Author: cfliao

The Ignatian Ideal and Jesuit Reality

The Ignatian Ideal and Jesuit Reality保祿‧顧定豪( Paul Coutinho, S.J. ) 著

李驊、張令憙 譯           小俞 繪圖 

訂購方式

2008 年 5 月 初版
書號 205291
定價 160 元 / 152 頁 / 平裝 / 25 開 / ISBN: 978-957-546-621-3

本書簡介

為依納爵而言,生命之目的乃是親近天主,與祂密切結合。作者認為,依納爵所揭示的這份天人合一關係,是耶穌會的正字標記。並以方濟‧薩威、法伯爾、雅魯培為例,證明人不論在何種局勢、時代、文化、性情氣質,都能活出依納爵的理想。所有認真追隨依納爵的人,都會堅毅地把這理想世世代代傳遞下去。

 

耶穌會士首先是天主的人

作者簡介
保祿‧顧定豪(Paul Coutinho, S.J.),印度籍耶穌會士,擁有臨床心理學及歷史神學學位,具豐富的依納爵靈修經驗,在印度及世界各地帶領避靜、主持工作坊。

譯者簡介
李驊,耶穌會士,主修依納爵靈修並從事相關培育工作數年。著有《耶穌‧小兵‧心》,譯有《上路去朝聖》、《爬上一棵樹》、《依納爵神恩的理想》。

張令憙,輔仁大學英國文學研究所畢業,基督生活團團員。目前服務於依納爵靈修中心,同時從事翻譯工作。譯作計有:《煉淨、光明、合一》、《行動中的默觀者》、《主愛多繽紛》、《熾熱的心》、《瑪利亞–幽影中的恩寵》等。

本書簡介:

  方濟‧薩威、法伯爾及其他初期耶穌會士所活出的依納爵神恩的「理想」,今日仍具意義嗎?

  現今的耶穌會士,真能藉由「持續處於與天主親密共融的狀態」,而在一切中找到天主嗎?

  為依納爵而言,生命之目的乃是親近天主,與祂密切結合。這種在生活中「持續處於與天主親密共融的狀態」深深滲入依納爵所做的每件事中,使他成為一位「行動中的默觀者」,一位「在一切事物中找到天主的人」。

  本書作者認為,依納爵所揭示的這份天人合一關係,是耶穌會的正字標記,是可奮力達到的理想。他以方濟‧薩威、法伯爾這兩位初期夥伴,以及晚依納爵約450年的雅魯培為例,證明人不論處在怎樣的局勢、時代及文化中,也不論擁有怎樣的性情氣質,都有可能活出依納爵的理想。


書摘:

第一章 導論

2. 依納爵和天主之間的親密關係(第10頁)

  有許多描述依納爵靈修生活的說法,其中最適合的大概要算是「尋找天主的朝聖者」。萊內斯(Diego Laynez;編註:第二任總會長)是這樣描述依納爵: 「他是那麼的獨特,他與天主間的來往已經超越了所有的感官能力,似乎已經進入直觀的境界。」依納爵認為,與天主共融不只是在理智上思考著天主,而是在 一個人的生命深處與天主合一,並滲透到生命中的所有層面。也就是經由效法基督的生命、死亡和復活,逐漸地與天主同化,最後轉變成像聖保祿所說的,不是 我生活,而是基督在我內生活。

  要達到這樣親密的結合,一個人首先要看出自己的「受造性」,所有的一切都來自天主,而且天主在所有的受造物之內,所以天主也在我內(《神操》235號)。所有受造物都因天主而存在,就像光線來自太陽一樣(《神操》237號)。依納爵的這個基本經驗是來自茫萊撒(Manresa)的深刻體驗。依納爵寫信給博日亞 (Francis Borgia)說:「當人把自己的一切奉獻給天主後,他會很有神慰地獲得種親密的認知,就是知道永生的天主以祂無限的存有,臨在和支持一切的受造物。」當一個人有這樣的基本態度時,他就會在一切受造物中發現天主,並且體會到天主是一切受造物的終向。因此身為受造物,理應完全為天主而活,就如依納爵在《神操》的〈原則與基礎〉中所描述的一樣。


