Newsletter of the District of Asia  July - December 2005 Chronicle of the District of Asia May 2004 - October 2005 May 1-2 Singapore: Visit of the Superior General returning from Australia. Besides some confirmations, he gave a conference updating the faithful on the situation with Rome and with the newly elected pope, Benedict XVI. “Hope but no illusion” 12-15 Philippines: 4th National Pilgrimage to Carmen (Our Lady of Mount Carmel), in Bohol, with the 3rd Catechism contest (this year on Apologetics). 150 Participants. June 26 Sri Lanka: Fr. Pagliarani had the great privilege to lead the 5th Annual Corpus Christi Procession which was attended this year by over 300 people, including a 12 menstrong band. July 8, 19 Singapore: Two funerals marked this month, which is the most we have ever had in one single year! The first, Mrs. Brendan Dabara, was one of our most senior members(78), whose grand-son, now a Redemptorist brother, in Scotland, is at present the only Traditional Singaporean vocation. The other was the beautiful death of our ‘youngest’ parishioner, not young in age (58) but since his baptism (3 months), Mr. Stephen Joseph Francis Athanasius Heng. Mr. Heng was one of these workers, not of the last hour, but of the last minutes of the day, in the Lord’s vineyard. It is so encouraging to see the grace of God reaching a soul in such circumstances. It also shows the power of prayer. August 1-9 India: Fr. Couture visited the Nav Jeevan Orphanage-Old People’s Home, in Cuddaph, Andhra Pradesh. After much discussion with the foundress, Swarna Vongala, and the local priests of the SSPX, Miss Vongala agreed to transfer her whole Institute in Tamil Nadu, near our priory. This will assure them of the sacramental life according to the Tradition of the Church, and, perhaps, God willing, enable the beginning of a religious community. 9 Sri Lanka: Blessing of the foundation stone for the new bell-tower of the chapel. 12 Singapore: Farewell to Fr. Aurelito Cacho, Filipino, who helped the District House during the last year. Father has been reassigned in the Philippines. 13 Philippines: Farewell to Fr. Joseph Lester, American, who enjoyed his first year as a priest laboring in the Filipino vineyard. He has been re-assigned as District Bursar, stationed in Singapore. 14 Japan: Renewal of the Consecration of Japan to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the District Superior. 15 India: Farewell party for Fr. Thomas Blute, the SSPX Superior for India since July 1997. Father Blute was able in these 8 long years to make many break-through in this difficult apostolate. Particularly worth mentioning are 1) moving the priory from its original location in Nazareth to Palayamkottai, which enables the fathers a much wider apostolate, 2) establishing the new priory of the Holy Trinity on solid basis (purchase of land, construction of a beautiful building), and 3) opening the St Pius X Boys’ Hostel, which will be, God willing, the greenhouse of many future Indian vocations, and of a future school. Father Blute will be dearly missed in India. He is succeeded by Father Patrick Summers, another American, who has been the second-in-command during the past year. 16-29 Asian Pilgrimage to Spain and Fatima. See the account in the photo album on page 56. 17 Philippines: Fr. Adam Purdy, American, arrived in Santa Barbara to take the relay from Fr. Gerspacher as Novice Master in the Brothers’ Noviciate. See his first letter on page 40. 18 India: Newly ordained American Fr. Robert Aaron Jackson arrived in Palayamkottai to complete the missionary team in charge of this huge country. 30 Philippines: Newly ordained Australian-Lebanese Fr. Sayed Elias arrived in Manila, to be eventually stationed in the Brothers’ Noviciate, in Santa Barbara, Iloilo. September 5-10 Philippines: Priests’ Retreat in Lobo, Batangas, under the expert guidance of Fr. Adrien Wee, OCD, on the theme: The Mystical Theology of St John of the Cross. 10-12 Hong Kong: Fr. Pagliarani visited this growing Mass center for the first time. It is always moving to think that when visiting this megalopolis, one is actually in China, where so many Catholics are still persecuted for their faith. Let us not forget them in our prayers. 14 Philippines: Farewell to Fr. Loren Gerspacher who has been running the Brothers’ Noviciate in Santa Barbara for thelast three years. Father was re-assigned to his home country of Canada, after 14 years in South Africa and 3 in the Philippines. 15 Philippines: An elderly Filipina Carmelite Sister who has been helping the SSPX in the USA for many years, Sr. Carmela, came to Manila to retire with our Oblates and Bethanians. 23-30 Sri Lanka-India: Fr. Lester did not waste any time in his new assignment as District Bursar: after his (already) second visit to Sri Lanka (during which he led a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu), he proceeded to visit the priory in India to help the confreres get used to the SSPX accounting system. October 12 Philippines: Our 2nd Filipino priest, Fr. Emerson Salvador, who had been working in Asia since his ordination in 1999, left the District of Asia to be reassigned in far away Gabon, in Africa, where the SSPX has a thriving community and school. We express our gratitude for all these years both in the Philippines and in Singapore and accompany him with our prayers. 14-24 Singapore – Hong Kong – Japan: Visit of Our Superior General on one of his last trips around the world before next year’s General Chapter. It was his first visit to Osaka and Tokyo. In both places the faithful were truly delighted to meet him, and to hear about the audience with the Holy Father of last August 29th. The attendance in Tokyo reached the record number of 53 people. contents