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Asia

13 January, 2019
2

Father, I am listening to you

By | Asia, Fernando Rielo, Philippines | No Comments

The Idente Missionaries in the Philippines celebrated the 14th anniversary of the transit of our beloved Founder Fernando Rielo into heaven on Sunday, December 9, 2018 with a Eucharist celebration presided by Fr. Tomy Mundankunnel, Claretian priest, native of Kannur and friend of our Institution.

Fr. Tomy emphasized in his homily the mystical experiences that our Father Founder lived at an early age and his way of expressing it in his poems, certainly unique because they talk about his constant communion with our Heavenly Father. He underlined that for Fernando Rielo, the meaning of suffering had a different dimension from what people usually understand today as something negative.

He also noted that for the founder of the Idente Missionaries, to be physically far away from our Heavenly Father was his greatest suffering since his childhood. His suffering was united to the suffering of Christ. He said that suffering has a redeeming value and for that reason, it is important to live it in that way in our life, in family life. Christ´s suffering, his sacrifice, gives us life. And this was Fernando Rielo’s understanding, and that is why he was able to reach others. And like him, we should be co-redeemers of each other, doing and giving what is possible for us to make others happy, in other words, to give our life for each other.

He also highlighted that our experience of God should be manifested in an active way: reaching out to others and sharing with them, since all of us are children of our Heavenly Father, united to Him through Christ his Only-begotten Son. He concluded his homily saying that the work of the idente missionaries is a commitment of love: “it is not possible to help others without being motivated by a constant love and communion with God.”

In addition, he joined in the supplication of all the spiritual children of Fernando Rielo so that the Church recognize the richness of his mystical life and of the idente charism in the initiation of the process of his canonization.

After that, we watched the video “Sed Santos”, followed by a lunch in a simple family atmosphere. Members of the Idente Family, Idente Youth, Idente Volunteers and friends of our Institution were present in this celebration. This new anniversary ended with immense gratitude to our Heavenly Father for our beloved Father Founder´s life with the supplication that our prayer and our life be as he taught us: “Be aware that all the prayer of this world is summarized in only one phrase: Father, I am listening to you.”

4 January, 2019
0

Anniversary mass of Fernando Rielo in Chiang Mai, Thailand

By | Asia, Fernando Rielo, Thailand | No Comments

On Thursday, December 6, we celebrated in the community of Chiang Mai the XIV anniversary of the transit to heaven of our Father Founder in the community of Saraphi, with a Eucharist presided by S.E.R. Bishop Francisco Javier Virá, Bishop of Chiang Mai, who honored us one more year with his visit on this important date for us. The mass was concelebrated by six priests, among whom were our brothers Tinnakorn Latoo and Tanongsak Bikho.   The celebration was attended by around seventy people, mostly parishioners of the pastoral center and some religious and friends of the Institution.   During the homily, Msgr. Virá, referring to the Gospel that he had just read about the wise man who builds his house on rock, stated that Fernando Rielo was a wise Christian, because he focused all his life to build on God the Father all his works, united to Christ, which brought great fruit, as witnessed by the idente missionaries. He remembered, as on other occasions, Idente missionaries Eduardo and Komkrit, whom he knew personally.   He also referred to the church that we are planning to build soon on our land and encouraged us to start the construction as soon as possible with the money that we currently have, because he will help us to complete it, since he believes that there will be an important pastoral future in this Saraphi area, where he sees that there are families with many children and young people. In addition, his intention is to inaugurate the new temple, coinciding with the festivities of the 350th anniversary of the birth of the Church in Thailand, that will take place next year.   At the end of the Mass a buffet was offered on our part, that was enjoyed by all in an ambience of cheerful friendship and simplicity, with songs included.

23 December, 2018
3

“I keep on waiting…and I dream.”

By | Philippines, Sin categorizar, Sin categorizar | No Comments

We met this boy during the World Youth Parliament workshop on November 25, 2018. The topic of the said workshop was about “Knowing our identity as children of God through prayer”.

