Category Archives: Letters

Letter from KARACHI – 2016 – Priestly Fraternity Jesus Caritas

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Priestly Fraternity Jesus Caritas
LETTER FROM KARACHI – PAKISTAN
National Assembly
03-05, November 2016

Fraternal greetings to our brothers all around the world!

Coming near to the actual day of the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of our dear Blessed Brother Charles de Foucuald, we 25 brothers representing different fraternities from various parts of Pakistan: Islamabad-Rawalpindi (1), Faisalabad (3), Lahore (3), Multan (4) Karachi (14) assembled from November 03 through November 05, 2016 at the Dominican House of Formation in the historical Christ the King Na Seminary Karachi campus.

Among us were senior and young priests, Friars belonging to religious congregations [Dominicans and Franciscans] and a few lecturers and professors of National Catholic Institute of Theology Karachi, some with extensive years in the fraternity, others experiencing the fraternity life for the first time.

The choice of Karachi was made as a practice to have the National Assembly once in North (Lahore) and once in South (Karachi) of Pakistan. This time the Dominican House of Formation was chosen as our venue not only for its calmness, serenity and natural beautify but also to recollect old days of friendship with the Dominican Friars and due to their admiration for the life and mission of Blessed Charles. These few days we lived in joy and communion in the spirit of Jesus of Nazareth.

Overall theme of the Assembly was Martyrdom – Mission and Challenges. Liturgical prayers, daily adoration, celebration of the Holy Eucharist, sharings, common meals and our handwork gave the Assembly a spiritual and fraternal atmosphere.

On November 03, His Excellency Joseph Coutts, Archbishop of Karachi invited the participants to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where first we had a Requiem Mass for Bishop Rufin Anthony (Bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi) who had passed away a few weeks ago.

Therefore after, Archbishop welcomed us in the Archbishop’s House and exchanged views of mutual concern. He appreciated the spirit of the Fraternity and was happy to see priests coming from faraway places making tedious journey. We shared fraternal dinner with him.

In conferences we learned about the life and mission of Blessed Brother Charles. Arthur Charles the Asian Responsible, briefly gave the review of the Asian Assembly held this year in July 15-22 , 2016 in Cebu – Philippians.

We were blessed to have our brother Emmanuel Asi, the member of the International Team with us. Through his reflections, sharing and guidance on: Mercy and Relationships in the Light of Brother Charles, we received in-depth information, knowledge and awareness that Brother Charles lived the teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord who was merciful himself. Brother Charles understood the power of encounter with the person of Christ; this encounter led him to passionately seek out Christ in simple, hidden and ordinary places and people.

After having heard the reports and sharing of different Fraternities, we felt enriched and challenged. It was reported that at this time there are 7 Fraternities [Islamabad-Rawalpindi (1), Faisalabad (1), Lahore (1), Multan (1) Karachi (3)] and 41 Brothers who are totally committed and are following every step of the Life of the Fraternity. Among these 11 have done the Month of Nazareth.

Through the reports and sharing we felt the need to seriously evaluate our Life in the Fraternity. Keeping in mind our Pastoral assignments and activities, in many ways the self-giving and faithfulness among our brothers was impressive. Many shared that for them Jesus Caritas Fraternity is a very vital part of their lives and it helps them to live their priesthood meaningfully. Others said that the sense of fraternity has helped them to be faithful to their priesthood as they strive to shout the Gospel with their lives.

We were glad to celebrate the 50 years of priesthood of Benjamin Joseph from Lahore Fraternity. We considered his presence as a sign of commitment and dedication.

Ample reading material both in Urdu and English was provided to everyone especially to those experiencing the Assembly for the first time.

At this Assembly we also had secret ballot for the election of National Responsible. After the explanation of the policy and procedures, with round of two ballots Saleh Diego from Karachi Fraternity was elected for 3 years. In a celebration of the Holy Mass he presented his councilor team Inayat Bernard (Lahore) and Abid Tanvir (Faisalabad) which was endorsed by everyone.

A Committee is formed for the forthcoming Week of Spirituality of Brother Charles to be held on the Asian level in November 2017 in Lahore.

A questionnaire in view of the XI General International Assembly to be held in Bangalore in January 2019 was read and explained by Emmanuel Asi. The Fraternities in due time, will discuss and submit the answers as required.

