ASIA/INDONESIA - The Camillians in Flores: keeping missionary commitment alive and looking to the future with hope

Wednesday, 16 June 2021 missionary animation   missionaries  

Maumere (Agenzia Fides) - The invisible Covid-19 does not seem to have stopped and hindered the vocational enthusiasm of many young people who intend to prepare themselves to become future apostles of the Gospel not only here in their country, but also in other countries of the world. Father Luigi Galvani, missionary of the Order of the Ministers of the Sick and pioneer in the diocese of Maumere, told Fides that, despite the pandemic, thirty new young deacons have been ordained in Flores in recent weeks. "Of these - writes Fr. Galvani - 13 belong to the Verbite Missionaries, while 17 belong to the Interdiocesan Seminary of Ritapiret which brings together 350 seminarians from five dioceses: Maumere, Ende, Ruteng, Larantuka and Denpasar, island of Bali. An event that encourages keeping the missionary commitment alive and looking to the future with serenity and joy. During the summer period, the new deacons and most of the seminarians of the various institutes will exercise their pastoral ministry in their parishes of origin and in others where they will be assigned". Soon, on the occasion of the feast of Saint Camillus, which will take place on July 14, 2021, the Camillians will celebrate another important milestone. "On that day, five novices will make their first profession, while 13 new candidates, including two young Pakistanis, will begin their canonical year of novitiate. In addition, 17 professed will renew their vows and one will make perpetual profession. With the increase in the number of candidates, we had to widen the spaces for formation and we are therefore completing the new novitiate house in Kupang, on the island of Timor, which the group of 13 new novices will occupy in the near future". Currently, the students of the Camillian seminaries present in Flores have finished their exams and are on vacation. All the seminarians of the various Institutes, more than fifteen, in the diocese of Maumere, attend the Philosophical and Theological Institute of the Verbite Missionaries, considered to be the largest Institute of the Catholic Church in the world with about 1200 students. (LG/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 16/6/2021)


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