One thing struck me about this boy: his authentic smile. I asked him “From where do you get that smile?” and then he pointed his forefinger up to the sky. It was clear that all the beautiful things in this world including our smile come from our Heavenly Father.

We went on with our conversation.

WYP: How long have you been here in this care center for street children?

Boy: 2 years (he is now 11 years old)

WYP: Did your parents ever come to visit you?

Boy: No.

WYP: What do you do when you miss your parents?

Boy: I pray for them.

WYP: I will tell you a secret that you can do whenever you pray.

Boy: What is that? (With amazement in his eyes)

WYP: When you pray, offer you are longing for your parents. Do you know what it means, “to offer”?

Boy: Offer? Something you give.

WYP: Yes, that is true you offer it to Christ. Do not carry it alone. Give it to Him. You will feel better if you do that.

Boy: It seems like it is some magic because I experienced it just earlier this morning. I missed my parents, but then I prayed, I felt joy in my heart. I became happy again.

WYP: Your life is a prayer. So, whenever you see another boy here in this center that
is sad, talk to him and give him hope. Tell him that when we listen to this world and to ourselves, we will feel even sadder. It is much better to look at Christ, our Divine Brother. When we are sad, the evil one is happy because he wants us to be miserable. But, if we are joyful; we are giving victory to Christ. So, now, what are you going to share with the kids here, when you talk to them?

Boy: I will share with them what I have heard from you.

He immediately grabbed his two friends, and he told them to offer their pain whenever they missed their loved ones. We were amazed that his two friends listened to him attentively. It is true that whenever we share our mystical experiences, people listen. It was a great testimony of love.

We continued talking to this boy…

WYP: What is your dream when you grow up?

Boy: I want to be a priest. (We were expecting that he would say, “I want to be a doctor, engineer, architect…”)

WYP: Wow! Why do you want to be a priest?

Boy: I want to give my life to Christ. The best gift that I can give to Him is my life.

WYP: We will pray for you, and please, pray for us as well.

The boy was very happy talking to us. With his sense of humor, he added “Don’t worry, I am not forgetful. I will keep everything in my heart.”

We left him with a big smile on his face. We are not sure if we will ever see him again, but we are certain that we shared something that he can take with him throughout his life, and that is Christ.

4 September, 2018
1

The bishop of Chiang Mai visits our mission

By | Asia, Thailand | No Comments

On 11 August, the Idente missionaries were gladly surprised with a call from the diocese, anouncing the visit of the Bishop of Chiang Mai to our Idente Mission in the Pastoral Center in Saraphee, in which he would also celebrate the Sunday Mass. The Bishop also wanted to know the place in which we are planning to build a church.

We informed the people about this pastoral visit, with little hope that they would come for the mass on that day as it was the mother’s day celebration in Thailand, and following the custom, they would go to visit their mothers, many of them  traveling to the mountain areas.

On 12th Sunday the Holy mass started punctually, concelebrated by th Idente missionaries Francisco Sánchez and Thinnakorn Latoo. With few persons in the beginning, they arrived progressively and the Chapel was full soon, with people standing outside the chapel too.

The bishop gave a very simple and clear homily. He celebrated the silver jubilee of his priestly ordination on the previous day, which he also mentioned. He talked about the importance of vocation and the mission needs and also expressed his concern for the youth, threatened by drug and consumerism. Commenting on the readings, he cited the example of Elijah who was fed by God in the desert, he pointed out the need to nourish our life with the Eucharist. Therefore, having more vocations is very important.

At the end of the Holy Mass we thanked the bishop on behalf of all the faithful and in the name of all the Idente Missionaries. As always, people stayed back after the mass to share some tea and snacks and the bishop too joined them and spoke to the people very kindly, listening to them carefully.

Later the bishop was delighted to hear that our brother Fr. Tanongsak had gone to Wiang Pa Pao to celebrate mass and thanked us for all the service we are doing there for the people. Afterwards, we showed him the place where we are planning to build a new church. He expressed his desire for us to build the church next year, as it is the 350th anniversary of the evangelization of Thailand. We gave our consent, but also expressed our concern for the economic resources, since we still have not enough funds to start the construction.