第三章 聖方濟‧薩威

10薩威的靈修
在一切事物中發現天主(第66頁)

  薩威是那麼地與天主親密結合,因此他的整個生命就是最美的祈禱。一位修士說:「他的眼睛常常望著天,充滿著淚水;嘴裡常常默念:『耶穌基督,至聖 聖三』;然後他會對我們說,我親愛的弟兄和夥伴,天主遠遠比我們所想像的還要好!」由此看來,依納爵寫在《會憲》中的話已經銘刻在他的心中:「當在一切事上尋求天主,盡量擺脫對任何受造物的貪戀,庶幾將全部愛情移向造物主,按照天主的至聖旨意,在萬物內愛天主,也在天主內愛萬物」(《會憲》288號) 。

  薩威總是在所服務的人身上看到天主,他說:「全能的造物主,請記得是祢 創造了這些人的靈魂,他們是祢按照祢的肖像所創造的。」由於他在別人身上看到天主,因此他心中愛天主的熱情自然就轉向那些他所服務的人。這樣的愛是那麼地強,因此他祈禱說:「主啊,最痛苦的事,莫過於活著而察覺不到祢。」


第四章 伯鐸‧法伯爾

4加深與天主關係的方法

自我割捨(第102頁)

  當法伯爾愈來愈與被釘在十字架的基督結合後,他愈來愈不會融入富麗堂皇的氛圍中;他說他在奢華的情況下,常常覺得很乾枯。他也發現,只依賴人們的 幫助和博取他們的尊敬,會阻礙自己與天主親密的結合。「我發現在人群中最被尊敬的人,常常是內在最忽略基督和聖神臨在的人,因為這曾經在我身上發生過」;因此他相信,那些愈不刻意討好人們,愈是接近被釘的耶穌的人,愈容易找到耶穌,也愈容易達到最終的榮耀。

  而且他相信,救恩是來自被釘在十字架上的耶穌,因此,一個人首先要尋求的是願意與基督一同被釘,然後才和基督同享復活的光榮;而不是先尋求光榮,然後幻想自己有跟隨耶穌基督被釘的能力。他同時堅持,耶穌基督將自己交給了痛苦的死亡,然後摧毀死亡,我們也需要效法祂,把自己放下,將自己的身體交給痛苦和死亡,然後才能在天主內重新獲得生命。


第五章 依納爵的理想與耶穌會的現實

(第107頁)

  為依納爵而言,生命的目的乃是與天主親密的結合。這份關係深深滲入他所做的每件事中,賦予他生命意義,成了他一切行動所倚仗的基石。依納爵將這份關係放在首位,直到它佔有他,耗盡他。

  這份關係是依納爵留給教會的資產。在某些人眼中,它只是高遠的理想;對另一些人來說,它是值得擁有的造詣;還有些人以它作為生活方式,正如依納爵那樣。為耶穌會士而言,依納爵是他們生活之典範,而與天主親密的結合則是他們的理想。

  依納爵、薩威和法伯爾是非常不一樣的人,背景有天壤之別,性情也大異其趣。然而,他們卻為同一個目標所啟發,藉著與天主合作而獲得達成目標的力量。他們精力的活水源頭,正是與天主親密的結合。依納爵指引薩威和法伯爾進到那份關係中,但基督才是他們的領導者和心靈之主。在拯救人靈的工作中與耶穌合一,正是將他們和其他初期夥伴聯繫起來,形成耶穌會的力量。依納爵、薩威和法伯爾因著所成就的使徒事業聞名於世,但作為耶穌會士,這三位的不同凡響之處在於他們是屬靈的人,奮力追求可能企及的與天主極親密的給合。他們所服務的人也經驗到,達到耶穌會士所追求的同樣目標是可能的。在日常生活中經驗天主,並在這份與主的關係內成長,是一種新的生活方式,那便是在一切事物中找到天主。

