News

19th International Young Adult Conference
Khavarosk City
26 July to August 1, 2015

First Communion

“First Communion” in Russia On the Feast of Corpus Christi six of our parishioners made their First Confession and then First Communion. Since it was the last event of the kids’ catechetical year they also did the readings at Mass, led the psalm, and the Prayer of the Faithful. Congratulations, kids!

Under the careful eye of the Director of the Catechetical Program, Marina Malinina, the first communicants were really well prepared. Others of their teachers look on. 

Kristina and Anya leading the Responsorial Psalm.#

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Diaconate in Indonesia

Brother Ferdinandus is a favorite of just about everybody, with his winning smile and great personal concern for people. Fr Dan called him “Skorii Pomosh” (First Aid) for his quick response to any need. He was born in Ende, Flores Island, Indonesia, but spent a lot of time on Sulawesi Island and Borneo. I especially like his stories about being a street ice cream salesman when he was just a boy. Besides English, Russian, and Indonesian, Brother Ferdi speaks several local Indonesian languages. He finished the seminary at the Theology Faculty in Jogjakarta. He took his first vows with our CJD community in Vladivostok on May 8, 2015.

Bishop Kung, Bro Ferdi’s parents in native costumes, Fr Inosensius, our superior in Indonesia, and our brothers who attended the ordination, (from l) Jose, Augustine, Louis, Yohanes, and Lefi.

Family and friends gathered to congratulate him.

In all, eleven deacons were ordained, and the number of the faithful who attend the mass was 2000, including 40 priests who concelebrated. The Bishop’s assistants during the ceremony were Fr Edwarld Sebhu, Rector of St Peter Diocesan Scholasticate, and our Fr Inosensius Hetu, CJD. Now, besides his preparation for the priesthood, Br Ferdi will be of great help as assistant to Fr Inosensius, our Superior in Indonesia, where we have so much activity and so many vocations. Congratulations, Br Ferdi!#




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News Notes

by V Rev Myron Effing, C.J.D.

● We were happy to have four adults baptized at the Easter Vigil here in Vladivostok, and three more who joined the Church. The Easter Vigil is everybody’s favorite service of the year. This is partly because of the fantastic music that Fr Dan composed for the responsorial psalms after each reading—And he is not even a musician!! (We read all 9 readings!) The psalms were accompanied by Sr Stella on the harp! Another special thing this year was that one of the readings was done by one of our Vietnamese parishioners in Vietnamese! We keep adding more foreign parishioners, and we want to be sure they feel welcome and at home! The reading was printed in a handout in Russian.

Mary Mother of God Mission Society Russian language: www.catholic.vladivostok.ru

English language: www.vladmission.org

Phone in Russia: +7-4232-26-96-14 myron@catholic.vladivostok.ru daniel@catholic.vladivostok.ru

Office in California:

Phone: +1-209 408-0728

Mary Mother of God Mission Society

1736 Milestone Cir Modesto CA 95357 usoffice@vladmission.org

● We are getting more and more foreign parishioners as Russia develops its relationships with other Asian countries. Beginning on June 14 we will be adding another Sunday Mass in English and Tagalog, at 4pm.

● May 8 was a great day for us! Brothers Louis Van Dam and Ferdinandus Wale Wele finished their novitiate and took their first vows. Then six candidates began their novitiate. We did it all in one ceremony! Even earlier on May 1, because of a family emergency, Brother Jose Unlayao took his first vows for three years, and promptly left for his family’s home in Lucban, Philippines. He finished Theology studies at St Alphonsus Seminary in Lucena City in 2008, and has been working as a Theology teacher and school chaplain until he came to us. It was he who discovered that many Filipinos are now coming to Vladivostok for work opportunities, so he began to invite them to come to Sunday Mass, organized tea for them, and encouraged them to be part of the parish. His pastoral skills became very evident, and we are looking forward to his ordination to the diaconate. 

Brother Jose taking his first vows for three years, on the Feast of St “Jose” the worker, May 1.

Brother Louis after his vows.

Brother Louis is from Hai Duong, Vietnam, and has a long history of familiarity with parish work, as his home was next door to the parish church with a gate in the fence, so he was often involved in helping out at a moment’s notice. He received his bachelor’s degree in the English Language in Vietnam before entering the seminary at Tagaytay, Philippines where he graduated before joining our novitiate in Vladivostok last year. We nicknamed him “The Church”, as he always will remind us of the proper orthodox teaching on any theological subject. He was a great favorite here and at the Hospice where he took good care of each patient. We are looking forward to his ordination to the diaconate. Nine of our novices as of May 8—from Russia, Philippines, and Indonesia. There are still several more to come.

● This year the Chrism Mass was held by Bishop Kirill in Yakutsk, in the Sakha Republic, near the Arctic Circle—the coldest continuously inhabited city on earth. It was interesting to be there for the first time. (All us priests were required to go.) It is a rapidly developing city with all the oil and gas production in the Arctic, and production of deer meat. The Salesians have been working in the Sakha Republic for over 20 years. It is a nice city, but strange that all buildings are built up on stilts, and all hot piping is above the surface. The reason is that the land is in permafrost. The building where we stayed was a modular building imported from Canada—It was nice and warm!

● On “Palm” Sunday, called “Herb” Sunday here, we had the procession with Russia’s version of palms: pussy willow branches. They are the first signs of Spring, so they are popular for decorations at this time of year, and for the Passion Sunday Procession.

"Herb" Sunday.

● March 3 was a big day for our Indonesian crew. The Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord were officially incorporated as a charitable corporation in Indonesia. It means that our bus, land, and other properties in Indonesia no longer need to be in the name of a private person. Here is a copy of the decree: 6 And here is more: The Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord in Indonesia are now publishing their own “Sunrise” for Indonesian language benefactors. 

