow of 7 nuns. All
of whom my students. It was a moving experience to see their making
a commitment to a religious life. One of them was from the Tibetan
ethnic group in Yunnan. When she joined the convent in Hebei, she could
not even speak Putonghua. She had much to overcome (learning to
write and speak the language, food, culture etc) in her quest to follow Jesus.
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Flying against the Wind
By Brent Fulton on Aug 30, 2017
Nestled
in a spring-fed valley in the desert northeast of Los Angeles, St. Andrew’s
Abbey is a long way from its roots in Chengdu. The only living link that
remains is Brother Peter Zhou Bangjiu, a 91-year-old Sichuan native who
rejoined the abbey in 1985 following his release from a Chinese labor camp.
Peter
Zhou Bangjiu, a young aspiring priest, had just taken his vows when the
Communist army seized Chengdu in 1949. Unable
to pursue seminary studies, he nevertheless became a defender of the faith and
wrote an open letter that was circulated to Catholics around China. For his
refusal to join the patriotic church, Zhou was arrested in 1955 and received a
20-year sentence.
Zhou’s
sentence was extended twice due to his refusal to repent of his crimes. During
one episode of intense interrogation in 1970, he was handcuffed and arm-cuffed
for a period of three weeks, his limbs bound painfully behind his back. When
guards realized that this torture had permanently disabled Zhou’s right hand,
they removed the cuffs and instead shackled his feet. The shackles would remain
for five years.
To
keep his mind active while in labor camp, he composed poems commemorating
various incidents leading up to, and during, his imprisonment. Having no access
to paper and pen, he committed these poems to memory. They would eventually
number more than 2,000. When Zhou was finally released he began to transcribe
them and, later, to translate many into English and French.
Zhou’s
poetry provides a prisoner’s-eye view of the turbulent events taking place
outside the labor camp. Interspersed with Zhou’s commentary is his hope that he
would one day be released, tempered by his insistence that he would not bow to
official pressure in order to win his freedom.
When
his third appeal for a reconsideration of his sentence was rejected, he mused:
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| The Angelus Bell in the Abbey |
The
Angelus Bell in the Abbey
I
wielded my pen to upbraid the slanders,
Showing
my loyalty once more,
The
three thousand words express
My
high ideals and my fervent sentiments.
I
prefer to sit in the jail cell for the Lord
Until
its bottom breaks
Than
to bend down![1]
Zhou
was finally exonerated and released in 1981 as China’s reform and opening
policy brought a new official stance toward religion. In Zhou’s words, “I
didn’t change my attitude; they changed their position.”
He
later discovered that his missionary brothers had regrouped following their
departure from China, not in their native Belgium, but in Southern California.
He recorded the joy of their reunion in “Return to My Monastic Home in
Triumph.”
With
Jesus assisting in fighting,
I
had defeated again and again
The
struggle meetings, beatings, shackles and handcuffs.
Throwing
out my chest,
I
departed from prison;
Holding
my head high,
I
left the country,
Now,
finally,
I
celebrate my reunion with my monastery![2]
The
Faithful Dove Flies Against the Wind by Br. Peter Zhou Bangjiu is available
from St. Andrew's Abbey.
Notes
^
Zhou, Peter Bangjiu, “The Third Appeal to the Court,” in The Faithful Dove
Flies Against the Wind. Valyermo, California: St. Andrew’s Abbey, 2013, p. 191.
^
Zhou, p. 439.
- Reproduced from: http://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/from-the-west-courtyard/flying-against-the-wind
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NEPAL SCHOOL PROJECT
The
Candle Light charity group, of whom we have talked about in the past issues is
extending their reach to the needy even outside of China. The Charity group was
formed under the guidance of Fr. Jojo and has been operating for over two years
in service of the Leprosy Affected in the Mainland China.
The
relief works for the earth quake victims in Nepal brought Jojo and the Candle
Light closer to the plight of the children in Nepal. Initially they hoped to
help the education of a few children in a particular village in Nepal, but once
the news reached the villages, the request was overwhelming and the villagers
came out in full strength to repair their old school.
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| Candle Light Volunteers with an inmate of the Leprosy Village in the mainland |
Our benefactors in Macau
and Hong Kong decided to sponsor the entire school, although they had not
enough resources at hand! It meant that they had to do the overtime job. They
went around the parishes in Hong Kong and Macau, selling religious articles and
religious books on Sundays. Many of the parish priests gave them whole-hearted
support and permitted them in their fund-raising project.
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| The Children of the School in Nepal |
They
It was indeed a leap into the dark, trusting in the providence of God. And the
miracles began to spur up! Contributions - large and small - began to pour in.
