2006 in Review

Luis Antonio Vergara, SVD Dorish Maru College December 2006

At the beginning of the year we welcomed back into our community Hiagi Motofaga and Darwin Loro, who had their Overseas Training Program in Romania and East Timor, respectively. Vincent Iopam joined the community again after a year of absence. John Prior also joined the community during the first semester to teach at Yarra Theological Union.

February was a busy month this year as the Province held the Brothers’ Assembly followed by the Provincial Assembly and the Provincial Chapter all held in NSW. Henry Adler joined the community to assist Mike Knight in formation. And on February 27, lectures at Yarra Theological Union started.

The Commonwealth Games started in March but the big news for the community on this month was Jim Knight’s transfer to Santa Teresa in Alice Springs. Darwin Loro, Gabriel Kokon, Ioane Racumu, Linh Nguyen and Hiagi Motofaga renewed their vows to the Society on March 17 while Alexis Tupun renewed his vows in Alice Springs. Patricio Palma, Phuong Vu and Gerard Mulholland earned their Bachelor of Theology degrees and Truc Quoc Phan his Master of Theological Studies.

On March 25, seven students took their final vows: Gerard, Phuong, Truc, Patricio, Joseph Tan, Viet Nguyen and Akuila Talia’uli. They were ordained as deacons the next day. Gerard and Phuong were ordained as priests on November 25 at Inala, QLD; Joseph, Viet and Truc on December 9 at St. Paschal Chapel. Akuila went back to Tonga in July to do his diaconate work. He will be ordained in Tonga this year. Sadly, Patricio, together with Rafael Ngonga, died in a car accident in June. It is an event that affected us all significantly. May they rest in peace.

Also in June, Noboru Satowaki, who belongs to the SVD Japan Province, arrived in Melbourne to study English in preparation for his Overseas Training Program in East Timor. While Gerard left the DMC community in June to join the community in Alice Springs, Alexis joined our community in July after spending the first half of the year in Alice Springs. Mike Knight started his sabbatical leave and went to NSW. Michael Nguyen took over Mike’s place on the House Council.

The Soccer World Cup ended in July. For DMC students it was the start of the second semester. It was also the start of students’ ministry supervision with Liza Stewart. Doan Nguyen, a Vietnamese-Australian, joined the community in August bringing the total number of students, including brothers in temporary vows, to nine. At present, Doan is studying Bachelor of Business in Accounting at Victoria University.

While busy with their studies during August, the students were already preparing for Mission Day. The 20th Anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s Visit to Indigenous Australians in Alice Springs in 1986 was the chosen theme for Mission Day which was held on September 2. The guest speaker was Vicki Walker, the Co-ordinator of Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Melbourne. The Society’s Congregational Leader, Tim Norton, was the presider for the Eucharistic Celebration. As usual, the event concluded in warm fellowship over a multi cultural meal.

The community celebrated the Society’s Foundation Day on September 8 with a “simple” champagne breakfast. It was also in September that Wim started moving to his new place, the Father Maas House, which is located in Bedford Street, Box Hill.

Also in September, the Final Vows Program started. Darwin Loro, a brother in temporary vows, is the only one who is in the program. He is hoping to make his profession of final vows in March next year. To show its support to Darwin, the community is holding a special prayer time for Darwin every Monday until March 2007.

The Dorish Maru Community had three recollections for the year. The community was divided into three groups and each group facilitated one recollection. The recollections were held during the months of April, August and October.

In October, the community played host to the Province’s 5-Day Leadership Workshop in Boronia which was attended by 17 confreres from various houses and districts.

Also this year, residents moved out of Ben Seng House at Boronia. All brothers in temporary vows are now in DMC, Frank Gerry is now living at Villa Maria which is just next to Ben Seng House and Ho Tran was assigned as Rector of the Epping community in NSW.

The students also excelled on other fields this year. Gabriel and Vincent won gold medals in a Taekwondo competition in Victoria; Ioane Racumu was elected treasurer of YTU Student Representative Council; and the DMC choir, under the leadership of Hiagi Motofaga, has been singing in various parishes in Victoria.

Not only the students but also our lecturers have been busy. Ennio Mantovani, Larry Nemer, John Prior and Michael Nguyen have been giving talks, seminar-workshops and retreats all over Australia and overseas proving that we have a pool of intelligent and talented people in Dorish Maru College.

The year 2006 has been difficult but as a community we look forward to 2007 with hope and commitment to make it a good year for us all.

Finally, the Dorish Maru Community would like to wish you .

A Blessed Christmas &

A Peaceful New Year!