From India

• As we foresaw in the number before of Orient, on December 16, 2005, the Archbishop of Bangalore blessed our new Juniorate in Bangalore. Many neighbors, friends and members of the nearby religious communities accompanied us. The building shows its simplicity in the design and its colorful and luminous aspects.
• On December 19 we had the Priestly Ordination of Varghese Kizhakkemathummel in his native place, Aripalam (Trissur, Kerala). The Parish Temple was beautifully decorated. In the celebration, most of the faithful were present, besides relatives and friends of Varghese. It should be stressed that it is the first Ordination of the Parish after many years.
• Fr. Provincial, Ernesto Hermann, was with us for these important events and at the same time he visited all the houses, included Kamda, in the Northern State of Jharkhand.
• From February 9 to 24, Fr. Fernando Negro went to visit Kamda, where Fr. Alfaro is, and to start this year the first steps for the vocation campaign in the zone.
• In the meantime, Fr. Antonio Marco was substituting him in Bangalore. The house, although it is not completely free from masons and workers, it is finished in reality, but for small details. With the effort of all, each one of the rooms is becoming clean and ready to be used and furnished with the indispensable things for functioning.
• On February 26, having in mind the festivity of Saint Paula Montal, was held the Profession of the first Indian Piarist Sisters. The celebration was presided by the Bishop of Cochin, Dr. John Thathunkal and there were present Mother General, Isolina Vazquez and Mother Provincial, Clara Toda.
• The school year examinations have already started almost at all levels. Our juniors, after finishing them, will go to different pastoral experiences – most of them to the Northern and North Eastern parts of India – during two long months.

From Japan

• Fr. Fernando Guillen came to visit us on December 15. He gave some Calasanzian seminars to the Juniors and then he directed the Spiritual Retreat for the Piarists in Japan. Afterwards, he was a good help in the Juniorate for Fr. Lawrence while he was recuperating from the operation he had overcome at the beginning of the month. He returned to Manila on January 19.
• On February 11 took place in our Yokkaichi Parish, the Priestly Ordination of our Brother Tony Matias, the first Piarist ordained in Japan. The next day he celebrated his First Mass at the Parish and the following week he presided the Sunday Eucharist in our Tobe Parish, Yokohama.
• Regarding this event, Fr. Vice-Provincial, Jose P. Burgues, came to Japan, and he spent three weeks with us. He had the opportunity of visiting the communities and the persons. He was able to reach a contract with the Salesians who are going to construct a new building in our Oiwake garden, since the numbers of their aspirants is increasing.
• Bro. Brian went back to the Philippines to continue his studies there. Bro. Jesley will start his studies of Philosophy at Nanzan University, Nagoya, while Bro. Marino and Bro. Moises will do it at the Tokyo Seminary, since they have already finished their Japanese studies. The Juniorate will prepare the place for new Juniors who will arrive in June, God’s willing.

From the Philippines

• This year, the traditional “family immersion” of the novices at the end of the year had place in Mantalungon, a town at the south of Cebu. It was a nice experience. The Manila Juniors had a similar experience in Antipolo City, near Metro Manila.
• On January 17 was held at the Cebu Cathedral the priestly ordination of our Brother Aljun Maglangit by our Cardinal Vidal. It was a historical moment: he is the first ordained Filipino Piarist Priest. Fr. Aljun had just returned from Italy where he had spent 6 months getting valuable experiences and learning the language.Fr. Franco Scarsela, from the Roman Province, accompanied him and spent with us some days in his visit to Cebu and Manila.
• In Manila, as well as in Cebu, we have tried our best regarding the vocations, with “convivencias”, visiting different places, etc… We hope that a number of postulants will decide to joint us in the next school year. And we move not only in the Philippines, but also in other places. Fr. Baltazar has made a trip of two weeks to Mandalay (Myanmar) invited by the Bishop over there, in order to propose to the Diocese Seminarians our vocation.
• In Cebu City and in Manila are preparing the summer camps in two different places. The juniors in Manila carried out a Carol Singing Campaign for found rising. It was rather successful.
• At last arrived in Cebu City, at the end of December, the four Indian Novices. After their arrival, the number of novices reaches the highest number: twenty. We hope that the next Indian Brothers will not find the difficulties of this year for their visas and may arrive at an earlier date.
• The Bishop of Daet Diocese, Msgr. Benjamin Almoneda, has offered us a Parish and a School in San Vicente Town, Camarines del Norte Province. It is the first “ordinary” Piarist work in the Philippines. With the approval of Fr. General, we are going to establish there a community of four members, being Fr. Jesus Lacarra the first Superior. We hope that in this way, the Piarist presence in the Philippines will root solidly and start giving fruits for the service of this land.

