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Newsletter of the District of Asia Jan - June 2003 Chronicle
of the District of Asia
January 16 Fr. Francois Chazal, French SSPX priest, arrived in India to help Fr. Blute. January 29 - February 7 Trip to China. February 9-18 Visit of the Superior General of the SSPX in Singapore and in the Philippines. He was accompanied by his parents. February 11-14 Manila: 3rd Priests' Session of the District of Asia, with the presence of our Superior General, Bishop Bernard Fellay. March 17-22 The District Superior preached the retreat in Holy Cross Seminary, in Australia, for the first year seminarians including four Indians from Bombay. April 1-6 Malacca, Malaysia (near Singapore): Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius for 10 women, by Frs. Salvador and Couture. April 6 Manila: Medical and dental mission for 620 patients with the help of 12 medical doctors and 2 dentists. April 13 Manila: Free clinic with 4 doctors for 126 people. April 15 Palayamkottai, India: After living almost 7 years in a rented house, Fr. Thomas Blute moved his troops to the newly built SSPX priory. This priory is the fruit of years of negotiations in seeking to buy a 2 acre property. It will be a tremendous boost for the whole Indian apostolate. Already two venerable diocesan Indian priests who have been helping the SSPX have moved in with our priests. The St Pius X Boys' Hostels will also temporarily be on the ground floor of the priory until they can have their own Hostel a few meters away. April 28 - May 3 Manila: Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius for 7 men, by Frs. Griego, Soliman and Onoda. April 30 Sr Mary Agnes (Agnes Mendoza), a former Bethanian, newly engaged Oblate of the SSPX came home to Manila for a short vacation of a few weeks. Sr Mary Agnes has been assigned to Menzingen, the Mother House of the SSPX. She is the 4th Filipina Oblate who is engaged. There are 4 more novices in formation. May 4-10 Manila: Marian retreat for 28 ladies, including all our Bethanians and those aspiring to the religious life, by Fr. Saa. May 8-11 Bohol, Philippines: Second National Pilgrimage of the Apostles of Mary. About 120 youths from all over the islands came for this 90 km walk from Tagbilaran to the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, in Carmen (near the famous 'Chocolate Hills'). Halfway through the pilgrimage, the District Superior gave the final test to the 14 qualified participants to the First National Catechism contest. The first prize of this contest (participants had to memorize the entire Baltimore Catechism #2 in 11 months) was a plane ticket to join a pilgrimage in Europe; the second prize a beautiful 3 feet statue of Our Lady of Fatima, the 3rd prize, the four volume set of Buttlers' Lives of Saints. All those who qualified for the National Test (a preliminary test took place at Christmas) also received consolation prizes such as a daily missal, a Bible, or a Spirago-Clarke Catechism. Next year's contest will be the learning of The Bible History, by Schuster. Prizes will be quite similar. May 11 Hongkong: Fr Griego resumed the monthly mass circuit after having interrupted it because of the SARS epidemic. May 13 Jennifer (from Cebu, Philippines), a former Bethanian, takes the novice's veil in the contemplative Dominican monastery of Avrille, France. She is the 5th Filipina in that monastery. May 13-15 Iloilo: The District Superior takes the Brothers for a three day outing on a private island nearby. May 17 Iloilo, Philippines: A one-day seminar, led by the District Superior, on the theme: "Let's teach catechism", for the members of all our groups (Legion of Mary, Carmelite Tertiaries, etc...) 170 participants. May 22-25 Girls's camp in Santa Barbara, Philippines May 26-31 Boys' Camp in Santa Barbara. June 13 The first Oblates arrived in the Philippines, Sr. Maria Filomena (Filipina) and Sr. Maria Laetitia (Australian). It is the answer of years of prayers and will certainly be a new boost for vocations.
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