Special thanks were extended to organising team and the hosts.

We also discussed our future plans, a few of them are:

  • To strive to serve the poor and marginalized
  • To introduce Jesus Caritas Fraternity in the other Dioceses of the country
  • To make known the core goodness of Jesus Caritas in a way that young priests will recognize it
  • To deepen our experience of and commitment to the charism of Blessed Brother Charles
  • To give more importance to Desert Day, Review of Life and Adoration
  • To intensely follow ‘priest visiting priest’
  • To exhibit the joy of being a priest of Jesus Caritas

At the close of the Assembly proceedings, everyone expressed the feelings of gratitude and of being blessed to attend this national gathering and to be immersed in the charism of Brother Charles.

Yours
Pakistani Brothers of Jesus Caritas
Karachi
November 12, 2016

PDF: Letter from KARACHI – 2016 – Priestly Fraternity Jesus Caritas

Advent Letter 2016, brother responsible

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Dear brothers,

adviento_2016_001it is no time to make speeches or even giving great ideas: Advent speech for itself. Jesus is near, the announced by the prophets and the expected by a desperate people. Advent is the word given by the prophets to the people, the voice of John the Baptist, the message of the life of men and women that, in many parts of the world, gave or are giving their life for Jesus. Today also is the voice of those who work for a world in balance and harmony.

We always hear the voice of the bearer of good news, of the changes that make this world the place sacred to all: the Earth, with all human beings, with their rights and freedoms. The voice that convey us the poor awaiting a solution to their problems, since the exiles by war – immigrants to the strength-, to the men and women adviento_2016_002who are in the refugee camps, hospitals, nursing homes, houses host… the people that found with problems psychic, the people that goes to us in seeks of consolation: listen your voice.

Listen to the voice from the Word, the commitment of God to the world. Them texts of each one of them Sundays of advent are a call to deepen in the wish of the Lord, that that ignites light candles in our heart.

adviento_2016_003Listen to the brothers and sisters of the family of Charles de FOUCAULD in the world these days celebrating the centenary. A joy, other good news for the Church and for those who, without considering Church, coexist with us, they share our table, our street or our friendship: brother Charles is master of friendship and neighborliness -poor missionary among the poor-. The Centenary of its Easter on December 1 it’s time to give thanks to the Lord by this search and restless man of his Will. The seed that fell on land and germinated and gave fruit, and a fruit that remains and gives more seeds, is pure life. Each one of us, as fraternity priestly, have that sow not slogans religious, but our life of brothers among adviento_2016_004brothers, among the people to whom we serve or are called to be with them. The universality of his testimony challenges us to leave our prefabricated schema and return to Nazareth: always return to the Gospel as a way of life, thought and love. The death of Charles de FOUCAULD was the manifestation of their love to Jesus until the end, without want it, without making plans on your end; was simply a die for God and in the way of a search that never stopped until that time, sent to the last, as atypical missionary.

adviento_2016_005For the family Charles de FOUCAULD celebrate the centenary during this 2016 is to remind the triumph of Jesus over death and share the joy of his resurrection. We feel immersed in his Easter, within this Advent where we hear also your voice, in any language and diversity of languages -that of prayer, of hope, of peace, of humility…- It reminds us that we are small. Their friendship and identification with Jesus is a call to strengthen in us that identity (adoration, desert, listen to and share in the review of life, working for and with them more poor, his life in Nazareth, be brother…)

adviento_2016_006After the Jubilee Year of Mercy, pope Franciscus encourages us to follow building a strong world against the evil that do harm to the heart of the human being in his Apostolic Letter Misericordia et misera, spreading peace, recalling his title for Jesus we are forgiven of our “adultery”, and infidelity to be brother of all, sowers of peace and joy, transmitters of forgiveness and God’s love. That we were wrong and that we are sinners – not much more adviento_2016_007or much less than the adulterous woman in John 8, 1-11-, obviously, if we listen to our hearts and we do a good examination of conscience. But it is not sin, infidelity or “adultery” what we need to debug to be freed from guilt: it is more important not to throw stones, not to judge, and devote all the energy to build the Kingdom and, as a fraternity and group of brothers, put our efforts in the light of the Gospel and take advantage of the synergy of trust them ones in them others to do something good, that help to them others.

