Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is a booming city with new buildings springing up everywhere including the five storied 40 roomed SSS Scholasticate. Vocation-wise Vietnam leads the SSS; 32 Scholastics, 24 Novices for men and 20 novices for women with 60 SSS Sisters in the main Community. In our Church at Khiet Tam lay people, children, youth and adults appear to dwell in every Saturday and Sunday where programs go beyond 8.30 in the night. Responding to blessings of God is evident in the country, although it is still a Communist country! Goodness thriving amidst all odds! Praise the Lord. The Vietnam Provincial, Fr. Vincent Hoa, our most gracious host, saw that nothing was wanting, especially the Tables: Table of the Word & Eucharist each day, and of earthly bread in the evenings. It was symbolic!

The SSS Asian Conference (AC) took place amidst the serene surroundings of the Vietnam Provincialate at Khiet Tam. The five Provincials Frs. Vincent Hoa (Vietnam), Jesus Malit (Philippines), Graeme Duro (Australia), Gnanasekar Paul (India) and Sunil Rupasinghe (Sri Lanka) were honored with the presence of Fr. Fiorenzo Slavi, the Superior General and Fr. Sebastian Luistro (Bong), the Assistant General. The President of the Asia Conference, Fr. Jesus Malit chaired the meetings where our hopes and aspirations, achievements and disappointments were shared. It is not farfetched to say that Inter-Province Collaboration emerged as an outstanding theme and to which Collaboration all Provincials were ready and willing to give as well as to receive. The needs of Australian Province were outdone by its generosity to all other Asian Provinces. A figurative 'standing ovation' was accorded to the Provincial of Australia when he was unanimously chosen as the treasurer of the Asian Conference. The second session of the beneficial training of the Asian treasurers will continue in Australia in early 2011. The discussion whether treasurers be elected or appointed was deferred to the General Chapter.

You could look forward to receive in the near future the Asia Conference Newsletter and a Diary of 365-day reflections of our Holy Founder, St. Peter Julian Eymard compiled in English by our tireless confrere Fr. Erasto Fernandez of India. This would be to mark the 2011 Bicentennial celebration of the Birth of our Holy Founder.

Two articles from the Encyclopedia of the Eucharist had been translated to English by the Australian Province with hope for many more. These would be made available to English speaking Provinces when logistics are taken care of.

The Asia Conference's 3-month preparation of religious for Final Profession took a dramatic turn when the General Team offered the possibility of a month's (July 15 - Aug.15, 2010) La Mure and Paris experience for the Finalists. The Finalists will have the Holy Founder's own home to stay in. We hope they will be imbibed with the Spirit of the Founder hovering in the hallowed halls and hills of La Mure! Then the Finalists will arrive in the Isle of Paradise (I am biased) Sri Lanka to complete their preparation to commit themselves totally to the Eymardian Vision and Mission (Aug. 15 - Oct 15, 2010).

Signalling a longed-for desire to stop closing of houses and to share our resources of personnel, the possibility of making a foundation in East Timor excited the Conference. A scouting team of Frs. Graeme & Bong was decided upon to be sent to the 200,000 populace of 80-odd percent Catholic Country. The need for more men to Uganda was recognized and the Conference is to visit the country to ascertain the situation. India, Philippines, Vietnam & Sri Lanka expressed their sharing of and their willingness to share religious with our sister provinces of Australia, United States, Holland-Belgium-Germany-Mozambique, France and any other province that require cooperation.

Fr. General clarified some issues regarding founding of Houses so that Religious and Community life within could be nourished (discipleship) to better proclaim the Eucharist (apostleship) to the world.

The Conference elected Fr. Sunil Rupasinghe (Provincial, Sri Lanka) as its President and Fr. Gnanasekar Paul (provincial, India) as its secretary.

The Next Asia Conference will be held in May 2011 during the General Chapter in Rome.