與天主共融不只是在理智上思考著天主,
而是在 一個人的生命深處與天主合一,
並滲透到生命中的所有層面

Jesuit education leader to address University of Scranton grads

(13-May-2008) Rev. Thomas E. Roach, S.J., secretary for education for the Society of Jesus, will be the principal speaker at the University of Scranton’s 2008 undergraduate commencement. Father Roach, who is responsible for helping to implement the educational ministry of the Jesuits worldwide, and who was among the delegates who this year elected the new superior general of the Society of Jesus, will also receive an honorary degree at the May 25 ceremony.Since 2001, Father Roach has been the Superior General’s liaison with the 3,888 Jesuit educational institutions worldwide, serving approximately 3 million students. He focuses on secondary and primary education. He was among the delegates who elected Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., as the Superior General of the Society of Jesus.

Slovenia honors Jesuit missionary-astronomer in China

The exhibition in Ljubljana (10 – 24 April 2008) announced the start of a two year project Hallerstein (from March 2008 to December 2009), which has been planned for the Culture Programme (2007-2013) of the European Community, Cultural Cooperation with and in third countries. The project combines cultural heritage, performing arts and new media technologies. Events will take place in Maribor, Ljubljana, Vienna, Lisbon, Braga, Prague, Shanghaj, Nantong and Beijing. In the frame of the project, researches, symposiums, workshops and intermedia performances will be performed. At the end of a project a book and dvd Hallerstein will be released.

The exhibition’s central figure was the renowned astronomer Ferdinand von Hallerstein – Liu Songling (1703 – 1774), a Jesuit missionary, scientist, inventor, mathematician, cartographer and diplomat, who was born in Ljubljana but lived for 35 years in China. He went to Beijing in 1739, where he worked for 32 years at the Emperor’s astronomical observatory (as its head for 28 years) and was awarded the title of Mandarin of the third grade. In addition to observing the stars and creating the calendar, he was in charge of the creation of an astronomic instrument or “sphere displaying the starry sky” and of the “great armillary sphere” that was completed in 1754, and was the largest such instrument at the old Beijing astronomical observatory. He also discovered a new comet in 1748.

A young province with an old tradition

Romanian Jesuits begin anew finding their path of service

Jesuits first came to Romania in the sixteenth century, but they are starting all over after the fall of communism and the sudden adoption of capitalist values. Father Vasile Tofaná is one of the new generation of young Romania Jesuits who are planning for a future that is not yet clear.

MP3 file | Length: 19:54

Macau Ricci Institute International Symposium

April 27-29, the Macau Ricci Institute held a three-day International Symposium dedicated to Polish Jesuit Missionaries in Chinese History.  The title of the Symposium was: “Introduction of Western Learning and Cultural Consciousness.”  There were 20 speakers from both Poland and Taiwan, as well as many participating scholars from from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China.  Andrzej Rudomina (1595-1632) and Jan Mikolaj Smogulecki (1610-1656) were two of the outstanding Polish missionaries to China who were mentioned during theSymposium.

Catholic Schools’ Religiosity, Effectiveness In Teaching Religion Questioned

BANGKOK (UCAN) — A sense that religiosity is declining at Catholic schools and religious teaching is not being translated into lived values was a fundamental concern Catholic educators shared at a recent FABC meeting.

“The sacredness is lost in Catholic schools,” Father Roderick Salazar said in presenting the situation in the Philippines during the consultation on Eucharist and Education in Asia, held May 25-30 outside Bangkok.

The president of San Carlos University, which his Divine Word society runs in Cebu City, the Philippines, maintains that appreciating the sacredness of the Eucharist requires understanding and preparation, but he finds these lacking. “I can be holy in church but, as a student, cheating in exams,” he said by way of explanation.

Even being in a so-called Catholic country like the Philippines does not mean things go “the Catholic way,” the priest said on May 26 in front of more than 30 bishops, laypeople, priests and Religious involved in Catholic education. He cited some Catholic universities in the southern Philippines where Muslims form the majority of students. Some time ago his counterparts there removed crucifixes from classroom walls to avoid offending the clientele, he reported.