Brief News From Japan

* On September 2 and 3 we had the Perpetual Profession and Diaconal Ordination of our Bro. Tony Matias in Yokkaichi. Most of the Piarists in Japan were present, and also Fr. Vice-provincial came for the ceremonies. The parishioners accompanied us when Mgr. Paul Otsuka, Bishop of Kyoto, ordained Deacon the first Piarist in Japan.

* Fr. Adam, after finishing his schooling to study Japanese, has gone to Poland to enjoy his well deserved holidays. He will be now more and more involved in the different activities of the mission.

* Bro. Bryan had his spiritual retreat in Hokkaido. Bro. Nelson had his in Nasu. The juniors in Komaba participated in the Ecumenical Mass organized by the Filipino Community and in the Vocation Mass with other Congregations organized in Tokyo, with the Archbishop as main celebrant.

* We will celebrate on November 26th the 60th anniversary of the creation of our Kaisei School in Yokkaichi. Fr. Pedro Aguado, Provincial of Vasconia, is planning to attend to the celebration. Fr. Jesus Lacarra, former teacher in Kaisei, will represent the Piarists in the Philippines.

Brief News From The Philippines

* After six months among us, Fr. Mario Conti has gone back to Italy. He has done a lot of musical work for us here, in Cebu and Manila, and we are very grateful to him. Maybe this is not the last time you stay with us, is it?

* We had at the end of August the usual Calasanzian celebrations in Manila and Cebu… but this year it was special in Cebu, because we had the joy to attend during those days to the Perpetual Profession and Diaconal Ordination of our brothers Dodong and Lily. Cebu Cathedral was enlightened again with the colours and the songs of the Piarists when Bishop Emilio Bataclan ordained them as servers of the Church of God.

* Fr. Juanjo returned to Spain at the beginning of September, and during a year he is assigned to the community of Riezu. Fr. Fernando Guillen arrived in Manila at the beginning of October, and he has already assumed his task as dean of studies in our juniorate.

* Fr. Jose went to Spain for his holidays. He attended to the Council of Major Superiors in Rome. He was able also to visit our juniors in Rome (Andres and Domie are doing well in the Gregoriana; Aljun will return to the Philippines at the end of December) and in Madrid (Francis and Mark are studying their last Semester of Theology, while they live and work inour House of Aluche). He visited also the house of Manila before returning to Cebu.


* During the semester break, Manila community went for several days to a resort in Batangas. The postulants in Cebu went to Mantalungong with Dodong, their master. The novices had gone before with Fr. Mirek to Surigao for a Family Visit experience.

* We learnt that Mr. Eladio Mosende, father of our brother Francis, died in Ormoc this past November 14. We offer our condoleances to the family, and we commend him to the Lord in our prayers.

* We continue our struggle for vocations, in Manila and in Cebu and many other places we visit. The traditional Encounter for Lay Vocational Cooperators and Cayl members took place this year at the end of October in Davao, with the presence of Fr. Lacarra and Bros. Lily and Marlon.

* Our cars in Cebu and Manila had to visit the repair shop. Fortunately the drivers had no other harm than the psychological shock… We are always learning how to improve our driving, and mastery sometimes is expensive to acquire.


Brief News From India

-The best news, no doubt, is the coming Priestly Ordination of our Brother Varghese John Kizhakkemattummel, on the 19th of December in Aripalam (Trissur district, Kerala). Mgr. Francis Kallarackal, bishop of Kottapuram (the native diocese of Varghese) will be the one to ordain him.
-Another very good news, this time from Bangalore. At last, after some delays, the Juniorate Community has moved into the new building. The works are not completely finished, but a part of it already is. The official blessing is scheduled for December the 16th. The Archbishop of Bangalore, Mgr. Bernard Moras, will bless it.
-With occasion of Varghese?s ordination and the blessing of the new Juniorate, Fr. Ernesto Herrmann, Provincial of Argentina, will arrive in Bangalore on the 15th of December. He will remain in India around 20 days, and he will visit all our communities and works.
-Fr. Pedro Recuenco, faithful to his commitment to the Piarist mission in India, will arrive from Zaragoza on the 25th of November, to cooperate with the same enthusiasm as always in the formation activities in Bangalore and Mantharamputhoor.
-During the month of September Fr. Fernando Negro was renewing his visa in Spain, and enjoying some days of holidays with his parents.
-Fr. Antonio Marco attended as a guest to the Major Superiors Council, kept in Rome during the last days of October.
-Bros. Varghese and Jeejo were admitted in the B.Ed. Course. They are living in our house in Aryanad and from there they attend daily to class in a neighboring town. In this way our presence in Asha Nikethan Boys?Home is becoming a reality.