Dec. 23, 2006: December is really a busy month for novices, both first and second year. Fr. Master Wardi Saputra has been away since November 16 till now. He just met and had lunch personally with Fr General. He intends to go to Amsterdam.
Four young men will enter the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Taunggyi, Myanmar, on May 1, 2007. On December 31, 2006, they will go to Yangon, Myanmar, and live with our candidates at Canisius House, and study English full time (with the candidates and other students) at our Jesuit Campion Institute. This intensive language course will be two to three months, after which they will have a short break to be back in Thailand with their families, and then return for the novitiate.
During the next three months (mid-November to mid-February), Fr Wardi Saputra will be gone from Myanmar for several activities and meetings. During his absence, Fr Agustinus Purwantoro serves as the acting local superior of the Jesuit community in Myanmar (including both Yangon & Taunggyi).
Fr Bob McTeigue, tertian from Maryland Province, left on November 26 for Yangon, where he will be working at the Language Institute and at the Major Seminary, until the end of March 2007, when he returns to the USA to complete his tertianship.
As of October 28, 2006, Fr Paul Pollock, Superior of Myanmar Mission, assigned Bro Valerio Rireh to the St. Aloysius Gonzaga Language Institute, Taunggyi. This will add to Bobo’s regency experiences and enable him to share in the newness of the ministries that are being created – both in Yangon and in Taunggyi. He will be assigned as a full time teacher of the Language Institute, and possibly have some extra work added on by Fr Wardi to help in various things for the novices.
On Monday morning, October 2, Fr Paul Pollock, Superior of Thailand Region and of Myanmar Mission, left Bangkok for Yangon, together with the new consultants (Frs Pitoyo, Vinai, and Bernard). They will all return to Bangkok by noon on October 6. While he is gone from Xavier Hall, Bangkok, Fr Alfonso de Juan will be acting-minister of the Xavier Hall community. Say a prayer for the visit, for the visitors, and for the visitees!
Adapted from the Occasional Address of Fr Michael Smith SJ
In the week after Easter two lecturers from Australian Catholic University, Mrs Ellen McBarron and Dr Robert Compton, made the long journey from Australia to the town of Mae Sot on the Thai-Burma border. On Wednesday, 19th April, they awarded undergraduate Diplomas in Business to 16 young Karen refugees and a Certificate in Business to another. The Award Ceremony was the culmination of a pilot project by ACU National which used a mixed mode of distance and online learning to meet the need for the higher education of Karen refugees who have been forcibly displaced from their homes in Burma.
The First Vows held last Sunday, May 7 at the Infant Jesus Chapel, Payaphyu, Taunggyi was an occasion that was simple, yet full of fun and great joy. Fr Paul Pollock was there. And so were Fr Peter Kim and Sch Valerio Rereh. Many family members and friends showed up. After the ceremony, they all shared a picnic-type of refreshment under the green trees, which are now plentiful. On behalf of our brothers in Myanmar, Fr Ignatius Wardi Saputra thanked everyone for your prayers.