“I do not know how I would have reacted in the same situation,” Father Salazar later admitted to UCA News on the sidelines of the consultation. The Office of Education and Faith Formation (OEFF) of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) arranged the meeting at the Suvarnabhumi campus of Assumption University.

At San Carlos, he explained, all students must take certain compulsory subjects, “religious education” among them. The students, whether or not they are Christians, “have to know us, have to accept us, though not necessarily what we believe,” he insisted.

The Eucharist is celebrated regularly, “with the high liturgy that one can expect during high feasts,” but this is not enough, Father Salazar acknowledged. The most important question, he said, concerns what happens when Mass ends: “How does this exercise affect the daily work?”

Salesian Father Kuriala Chittattukulam had much the same question in mind when he told participants it would be difficult to say that celebrating Mass at Indian Catholic schools influences students’ actions in daily life.

“It should deepen their relationship with others, but it does not,” the executive secretary of the Indian bishops’ Commission for Education and Culture said when he presented the situation in his country.

The communitarian aspect of the Eucharist has not been taught in the schools, he stressed, so students “are not aware that the teachings of Jesus involve the social issues of the people.”

Additionally, the school community is seldom involved in the environmental issues or interfaith dialogue, the priest continued. He suggested that the schools do not have chapels because the academic community has no deep understanding of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

On the other hand, he reported much is being done to inculturate the Mass. He pointed to entrance dances, washing of the celebrants’ hands and arti, a common rite derived from Hinduism of offering light from lamps, which is offered to the chief celebrant before the Mass and later to the Eucharist. Father Chittattukulam expects this will make Mass more meaningful to young Catholics over time.7

In Taiwan, the local Church sees its Catholic schools and especially its higher college and two universities as places where young people grow in appreciation of the Eucharist, Father Lucas Wang Wen-lin said in another of the situation reports given May 26 and 27. The chaplain of Fu Jen Catholic University, outside Taipei, explained that attending Mass with their peers enables young people to find special relevance in the Eucharist.

Dominican Father Vicente Cajilig from the Philippines told UCA News on May 28 that Catholic schools must strive to be places where the mind is informed, the heart is formed and the whole person undergoes integral development. “In countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and others the Catholic institutions are prime choices. This is the honor that we enjoy for reasons the population knows very well,” the OEFF executive secretary said.

In other parts of Asia including Malaysia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, the local Church has little or no freedom to run schools.

‘Pastors, Priests And Bishops Really Need Education In The Area Of Women’s Concerns’

Women in the Church in Asia are looking for a different, deeper type of recognition that bishops need to address, says a noted Asian theologian.
 
Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Imus, the Philippines, a member of the Office of Theological Concerns of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), spoke to UCA News during a May 12-16 meeting at the Redemptorist Centre in Pattaya, 100 kilometers southeast of Bangkok.
 
The meeting’s theme — “The Bishop: Harbinger of Hope (Bishops, Women, Gospel and Communion)” — was inspired by Pastores Gregis (shepherds of the flock), Pope John Paul II’s 2003 apostolic exhortation presenting the fruit of the 2001 Synod of Bishops assembly on episcopal ministry.
 
Thirteen women, 10 bishops and two priests attended the meeting organized by the Women’s Desk of the FABC Office of Laity and Family in cooperation with the Office of Theological Concerns. They came from Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.
 
Bishop Tagle acknowledged that not all bishops are familiar with the type of theological and scriptural studies arising from the perspective of women, but he said they have a great openness to learn and be educated in a feminist approach to theology and biblical studies.
 
The interview follows:
 

UCA NEWS: What was the genesis of this meeting?
 
BISHOP LUIS ANTONIO TAGLE OF IMUS: This meeting was organized primarily to orient bishops theologically and pastorally on the situation of women in Asia. Secondly, it was to help us in our ministry according to Pastores Gregis. Pope John Paul II enumerated those who are being victimized in our contemporary world, and one of them — and probably the biggest group — is the group of women. The third (motivation) is for us, in collaboration with the other sectors in the Church, to act on this as part of our pastoral ministry and priorities. 
 

