SOCIALISATION OF THE 17TH GENERAL CHAPTER REGIO SVD TIMOR LESTE DILI, 5-7 SEPTEMBER 2012 (1)

  FROM EVERY NATION, PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE; SHARING INTERCULTURAL LIFE AND MISSION 

The socialisation of the SVD’s 17th General Chapter was officially started with an evening prayer with the community. The Regional Leader, Fr Gaby Koten, SVD, delivered his welcoming speech to all of the SVD confreres who were present. He, then, gave an overview of the program and the process of the meeting. The Regional Leader briefly presented the profiles of the Chapter’s attendees according to the corresponding zones. The Composition of the Chapter from the respective zones consists of: Aspac: 14, Europe: 22, Afram: 14, Panam: 28, observers: 4. Number of staff who assisted the chapter: 20. The total number of the Chapter participants who have voting rights is 118. 

The Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony was integrated in a Mass which was celebrated by the Superior General, Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD. The Mass was started at the front yard of Nemi, with a procession entering the Chapel. The Bible and symbols representing each zone were carried in the procession. The logo which represented each zone contained a symbolic meaning. In particular, the logo for Asia-Pacific represented the diverse cultures and beliefs across the nations of Asia and Pacific. Moreover, the Indonesian participants of the Chapter sang a Communion hymn during the opening Mass. Following the Mass, the Superior General lit the Chapter’s candle, which was then carried in a procession with the Bible into the Chapter’s Meeting room. 

The materials which were presented on the second day of the Chapter were focused on the global and overall growth of SVD by the Superior General. In his presentation, he highlights that SVD is ranked the 7th among the religious congregations in the world in terms of the highest number of members. This shows that SVD is indeed the largest male congregation in the world. However, statistically, the size of the membership of the congregation has decreased. 

The total members during the period of 2006-2012 is 6102, reaching its highest number of 6105 (in 2010), and going down to 6015 (in 2012). However, the membership of SVD in each zone: Europe: 1787, Panam: 710, Aspac: 3310, Afram: 295, which add up to the total number of 6102 world-wide. According to the 2006 report, half of the SVD members belong to the ASPAC Zone. 

Relatorio from the Superior General Statistic of SVD’s Membership by Nationality: Indonesia has the highest number of 1485 (24,6%), followed by India: 928 (15,4%) and Polandia: 542 (09,0%). Philippines: 531 (08,8%) German: 385 (06,4%) Vietnam: 285 (04,7%) USA: 196 (03,2%) Ghana: 153(02,5%) Brazil: 148 (02,4%) Argentina: 106 (01, 7%)

Missionary Commitment
 Strength:

• Overall, SVD has a strong missionary commitment, especially in challenging frontier areas.
• More SVD missionaries are willing to go out of their home province than to stay in their home province.
• Every Province/Regio is taking up a prophetic dialogous mission. Weakness:
• Earlier returned missionary phenomena. There are many factors, but commonly there is a lack of orientation which results in culture shock.
• Spirit of individualism has weakened the collaborative spirit in the mission.
• Some members of SVD are leaving the priesthood. E.g. In 1951-1970: 681 men; in 1971-1990: 412 men; and in 1991-2010: 140. And those who are in nulli staioni (no status): in the period of 1991-2010 has increased to 120 men compared to the previous two periods in which there were 12 and 100 men, respectively.
• Resignation of SVD members is mainly caused by certain problems which were not able to be resolved by the individuals.
• Other causes are the spirit of secularism, consumerism, individualism, and activism in the present era of globalisation

  
  Weakness:     
  

  • Earlier returned missionary phenomena. There are many factors, but commonly there is a lack of orientation which results in culture shock. 
  •  Spirit of Individualism has weakened the collaborative spirit in the mission.Some members of SVD are leaving the priesthood. E.g. In 1951-1970: 681 men; in 1971-1990: 412 men; and in 1991-2010: 140. And those who are in nulli staioni: (no status) in the period of 1991-2010 has increased to 120 men compared to the previous two periods in which there were 12 and 100 men, respectively. 