adviento_2016_008Recalling our commitment as a team international fraternity, as we wrote in the Letter of Kansas City, I remember all the importance of making the QUESTIONNAIRE of Bangalore, sent to all responsible and permanently exposed in our website iesuscaritas.org Is the task of each fraternity prepare the World Assembly in January 2019, with contributions from life, to have a good basis of work, realistic, without theories, which speak of our identity, of our mission as a diocesan priests, to whom the testimony of the life of Charles de FOUCAULD has given a sense and a light as a gift of God, as a demonstration of love of the generous and sensitive heart of Jesus that beats in every Eucharist which we celebrate, that beats at the heart of the families, of the sicks, of the elderly, of the poor, the oppressed. We want to hear the heartbeat of every brother, each fraternity in Bangalore.

I would like to invite, again, to the collaboration with our website iesuscaritas.org It is the means of communication of all fraternities. Send me your news, articles and joys… It is also important to communicate events to the AGENDA (retreats, meetings, Nazareth Month, interreligious or family experiences…) Thank you.

In this Advent 2016, ending the Jubilee Year of Mercy and the Centenary of the Easter of brother Charles, Jesus bless us and fill us with the heart of joy, peace and hope.

adviento_2016_009So I wish you with a big fraternal and trusted hug.

Aurelio SANZ BAEZA, brother responsible

Perín, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain, 27 November 2016,
first Sunday of Advent

PDF: advent-letter-2016-brother-responsible-eng

Illegal immigration, Jacques GAILLOT

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Europe has become the first continent in arrival of immigrants. Faced with a movement unprecedented since the second world war.

The human tragedies occur in the Mediterranean. The successive single immigrants do call into question European countries politically and legally. Contrary winds create a climate of hostility to immigration.

inmigracion-001Political instability and wars in Africa and the Middle East released the inhabitants of these States to the roads of exile. Let us look at what has come to occur in Syria and Libya!

The gist of this South-North exodus through the Mediterranean through mafia traffickers.

These traffickers headed to Europe to tens of thousands of immigrants in dramatic conditions, after having extorted with sums of money that borrow families whole.

These slavers of modern times do not have the minimum scruple. They build up men, women and children on unfit vessels, causing sometimes themselves the shipwreck.

These tragedies are a huge challenge to human dignity and the values of the founders of the European Union.

The walls of shame:

inmigracion-002Since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, it was believed that it was not going to see that raise more walls in Europe. But the lack of security and the strategy of fear make to decide walls anti immigrant, the barbed wire, walls of shame. Does not protect immigrants, protect the borders.

Strengthening wanted by the European Union for the means of control does not prevent that waves of immigrants continue coming to Europe. But at what price! Those risks is enlarge, the networks of traffickers is reinforce, the situation human is degrades…

Countries like Hungary and Poland invoked “national sovereignty”, but national sovereignty cannot face the problems concerning Europe as immigration or the climate of the planet. The recession is a dead end. It is an illusion to think that national sovereignty can be “alone”. In the European Union need a “solidarity” sovereignty where each State assumes its share of the European and global interests

inmigracion-003The future is in solidarity and brotherhood.

Despite this difficult context and so little opening, the initiatives put humanity above all.

Thus, humanitarian ONG’s commit themselves to the rescue of refugees in the Mediterranean.

Small countries that pass through political and economic difficulties are shown solidarity. The impulse of the solidarity of the Greek people is exemplary. The huge influx of refugees hosted by Jordan and the Lebanon should question the policy of closure of the European Union.

I have returned from Albania, where in the capital, Tirana, have hosted some 3,000 Iranians who were in danger of death in Iraq, in a camp near Baghdad. Thanks to an intense diplomatic activity, they could be released to reach Europe, but most of the European countries did not want to run the risk of receiving them. To not bother to the Tehran Government, Albania has received them worthily, placing at their disposal necessary for easy insertion.

inmigracion-004Germany has been generous to accommodate immigrants.

Francis Pope has launched a call to Christians to open their hearts and their homes to welcome refugees. This call has been received. In the community where I am, we have received to start an Afghan from Kabul and a Kurd from Mossul. The two, Muslims. His humanity, his grace, his sense of others, have marked the community. The refugees are a blessing for those that host them.

