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PASPAC e-Newsletter

DECEMBER 2013

Christmas Greetings
Dear Brothers, The readings of Advent are always for me an adventure in trust, fidelity and challenge. Trust - because we believe that the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph is the same God and Lord who guides us on our lifes journey today. We are confirmed in this trust in the love of this same God in the person of Jesus, whom we come to know more deeply as time passes and place our lives, our fortune and our future in his faithful hands. Fidelity - because that is the response to the trust we have placed in the Lord. We chose to love our brothers and sisters without distinction or preference because the Lord of the Universe in the person of Jesus has shown us that this is the way to his side. Challenge because we know we are weak and fallible human beings who often stray from the path before us. We trust ourselves more than the Lord; we are faithful to our own wants rather than the needs and desires of the brothers and sisters whom we have pledged to serve. As Pope Francis said in his homily on April 7 this year: In my own life, I have so often seen Gods merciful countenance, his patience; I have a lso seen so many people find the courage to enter the wounds of Jesus by saying to him: Lord, I am here, accept my poverty, hide my sin in your wounds, wash it away with your blood. And I have always seen that God did just this he accepted them, consoled them, cleansed them, loved them. Our Configuration has had many graces this past year and many challenges that cause us all to reflect on where we place our trust and to what we chose to remain faithful. Whether it is through the deaths of two of our elder brothers in the Philippines and Australia or the horrific suffering of those victims of the typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines we have learned to be inspired by true life-long fidelity and respond in compassion to those who are suffering the naked forces of nature. The response from around the world to our suffering brothers and sisters has been profound and very concrete in its identification with those who have lost so much. Our PASPAC novices in Adelaide continue on their journey of incorporation into our Congregation along with the other novices in the region in Japan and in Indonesia and I ask your prayers for them all as they come close to making their initial commitment to the Lord through our Passionist vows. We are in the process of determining the best course of studies for the next group of young men who will go through our language program next year in Australia. I ask you prayers that the Lord will guide us all in this discernment so that we may provide the very best program and initial formation for them. And most of all, I ask that we continue to be aware of each other in our trials and tribulations certainly. But more so, that we learn to celebrate those small and important acts of trust and fidelity that our brothers and sisters in the Passionist Family witness to us all daily.

May the Lord who is always in the act of becoming incarnate in our world through the human family bless each of you this Christmas and throughout the coming New Year. Your brother in the Crucified,

Bro. Laurence M. Finn C.P. President of PASPAC

Dear Brothers in Christ, A blessed Christmas to you and all your loved ones!

Fr. Peter Shin, C.P. Vice-President of PASPAC and Provincial of the Province of Korean Martyrs (MACOR), South Korea

My Dear Brothers, May this Season of Christmas continue to inspire us to love God and His people especially the poor and the suffering of this world. I pray that as we journey another new year in our religious life, may the Lord Jesus Christ be always our source of strength and guidance. I wish you nothing but the best. Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2014! I remain,

Fr. Christopher B. Akiatan, C.P. Executive Secretary of PASPAC & Member of the Province of the Passion of Christ (PASS), Philippines

Dear Brothers, Wishing you Peace at Christmas! May the Lord continue to guide all of us in his work and give us the strength and courage for the New Year.

Fr. Paul Matsumoto, C.P. Vice Provincial Vice Province of Japanese Martyrs (MAIAP), Japan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the PASPAC Configuration, This Christmas is very special for us in the Philippines although we have our share of misery, pain and sorrow; we also received from you a great expression of love and solidarity. Indeed despite the negative experiences we had, we have also great reason to rejoice and thank the God of love for sending us alter Christi to celebrate with us the joy of Christmas. Many of us maybe homeless but not hopeless. With your help, we will slowly rise. Despite our destroyed Churches our faith is strong as ever, our nine days of Novena Masses are all filled and well attended, and sometimes despite of the rain over roofless Churches, we believe in the power of the Cross, bear our suffering courageously and offer them for the growth of the Church. Once again, thank you for the solidarity. It is easier to rise when hands are offered for support and comfort. God bless us all, especially the victims of natural calamities and man-made tragedies. Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to all! With love and prayers,

Fr. Apolinario Plaza, C.P. Provincial Province of the Passion of Christ (PASS), Philippines

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Fr. Nikodemus Jimbun, C.P. Provincial Province of Queen of Peace (REPAC), Indonesia

Dear Brothers, I pray that all our Brothers and Sisters in the Configuration will experience the joy of this festival and be renewed in their sense of purpose and the mission to share the Good News of Gods love with their neighbors and friends. Passionists in China,

Fr. Martin Coffey, C.P., Bro. Fabiano Kho, C.P., Fr. Vincent Lai, C.P. and Fr. Paul Cho, C.P.

