Some 30 members of the Pauline Family met in Macau on Monday 1st October 2012 to celebrate the feast of Jesus Master, a principal devotion of the Pauline Family. Five Pauline priests belonging to the Society of St Paul concelebrated the Eucharist in an atmosphere of joy and festivity in the Church of St Francis Xavier in Coloane.
At the Gathering two main programmes held the attention of the participants.
First, Doris, a member of the Secular Institute of Our Lady of the Annunciation, presented their Institute, its aims, its mission and its activities especially in the local context of Macau and Hong Kong. Members are called IOLAs, an acronym for the name of their Institute. IOLAs are consecrated persons living and working in the world, usually on their own, without a community. In both countries, they are only 4 members, of Filipino nationality.
The second programme took a greater part of the meeting. Divided into five groups, the participants studied the Beginnings of the Pauline Family history, and discussed how to celebrate the centenary of the Pauline Family which was founded on 20th August 1914 in Italy.
There was a rich variety of suggestions and proposals for the centenary celebration in 2014. After consensus, four proposals were chosen.
1. A solemn Thanksgiving Mass will be held in 2014 in the Cathedral of Macau on the actual day of the initial foundation, 20th August. An organizing committee was nominated, with representatives from the five Institutes of the Pauline Family. The Pauline Family consists of 10 institutes of which five are present in Macau and Hong Kong. All members will attend this main celebration in Macau.
2. The Daughters of St Paul in Boston, USA, are producing a DVD on the founder, Blessed James Alberione. The Pauline Family here, will support their efforts and bring it here for distribution to publicise the local Pauline Family. Chinese subtitles will be inserted for the local audience.
Besides this DVD, the Diocesan Audiovisual Centre will be asked to interview and present the five institutes, that is, the Society of St Paul in Macau, the Daughters of St Paul in Hong Kong and Macau, the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master in Hong Kong, the IOLAs in Macau and Hong Kong and the Association of Pauline Cooperators in Hong Kong and Macau. It is hoped that the Diocesan Audiovisual Centre can produce a small DVD which can be distributed to all the parishes.
Another suggestion is to hire a team of cameramen and a director to produce a local video with materials from the five institutes here.
3. It is also desired to have a vocation brochure featuring all the five institutes. A team of two members has been nominated to plan and execute this project in time for the centenary celebration in 2014.
4. The final project gives a spiritual preparation to all members. All have agreed to come for a 24 hour Retreat on 24-25th February 2013 in Macau.
The gathering was not only hard work to produce plans for the future but participants also enjoyed good and simple but delicious food and wonderful fellowship. The day concluded with a solemn evening prayer and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Everyone departed with joy and satisfaction, in anticipation of the next encounter on Sunday 24th February 2013.
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