Taiwan New Foundation Logo Dear Sisters,, It Is a Great Joy to Share with You the Logo from Taiwan: We Are One and We Are Love
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RNDM COMMUNITY Taiwan New Foundation logo Dear sisters,, It is a great joy to share with you the logo from Taiwan: We are One and We are Love. It is RNDM emblem with a Chinese character ッ (Ai), means “Love” at the heart of the cross, reminding us that each RNDM must be a witness of God’s love for each other and for all creation. Even though each community is busy with its different mission, we tried our best to come together, sharing life and mission. On December 13th, 2014, four of us gathered for regular meetings and Christmas celebrations in Shanhua, Tainan diocese. We also invited Fr. Joseph, SVD to share with us on “Reconciliation” as a resource of on-going formation. On April 11th, 2015 we met in Douliu community, Chiayi diocese for Mission Planning. We always treasure the opportunity to be together, listening to each other in order to learn, to support and encourage each other. This year, we cannot manage the time for annual retreat together due to different ministries. Therefore, M. Minh Trang and M. Dung is going on retreat from June 01st to 08th, 2015 at the SVD retreat Center in Chiayi diocese; Molina and Santica are going from August 01st to 10th 2015 at the Jesuit retreat Center in Taichung diocese. Please hold us in prayers. Minh Trang on home leave I would like to thank God for the opportunity to visit my home province and join our Vietnamese sisters’ life and mission from December 29th 2014 to March 7th 2015. There is a saying: “Time flies when we are happy”. That was my experience during my vacation this year. I spent time not only to be with my parents and siblings but also to visit some communities. I took this opportunity to share our mission story with aspirants, novices, sisters, associates, catechists and youth wherever I was. I learnt that when sharing with others, I am receiving. I also experienced the joy of being with others. It was a privilege for me to join the two-day vocation program on January 18th, 2015 in Thu Duc community with more than 200 young women. I am grateful to God for the precious time I had with RNDM sisters, family and all the people whom I met and worked with. I have gained great strength and courage for the continuing mission on behalf of the Congregation. May God bless us all. M. Minh Trang, Rndm. 1 Chinese New Year celebration for migrants As Minh Trang was away for two months-home leave, M. Dung was so busy with many activities in the parish as well as with different migrant communities. While Filipinos’ community held “the battle of the band”- a competition of music instrumental bands on January 11th, 2015, the Vietnamese community had a wedding of a migrant worker couple on January 31st 2015 at Shanhua church. Thanks be to God and so many people of good will, everything went well with full of joy and cheer of celebration, a feeling “at home” of all migrants who are away from home during the end of the Chinese year. At Chinese New Year, we also organize a thanksgiving mass on the first day of Chinese New Year, then an outing trip to Kaohsiung for migrant workers in two buses. They are so excited to be at the beach, enjoying each other company and many of them experienced for the very first time a buffet dinner! Opening catechism class for pre-marriage couple. Responding to the need of the migrant workers as well as to the teaching of the Church, every year, we organize a catechism class of marriage preparation. We are fully aware of the important role of pre-marriage catechism. This year, we have started on 1st March with a class of about 14 students. The class is held only one hour per week. Hopefully, it will finish at the end of the year. The migrant workers show their gratitude and interest toward our effort of helping them do the preparation for marriage which is so important for their lives. HIV-AIDS Seminar in Xinzhu Diocese Brother of Sr. Kate O’Neil, Rndm - father Peter O’Neil who is the president of a foreign migrant workers center organized a seminar on “Migration with HIV-AIDS” issue. We are invited by him to attend in order to help the migrant workers more effectively by better educating and providing them correct information. At the moment in Taiwan, the number of migrants who have HIV is still immeasurable due to undocumented migration. As a result, the risk of widespread of this deadly disease is relatively high. May 1st, 2015: Saint Joseph, the worker- Feast day of migrant workers in Tainan. Collaborating with other missionaries in the diocese, we organize a camping activity for migrants on their Feast day: Saint Joseph, the worker. As organizers of the event, we use many different ways to lead the migrant worker to study and discover the Gospel values as well as Saint Joseph’s virtues in order to follow his footstep to live their lives as migrant workers, 2 facing so many challenges in a foreign land. It is really a joyful, fruitful and meaningful for all foreign migrants who wholeheartedly participating in the activity. Flower offering to Mother Mary. At the beginning of May, we helped the migrant community to offer flower to Mother Mary by a traditional dance which is simple but really solemn and moving. By doing so, we encourage every migrant worker to learn from Mother Mary the spirit of serving, of obedience and listening attentively to the whispering of God. We also encourage them if possible to gather together in their dormitory to share and say rosary in order to honour Mother Mary and ask her to intercede for each one of us, for their families back home, for the Church and for the need of the world. With dancing club As member of dancing club, on March 30th 2015 we were invited to join an outing day with other members for sightseeing and museum visit. Thanks be to God, we enjoyed so much the spirit of the human family because they are all non-Christians but share so many common values with us. We wish that through the sharing of friendship and Christian values, we can be a true witness of God to these local people who already have deep root in Daoism. Cycling tour We make ourselves known to non-Christian community around us by joining them on a cycling tour around Shanhua town on May 2nd 2015. While cycling with them, we introduced ourselves, our ministry and our mission in Taiwan. Hopefully, there will be more opportunity like this for us to be with the local people and introduce our loving God to them. 3 Joining lived Stations of the Cross in Tainan diocese We were invited to join Tainan diocesan activities during the Lenten season. Beside attending recollection, visiting the sick and helping the needy, we were invited to partake in the Stations of the Cross held in Tainan Park on the Palm Sunday 2015. M. Dung played the role of Our Lady in the Passion of Christ. The whole diocese gathered in the park from 3:00pm to 6:00pm for this solemn prayer and witness of Christ of Taiwanese people. We were struck by the love and creativity of the small Christian community in sharing the Good News with local people in the context of the mix cultures and religions. We learnt from them the lesson of trying to “light a small candle instead of complaining the darkness.” Every year, each diocese in Taiwan takes a turn to hold the National Youth day. This year, it will be in the Tainan Diocese from July 15th to 20th 2015. Please pray for us as we are in the host diocese, especially Shanhua parish is going to accommodate a group of young people for one day. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Shanhua Church Foundation There are only about 30 parishioners in Shanhua church. Most of them are tribal people, but very active and devoted believers. It was a remarkable event for the Holy Family Church in Shanhua to celebrate the 60th year of its foundation. The celebration was combined with the closing ceremony of the Year of Family in Tainan diocese, held in Shanhua Church on December 28th 2014. This was the first time for Shanhua parishioners welcome more than 300 people for the thanksgiving mass, followed by dinner party and interesting performances. Sharing RNDM vocation with Tainan Diocese and migrant workers. On April 25th, 2015, a program for the International Vocation day was held in Tainan diocese. To prepare for this event, every Congregation was invited 4 to present a poster to introduce itself on that day. The whole day program consisted of the Holy Eucharistic celebration, thanksgiving to vocation promoters, promote vocation by sharing stories, and performances. It was such a wonderful day for us all to thank God for the gift of religious life in the Church and especially in Tainan diocese. There were about 500 attendants in this event. The following day, with a FMM sister and a CSJB priest, we shared our RNDM Congregation with immigrant and migrant workers. Life and Mission in Duolio The previous newsletter was in power point form, some of our sisters might not have access to it. Thus we now would like to share briefly about our Mission. Our (Santica and Molina’s ) apostolate is in two different High schools of the Chiayi Diocese of Taiwan.