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On Saturday, 12 June, with a simple induction ceremony during community Mass, Fr. Daniel Patrick L. Huang, S.J. succeeded Fr. Romeo J. Intengan, S.J. as the ninth Provincial Superior of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus. This took place in Loyola House of Studies, the Jesuit scholasticate on the campus of the Ateneo de Manila. Fr. Huang, 45, was born in Manila and studied at Xavier School in Green Hills and at Ateneo de Manila University. He entered the Jesuits in 1980, and was ordained eight years later in the same chapel where he assumed office as Provincial. After completing doctoral studies in Theology at Catholic University of America, he taught at Loyola School of Theology. For the past three and a half years he has been Rector of San Jose Seminary, just across the same Ateneo campus. Fr. Pres. Edmundo Martinez was in Hongkong, 3-6 May, to attend the meeting of the Assistancy ‘s Administrators of Jesuit Universities in East Asia and Oceania (AJCU-EAO). On 2 June Fr. Ed spent a day of recollection with the administrators, faculty and personnel of St. Paul College of Iloilo. The school was recently named a pioneer member of the newly-CHED-recognized St. Paul University System and is now known as “St. Paul University, Iloilo.” The theme of the recollection was “The Role of a Catholic University in Present Philippine Reality.” Newly-ordained priests, Frs. Arnel Aquino, Michael Pineda and Patrick Falguera celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass in the College Chapel on 5 May. Concelebrating with them were the AdDU Fathers, together with Frs. Josenilo Labra and Archie Carampaatan. A prophet in his own country, Fr. Arnel, who presided, preached a warm, witty and bracing homily to an entranced flock. A reception was held in the Aquino residence. In a meeting facilitated by Fr. Albert Alejo, representatives from the different units of the University, together with members of the AdDU Alumni Association, converged in the college boardroom on 24 May to discuss plans and possible activities for the scheduled inauguration this October of the new Finster Building. Work on the 7th floor college auditorium, with a seating capacity of 300, is in full swing. On 26 May Fr. Rector Rene Ocampo and Frs. Oscar Millar and Robert Hogan motored up to Malaybalay to represent the Community at the Funeral Mass of Fr. John Krebs. Newly arrived Regent, Sch. Aldwin Mahusay, has been assigned to teach a CLE subject and help out in the High School Guidance Office. Fr. Ernesto Carretero gave a retreat to the Oblate Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Vizons, Camarines, Norte, just beyond Daet. The Sisters have there an Elementary School and a Shrine to Our Lady of Fatima. In May, Fr. Ernie also gave a retreat to the Siervas de Jesus Sisters in Iriga City, where they have a new, fully equipped hospital. Frs. Carretero and Hilario Belardo were not able to join the Community outing in May. Fr. Ernie was giving a retreat and Fr. Oyong went to Silang, Cavite for a home visit and for his annual retreat. The remaining brethren, including Fr. Alex Badiola recently returned from China, had an outing to Caramoan. Fr. Antonio De Castro also joined the Community for this. Accommodations were in Casa de Roa, a simple but pleasant small hotel, half a block from the palengke. Activities during the outing included two days of boat rides, hopping from island to island punctuated by swimming in absolutely clear, clean water. One day was devoted to a climb to the famous statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary atop a medium sized mountain. The cement steps leading up are about three times those at Mirador in Baguio. The younger Jesuits were able to make the ascent in a half-hour, but the older brethren needed twice that time. The Naga Jesuits have taken special interest in the school’s boarders. Every morning, Mass is celebrated for them. The dormers were also given a full 8-day directed retreat in silence just before classes began. Fr. Superior/President Joel Tabora, Frs. Carretero and Michael Rooney and Sch. Xavier Alpasa helped in this exercise. It was held in Albay with a lovely view of Mount Mayon from the retreat house. Fr. Ramon Mores stopped by and entertained the Community for a week. A Bicolano from Naga, he came to visit his family and his Jesuit brothers as part of a short vacation between changes of assignments. Mon, who was to take over as Superior at Jesuit Retreat House in Cebu on 1 June, had many interesting stories to tell about his former days at the Ateneo de Naga as well as about his days in Rome. PAGASA archivists worked at the Manila Observatory Archives copying pre-War weather records missing from their own archives. Fr. Superior/Director Dan McNamara and Fr. Jett Villarin were busy all summer running respective seminars on religion and science, and on air quality. Many people flocked to Manila Observatory to watch the total lunar eclipse. The event had television coverage arranged by the Philippine Astronomical Society. Preparations for both entrance and vow days were first priorities in May. Thirteen new Novices arrived at SHN on the afternoon of 30 May. They were joined by two from the China Province. The Entrance Day program went smoothly. Of course it was with mixed excitement and