● The ordination to the diaconate is scheduled on June 7 for our Brother Ferdinanadus Wale, C.J.D., in Maumere, Flores, Indonesia. Brother “Ferdi” was born in Ende, Flores, but has lived also on Borneo and Kalimantan. He finished the seminary and took his priesthood qualifying exams already before novitiate. Hopefully his priestly ordination will be in the Fall. His help is really needed in Indonesia where we have so much activity and vocations. Besides English, Russian, and Indonesian, Brother Ferdi speaks several local Indonesian languages. He likes to sing solos. Brother Ferdi’s famous smile Brother Ferdi with ice skates, “walking on water” for the first time in the bay on Russian Island.

● Our Indonesian and Filipino brothers were delighted with the weather in Russia this winter. It was the first time they had experienced snow. Well, they did get tired of shoveling!

● February 20 was a great but difficult day, rather, night! The container full of beds was delivered to us to unload at 8:00 on Friday night from Russian Customs. It was great that the novices were here, and they worked until 12:30 unloading and storing them. We don’t have a large warehouse, so we had to put them temporarily in the church. Thank you to the Franciscan Mission Warehouse in Missouri for sending the beds to us. They will be a great help to the dying folks at the Hospice, and for patients at the Lesozavodsk City Hospital. We still have the job of sorting them, attaching spare parts, checking on their electrical requirements, and delivering them to their destinations.

Thanks, Donors, who helped provide the means to do all of this!

Blistering cold as a front rolled by in the night was the setting. 

We had a crane to remove the heavy beds from the semi. 

A volunteer at the hospice by a newineclinable bed.

We were already able to send the beds to the Hospice here in Vladivostok, and soon to the City Hospital in Lesozavodsk. The patients can now push the button and sit up or elevate their feet. Of course we and the patients will be forever grateful to those who made it possible. 

● February 2 was the celebration of consecrated life throughout the world. Religious from our region got together to celebrate at the invitation of the Sisters in Jesus the Lord at their convent on Russian Island. 

Sisters from Russia, Korea, and America,, with priests and brothers from America, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, the Philippines, Indonesia—all serve in our state of Primorye.

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Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord Become Official
By Rev Daniel Maurer, C.J.D.

We Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord have finally become an official religious community, thanks to Bishop Kherubim Pareira, SVD of the Diocese of Maumere, Flores Island, Indonesia! Here is a photo of our Fr Inosensius with Bishop Kherubim holding the official decree! We thank God and Bishop Kherubim for this wonderful step. All our seminarians are rejoicing. It happened on December 23, so it was a great Christmas present to us all!

Fr Inosensius Hetu, C.J.D. and Bishop Kherubim Pereira, S.V.D., Ordinary of the Diocese of Maumere, Indonesia with the decree of approbation.

This is one of the greatest events in the 27-year history of our community. I must also say this: Bishop Kherubim would not have done so if he were not favorably impressed with all of the members of our community whom he has met. In his letter he writes very clearly about this: “…having observed your students and priest Fr Inosensius…”. Thank you, dear brothers in Maumere and Fr Ino, for your witness of strong faith and charity, and for the fidelity with which you live the beautiful charism of our canonical tradition. I also hope someday to be able to thank Bishop Kherubim in person for his warm welcome and hospitality to you into his diocese and for the great act of hope, which is his official approbation of our order. This is an answer to years of prayer! 2014 was a great year for our still-fledgling order of the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord. Not only did we receive an official approbation in Indonesia, but we also had 2 young men profess their solemn perpetual vows, 6 young men make first vows, and 1 brother renew his temporary vows. We have five major seminarians studying in two different seminaries in Indonesia, and three major seminarians studying in three different major seminaries in the Philippines. We have three novices here in Vladivostok now, and we may have 10 novices here in 2015. We have 8 resident candidates in Indonesia and several candidates in the Philippines and in the USA.

I always remind myself that it is not the numbers that are important. It is the vocation of each young man that is a precious gift from God – however many there may or may not be. I am so grateful to God that He has seen fit to send us each member of our order. They are all serious Christian men who love the Lord and who are convinced that He is calling them to the canonical life of liturgy, fraternal charity and service in the Church. They are talented, happy, intelligent, well-adjusted and flexible. Five of them will be ready to be ordained to the transitional deaconate this year. 2014 also brought two other great blessings of religious life to us: With many difficulties and trials (to be expected in the Russian Far East) our Sisters (Canonesses) in Jesus Lord (C.J.D.) from Kansas City established their first resident community here in Vladivostok. For many years two of them had been coming here as often as visa restrictions would allow; and this year all three of them received or were approved for temporary residency permits, allowing them to buy apartments and establish a permanent community. With all they have gone through, they have shown themselves to be highly intrepid, fortitudinous, hard-praying, hard-working, courageous, charitable and humble! (I could go on much longer with this litany, but I do not want to overly embarrass them, as they are on this mailing list.) Also in 2014 a new group of Canonesses of Jesus the Lord have begun their community religious life and apostolate in the Archdiocese of Jakarta in Indonesia. The leader of this new foundation is Sr Marthina Tongli, C.J.D. She spent several months with our CJD sisters here in Vladivostok last winter. They have the permission of the archbishop to live together, accept vocations and to serve orphans in an orphanage that they have founded near Jakarta. Fr Myron visited them during his trip to Indonesia in December and celebrated their profession of private, temporary vows. Now it is 2015, and the year dedicated by Pope Francis to consecrated life. We hope it will be a great year for all religious and for the Church in general!