On the ground there is an important civic responsibility. Numerous municipalities are committed to a policy of welcome and hospitality in the face of the refugees. Many networks of solidarity show that fraternity is possible.

The future is not in denial or exclusion of the other. We are all called brothers to build a world where everyone lives on the other.

jacques-gaillotJacques GAILLOT,
bishop of Partenia.
Iesus Caritas Fraternity for Priests

PDF: illegal-immigration-jacques-gaillot-eng

LETTER FROM KANSAS CITY, INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL

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LETTER FROM KANSAS CITY
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL

JESUS CARITAS FRATERNITY OF PRIESTS
27 OCTOBER 2016

Dear brothers,

We began our meeting of the International Council with a special remembrance of our deceased brothers, Tony PHILPOT, former International Responsible, and Giuseppe COLAVERO and Hermann STEINERT. All our brothers have been in our prayers, our thoughts and our hearts.

kansas-2016-001Our first theme was to do a review of our lives, that is, how we have lived and been since our last meeting in Aurelio’s house in Périn, Spain. These days in Kansas City have been very rich in contacts with and in time spent with the people of Mark’s three parishes and other religions–multi-ethnic and varied, diverse lay groups, religious, students of various schools, the simple people for whom Mark is a good shepherd. Thank you Mark for all the work of welcome and for facilitating things.

kansas-2016-002We also met brothers of the fraternities of the United States, gathered as the National Council in Kansas City on 25 October; we shared prayer, Eucharist and dinner with Jerry, Joe, Greg, Ron, John and Bob. We felt friendship and closeness. And we have been touched by the pain of our brother in fraternity, Mark’s housemate Tom, 82 years old who was attacked and robbed at the entrance to his house during our stay and who is recovering in the hospital.

kansas-2016-003The place where we worked, the Sanctuary of Hope, has helped us to be a fraternity and to work on the diverse topics that we brought as our agenda. The house has helped us live in a climate of work and prayer. Liturgy of the hours, adoration and Eucharist, and even a half-day in the desert, have made it possible for us to be close to God and to you.

The objective of our meeting has been to take our pulse as fraternity and to study the diverse realities on the continents and the questions that inter-religious and inter-cultural dialog pose to us, challenging us as persons, as a Church and as fraternity. We see a world threatened and attacked by fundamentalists, terrorism, political crises in many countries, the lack of a response by governments and the increase of populist movements—all this causes our societies to be more closed and fearful of those “outside.”

kansas-2016-005Reviewing the two continental assemblies held this year, the First Pan American Assembly in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and the Asian Assembly held in Cebu, Philippines, and looking to the next European Assembly in Poland in July 2017, we received and studied the calls given to the International Team. These included especially the development of the fraternities and of our personal lives as diocesan priests who follow the charism of Charles de FOUCAULD, deepening in the missionary character of going to the peripheries, which Br. Charles showed us in the last stage of his life and before his death. From all our reflections, studies and dialogues etc, we are able to say that the theme of the next General Assembly in Bangalore, India, 15-30 January 2019 will be:

MISSIONARY DIOCESAN PRIESTS TODAY INSPIRED BY THE WITNESS OF CHARLES DE FOUCAULD.

kansas-2016-006We have elaborated a questionnaire for all local fraternities of the world to review and answer; it will be sent to the regional responsibles and published in our web site www.iesuscaritas.org. We heard and considered the proposals of the Pan American Assembly which have shed much light on all this.

kansas-2016-004We believe that Charles de Foucauld has been compartmentalized in a monastic model, and it concerns us how we identify with his charisms as diocesan priests. For this we want to re-identify with his missionary spirit, both as contemplative and as a man of the street, toward Muslims (in his case) and with the people with whom he lived his Nazareth. This reflection points to a response to the call to be missionaries along the lines of the intuitions of Brother Charles, to be a Church in Mission, a Church like the Good Samaritan, that gets off its donkey to attend to those most in need, to a wounded world, to an abandoned humanity, a people without hope, and to be a Church in dialogue and encounter with other religions, cultures and societies.

