RP PROVINCE NEWSLETTER January-February 2020 Issue Vol. 56 No. 1 February 21 to April 3, 2020: Canonical Visit of Fr. Charles Phukuta, Superior General. April 14-16, 2020: Regional Assembly of CICM-Asia and CICM-RP in the Philippines April 18 to May 10, 2020: Ongoing Formation Session for those who completed their initial formation between 2010 and 2014. November 9-13, 2020 (Monday-Friday): Provincial Assembly and Retreat in Maryhurst Seminary, Baguio City. By Fr. Jessie Hechanova, CICM Provincial Superior I. INTRODUCTION Confreres and Friends. Greetings and good wishes for the new year from the provincial government. As in 2019, the Provincial Government (PG) started this year with a retreat cum meeting to evaluate the previous year, discern and plan for the new year 2020. Our first meeting as the new PG in the Trappist Abbey in Guimaras, Iloilo in January 2019 affirmed our conviction on the primacy of prayer and discernment in our lives as Christians and specifically as CICM missionaries entrusted with God‘s good and beautiful mission. On the first week of January, the PG flew to Vietnam for the traditional start of the year PG activity and was welcomed by the Bishop of Xuan Loc in his impressive seminary which houses an overflowing number of young seminarians (420 students studying philosophy and theology!). It is the same seminary that welcomed the priests of Montañosa for their retreat last year together with their bishop. Our presence in Vietnam though short, gave the PG valuable experiential knowledge and information about the situation of the country and the Catholic church. This will be helpful in our deliberation in the forthcoming regional meeting on the possibility of a regional joint venture in Vietnam and/or Papua New Guinea. The members of the PG reviewed and evaluated the main pastoral activities of the province as well as the responsibilities of the PG. This was done with the help of the vision-mission (VP) statement of the PG which was crafted at the beginning of its term in 2019. The simple self- evaluation and assessment tool was formulated in order to measure the extent of the accomplishments of the PG members vis a vis its own Vision NOVA ET VETERA • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 3 -Mission statement. Indeed during II. ASPIRATION STATEMENT OF our daily Eucharistic celebrations THE PG we gave thanks to the Father for Furthermore, to guide the PG the many blessings our Philippine in the next two years of its man- province had received during the date, the council members also year 2019. formulated the following We are grateful for our newly ―aspirational statement ―that con- ordained CICM priests, for those tained their aspirations as who renewed their religious vows inspired by the direction set by as well as those who made their the of the General Chapter of 2017 final vows. We give thanks for the as well as the recently concluded i n s p i r i n g G e n e r a l c o u r a g e , Conference spirit of in Santo availability D o m i n g o , and sacri- Dominican fice of con- R e p u b l i c . freres who We are a c c e p t e d h o p e f u l new chal- that the lenging as- f o l l o w i n g signments years would and mis- be one of sion in the c o n c e r t e d province as At Saint Joseph Seminary of Xuân Lộc dedication well as in and focus other CICM provinces, and for the on what the Lord is asking each valuable services and achieve- confrere as well as the whole ments of all the confreres in their province and the congregation to respective pastoral commitments. do. We will be guided by our We continue to be thankful for the motto. The following is the lives and contributions to the aspirational statement of the mission and the province of our provincial government for the next beloved confreres who have died years: as well as for the prayers of our As Religious: confreres who are sick and those “We, members of the Provincial in our retirement houses. Government, aspire for the CICM RP to be a witnessing community of religious by living a life of prayer, simplicity, financial 4 NOVA ET VETERA • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 responsibility as we support, appreciate priately when decisions related to and enrich one another and foster a life of turning-over or accepting pastoral solidarity.” work have to be made. As Missionaries: 1. Fundamental Principles and Atti- “We members of the Provincial tudes from CICM Documents: Government aspire for the CICM RP to a. CICM Constitutions and rekindle the spirit of missionary daring by Directory (Art. 10); making the peripheries as the center of our The Institute places itself corporate commitment as we work and at the service of the par- collaborate with one another, our lay ticular Churches. Atten- partners