  •  Resignation of SVD members is mainly caused by certain problems which were not able to be resolved by the individuals.
  •  Other causes are the spirit of secularism, consumerism, individualism, and activism in the present era of globalisation. (Kasmir Nema, SVD)

  
  
  
  

MISI YANG DIALOGIS

Fr John Suban, SVD

Bermisi, mewartakan Sabda Allah, berarti berdialog. Misi dalam konteks pemahaman ini berarti suatu usaha untuk mendialogkan Sabda Ilahi kepada manusia secara kontekstual. Demikianlah pater John Suban, SVD, meringkaskan misinya, mewartakan Sabda Allah yang telah menjelma menjadi manusia melalui pendampingan retret. Memberi retret, baik kepada kelompok kecil maupun kelompok besar orang, bagi pater John, bukan hal yang baru. Memberi retret sudah menjadi rutinitas misinya dalam dekade terakhir. Baginya, memberi retret merupakan ministri yang sangat mulia karena dapat memuaskan dahaga mereka yang membutuhkan.

Awalnya, Pater John sendiri pesimistis dengan ministri ini. Muncul semacam keraguan akan kelayakan dirinya sebagai pemberi retret. Optimisme berkecambah di dalam dirinya, ketika ia sendiri mendengar feedback dari peserta retret. Renungan-renungan sarat makna yang diwartakannya bagaikan air yang memberikan kesejukan dahaga serta memberikan harapan baru bagi mereka yang tengah berada di oase kehidupan. Keseringan memimpin retret juga memberi kredit positif bagi dirinya. Keseringan ini, bagi pater John, mengindikasikan sebuah kebutuhan yang mendesak dari mereka yang meminta. Hal inilah yang terus memotivasi dia untuk melanjutkan misi yang dialogis ini.

Memberi retret, tutur pater John, juga memperkaya pengalaman spiritualnya. Melalui konsultasi-konsultasi, ia memperoleh pengetahuan-pengetahuan baru dari peserta retret. Di samping itu, ia juga merasa puas karena ada cukup banyak sharing dari peserta retret yang mengapresiasi misi sesama konfater SVD di Timor Leste. Banyak kaum biarawati yang sangat puas dengan semangat missioner yang dimiliki oleh anggota SVD di medan misi.

Namun demikian, keseringan memberi retret juga menyisahkan sebuah pertanyaan yang signifikan bagi pater John sendiri. Ada kekuatiran akan ‘kehabisan bahan’ atau ‘sumber materi’ untuk disharingkan kepada kelompok berikutnya. Oleh karena itu, ada kerinduan sekaligus kebutuhan untuk membaharui plot yang kosong itu dengan mengikuti kursus pemberian retret di Institusi profesional di masa depan. Hal itu diharapkan untuk terus memampukan dia dalam mengemban misi yang dialogis kepada umat di masa depan. (Kasmir Nema, SVD)

FAMILY LIFE COMMISSION JOURNAL OF STUDY TOUR

Study Tour group of family Life Commission of Timor Leste Region

The study tour which was held by the Family Life Commission of Timor Leste SVD Regio on 12-18 June 2012 visited a number of centres, such as the LPKK in Malang, the Graha Wacana Family centre in Ledug, and the Family Life Comission of the Diocese of Surabaya. The motivation was to learn about the methods and the management of the ministry from the visited institutions. 

As the expected outcome, the regio’s commission would like to undertake a professional and effective ministry for families and youth in Timor Leste. On 12 June 2012, at the PUSIMOB NASIONAL WOOMB INDONESIA’s centre in Malang, which is a joint centre for the LPKK and Kana Magazine, the team was welcomed with delight and enthusiasm by the centre’s founder and director Fr. Paul Klein. The centre’s concern about the families and its presence are acknowledged by the Indonesian government. “Welcome Study Tour Team of Timor Leste,” was written on the poster. A staff of the centre, Praxedis, presented some history of BOM and the development of the Natural Family Planning (NFP). Fr Klein is the forerunner in promoting BOM in Indonesia. It was initially introduced in NTT, and then brought to Java when Fr Klein was assigned to the SVD Java province. Another staff, Rosalia Ngatini, presented the mechanism of BOM and its advantages, while explaining that BOM is the only NFP method which does not have side effects. Moreover, the accuracy of BOM can reach 98% - 100%, and it is accessible. 

