Jesuit Scholastics Managamtua Simbolon, Bagus Taufik Dwiko Nanda Pratisto, Budi Nugroho, Handy Lenggawa, Rumanto, and Suharyadi will be ordained priests by Mgr Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Semarang at a Eucharistic celebration on Wednesday, at 9:00 a.m. 29 July, in St Anthony Church, Kotabaru, Yogyakarta. (Contributor: Fr Priyono Marwan)
Fr Bob McIntosh, Socius of Korea for 16 years, will moved on to a new assignment as Korean Province Archivist. Fr Chong Che-chon will be replacing him.
MANILA (UCAN) — American Jesuit Father James Reuter, who built the Catholic radio broadcasting system in the Philippines and laid the foundations for the bishops’ national media network, has retired.
Two scholastics from Vietnam Pham Dinh Cu and Nguyen Thanh Hung are going to Thailand for their regency. Granted that they will be given visas, they are expected to be in Bangkok by July. They will be assigned to Xavier Hall Community and be fully engaged in Thai language studies.
Fr Adrianus Suyadi, Country Director, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Indonesia, writes on the IDP’s and refugees in Indonesia and the government’s policy and behavior towards them.
Walking around Dili city, one can no longer see the IDP camps. But for those who lost their homes during the crises of 2006 and 2007, their wait for “safe return and reintegration” is far from over.
Though reintegration of the IDPs into their communities started since 2008, there are still around three thousand people living in transitional houses. They are not able to return to their original homes for several reasons: concerns regarding their security, ongoing land disputes over ownership, illegal occupation of their houses, and some don’t have any place to stay.
During the time I was working with displaced persons in Japan we would come up against a number of unforeseen legal obstacles and long trials. Our success, such as it was, in drawing the attention of the National Diet and the mass media seemed inadequate. Supporters would get tired of confronting immigration violations “case by case” and would drop out. Why did I continue with this work despite my tiredness and frustration? Despondent, I prayed often to God, and miracles happened. One such miracle was obtaining refugee status for five Vietnamese brothers.
Fr Matthias Chae Joonho (KOR) arrived last June 30 in Manila to start with his new mission as the Formation Delegate of JCEAO. Fr Tom Steinbugler and Ms Lucy Dimalanta welcomed him at the airport and treated him to lunch before bringing him to the Arrupe International Residence.
At 9:30 in the morning of May 24, the first ordination of a Jesuit in Cambodia took place. Fr. Joseph Phongphand Phokthavi (KAM), more fondly known as “Jub”, was ordained by Msgr Emile Descombe, MEP, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, at the Church of the Assumption in Battambang, Cambodia.
It was a marvellous community event with both Fr Gabriel Je (KOR), Delegate for the Korean Provincial, and Msgr Kike Figaredo (CAS), Prefect Apostolic of Battambang, as joyful and generous hosts. It was a celebration of the 25 years Jub has spent in Jesuit apostolates since joining JRS in 1985. Refugee friends, co-workers and Jesuit companions from all those years were present, along with Jub’s mother and many brothers and sisters.
On May 18, The Beijing Center (TBC) announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected Fr Roberto Ribeiro (CHN) as the new director of TBC and president of TBC, Inc. as of October 1, 2009. His appointment is for three years.