The bishop told us that he expects a simple church, as it is very important to the people to have a church and said that he will be writing a pastoral letter to all the faithful of the diocese, asking their collaboration and contribution, with the hope to build the church with the collaboration of all.

Once again the bishop expressed his concern for many youth who are wasting their time and energy, falling in the temptation of drugs. When the missionaries informed him that we also have a project to make a play ground and sports area, he was glad with the idea, since there are not many places like that around, which are great for youth apostolate.

 

Before leaving the community, the bishop accepted to preside the death anniversary Mass of our founding father Fernando Rielo on December, 6th.

In his great generosity, while driving back to his residence in Chiang Mai, he offered the missionaries to use his car in case of necessity.

30 June, 2018
1

Intense Sunday in our Mission at Saraphee (ChiangMai)

By | Asia, Thailand | No Comments

As normal, this past 24 of June, festivity of Saint John of Baptist, we celebrated in our Pastoral Center the dominical Holy Mass, which in this opportunity, as something special, included the administration of the Sacrament of  Baptism to a little girl of seven months, named Angela, cousin of one of the member of the Idente Family.

After the Holy Mass and sharing moments of being together with cookies and coffee, we had our monthly meeting with some of the faithful to share spiritual experiences from the common Reading of the Gospel. Some of them were fathers of families, whom their sons were meeting at the same time with an idente missionary who were introducing them to the catechetical program.

Then on the afternoon, we had the monthly appointment with the faithful and friends who are coming more closely to us in order to know the Charisma of The Idente Family.

This activity starts normally with an information meeting, which is centered on the spirituality of family, based on the pontifical documents and the New Testament.

Our brother and sister from Thailand, Thinnakorn and Yotsaya, are organizing these meetings and we can perceive that there are more and more accepting. Usually, then after the meeting, we are sharing the dinner, which is participating in different ways. And following to the animation of music, games, etc which the children and youth in general are especially enjoying.

7 June, 2018
2

Procurator general Fr. Fernando Real visits  Thailand

By | Idente news, Thailand | No Comments

Last May 22nd we received in Chiang Mai the pleasant and always comforting visit of the procurator general Fr. Fernando Real M.Id, coming from New York.

After resting from the long trip, he joined the activities of the province with the daily mass at 6.30. We received our dear brother Fernando with gratitude to our Heavenly Father and to the superiors, for his presence that always helps and comforts us at a distance when he is far away and now directly in this visit with his example of order, discipline, study and holiness in the daily life. Our brother Fernando thanked our words and spoke to the young people on behalf of our President, for his honesty and perseverance. After the Holy Mass we had dinner fraternally at the sisters’ house.

On Friday the 25th, in the morning prayer, we addressed some farewell words to our dear brother Rueangdet, who returns to the United States to continue his studies. Afterwards, Fernando gave a small talk. Then, we received the visit of a young Italian we have met and who is in search, thus our general procurator oriented him to read the gospel, pray the Trisagio and help the young people participating in meetings of the family idente.

On Saturday the 26th we traveled to Wiang Pa Pao to have a Motus Christi with the children and young people who normally live there, about 120 students, mostly Catholics. Fr. Fernando spoke about Pope Francis’s document on holiness, in such a simple way and with so many examples, that everyone understood it from the smallest of 9 years to those over 19 years old and even some professors who were present . After answering groups of students about three issues about their spiritual experience and taking lunch with ice cream included, we met again at the church so that they would share their opinions with everyone. Then two young people expressed their testimony and experience about the life of holiness and our charism. Afterwards we celebrated the mass and a young woman gave thanks on behalf of all the students for the interesting talk received for their spiritual life.

After this beautiful apostolic activity, hopefully very fruitful, we prayed the Sábato in the chapel of the residence with the sisters and then we had dinner together, as we do every Saturday. On the 27th as every Sunday after the Idente Memorial, we celebrate the morning Sunday Mass, presided over by our dear brother Thinnakorn, with a beautiful homily on the Most Holy Trinity, concelebrated by our Procurator General, Fernando and our brother Francisco.