and the local church.” tive to their needs and in dialogue and cooperation III. ON TURNING OVER LONG- with those in positions of STANDING PASTORAL COMMIT- leadership, we strive to MENTS respond to these needs As discussed in last year‘s while remaining faithful to district meetings as well as during our own identity. past provincial administrations, Our commitment retains a some of our more stable parishes temporary character. This will be due this year for turn-over keeps us available to to the concerned dioceses. This respond to other mission- will give the province the opportu- ary challenges. nity to respond more readily to The Institute must seri- evolving missionary challenges ously reflect whether each that we are called to as an exclu- one of its members is fully sively missionary congregation. involved in truly mission- The following reflections and ary work and whether cer- guidelines may help not only our tain tasks could not be Philippine province but also other passed on to others. CICM provinces in our discern- b. Acts of the 15th General ment process related to our mis- Chapter, Rome, 2017. sionary engagements as well as We also acknowledge the disengagement especially in our fact that there are a lot of parishes. These general guidelines obstacles that prevent us come in the form of principles, from realizing our mis- policies, and attitudes that could sionary dream. The main- hopefully inspire us individually tenance of long - and as a province to decide appro- established congregational NOVA ET VETERA • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 5 structures and long- as an exclusively missionary standing commitments institute ready to be sent by hinder us in ―letting go‖, the church to frontier situa- in order to respond to tions where we are most more urgent missionary needed. challenges. We feel very Presence of perceived mis- much at home in our com- sionary challenges in the fort zone and we fear local environment that calls ―change‖. The loss of for an urgent response ―pioneering spirit‖ is a according to our CICM major obstacle to starting charism. something new. The lack of animation and encour- Explicit invitation from a agement from our leaders bishop or bishops to respond may lead us to stagnation to significant specific needs and stifle our creativity of the local church. (p. 13). Also confer 7th, Presence of basic structures 12th, 13th 14th Acts of CICM in our current pastoral in- General Chapters). volvements especially in par- c. CICM Guidelines for Mission, ishes that assure a modicum 1999. of stability and continuity Our missionary presence which will warrant a respon- is temporary by its very sible CICM disengagement in nature. This becomes even order to respond to new more evident in the case of missionary challenges. established dioceses. Local Some of these structures are: a] cooperation and financial Basic infrastructures (e.g. participation should be existence of chapel, modest rec- encouraged from the be- tory of residence, etc.); b] Basic ginning. The involved par- organizational and financial ties, mutually agree that structures (existence of BEC, all projects will eventually pastoral council, community be turned over to the local councils, finance council, some church. (# 2, p. 46 ) parish organizations, etc.; c] Possibilities for leadership- 2. Some Specific Considerations in formation program. Turning Over CICM Parishes. Understandably, we do not turn Appreciation of our congrega- over a ―completed or perfect‖ tion‘s charism and identity parish or programs on a silver 6 NOVA ET VETERA • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 platter. We trust that those who be strategic elements in the will succeed us, particularly the discernment process; b] His- local clergy will continue to- torical considerations (e.g. gether with the local commu- previous decisions in turning nity to build on what CICM has -over of certain parishes built if they so desire. have been considered and discussed in the past); c] Length of Presence in the others. Parish or Area: A quarter century (25 Years) of pastoral 3. Discernment Process presence is reasonable enough to be able to put up The previous statements men- some basic structures men- tioned above are helpful ele- tioned above . ments and considerations in the discernment process of in- Formal and perceived desire, dividual confreres and the interests and readiness of whole province as they decipher the local ordinary and clergy what and where the Spirit is to take over a CICM parish. leading us particularly in our Rarely do bishops formally missionary pastoral engage- ask CICM to turn over par- ments. Obviously the discern- ishes presently administered ment process must be done in by CICM.