What do bishops need to learn about women?
 
First, we offer this seminar as an introduction to some bishops on what we call the feminist hermeneutics, the feminist method of doing theology, the feminist method in reading Scriptures, because while we are aware in our pastoral areas of the situation of women, not all bishops are familiar with the type of theological and scriptural studies that are arising from the women’s perspective. This meeting was a blending of an introduction to feminist methodology of theology while also an updating on the situation of women.
 

It seems few bishops are here. Only 10 came from three countries?
 
Yes. We are sad that a meeting of such importance got only 10 delegates (bishops) from three countries. In a way it was a blessing, because the group was not that big. The interaction with women theologians and scholars, both among Religious women and laywomen, became more familiar, more personal and more profound.
 

Do you think the feminist theme kept some people away?
 
I do not want to judge, but that is always a possibility. That is one of the factors that instruments the attendance or the number of people (laughs). 
 

Might another term besides ‘feminist’ make the subject clearer or easier to approach?
 
Yes, that issue came up here. We were told by one of the speakers, who herself is a professional theologian and educator, that there seems to be a trend — even among circles of women’s scholars — to look for another term. As movements progress or develop, some terms have acquired connotations, and when people hear those some of them are turned off right away. So has the word “feminism” generated some reactions from different circles. So, “womenist” theology, or lately women’s thought, women’s methodology, perspective, are employed in our days.
 
But I should tell you that although the group that gathered among the bishops was quite small, I noticed a great openness to learn and to be educated in a whole womenist approach to theology and biblical studies.
 

Is the Church in Asia still following the old patriarchal way? Or can one see some influence of women’s perspective?
 
The pronouncements and statements of the FABC since 15 years or so show an increasing awareness of the role of women and the place of women in the Church and in the mission of the Church. In terms of documents and statements, that is already there. I think what surfaced in this meeting was: Okay, while these elements are in the documents, have these been understood? Have they been understood in a manner that in a way pushes the Church to a certain internalization of this reality, and then moving into action, like pastoral change, because of this new awareness?
 
So, on the level of awareness, no doubt. But in terms of translating the awareness into pastoral life, ministries, participation of women in some commissions and councils in the Church, that is to be desired.
 

In what ways can bishops be ‘harbingers of hope’ for women, as the conference theme says?
 
What came up time and time again is (that) renewed appreciation of the full humanity of women and the Christian calling could enable bishops to be more compassionate and welcoming to the presence of women in the communities, especially those who are experiencing a lot of oppression in the homes, in the workplace. So the theological and scriptural understanding of women’s world should be translated into a quality of presence, the presence of a pastor who should be understanding, compassionate, listening and would also use his ministry as bishop to set up in the diocese some centers, offices for education and opportunities also for women.
 

Where does it go from here, this issue of bishops and women?
 
That is a good question. The way the FABC is operating, this could be followed up. Like next year, another colloquium. But for me, what is crucial for the delegates, even if we were very few, is to bring home with us the learning, maybe to encourage the local episcopal conferences to do something similar for all the bishops in the conferences, and maybe to encourage other bishops to attend in the future similar formation programs.
 

Would you agree with the claim that millions of women are not recognized in the Church?
 
From discussions that came up during this meeting, it seems that recognition in terms of seeing their (women’s) presence, their actions, their contribution to the Church, that type of recognition is there. It seems that some women’s groups are looking for a different, deeper type of recognition which is, for example, (women’s) more active role in some commissions that make decisions. It is not just a recognition of what they are able to do in basic communities, in liturgy, but especially in councils and commissions that somehow contribute to setting directions in parishes and also dioceses. 
 

But what about parishes, to which women already belong?
 
Yes, it came up here that there are not enough (women) represented in parish councils or pastoral councils. Those who are there are not always the active type of women. They are there but quite subservient. Numbers alone do not guarantee that the women’s perspective is represented.
 

How can this be changed or get a new momentum?
 