We have seen the necessity of creating a Directory for the Month of Nazareth that will better serve the development and life of the fraternities. For this we asked the collaboration of three brothers who have accepted this job, reuniting and forming a small fraternity in February 2017 in Spain: Manual POZO (Spain), Fernando TAPIA (Chile, and Continental Responsible for America) and Jean Michel BORTHERIE (France.) Thanks to them for this service to the Fraternity. The document should be approved in the General Assembly in Bangalore. It is necessary to gather material of concrete experiences, some of which were expressed in the last assembly in Poissy.

kansas-2016-008We have heard the echo of different world events on the occasion of the Centenary of the Easter of Brother Charles in local fraternities, countries and in communion with the Spiritual Family of Charles de Foucauld—lay, religious, communities… What we hear fills us with joy and peace. As does the naming by Pope Francis of two members of the Fraternity of Priests as cardinals, in Myanmar and Malaysia; we are joyful and strengthened.

Mark presented us the financial report of the worldwide Fraternity. Thanks to the fraternities that help economically each year. We also invite the fraternities that do not collaborate that they would make an effort to strengthen the common good of the Fraternity no matter how small your financial contribution may be. Thank you. From this moment we need to reduce our expenses and save money for the General Assembly in India.

The next meeting of the International Council will be in Bangalore in January of 2018, one year before the General Assembly, to prepare, concretize and become familiar with the meeting site and to give flesh to an assembly that expresses all that the brothers of the world want to say, propose and support; our intention is to be very concrete in the activities, reflections and conclusions that are made.

kansas-2016-009We want to say to all that today, in the present moment in our world, with its great questions and challenges, with the situations that get out of hand and those we can handle, in this present moment of the Church, with Francis in front, as pastor and man of God, with varied pastoral and spiritual lines that are sometimes opposed, Charles de Foucauld, through his Family of Fraternities has much to say and contribute with his message of encounter between persons and different societies, and with his call to be the presence of Jesus without fear, without reserve, without evading responsibility, and with boundless confidence.

For all this, we trust in you and in your great and sincere hearts and we send you our sincere and brotherly affection.

kansas-2016-010Emmanuel, Jean François, Félix, Mark, Mauricio and Aurelio
Sanctuary of Hope, Kansas City, Kansas, United States, 27 October 2016

PDF: letter-from-kansas-city-27october2016-engl

AURELIO LETTER TO THE ASIAN BROTHERS, September 2016

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Dear brothers of Asia,

after our meeting in July in Cebu, with the estimable hospitality of the brothers in the Philippines, and the power of the simplicity of a life of fraternity that is more important than the organization, the methodology or results – human coexistence- , I am writing to assure you my support at all, myself to your service and the resonance that is the Assembly of Asia 2016 in whole world fraternity.

asia_2016_01Thanks for being there, thanks to the brothers of Philippines , to Arthur CHARLES, our responsable continental responsible of Asia, to Eric LOZADA, regional responsible of the Filipino fraternity, and the people who made it possible for the Assembly in the small details host, Airport Shuttle, etc. Thanks to José PALMA, Archbishop of Cebu, brother of the fraternity, the Bishop Angel LAGDAMEO, and to Gaudencio ROSALES, Cardinal emeritus of Manila, brother of the fraternity and one of the founders in the Philippines by living and sharing those days intense of work, prayer, communication and of party. We have great tenors in the fraternity… Also congratulations to numerous groups of Pakistan, and Korea.

Thank you for the presence and participation of the little sisters and little brothers of Jesus and the sisters of the secular fraternity. We live an atmosphere of family.

Thank you for making an effort to understand me with my English so small and imperfect. Thanks by talk the message universal of the fraternity, that is hosting us ones to others as if us knew of all the life, experience that is repeated in my heart with each fraternity of the world.

asia_2016_02I think that we have lived a Nazareth warm and wet climate, but rich in experience of fraternity sharing a work of reflection and manual, no matter the origin of each one or its status ecclesial: be brothers is be equal between us. Jesus thus let it us very clear in his words and his life. Charles of FOUCAULD had that intuition and experience throughout his life and their searches. it may seem like an obsession in him through his writings and letters, identifying with people and their problems, looking for the place where no one wanted to be, with the continuous challenge – powered by his faith and his friendship with Jesus- go below, dreaming of realizing Jesus among the latters. But it is a call to our lives, to our realities, as Church and as priests at the service of the people, trying to our role as “officials” not to catch the vocation of servers and proclaimers of the Good New.