After a snack, we had the gospel group as every last Sunday of every month, this time more numerous and participative than usual, while our sister Yotsaya was teaching the catechesis to the children. After  we had lunch in the residence of the brothers, and invited two new young people to the house.

After our family lunch, we prepared for the Idente Family talk, given by fr. Fernando, starting with the letter to Ephesians 1: 3-4, related to the document of Pope Francis, but in relation to family life in a life of daily sanctity. Then we had dinner with the food that the members of the family had prepared.

6 June, 2018
5

“I was in prison and you came to see me.” the Idente Family in the Philippines

By | Philippines | No Comments

The Idente Family in the Philippines visited a women´s jail in Quezon City, on April 9, 2018. They went there to present a play about the resurrection of Christ. They didn’t’ bring food or new clothes for the prisoners as other charity works usually do.  They brought the hope of Christ through the play that they showed and through the stories that they shared with the prisoners. They also gave personalized handmade Easter cards.

The prisoners wept with emotion while reading the messages on the cards, the same feeling that the Idente Family felt as they didn’t want to leave the side of the prisoner after hearing each of their stories about how they ended up in the jail.

It was a heartbreaking experience for them to see young women not being able to pursue their dreams as they were put behind bars because of wrong choices that they had made in their life. These prisoners have realized the consequences of badly using their free will. Little by little they are beginning to go straight as they spend their days in the prison.

One of the members of the Idente Family realized that our mistakes don’t define us and that we are the sum of our Heavenly Father’s immense love. Another member commented: “It is important that we remain in our Heavenly Father’s love, in spite of struggles that we are going through. The more we remain in His love, the more we become His children.” She was so grateful experiencing an outreach program like this. She experienced personally what it means to be an instrument of God’s love, by sharing with the prisoners the hope that they can only get from Christ. Not only the prisoners felt blessed, also the Idente Family themselves. They got to see that the best gift that they can give to others is Christ, nothing else and their greatest miracle is not to be free from jail but to know God.

In the Gospel of John, Christ said: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone” It reminds us that Christ doesn’t condemn sinners. He did not condemn the woman who had been caught committing adultery. Still, He gave her a work to do: not to sin anymore. As the Idente Family departed from the jail, through their personal dialogue, they shared that they should ask grace from God for our brothers and sisters  who are in jail so that they do not go back in their old habits and they also assured to each prisoner that they will be continuously praying for the change of their hearts. A heart that is free, free in choosing the will of God.

3 April, 2018
3

Paschal Vigil on April 1, 2018 in Sarapi (Thailand)

By | Asia, Thailand | No Comments

We celebrated the Holy Mass at the Chapel of the Pastoral Center in Sarapee, receiving many graces. The main celebrant was our dear brother Thinnakorn Latoo.

This time was special, on the occassion of the Easter Vigil, we celebrated the baptisms of two children, the new Christians are: Raphael and Magdalena.

Though there were not many persons, they participated in an atmosphere of spiritual recollection and singing with fervour.

25 February, 2018
2

Difference between communication and propaganda, explains Fr. Luis Casasús M.Id in Thailand

By | Thailand | No Comments

The Superior General of Idente Missionaries Fr. Luis Casasús, had several encounters with Asian youth on his last visit in Asia. In Thailand he met school and university students, talking to them about different topics to motivate them to aspire and live the highest ideals. Students too shared their personal experiences, raised questions and doubts in these meetings.

Father Casasús arrived in Thailand on February 8th after his visit to India. Idente Missionaries in Thailand received him with great joy. On the occasion of the welcoming ceremony, at the sight of the excited faces of young missionaries, Fr. Casasús remembered his encounter with the Founder Fernando Rielo, as a young man. Recalling the words of the Founder, he reminded the young missionaries of the importance of consecrating their youthfulness to Christ.

How to be an apostle since childhood was the central point of the Motus Christi retreat which Fr. Casasús M.Id conducted on February 10th in Wiang Pa Pao, S.Therese School. The school has a close relation with the Idente Missionaries as our first Thai Priest Fr. Komkrit M.Id had worked there as the director of the education until his premature demise and his bust sculpture is placed there with much reverence. There are around 1500 students in the school, where the majority are Buddhists.