We can attack this from different fronts. One is real education of all. We noticed that pastors, priests and bishops really need education in the area of women’s concern. Women, maybe, should understand the burdens the bishops are carrying. We cannot respond to everything. We need mutual understanding, ongoing dialogue. In the end, theologically it is back to the ecclesiology of communion, where the different gifts come together, support one another for the common good.

Church Workers Deliver Food Near Sealed-Off Zone in Quake-Devastated Area

MIANYANG, China (UCAN) — Four priests and two nuns crossed a checkpoint leading to a sealed-off area in devastated Beichuan county to deliver foodstuff to isolated quake survivors.
 
They came close to Beichuan town, which has been sealed off to be razed in an effort to prevent epidemics.
 
Father Zhong Cheng, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Mianyang city, led the Catholic team in three cars and a truck to deliver relief aid May 21-22 to survivors of the massive May 12 earthquake in Sichuan province.
 
The other team members were three priests from other parts of the country, and Sisters Zhang Yimei and Zhan Dengju, who serve in the parish. They loaded the truck with five tons of rice and 200 buckets of cooking oil before heading northwest from Mianyang.
 
They delivered the foodstuffs door-to-door and comforted the residents, including some Catholics, at more than 10 locations in Beichuan, An and other counties, Father Zhong told UCA News May 22.
 
“On May 21, after Yongan town, we drove north toward Leigu, a town in front of sealed-off Beichuan town,” he said. Beichuan town, 90 kilometers northeast of the quake’s epicenter in Wenchuan, is the first place to be sealed off.
 
“Police at a checkpoint (just before Leigu) refused us entry,” the priest recalled. “We showed them a Red Cross permit, held up a placard that said ‘Offering of Love from the Catholic Church’ and pleaded with them to let us pass,” he continued. The officers let them pass, he said, but “warned us to be extremely careful.”
 
In Leigu, Father Zhong reported, some rescue teams were spraying disinfectant, and most houses and buildings had collapsed or stood dangerously. The Catholic workers all wore face masks, he added.
 
After Leigu it was not possible to go further, so the Catholic workers turned south to deliver food to other devastated areas before returning to Mianyang on May 22 evening. Evacuated Beichuan survivors are being housed for now in sports centers in nearby cities.
 
In Father Zhong’s view, setting up checkpoints was a good precaution. “If ordinary people entered the area, they might feel depressed seeing all the devastation,” he explained. “It’s been 10 days since the deadly quake, and even if bodies are found, they would be decomposed.”
 
Earlier, on May 13, the day after the quake, Father Zhong drove Sister Zhan to her hometown to search for her elderly mother, who lived uphill. A rescuer had carried her mother, who could not walk properly, down the slope to a safe place.
 
According to a May 22 report in China’s Nanfang Daily, headlined “Beichuan, Farewell Forever,” rescue teams suspended all rescue work in Beichuan town by May 21 evening, after evacuating the area and detecting no further signs of life amid the rubble. The ruins will be blasted and the town rebuilt in a new place, the report says.
 
About 12,000 of the 30,000 people there died, and 3,000 are missing, China’s media reported on May 22. Beichuan town is 135 kilometers north of the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu, which lies 1,530 kilometers southwest of Beijing.
 
Beichuan county had several hundred Catholics, who mostly lived outside the town proper, according to Father Zhong.
 
China’s State Council on May 23 announced that the earthquake has affected nine provinces and one municipality, and claimed the lives of 55,740 people, besides injuring 292,481. A total of 24,960 people were still missing and 11 million have been made homeless, it said.

Catholic Volunteers Brush Up On Church And Other Knowledge To Serve In Olympic Village

BEIJING (UCAN) — Mainland Catholic volunteers are getting ready to serve athletes from around the world who will compete in the Beijing Olympics in August.
 
Beijing diocese has designated 16 people — seven priests, five nuns and four seminarians — to join the religious volunteer service group and work alongside Buddhist, Daoist (Taoist), Muslim and Protestant volunteers.
 
