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Taiwan: Solemn inauguration of the Dominican Jubilee and plenary indulgence

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The extraordinary jubilee of the glorious transit to heaven of Saint Dominic  was solemnly inaugurated at Saint Dominic Church, Aoya, Kaohsiung on the Feast of the Epiphany, 3 January, 2021. 

In view of the continued pandemic hindering possible pilgrimages to Dominican sites in Europe, at the petition of the Parish community and the friars, the Apostolic Penitentiary through the Diocese of Kaohsiung has granted the same Church as the designated sanctuary for the Jubilee and shall continue until 8 August, 2022 when the Parish shall celebrate 60 years of its foundation. It has also granted the privilege to bestow the plenary indulgence to all pilgrims and the faithful coming to visit our Church.

This will not only enable the faithful to celebrate the great memory of the great Founder of the Order but also to share in the abundant blessings from God, a great source of consolation in this trying times and means of healing and reconciliation.

The celebration in Kaohsiung began with the solemn blessing of the Church doors welcoming the faithful encounter Christ, Who revealed himself to humanity as the star of salvation.

As a celebration of faith and commitment to evangelization, holy water was sprinkled from the baptismal font to signify our belonging in the mystical body of Christ which is the Church. 

The celebration in our church began with a solemn blessing of the doors of the temple. The presider then opens the doors and after a brief prayer invited all the people to enter welcoming them to encounter Christ who auto-revealed Himself to the entire humanity as a star of salvation.  As the celebration was thought to be a celebration of faith, and the renew the radical commitment towards evangelization as it was manifested in the life and mission of Dominic de Guzman,  the act of the sprinkling of holy water from the baptismal font underscored the pertenency of the believing community to the mystical body of Christ which is the Church. 

The relic of the saint was solemnly carried in procession by the Prioress of the Religious Missionaries of Saint Dominic of Kaohsiung, Sister Cristeta Espinosa OP accompanied by two members of the local fraternity of the Dominican Laity. 

As it was the mass of the Epiphany, after the proclamation of the Gospel, thus followed the reading o the date of Easter and of the moveable feasts of the year. At the short homily, the parish pastor and main celebrant, Fr. Jarvis Sy Hao OP explained the intimate relationship of Epiphany with the mission of Saint Dominic and the charism of the order which he had founded, animating all that they may be light that attracts, light that guides and light that opens that pathways so that all may know and love Jesus: the light and hope of all humanity. 

Although the celebration was simple, there were various representatives of the Dominican family: various delegates from the different fraternities of the Dominican laity; the Missionary sisters, the significant presence of the Chinese Dominican Sisters who travelled from their Generalate in Central Taiwan and from their community in Pingtung just to witness this historical and memorable event. 

Various activities are being prepared for pilgrims and for the members of the Dominican family in southern Taiwan; as well as renewal courses in catechesis and evangelization in preparation from the double celebration in the Parish.