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| Preparing the furniture for donation to the School in Nepal |
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| Tables from Hong Kong for the school |
All
the members of the Candle Light Charity are professionals, who have their own
responsibilities and are employed full time in their companies and businesses.
Yet they find time to visit the parishes and also the leprosy rehabilitation
centers. The Lord rewarded them their sacrifices.
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| Candle Light Charity Volunteers with Fr. Jojo |
If
you wish to share your blessings and be part of our missions, write to us! And
more importantly, pray for the missionaries and the missions.
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Pastoral Renewal Programme
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| The Participants of the Programme in EAPI 2017 |
Fr.
Jose is attending a four-moths Pastoral Renewal and Updating for Leadership in
Mission programme in East Asia Pastoral Institute, in Ateneo de Manila. There
are 36 participants from 20 countries attending the programme which started on
1 August 2017.
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| With my Spiritual Director Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, the former Superior General of the Jesuits |
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Fr. Christo Rey in Hong Kong
The
faith formation programme in Epiphany Parish, in Hong Kong continues with our
regular weekly Bible Study Classes and web ministry in Chinese and English. In
preparation to the solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady, famous Claretian
Theologian, Fr. Cristo Rey gave a talk about Mary's Assumption. He has written
several books on Mary.
Fr.
Jose Cristo Rey García Paredes, is a Prolific writer, Professor of Theology of
Consecrated Life and a visiting professor at the Theological Institutes of
Religious Life in Brazil, India, China, Philippines, and soon in Nigeria. At
present, he combines his teaching with his work as a writer, as well as
accompanying and being a theological adviser to religious congregations and
institutes. He has recently been appointed Consultant to The Congregation for
Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life by Pope Francis.
"Be
open to a mysterious life... life, love and happiness after the resurrection of
Jesus", said Fr. Christo Rey while addressing the parishioners. "In Mary everything was good... God glorified her body. She continues to
be present in the world today. When we visit a Marian sanctuary, we are not
visiting a cemetery! Rather we celebrate her living presence in the world. The
Holy Spirit is inspiring, advocating and helping us through Mary- that's the feast
we celebrate on August 15. The Eucharist is also a celebration of our
interconnectedness with Mary".
Fr. Christo Rey's talk is available in our Parish web page:
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AEYG 2017+CF - Yogyakarta
The
second edition of the Asia East Youth Gathering in Claretian Family [AEYG+CF]
was celebrated in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from 1-7 August 2017. Fr. Bobin lead a
five-member team from Taiwan to attend the gathering which attracted over 200
Claretian Youth and their animators from the East Asian countries. Fr. Bobin shares his experiences:
From
August 1-7, 2017, the Claretian youth of Taiwan (EAD) attended AEYG 2017+CF in
Yogyakarta, Indonesia under the theme “Be Witnesses and Messengers of the Joy
of the Gospel in Diversity.” This theme was in fact the continuation of the
theme of the first AEYG-2015 “Meet Him in the Cloud”. Encountering God in the
Cloud in 2015 inspired many young people to become the Witnesses and messengers
of the joy of the Gospel in the diversity of the Asian Context. Seven
participants from Taiwan attended the youth gathering in Yogyakarta. In spite
of the language barriers and cultural differences, the enthusiasm and energy
that emerged during the encounter really united the whole group into a clan of
young people walking in the same road witnessing the joy of the Gospel in
diversity.
During
the encounter the general prefecture of the youth and vocation ministry Bro.
Carlos Verga cmf exhorted the young Claretians telling “The DNA of the
Claretian Youth is to be the Witnesses and Messengers of the Joy of the Gospel
in one’s own living contexts. It was also a moment of grace for the Claretian
family as it fostered the spirit of brotherhood, joy of the Gospel and
missionary passion as envisioned by our Founder St. Antony Mary Claret. We were
also fortunate to attend the 7th Asian youth day closing mass at the Air Force
compound of Yogyakarta on 6th August which gave a wider vision of the Catholic
family to the young Claretians.
For
the youth of Taiwan it was also an occasion to renew their friendship and love
which they experienced in the first AEYG in Philippines. As the AEYG 2017came
to an end I could see many of the young ones with the tears of pain of
departure and a promise of smile in their face to meet each other again in the
next AEYG 2019+CF in Timor Leste.
Thanks
to the East Asian Delegate superior, Francisco Carin and all the council
members for their encouragement and support to participate in this youth
encounter. I also place a word of thanks to the Delegation of Indonesia-Timor Leste and the AEYG 2017+CF organising committee for the meticulous planning and
amazing execution of this event, which will definitely remain as a unique
experience in the hearts of all the young ones who participated in it.