Dear Brothers, Gloria in Excelsis Deo. God comes to embrace our broken humanity. May we be touched by that love and life of Christmas. Wish you Happy Christmas and Blessed New Year, 2014!

Fr. Tomy Kanjirathinkal, C.P. Vice-Provincial Vice Province of Thomas the Apostle (THOM), India

Dear Brothers, There are two ways to say Merry Christmas in Vietnam Merry Chismas! (Yes, Chismas!) For the shopping crowd, commercial Christmas. Chc mng ging sinh! "Greetings for coming down birth." Faith Christmas. St Paul of the Cross said that the passion of Jesus was the greatest thing God ever did. The passion puts God right here in the middle of our mess. A friend in the Philippines wrote me today in a simple matter-of-fact tone of the family spending 24 hours on the roof, of possessions trashed, of neighborly sharing amid the devastation, of being forced to flee after having nothing to eat - like millions of others. This is the way the world is, and the crucified God shares our crucifixion. That's the background as those who suffer turn with gladness towards the stable at Bethlehem. Welcome baby Jesus! You will be right at home with us.

The Passionist community in Vietnam reaches out to you this Christmas. We are 4 foreign missionaries, 5 theologians, 3 novices, 5 philosophers, 6 pre-philosophers, 6 live-in under-graduate aspirants, 14 live-out undergraduate aspirants, 5 new applicants. All 48 of us pray that Jesus will be born in your hearts once more with joy.

Fr. Jefferies Foale, C.P. Superior Mission of Our Lady of La Vang (LAVA), Vietnam

To all our Brothers and Sisters in the Passionist Family, A truly joyous and peace filled Christmas, shared in community and with family and friends this is our prayer for you this Christmas Time. Your Brother,

Fr. Thomas McDonough, C.P. Provincial Province of the Holy Spirit (SPIR) Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea

Diaconate Ordination in the Philippines On November 11, 2013 Reverends Andrew Gumboc, CP and Crisanto Dimaculangan, CP were ordained to the Holy Orders of Deacon by the Bishop of Marbel, Most. Rev. Dinualdo Gutierrez, D.D. at the Chapel of the Holy Cross Spiritual Center in Calumpang, General Santos City. The occasion was attended by the Passionist Priests, Brothers and Sisters, Lay Partners, benefactors and friends together with the families of Reverends Andrew and Cris. At present, Rev. Andrew is serving at the St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Manila and Rev. Cris continues to give retreat at the Holy Cross Spiritual Center and serves as deacon at the Holy Cross Parish in Calumpang. Congratulations and looking forward to your Presbyteral Ordination!

(L-R: Rev. Andrew Gumboc CP, Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez DD, and Rev. Cris Dimaculangan, CP)

Typhoon and Earthquake Response Recently, the Philippines was hit by a powerful earthquake and a super typhoon that caused enormous amount of pain and suffering and homelessness to thousands of Filipinos in the Visayas Region.

(Photo by Fr Roo Toledo, C.P. PASS Province)

The Passionists in the Philippines join the victims of calamities in expressing their heartfelt gratitude for the financial aid given by our brothers in the Congregation to help them recover from the devastation. Thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts! God bless your generosity. Generalate: PASPAC: Korean Passionists: Passionists in Vietnam: Passionists in Spain: Australian Passionists: Caritas Australia: Euro 10,000.00 USD 5,000.00 PhP 40,000.00 USD 2,000.00 Euro 6,273.00 AUD 18,000.00 AUD 8,000.00

Damaged structures caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the Province of Bohol in the morning of October 15, 2013. These photos were taken by Fr Roo Toledo, C.P. during their relief operations.

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