The Beijing Summer Olympics and the Paralympic Games will be held Aug. 8-24 and Sept. 6-17 respectively, during which a religious service center will operate in the Olympic Village, in the northern part of the capital. The volunteer group will be stationed there.
 
Four of the Catholic volunteers spoke with UCA News recently about how they are preparing to serve at the international event.
 
Father Joseph Zhao Qinglong, leader of the Catholic team, said the religious volunteers attended three training courses last year, the longest one lasting two months, with sessions twice a week. “Our participation as volunteers can be a concrete service the Church offers to society,” he said.
 
“Certainly, we will serve all foreign athletes, government officials and visitors who need the service, hoping they will feel at home,” the priest declared, noting that the China Church is part of the universal Church. Father Zhao, who studied in Rome for five years and returned to Beijing last year, can speak English, Italian and some French.
 
Li Jiangang of Beijing Seminary told UCA News about one of the courses, which the Beijing Religious Affairs Bureau held last summer for 60 volunteers representing the five government-recognized religions. The volunteers learned about the history of the Olympics, psychology, first aid, etiquette, English, customs and practices in Beijing, and the names of famous Chinese athletes, the seminarian recalled.
 
According to Li, based on exchanges with volunteers of other religions, the volunteers hold the common view that “the spirit of the Olympics coincides with religions’ and the state’s idea of harmonious society.” Thus, the Beijing Olympics will be “a juncture for development of the country and religions.”
 
Li said he practices the organ daily for an hour during the seminary’s lunch break, because he will provide accompaniment at Masses in the Olympic Village. He added that he spends another hour playing basketball to be fit for the strenuous service during the Games. Li can speak English, which he learned before entering the seminary.
 
Sister Dong Siuhong is “studying hard about religious knowledge, especially about the Church in China.” In order to provide the best religious services for the foreign athletes and accompanying personnel, she is learning about liturgical arrangement and church decoration.
 
During the Olympic events, she said, the Catholics and the 18 Protestant volunteers will stay at the Protestants’ Yanjing Theological Seminary in the capital’s Haidian district, near the Olympic Village.
 
Volunteers all have to wear the same uniform, but volunteer nuns will put on their habits at Masses to “show Catholic identity,” added Sister Dong, who can speak Korean.
 
“We will present to the visitors warm hospitality and a good image of Chinese Catholics,” she said, expressing hope that visitors would gain a better image of the China Church than they might have had a few decades ago.
 
Li too hopes to show the foreign athletes and visitors that the China Church is liberal and energetic. He noted that Beijing diocese is baptizing more and more young and educated people each year.
 
Sister Kou Suzhen, who studied in France, thinks being a volunteer fits in with the spirit of consecrated life. “I will express my devotion to God in my service,” she told UCA News. “As the Olympics takes off soon, I’m preparing myself to serve the foreign guests with a positive attitude, happiness and warmth,” she added.
 
Meanwhile, parish priests, nuns and lay leaders, as well as personnel of other religions in Beijing, attended a one-and-a-half-day training course on religious service for the Olympics in late April. Organized by the Beijing municipal government, the course instructed the participants on how to prepare and receive foreign visitors at their religious venues during August and September.

R.I.P Fr. Jesús Zarandona

Fr. Jesús ZarandonaFr. Jesús Zarandona went to the Lord peacefully on May 25, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. at Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei. 

Fr. Zarandona was born in Santurce (Vizcaya, Spain) on December 24, 1912.  He entered the Society at St. Ignatius Loyola Guipúzcoa (Azpeitiat, Spain) on August 14, 1929; was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1944 at St. Peter Church in Shanghai and professed his last vows on February 11, 1947 in Huhu (Anhui).  Fr. Zarandona dedicated his whole life in pastoral and educational apostolates, he used to teach at St. Aloysius Technical School in WuHu and Hsinpu, was Superior and Parish Pastor at Hsinpu, Chutung and Chupei.

His parents, among 9 children, offered one son to the Society of Jesus and to China, and offered 6 daughters as Clarisas Contemplative Sisters to pray for China.