The students and the school staff specially the Ban Maria sisters, received Fr. Casasús M.Id with great affection and enthusiasm.  Nearly 120 students participated in the Motus Christy. The superior general spoke to the children in a very simple way about how to become an apostle of peace and love. Two students shared their experience of following Jesus. Then students engaged in group dynamics where they wrote down their experiences of living charity and shared them with others in the group. The Motus Christy concluded with a Holy Mass, presided over by our brother Fr. Tanongsak who had been working with our brother Fr. Komkrit in Wiang Pa Pao.

In an encounter with adults, that took place in Saraphee on February 11th Fr. Casasús M.Id invited them to enter into a deeper experience of faith through personal prayer. Only through an intimate relation with God, that father, can we know His will and live accordingly. The general superior also mentioned our proposal to Pope Francis to institute a feast day dedicated to our Heavenly Father in the Calendar of the Universal Church, because so far there is no such feast in the Church. Such a celebration is very close to our charism of living the filiation towards God the Father. While answering some of the questions, Fr. Casasús exhorted them never to abandon anyone who is looking for God’s love in their own lives.

 

 

During his visit to Thailand Fr. Luis Casasús had a very warm meeting with the Bishop of Chiang Mai, His Excellency Francis Xavier Virá. Our Superior explained to him various activities carried out by our brothers and sisters in the diocese, especially the characteristics of our Motus Christy retreats and the World Youth Parliament project for the youth. He also mentioned about our brothers’ mission works in Wiang Pa Pao in collaboration with the diocesan priest and the project to build a Church, for which the Bishop kindly offered to seek financial support.

On February 13th Fr. Luis Casasús met with a group of around 70 students of Chiang Mai North University, among whom were several Chinese students. Fr. Luis explained to them the importance of the communication and the dangers of virtual massification and isolation, the significance of inter personal relationships, etc. During the meeting he also discussed with them the possibility of creating a group of World Youth Parliament (WYP) to give space to youth and to listen their thoughts and experiences on important issues and find true values for a new civilization.

He also shared with them his experience in the plenary sessions of the WYP held in Italy, USA, Germany, and China and the next edition in Madrid. The students received his invitation to be part of the WYP with a loud applause.

At the end of the gathering, the students asked him two questions, the first about the difference between “propaganda and communication”. He answered by saying that the propaganda has the goal of convincing people to follow a specific interest and it is closed / is of a close nature, but the communication is a dialogue for sharing mutual experiences of life and it is open. The second question was how to help the students who are isolated due to excessive use of mobile phones and games.

Until February 15th, the day of his departure, the general superior spent all his time and energy with the missionaries and with each and every person he met. Fr. Luis Casasús left Thailand leaving behind a strong impression of fraternal communion and a living experience of peace and joy of Christ.

6 February, 2018
4

Growing family Idente in Thailand

By | Asia, Idente Family, Sin categorizar, Thailand | No Comments

Applying the Gospel to life, praying and living together are the keys to the monthly meetings of the idente
family from Chiang Mai, a city 700 km away. north of Bangkok, where the women and men idente
missionaries have a mission.
Last Sunday, January 28, began with the joint preparation of food, with the contributions that each family
generously brought there to share. After that, the formation talk started, given by the idente priest and
missionaries, Thinnakorn Latoo, who spoke about the love of God, as the force that allows the family to
live in unity and fidelity until the end. The theme was so beautiful that after the the talk all the assistants
broke into a big applause to our brother.
Meanwhile, Idente Youth teachers developed activities for the children and adolescents of these families,
in the esplanade placed in front of the residence.
After the training, began the family dinner, which was enlivened with the projection of photos of the
celebrations of Christmas and The Three Kings and, of course, with the expected karaoke, that Thai
people likes so much. There spontaneous singers always emerge and many hidden talents are revealed to
the delight of all, creating a very familiar atmosphere.