asia_2016_03The conclusions of the Assembly, expressed in the letter of Asia (Cfr Letter from Cebu, in www.iesuscaritas.org) us encourage to continue working each one in our fraternities and countries. Live with the style of Nazareth together with other cultures, religions or people with a thought different from our own, whether or not believers, showing who Jesus is our life. This helps us fidelity to several things; the fraternity, in our meetings, with the Revision of life, prepared properly; to the worship daily, as find personal with Jesus, although only is to feel its presence; to the day of desert monthly, with an atmosphere of silence from the moment in that it started, for let us search and find by the Lord; the deepening of the word with a prayerful and contemplative reading, as well as texts of the spirituality of the brother Charles; to delivery to the most disadvantaged in our Ministry and our ordinary life; to live the lifestyle of Nazareth as diocesan priests, without making much noise, sharing their joys and sorrows with the people, being always by his side. Brother Charles was a restless seeker believer that helps us to live the Gospel of Jesus with a spirituality of Nazareth which is not only a spirituality, but a space and time of our lives which makes us happy by sharing our interior in fraternity.

asia_2016_04We recall the commitments as fraternities in Asia for the next years:

  • Week of Spirituality in Pakistan in November 2017
  • Month of Nazareth in the Philippines in July 2018
  • Asian Assembly in Korea in October 2019 and
  • World Assembly in Bangalore, India in January 2019.

Pray now to the Lord by all this and by each one of them brothers in the World.

asia_2016_05A big hug of rour brother

Aurelio SANZ BAEZA, brother responsible

Perín, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain, 4 September 2016
(Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

PDF: letter-from-aurelio-to-the-asian-brothers-4-september-2016

LETTER FROM CEBU. Asian Assemble 2016

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Celebrating 100 years of Bro Charles, a witness of Jesus and his Gospel

Asian Assembly 2016 – July 15-22, 2016

In the centenary year of the martyrdom of Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1916-2016), we, the 57 participants came together in Cebu City – Philippines. Our Assembly was composed of Priests, Little Sisters of Jesus, Little Brothers and Members of the Lay Fraternity.

We came from 6 Asian Countries (South Korea, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines). We were blessed with the presence of our International Responsible, Fr. Aurelio Sanz Baeza of Spain, a member of the International Council, Fr Emmanuel Asi of Pakistan, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, a founding member of the Philippine Fraternity, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Iloilo and Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu.

We send you greetings of fraternal joy. We are specially happy and grateful to the Spirit who gathered the Spiritual Family of Bro. Charles for the first time with our Lay Fraternity Members and the strong presence of our Korean brothers – 11 young, enthusiastic priests!

We are grateful for the gift of Bro. Charles whose martyrdom we remembered with renewed spirit and hope for our fraternities all over the world. We celebrated Bro Charles, who as a witness to Jesus and his gospel, simply “steps forward, states his name and then steps back because he is not the message” (from a talk given by Little Sister Kathleen in Montreal in 2016).

The beauty and significance of the place

We gathered in the beautiful and historic place of Cebu, the seat of Christianity in the Philippines where in 1521, Magellan and his men, together with some Friars landed in search of spices. The natives welcomed the visitors. Following their leader, Rajah Jumabon and the Queen who accepted the faith, the natives received baptism and as a reward, the Queen received the image of the Santo Nino (image of the infant Jesus) whose devotion is synonymous with Christianity in the southern Philippines.

Nestling on a hill with a good panoramic view of the city of Cebu, House of Silence is a Retreat House on a 6-hectare hilly land managed by the Franciscan Sisters Pro Infante et Familia. It is not only a House of Silence but a house of awe and wonder at the beauty of Cebu city from afar with matching fruit-bearing trees planted all over the place. It was a joy to pick Avocados during our manualia. We also enjoyed fresh herb-combo drinks at mealtime.

Coming from parish exposures, the airport and the pier, we all converged on the 18th of July at the Archbishop’s Residence for a continental lunch warmly hosted by Archbishop Jose Palma after which we moved to the House of Silence and settled down.

As we unpacked our bags, we also unpacked ourselves to each other in Introduction Session. We felt the fraternal welcome and it is in the same spirit that we celebrated the Opening Liturgy with Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu presiding.