nostalgia that the second-year men witnessed the heart-wrenching 5 to10-minute grace period allotted for friends and immediate family, respectively, before the great banging of the parlor gates signified the severance of ties with the world left behind. Officially, the new Novitiate Year had begun. The Vow Mass on the next morning was well attended. An estimated 500 guests came for the perpetual first profession of Dennis Ryan Cruz, Anthony Coloma, Ramonito Legaspi, Ryan Jose Mendoza, Arthur Nebrao, Francisco Parilla, Joseph Raymund Patrick Sanchez, John Lester Tajon, and Chester Yacub. Three China Province men also joined them. Several factors made this particular vow day significant: it was the first time (at least for quite a while) that the Mass was held in the morning; this was the last batch under the Provincialate of Fr. Romeo Intengan; and it was the first time the Chinese and Philippine Provinces had a joint vow celebration. Saying goodbye on 1 Jun this year was doubly hard: it was not only separation from the newly-vowed Juniors, but also bidding farewell to SHN’s outgoing Superior, Fr. Junjun Borres. Fr. Ramon Mores, former Parish priest, has transferred to his new post as Superior of the Jesuit Community at Jesuit Retreat House-Cebu. His successor, Fr. Ben Sim takes over on 1 Sep. Ben’s arrival was delayed to allow him to conclude preparations and join in the celebration of Mary the Queen Parish’s Golden Jubilee in August. Meanwhile, reliable Fr. Regis Wan will serve as Acting Parish Priest. Later this year, Regis himself is scheduled for a sabbatical in Mauritius, where his roots are. Fr. Arthur Baur, another former Parish priest of SHP and a member of the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit Community, died on 5 Jun. With the late Fr. Eugene Lauzon [CHN], he built the present beautiful church, a landmark in Cebu City. Fr. President Antonio Samson attended the conference of presidents of Jesuit universities of the East Asia and Oceania Assistancy in Hong Kong, 4-6 May. After first returning to Cagayan to vote in the elections, he again went on a tour of China (Peking, Shanghai, Xiamen, etc.) this time as an executive of PERAA. On 7 May, four of the newly ordained Jesuit Priests (Frs. Archie Carampatan, Ari Dy, Patrick Falguera, and Michael Pineda) celebrated a thanksgiving Mass in the XU Chapel with many of the Community concelebrating. A reception followed in the canteen, hosted by friends of the new priests. (Archie and Pat had been Regents at XU and Mike had taught in the High School before his entrance). Bro. Noel Cantago attended several conferences and seminars: one in Boracay for the young Jesuit Priests and Brothers (with Fr. Provincial in attendance), and two in Cebu on guidance and counseling. On 17 May a despedida dinner was held for Fr. Roger de la Rosa [CFN]. After a year at XU, he is returning to the U.S. to teach chemistry at St. Louis University. After long illness Fr. John Krebs died 20 May in Maria Reyna Hospital. He had for several decades been a missionary in Bukidnon, but joined the XU Community when he became ill. The wake was held in the XU Chapel, with Mass concelebrated in the evening of 21 May and the morning of 22 May, after which the body was brought to Phillips, Bukidnon. There many people attended the wake. On 24 May the body was brought to the Malaybalay Cathedral, where the Funeral Mass was held on 27 May with Bishop Honesto Pacana and both the incumbent and incoming Provincials (Frs. Romeo Intengan and Daniel Huang) and several members of the XU Community among the concelebrants. Burial was in the Jesuit plot of the new Malaybalay cemetery. John was 69 years old, 52 years a Jesuit, 39 years a Priest. He came to the Philippines as a Scholastic to study philosophy in Cebu. A program of seminars was held (20-22 May) to celebrate the 32nd year of the IDEA (Institute for the Development of Educational Administrators) program. Fr. Ernesto Javier, who was the first Director of the program, celebrated the thanksgiving Mass on the third day and gave one of the major speeches. IDEA was a XU project originally funded by the Ford Foundation and later by FAPE. Many school administrators (mostly Priests, Brothers and Sisters) have graduated from the program supported by full and generous scholarship grants. With outside funding terminated, the IDEA program will continue but without granting scholarships. Two new Regents have joined the Community: Braulio (“Bong”) Dahunan and Christopher (“Cris”) Fajardo. Cris teaches full time in the High School, Bong part time, but he is also in charge of Haggerty House Prenovitiate, which reopened 26 May with three residents. Fr. Kit Bautista arrived in early June after completing Tertianship in the New England Province. He is assigned to campus ministry at the AdMU High School, and will reside in the Jesuit Residence. Fr. Rex Mananzan also arrived in early June from ongoing formation and parish ministry in the U.S. He resides at Loyola House of Studies, and will teach Canon Law at LST. Fr. Manny Perez left at the beginning of June to begin the first part of his Tertianship in the Maryland Province. This will run for about three months at Wernersville, Pennsylvania.
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© 2003 Philippine Jesuit Foundation |
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