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Macau: Renewal of vows and celebration of the feast of Saint Dominic in our Priory

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Every year, during the months of July and August, the brothers are supposed to go either for holiday or to do some pastoral exposure in different places in the Province. This normally leaves the community with very few brothers. So few, that the community hardly celebrates the feast day in honour of Our Holy Father Saint Dominic in a communitarian way, on the 8th of August.

This year 2020, due to the health restrictions caused by the pandemic Covid-19, the brothers could not travel abroad; hence the 8th of August was a blessed occasion for us at St Dominic’s Priory to celebrate together the feast day of our Holy Father Saint Dominic. The peak moment was the conventual Mass, presided over by the Prior, Father Paul Fan Ya Cheng, with the con-celebrant Fathers of the community, and the active participation of the student brothers and a few Lay Dominicans. We were privileged to witness during the Mass the profession renewal of our Japanese brother Joseph Gabriel Hyodo Shunsuke.  It was an appropriate occasion for the Prior to remind us of our preaching vocation as Dominicans, committed to defending the truth not only within our communities but also outside, anywhere and anytime without fear.

Since during the weeks previous to Saint Dominic’s day a basic Spanish course had been imparted to the student brothers in the house as part of the summer program, it was thought that one way to exercise the learned was by singing some Spanish songs during the Eucharistic celebration. It was well done indeed, with the assistance of fray Modesto Fontela, O.P. After the Mass, there were congratulations to the brother who had renewed his profession and a photo-taking with him. The feast day of Our Holy Father Saint Dominic, which had started with a Triduum by the student brothers, ended up with the sharing of the meal as a sign of fraternity among the brothers in the community.

Along the day, numerous greetings and congratulatory messages were arriving at the Priory through WhatsApp, from the Diocese of Macau: The Bishop, priests, religious, with special insistence from our good brothers the Jesuits! The diocese is small and we know each other quite well. One more reason to live these moments as a family!

The singing of the O Spem Miram served on this joyous occasion as a reminder for us of our condition as Dominican brothers, and for St Dominic as a reminder too of his promise to be helpful to us. And not only to us, friars but also to all his children, the entire Dominican Family. With Mary, Our Lady, under her mantle, we enjoy always her maternal care and protection, as we pray for new vocations to the Dominican Order in order to continue carrying out the apostolic mission entrusted to us: preaching for the salvation of souls.

A blessed feast day of Our Holy Father Saint Dominic to all!

 

Written by: Br. Andre Pereira, OP.

Edited by. Fr. Javier González, OP.