From 23 January to 3 February and from 9 February to 15 February, Father General Pedro Aguado and Father Jószef Urbán made a sectorial canonical visit to the Province of Asia-Pacific with three objectives: a) to accompany the leadership of the demarcation of the Provincial Congregation; b) to visit the formandi and formators of all levels of initial formation; c) to meet the young religious of the demarcation.
The Provincial Congregation presented its Provincial Plan and the general lines of its coordination as a working team. The Provincial Assistants and Fr Miguel Artola gave a very interesting presentation on how the Demarcation is maturing and growing in terms of ministry, religious life and the Piarist presence in the three countries: Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Pedro Aguado began with interviews with each of the formandi and formators of the Demarcation. The communities visited were the International House in Manila, Juniorate I and II in Manila and the houses of the novitiate and pre-novitiate in Cebu and the communities in Davao and Kiblawan. Father General and the Assistant for Asia and the Provincial also met in working groups with the formandi and formation communities.
Fr Pedro Aguado led the meeting of the young adult religious. The participants were 24 religious in the first years of their solemn profession. This meeting was historic and of great importance for them. The theme of the retreat helped them to renew their vocational commitment and their dedication to children and young people. The outcome of this meeting helped to strengthen their identification and authenticity with their Piarist identity.
During this visitation, four very important events were celebrated for the entire Order and the Asia-Pacific demarcation: the Council of Major Superiors, the solemn profession of Aldrin, Antonio and Rolan, the ordination to the diaconate of Antonio, Aldrin and Rolan, the presbyteral ordination of Ha, Jaffarson, Erwin, Phuc and Gerysan, and a liturgy of reception and prayer for the beginning of the pre-novitiate of Benjamin Castro, Christian Bagongon and Mark Ben.
There were also very important activities for the Asia-Pacific Province such as the dedication of the new Provincial House in Cebu, the dedication of the Aspirancy and Pre-Novitiate Building in Cebu, the dedication of the new classrooms of Cebu College, and the presentation of the Fraternity Letter to Dr Teresita Valdemoro.
All these significant events and activities took place in the context of the upcoming 75th anniversary celebrations of the Piarists in Japan.
After this meeting with the Asia-Pacific demarcation, we would like to thank the formandi and the communities who received this canonical visit with great joy and hope.
