When he looks back on his journey, Fr Pedro Chia SJ can point to the “cannonball” moment he was called by God—in two sentences and 16 words: “若不是你，那会是谁；若非现在，又是何时.”(If not you, then who? If not now, then when?) He was in his early thirties, pondering his life’s direction. Continue reading ““If not you, then who?””
“If not you, then who?”
A hope-filled discernment of vocations
For the first time, candidates and prenovices of the Society of Jesus from China, the Philippines, and Vietnam gathered on 8 March to foster friendship while engaging in a hope-filled discernment of our vocations. Held via Zoom, the gathering included 19 Vietnamese prenovices, 16 Filipino candidates, and two Chinese candidates. Continue reading “A hope-filled discernment of vocations”
A pause to hear the mission calling
The Asia Pacific Tertianship programme, which started in Manila last September, comes to an end on 1 March. A diverse group of Jesuit priests and one brother from the Philippines, Slovenia, Lithuania, Spain, South Korea, the United States, and Vietnam have completed the final period of their formal religious formation Continue reading “A pause to hear the mission calling”
A transformative Arrupe Month experience
The four Jesuit scholastics in the Chinese Province undertaking their theological studies participated in the month-long Arrupe Month. Continue reading “A transformative Arrupe Month experience”
Following the footsteps of the Good Shepherd: Ordinations in the Chinese Province
A voice booms across the room: “Good morning, teacher!”—the voice of Paul Hoang Huy Huu SJ. On Saturday, 6 July, in Holy Family Church, Taipei, Paul was ordained deacon by Mgr Thomas Chung, Archbishop of Taipei. Paul’s voice will now be dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel. Continue reading “Following the footsteps of the Good Shepherd: Ordinations in the Chinese Province”
Young priests gathering of the Chinese Province: Sharing and discerning in deep brotherly friendship
As the pandemic situation eased and border controls relaxed, nearly 20 young Jesuit priests who are in apostolic ministries of the Chinese Province met on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival at the beautiful and serene Xavier House in Hong Kong, where they spent time in a spirit of communion while participating in a five-day workshop Continue reading “Young priests gathering of the Chinese Province: Sharing and discerning in deep brotherly friendship”
Deacons in the service of the Church
The Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus celebrated the ordination to the diaconate of two scholastics, Philip Fung Hon-chung SJ and Przemyslaw Mąk SJ, on 7 May at the Holy Family Church in Taipei. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organising committee offered two options for people to participate in the liturgical celebration: in-person or through the livestream. Despite the challenges, the faithful, friends, and classmates of the two ordinands filled the church with enthusiasm.
The Archbishop of Taipei, Most Rev Thomas Chung, was initially scheduled to preside at the ordination. However, due to recent cases of infection at the Taipei Archdiocesan chancery office, Most Rev John Baptist Lee, the Bishop of Hsinchu Diocese and chairperson of the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference, presided over the liturgy instead. The Mass was also joined by more than 30 concelebrants.
Bishop Lee exhorted the two ordinands to immerse themselves in works of charity, deepen their spiritual life, and be fervent in evangelization. Later, two Jesuit priests, Fr Jaime Valenciano and Fr Barry Martinson vested the new deacons respectively with the stole and dalmatic.
Towards the end of the liturgy, the Socius of the Chinese Province, Fr Luciano Morra SJ, gave the thanksgiving speech on behalf of the Provincial, Fr Stephen Tong SJ, who is currently in Hong Kong and so was unable to attend the celebration due to travel restrictions from the pandemic. Fr Morra read Father Provincial’s letter in which he specifically thanked the Bishop for ordaining our two Jesuit brothers to the diaconate as servants of the Church.
In his letter, Fr Tong also mentioned the varied backgrounds of the new deacons: Philip is a neurologist while Przemyslaw is a ballroom dancer, yet the same Lord called them both and placed them together. This shows forth the diverse and international character of the Society of Jesus. Father Provincial sincerely hopes that the new deacons will reflect the image of God indefatigably in all circumstances.
Fr Tong also described the role and essence of deacons in the early Church. He encouraged the new deacons to concretely embody the spirit of Jesus expressed in his words: “I did not come to be served, but to serve,” He further exhorted them to live out the motto of the Jesuits: “For the Greater Glory of God” standing firmly on the foundation of the Holy Church.
