Newsletter of the Congregation of the Mission April - 2018 Communication Nuntiawww.cmglobal.org Congregatio Missionis @CMissionis CMglobal.org Office Superior’s General Canonical Visitation of Annual Assembly of CEVIM in COVIAM: Conference of Visitors of Africa the Chinese Province Page 02 Beirut (Lebanon) Page 04 and Madagascar Page 05 APVC Meeting Highlights One Saint speaking of another Blessed Ramose Lucien Botovasoa, Saint Page 06 Page 07 Martyr of Faith and Charity Page 08 Archbishop Anton Stres, CM, new The commission for the promotion of General information adviser the PCC Systemic Change Page 09 Page 13 Page 14 General Curia Superior’s General Canonical Visitation of the Chinese Province Fr. Ferdinand Labitag, CM Visitor of China Expectations and Preparations Father Tomaž was beyond his expectation. In every visit, there are expectations and preparations. Visiting Taiwan was different. It needed more A visit by someone who is highly regarded by everyone preparation by organizing every activity in every place generates more. The visit of the Superior General – all the details without expecting the unexpected. Father Tomaž Mavrič to the Chinese Province produced Thus, in days between 17 and 21 April 2018 Father expectations from every confrere and member of the Tomaž and Father Mathew went to every CM site Vincentian Family in China and Taiwan. However, it around Taiwan knowing they would be welcomed also entailed detailed preparations. with wellprepared activities. Their visit gave an understanding of how confreres through the years Father Tomaž Mavrič and Father Mathew Kallammakal, search for and serve people who are “the least and Assistant General responsible for Asia-Pacific Region, the last” in a developed country like Taiwan. first came to Mainland China staying from 11 to 16 April there. This mission place is close to heart of the Whatever impressions the Superior General gave us, Congregation of the Mission. Hearing of their coming they will be etched forever in our hearts, knowing that brought about hope to confreres and other members one day he will visit again. That is our expectation, and of the Vincentian Family in China. All were expect- we have years of preparation. ing him to give them a chance to show who they are, what they do, and what they have, yet with a price to Here is the roundup of the journey. pay – to anticipate the expected and the unexpected. With a very limited time for a vast country, they were Day One, April 11. Arrival to Beijing. The first Mass in able to go only to some parts of Hebei Province and celebrated in China with confreres which was arranged Tianjin. For confreres, having a few hours to cram in a hotel in Beijing. The Eucharist and dialog with themselves clandestinely in a hotel room just to share Confreres were the first moments of the visit. their hopes and challenges – with no disturbance from Day Two, April 12. A visit to the Daughters of religious police – was beyond their expecta-tion. They Charity community in the city of Tianjin. Fr. Tomaž were expecting the expected, but it never happened. and Fr. Matthew had a dialog with the sisters and For other communities of the Vincentian Family, they two confreres who are ministering in the area. The were lucky enough to have meaningful exchanges of Eucharist followed in the church where sisters are hopes and challenges in a more open space without ministering. fear of intimidation or interruption, which maybe for 2 Nuntia General Curia Day Three, April 13. Meeting with the “underground education to young people from rural and poor families Church”. They visited a parish where one of the in the area. Confreres works. The parish belongs to so called “underground church”. Eucharist, very simple, not announced earlier was we celebrated with several parishioners attending it. Later, the guests had a meal with the family of one parishioner in his place. This visit was an opportunity to learn what a typical, rural underground church parish is like. Day Four, April 14. The main activity of the day was a visit at the construction site of the fu-ture mission center of the Province. It will be a six-floor building where the formation center for lay and clergy a canonical house of the Chinese Province in mainland China is planned in the future. The Guests visited a local bishop, too. Day Eleven, April 21. Back in Taipei. Staying in the community house was the final part of the visitation. Day Five, April 15. Sunday was the last day of the stay Confreres organized a simple Mass as opening of the in the Mainland and a journey to Taiwan. visit in the house. Day Six - Seven, April 16 - 17. The first activity in Joined APVC and CCC meeting. Superior General and Taiwan was a visit to the east coast where Vincentians to Assistants