Ten Jesuits recently spent 10 days learning about liturgical music, actually composing pieces as an assignment. They learnt about about the principles of liturgical music and musical composition, teaching music and conducting choirs. They were asked to write songs for liturgical use, which were performed in a recital and used at the Mass at the conclusion of the workshop.
The Vietnamese Province of the Society of Jesus has three new priests. Thomas Aquinas Tạ Trung Hải SJ, Joseph Chu Thái Hiệp SJ, and Anthony Nguyễn Thành Nguyên SJ were ordained to the priesthood on August 22, 2013. His Eminence Michael Hoàng Đức Oanh, Bishop of Kon Tum Diocese, presided at the celebration in Thuduc during which five Jesuit scholastics were also ordained deacon. The new deacons are Dominic Vũ Duy Cường SJ, Joseph Bùi Quang Minh SJ, Mathiah Nguyễn Kim Đoàn SJ, Michael Bùi Hà Ngân SJ, Thomas Vũ Ngọc Tín SJ.
The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific recently held its first Formation for Jesuit Formators seminar. Held from August 5 to 16 in the Philippines, the seminar is the first of three modules that will be conducted in three consecutive years. The 22 formators who participated are current and future formation directors and staff of novitiates, scholasticates and seminaries in the Conference. They hail from nine provinces and regions – Indonesia, Korea, China, Australia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Malaysia-Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Communicators from across the Asia Pacific region had a first-hand look earlier this month at the vital role the Jesuit film production studio, Casa de Produção Audiovisual (CPA), is playing in telling the story of one of the world’s newest nations within the country. Twice a week, CPA produces Tetum language programs that appear on prime time television in the country, each reflecting on East Timorese culture and history.
In late June, Singapore suffered from the worst ever haze in its history. The haze came from forest fires in Sumatra, across the Malacca Strait. A row broke out between some government officials in Singapore and Indonesia.
As vocations fall in many provinces around the world, the Society of Jesus continues to receive good numbers for vocations in Vietnam.
On May 31, the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 15 Vietnamese men took their first vows of chastity, poverty and obedience as Jesuits. Fr Provincial Joseph Pham Thanh Liem SJ presided over the vow Mass held at the Epiphany Church of the Society of Jesus. The celebration included 35 concelebrants, many Jesuits, family and friends of the men taking vows, benefactors and lay collaborators of the Society.
Jesuits in Southeast Asia will be taking a more active role in the fight against human trafficking, which Pope Francis recently called “a despicable activity, a disgrace for our societies, which describe themselves as civilized”.
The 13 communities of the Vietnam Province recently gathered to reflect on and share about their current missions as well as their apostolic plans.
Three Jesuits were ordained to the order of the presbyterate and four Jesuit scholastics ordained deacons in Vietnam on December 3, 2012, the Feast of St Francis Xavier, the Patron Saint of Missions and of the Society of Jesus in Vietnam. Bishop Peter Nguyễn Văn Khảm, auxiliary bishop of the Saigon Archdiocese presided at the Holy Mass and ordination held in Epiphany Parish, Thủ Đức (Ho Chi Minh City). Four other religious were ordained deacons in the same Mass.
A group of 20 – 19 Jesuits and a Protestant pastor – gathered in Tokyo in August to explore the links between Ignatian Spirituality and Buddhism in the third Buddhist Christian Dialogue Workshop. Held in Tokyo from August 14 to 16, the workshop was themed “Buddha and Ignatius”.
Dialogue with people of other faiths is particularly important for Jesuits working in Asia, which is home to several major religions such as Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, and inter-religious dialogue is a major dimension of the Jesuit commitment to be companions of Jesus and servants of his mission.