Finally, Fr Tong expressed his gratitude for the generosity of the parents of the deacons. He hopes the two deacons will grow joyfully in their vocation.
At the end of liturgy, the new deacons gave thanksgiving speeches, each in their mother tongue, Cantonese and Polish, respectively. They expressed gratitude for the support of family and friends. Since this ordination day was also the Feast of Our Lady of China, the two deacons venerated the Holy Mother with a bouquet of flowers while singing and dancing to the Magnificat. In so doing they drew this heartwarming celebration to a perfect end.
Finding God in the midst of hard work
The Arrupe Month is a time of grace for Jesuit scholastics. In addition to the eight-day retreat, participants have the opportunity to meet different people and listen to their vocation stories, to discuss a wide range of topics, from Ignatian Spirituality to the issues of the Church, from the longing of the faithful to the experience of waiting for a mission. This rich exchange is very helpful for scholastics in reflecting on our vocation. They help us to pray and go deeper into our own spiritual experiences.
In the evenings, we take turns sharing our vocation stories through prayer and reflection. This brought me a greater sense of understanding and sympathy. It also gave me the opportunity to know myself better and reflect on how God has led me to consecrated life these last 10 years.
Ten years is not a short time and a lot has happened, but if I had to describe it in one phrase, it would be: Finding God in the midst of hard work.
My Provincial Superior once asked me: “Where is the easiest situation for you to find God?”
At that time, I answered: “In serving the poor and the suffering.”
This answer is real because I have felt Him through serving lepers and the mentally ill, and I have learned a lot from the poor and those in need, who have not only influenced me to know myself, but have also given me the opportunity to experience God’s love.
God’s teachings and companionship flow abundantly, and I feel God’s greatness and generosity if I open my heart and mind to be in union with Him. He continues to lead me to different people and experiences to make me realise that in the midst of suffering, sickness, and hardship, God is closer to the people. There is no need to fear or run away because we can rely on God’s strength to face and find meaning in difficulties.
During the Arrupe Month I had time to slowly reflect on my difficult experiences, and I was filled with many wonderful feelings. In particular, these few experiences stand out.
I once worked in a cement factory. I was assigned in different departments, but what I remember most is the time I spent in the basement doing packaging work, standing for eight hours a day. It was really challenging for me. I lost four to five kilograms, but it was a most rewarding moment when I felt the presence of God. Working in an environment where I could not get enough food, clothing, and water was the closest I felt to God.
I also spent time in a psychiatric centre helping care for about 200 patients. I was physically and mentally stretched to my limit, but it was there that I saw God’s miracles in the life of my patients.
Currently I am studying theology, and there are many hard parts in being a student. From my experience, it seems that the more demanding a teacher is and the more challenging the exams are, the more fruitful the class becomes.
In Taiwan, I often hear the phrase “you’ve worked hard” to encourage and comfort others, which is a good habit. For me though, this phrase has taken on a different meaning, that is, “the opportunity to be with God”. I consider it a blessing that gives me much strength to face difficult and hard things.
Scholastic Peter Phạm Khánh Linh SJ from Vietnam is a third year theology student at the Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of St Robert Bellarmine in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The Arrupe Month is a period of reflection and discussion that prepares Jesuit scholastics for ordination.
Vietnamese Jesuit ordained deacon in Taiwan
Michael Nguyen Phuoc Bao Dai Loi SJ from Vietnam was ordained to the diaconate in the chapel of the Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of St Robert Bellarmine in New Taipei City on 21 August. The Most Rev Thomas An-Zu Chung, Archbishop of Taipei, was the ordaining prelate.
Deacon Loi, 38, was born in Hue in central Vietnam. Before entering the Society of Jesus in 2008, he studied sociology at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. He was sent to Taiwan for his Regency and later for theology studies at St Robert Bellarmine School of Theology.