General, Fr. Matthew Kallamakal and Fr. minister among indigenous Dawu people. They went Miles Heinen took part in the joined meetings of APVC to city of Jinlun-Taitung to visit the parish of St. Joseph. – Asia-Pacific Visitors Conference and Commission on This is a beautiful shrine with a lot of pieces of local art Culture and Charism (CCC) held in Taipei, Taiwan, April and a chapel with perpetual adoration of the Blessed 22 and 25. Sacrament. They met with parishioners and had lunch together. Later they move to another town of Dawu to On Sunday, April 22, Provincials of Asia-Pacific Visitors celebrate the Mass and bless the cornerstone of the Conference (APVC) and delegates of Commission building soon to be built. on Charism and Culture (CCC) were welcomed by parishioners and members of the Vincentian Family Day Eight, April 18. The visitors from Rome moved for the Eucharist in Shilin Church, Taipei. Msgr. John moved to the south of the island to the town of Hong, the Archbishop of Taipei chaired the liturgy. Kaohsiung. Confreres run several ministries there. Parishioners cordially welcomed them for the On Monday, April 23, Superior General took part in celebration of Eucharist. the joined meetings of APVC – Asia-Pacific Visitors Conference and Commission on Culture and Charism Day Nine, April 19. A visit in the town of Tainan. Fr. (CCC) held in Taipei, Taiwan Fr. Tomaž shared with Tomaž met Confreres living there and representatives participants some initiatives undertaken by the Curia. of other groups of the Vincentian Family. At first they He ex-pressed his expectations of what APVC should paid courtesy visit to Msgr Lin, the bishop of the do in next 3 years, namely the opening of 3-4 new Diocese of Tainan. Next, they visited a nursing home missions in Asia. Later APVC members continued run by the Daughters of Charity and celebrated the discussion on other matters expressed and CCC had Eucharist together with parishioners and members of their separate meeting the Vincentian Family. On Wednesday, April 25 Superior General visited St. Day Ten, April 20. The Guests moved back to Yunlin and Anne’s House in Taipei where he met with delegates they visited Saint Vincent High School in She Hu. The from various branches of the Vincentian Family. They students welcomed them with special presentations. talked about their organizations and ministries. He also Chinese confreres established this school to provide visited children who have been living in this institution. Nuntia 3 Conference of Visitors Annual Assembly of CEVIM in Beirut (Lebanon) Fr. Giuseppe Turati, CM, Secretary General From 8-13 of this month of April 2018, the Visitors that Interprovincial Internal Seminary in the Mediterranean make up CEVIM (Conference of Visitors from Europe area; the Scholasticate for Europe; the Solidarity and the Middle East) met in Beirut (Lebanon) to hold Project among the Provinces of the Congregation its annual Assembly. of the Mission; the CEVIM website; the European meeting of students of the Congregation of the Mission Although Sunday, the 8th, was not part of the in Villebon (France), scheduled for 24 August of this program of the meeting as such, it was, however, a year; the appointment of the CEVIM Delegate to the good prologue, because the Visitors accompanied UN in the person of Father Abdo Eid; and, finally, the Archbishop Georges Bou Jaoudé, CM, Maronite election of the new president of CEVIM for the coming Prelate of Tripoli (Lebanon) and former Visitor of years, which fell to Father Ziad Haddad, Visitor of the the Province of the Orient, in the celebration of his Province of Orient. 50 years of priesthood. An Eucharist was celebrated in the Maronite Rite at the Church of the Miraculous The second part – that of formation – dealt with “the Medal in Achrafié, Beirut. Islamic-Christian Relationship in Europe and the Middle East.” A series of speakers presented, with depth and Thirteen Visitors participated in this CEVIM meeting, as great knowledge, topics such as: “Eastern Christians well as the Executive Secretary; Father Javier Álvarez, and the Challenges of Living Together. Dialogue and Vicar General; and Father Miles Heinen, Assistant Mission in an Interreligious Context”; “Trends in General. In addition, five translators collaborated Contemporary Islam. New Theological Approaches in with the simultaneous translation in Spanish, English, Islam”; “Islam, Extremism, and Islamophobia”; “The French, Italian, and Polish. Presence and Work of the Congregation of the Mission in the Middle East. Role of the Vincentian Missionaries The meeting was structured into two aspects, the in the World of Islam.” CEVIM topics and the formation topics, properly so-called, without forgetting other complementary Among the visits,