LETTER FROM REGIONAL: MORIS NO MISSAUN IHA INTER-CULTURALIDADE

Pe. Gabriel Koten, SVD

From Every Nation, People, and Language; Sharing Intercultural Life and Mission” nebe hala’o iha Nemi – Roma hahu husi loron 17 de Junho to’o 15 de Julho de 2012 remata ho suksesu boot, la’os deit tanba forma no hetan liderança geral foun maibe liu fali ida ne’e tanba capitulo reflete no determina caminhada moris no missaun ba Congregasaun dos Missionarios do Verbo Divino ba oin tinan nen. Pe. Antonio Pernia SVD nuudar Superior Geral actual (sei remata nia mandato iha 29 de Setembro de 2012) iha ninia discurso hateten katak dois ultimos capitulos katak capitulo geral XV no XVI prepara fundamento teologico, spiritual no pastoral ba capitulo geral XVII ne’e. Iha tema geral mencionado iha leten ne’e, capitulares halo reflexaun, discusaun no decisaun importantes ba congregasaun ninia diresaun oinsa membro SVD tomak moris no hala’o missaun iha interculturalidade.

Interculturalidade la’os simplesmente realidade nebe ita ema hasoru iha mundo globalizado ohin loron nebe fronteiras fisicas labele tan impede contacto entre ema, povo, cultura no nasaun, maibe liu fali ida ne’e, interculturalidade ne’e hatudu natureza escatologica nebe expresa obviamente iha livro Apocalipse; “Mosu ema lubun boot tebes sura la bele, mai husi nasaun oi-oin, povo no lingua oi-oin, hamriik iha trono Bibi Oan nian” (Ap.7.9). Iha realidade de interculturalidade moris ita ema nian iha mundo ohin loron acontese buat diak barak tebes, maibe buat la furak nian mos la falta. Dala ruma encontro no intercambio ne’e hariku ema, povo, cultura no nasaun maibe iha situasaun no realidade balu cria conflitos, tensoens, marginalizasaun, divisaun no seluk tan. Iha realidades hirak ne’e ita Verbita reconhese ita nia vocasaun moris no missaun atu harii ponte no bele sai ponte iha tensoens, no divisoens nebe povo enfrenta atu maske iha diferensa oi-oin, ema hotu ne’e ida deit, povo unido Maromak nian.

Reflexaun, discusaun no decisaun capitulo geral SVD XVII nebe define iha Diresaun Congregasaun SVD 2012 – 2018 guia ita verbita hotu atu moris no hala’o missaun iha espirito intercultural hodi hare no trata didiak ita nia moris rasik entre ita iha comunidade intercultural nebe ida-idak mai husi cultura oi-oin, nasaun no lingua oi-oin bele moris hamutuk ho diak hanesan sasin moris intercultural ba povo i la’os sai escandalo ba povo no sociedade hodi mout iha fundamentalismo cultural no trancado iha primordialismo etnico nebe atrapalha la’os deit missaun maibe estraga natureza escatologica moris povo Maromak nian. Wainhira ita rasik iha ita nia comunidade religiosa, moris hamutuk ho diak iha espirito intercultural, ita bele fo sasin no hala’o knaar missionario oi-oin ka apostulado oi-oin ho firme i credivel.

Mai ita hotu, missionarios do Verbo Divino iha Regiaun Timor Leste ne’e, hametin ita nia compromisso moris (ad intra) no compromisso missionario (ad extra) iha interculturalidade atu nune’e, moris no missaun nebe ita hala’o fo fuan tebar iha Reino Maromak nian. (Pe. Gabriel Suban, SVD, Regional)