In this five-day Asian Assembly, we always started the day with an Hour of Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament and ended the day with the Holy Eucharist. We continued with the usual practice of the fraternity – Lectio Divina, Review of Life, Manualia, dishwashing, socializing and Desert Day. It was suggested not to bring any book or pen or anything unnecessary in our Desert Day and meet the God who is always in search of us in our abject poverty. The day in the desert was a special grace for most of the participants. Many discovered the need to face the contradictions in our own life. Very often, what we say sometimes contradicts how we live.

Nazareth, Universal Brotherhood and the gift of Brother Charles’ Martyrdom

We listened to the presentations of Fr. Aurelio and Fr. Asi. Fr. Aurelio encouraged us to feel the pulse of our brothers and sisters and open ourselves to allow God to find us where we are; that membership in the fraternity is not membership to a religious group although we are the fourth largest group of priests (4,500) in terms of membership after the Jesuits, Franciscans and the Salesians but to a movement, a way of being universal brothers founded on empathy, listening, transparency, respect and self-giving. He further said that the challenge of Bro Charles to our Church today is how to live Nazareth.

Fr. Emmanuel Asi spoke about the Grace of the Martyrdom of Bro. Charles. Fr Asi emphasized that martyrdom is not one single event but an evolutionary process of dying to self until it is culminated in the final act of self-giving. He challenged us that in our Asian context, we need to rediscover the meaning of martyrdom today. We have to reach out to each human family in Asia and to live out “Universal Brotherhood” in the mind and spirit of Blessed Charles. This is our Asian way of celebrating the 100 years of Charles de Foucauld, a witness to Jesus and his Gospel.

Gifts, Realities and Challenges of the Fraternities in Asia

We listened to the reports from the different Asian countries and from Little Sisters, Little Brothers and Members of Lay Fraternity about the realities and challenges we are facing. Our Asian Assembly this year was unique in having representatives from priests, sisters, brothers and lay people. We celebrate the gifts of Missionaries founding fraternities, the inspiring presence of Little Brothers and Little Sisters to our local fraternities, the witness and fidelity of old members, the enthusiasm of the young members, old members reuniting with other members, of being a minority and of the gift of Asian contemplative spirit in doing mission.

We see the reality of the Paschal Mystery (dying and coming back to life) and the vulnerability of our Fraternities, of members lukewarm, divided by distance, not faithful to monthly meetings, of the poor quality of our monthly meetings, not doing the Review of Life faithfully, of local fraternities perceived as elite group, (the bishop’s inner circle), of using the Fraternity as passport to travel abroad for free, members in crisis feeling not supported by brothers, fraternity reduced as “mutual affirmation club.” We are challenged to:

  • First, strengthen our local fraternity as a support system, especially through fraternal visits and being available to brothers in crisis;
  • Second, to deepen the quality of our sharing by honestly doing the review of life in the desert;
  • Third, to discover, uncover and recover the Asian face of the fraternity by constantly going back to the core of our being – following Jesus of Nazareth through Bro. Charles– as we constantly live the paradox of Gospel in dialogue with culture;
  • Fourth, to make our fraternities more life-giving by always referring ourselves to the directory as our guide to practice Nazareth, universal brotherhood, simplicity of life and to even critique our lifestyles that are counter to them.

In the course of our business meeting, Fr Arthur Charles, our Asian Responsible, while thanking his previous councillors, announced two new councillors, namely; Fr. Prakash Sagili from India and Fr. Philipp Yon from South Korea.

We look forward to the future with renewed enthusiasm and hope as we venture on the following:

  • Week of Spirituality in Pakistan in November 2017
  • Month of Nazareth in the Philippines in July 2018
  • Asian Assembly in Korea in October 2019 and
  • World Assembly in Bangalore, India in January 2019.

The Assembly ended (or began) on the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles. We went home bringing with us Jesus’ command to Mary, “go and tell the brothers.” With Mary’s joyful enthusiasm, we can only tell you what we see – Jesus and his Gospel is very much alive in our fraternities and that we are invited to be universal brothers in the spirit of our very own Bro Charles de Foucauld.

From
Sisters and Brothers of Asian Assembly
Friday, July 22, 2016

PDF: Letter from Cebu