Some little thoughts
I am to be ordained tomorrow. It is now 22:19, 13 August 2021. After finishing the first rehearsal with all the greatest altar boys of Wah Yan College Hong Kong and Wah Yan College Kowloon, I received one WhatsApp message from a friend in Rome. The message read: “Congratulations Fr Philip! We offered a Mass for your ordination today!” I laughed in my room not because my friend was confused about the date and time of my ordination, but because the message was the only “other kind” I had received throughout the entire day; the others had all been about the logistics and revisions of the logistics of the ordination. I feel extraordinarily grateful for this message: It is not an error, but a blessing because it reminds me that I have friends from all over the world!
A year ago, when I was just ordained as a deacon and missioned to study Canon Law in Rome, I could not foresee the highs and lows of the year. I thought, well, it would be difficult, but I would never have thought it would be so “different”.
It was different in many senses. For example, language was different. I had to pass an exam in Italian before I could register in the school, and I had only three months to improve from level zero to level B1. The community was different. We spoke only Italian during breakfast and lunch – even when sometimes during breakfast I was not yet fully awake. The class was different; the professors started from the Codes written in Latin and tried to explain them in Italian.
Thank God for a great Italian teacher, who is also a good friend of the Jesuits in Rome. She treated me more like her son instead of her student. This is not an exaggeration, because later, when I got sick with Covid, she sent me a huge box of famous Italian handmade chocolates (that I would never have dared to use my allowance to buy). Though I had eaten all of them, I still have the box. And when I see the box, from time to time, it makes me want to cry.
Also, I had great professors. I will not name them because they are very truly Jesuit professors. For example, Fr G has a strong Spanish accent even when speaking Italian. At first, I worried because I knew neither Italian nor Spanish, but one time he gave me a whole extra hour so that I could ask my questions and finally finish a deadly assignment. From him, I learned more than knowledge. Besides, we also had Fr R, who gave perfect notes and checked every lesson in our study, from the correct pronunciation of a Latin word to the right understanding of each Canon Code. He was always full of courage after commenting on many codes. He would say, “According to me, this code is USELESS!” It may seem like a sarcastic joke, but he was showing us real “critical thinking”.
Moreover, I had best friends. When my PCR test came back “positive”, my mind blanked out momentarily. Then I took a breath, collected the things I would need, and moved to the room for quarantine. It was not a bad room – in fact, it was on the first floor with a window that opened to the “cortile” (courtyard) of Bellarmino. On the second day many came to visit. They would stand in the cortile, and I would appear in the window. A little whim came to me, so I started to bless them by making the sign, which made all of us laugh. I guess you must laugh, too, if you can imagine because I just made myself like the Pope, who would bless the pilgrims from his window.
Thus, I did not find a big space for me to grieve or to be sad because I got sick. Fr Provincial sent me a message of encouragement, telling me to “be courageous because you are now part of the millions who are also suffering”. I thought: “That’s right. To be a Jesuit is not like having a magic shield that can protect us from the struggles of all others.” So I wrote him a letter in which I included all the names of those who had treated me so well since I arrived in Rome. Interestingly, as I was writing this letter, my fear and worry slowly faded away. I guess that’s what Fr George Yeung, Fr Mon Bautista, and Fr Chris Dumadag (my novice masters) taught me about gratitude: It defines our lives in front of God, and it can change everything. In fact, since I now have the natural antibodies, I was able to take care of friends in the community who also got sick with Covid afterwards.
I am grateful for the whole year. I am to be a priest and a servant of God for life. I am happy to have reached this point because I am not alone; I am well accompanied by so many even though I am an only child. My parents are well taken care of by my friends in my hometown, though we could only communicate by WeChat, and it has not been easy for me to visit them often. I think this is the most beautiful part of my vocation, that I am here to offer my life to God, and yet He is actually the one who is preparing something greater for me.
And how to cooperate with God? I don’t know how to summarise this in one phrase, since for me, God is becoming more and more like a funny companion. He knows that I need some challenges to grow out of my fear and tendency for “controlling” situations. So I got malaria in Africa, Dengue fever in Cagayan de Oro, and Covid in Rome. (I hope the list will not grow anymore, but let’s see.) Yet, every time, He left me with a braver heart. God is my great friend.
As I end this reflection, my personal reflection continues. I remember Fr Mon who told me before my First Vows in the Novitiate to be “gentle and firm”. Now I think God is making me like that, bit by bit, with His “gentle and firm” hand leading me on.