ASPAC ASSEMBLY: FOUR CHARACTERISTIC DIMENSIONS

The SVD ASPAC of four Characteristic Dimensions held their triennial assembly from September 3-9, 2017 in Atma Darshan, Mumbai, India. The fundamental purpose of the meeting was to address the following points: 

Firstly, every characteristic dimension coordinator reported on the implementation of the action plan for the last three years. The reports answered the following questions: how it was implemented, what were the challenges in implementing the action plan, how these challenges were resolved, and what would be the suggestions for future improvements. 

Secondly, the meeting was meant to be a learning opportunity from the other PRMs’ ministries whose action plan was successfully implemented in their respective PRMs. Thirdly, it was an opportunity to discuss and develop the action plan for the upcoming three years.

The assembly was officially commenced with a hearty welcome from Fr. Sebastian M. Michaela, a Zonal Coordinator and Fr. Richard Mathias, member of Execom Committee and provincial of the Mumbai Province. Following this welcoming speech was the presentation on the vision and mission of SVD on the four characteristic dimensions. I

n general, these presentations were an overview of the SVD mission of the world, which were presented attractively by the general coordinators of the four characteristic dimensions respectively - except for the communication coordinator who was absent due to a visa problem - of Mission Secretary, JPIC and Bible Apostolate. 

Fr. Stanislaus Lazar, the generalate coordinator of the Mission Secretary, reminded the participants of the importance of the SVD mission that each and everyone carries. Mission, he stated, has to be contextualized in the ASPAC context. Amazing and disturbing contradictions coexist in the zone, its unique combination of the contrasts, namely, its cultures, religions and poverty, are the features of Asia in which our mission is implemented. Interfaith dialogues, he added, is one of the contextual missions, which could be suitably implemented in the Asian context.

Meanwhile, Fr. Marek, the generalate coordinator of the Bible Apostolate, reminded the participants to always “participate in the struggle for the Reign of God by creating, living in and ministering from an alternate world through our preaching and living the Word. 

Participants from Indonesia

We are being an intercultural and multilingual body in all our provinces, we have involved ourselves with sincere love for the mission, people, culture and their languages in ASPAC Zone.” The Bible, for the members of Divine Word Missionaries, he emphasised, is always the root of the mission. The mission can not be undertaken without immersing oneself in the Bible. In other words, the mission would be meaningless without familiarizing oneself with the Bible. The Bible is the primary source of the mission endeavors.

The generalate coordinator of the JPIC, Fr. Daisuke, on the other hand, warmed the participants of the irresistible emergence of the various social problems in our world in general and particularly in Asia. Our society, he recognized, has become a society of refugee, disaster, terrorism, climate change, extreme nationalism and fundamentalism. These situations must trigger our concern in our mission undertakings. These missionary features are absolutely needed for our collaboration and involvement. Our call, as Divine Word Missionaries, are not only to pay attention to such situations but most fundamentally to take action and to be involved in the situation.

These presentations then led the participants into group discussions in which the participants were able to discuss the issues in more detail and incorporate one’s experience in their respective PRMS. These group discussions were allocated more time than other dynamics in the whole assembly. 

This was to emphasize how important it was to understand the inputs before formulating the action plan. Furthermore, the implementation of programs (action plan) during the last three years, were discussed thoroughly in the group discussions in line with the inputs from the generalate coordinators. After sharing in the groups, the reports were presented to the assembly. These dynamics aimed to give opportunities for other characteristic dimensions to observe and evaluate those reports.

Finally, in the last two days of the assembly, each characteristic dimension formulated the action plan for the upcoming three years. The action plan was then presented to the assembly to be assessed. The assembly’s assessment was important so that the action plan will be well implemented in the future. After thoroughly discussing this in the groups and assembly, each characteristic dimension was then formulated with its final action plan. 

Who participated?

The meeting was well attended by 52 participants from four characteristic dimensions of the ASPAC Zone, Members of Execom Committee, Generalate Coordinators and an observer from the Catholic Bible Federation (CBF), Fr. Jan J. Stefanow (secretary general of CBF). Eighteen out of nineteen PRMs in the ASPAC Zone sent their representatives to the assembly except the Papua Nugini province. 

II. What is the outcome of the meeting (Action Plan)?

Apart from the advantageous suggestions emerged from the evaluation for further improvements of the ministry of SVD in the ASPAC Zone, the Mumbai conference has produced the action plan for each characteristic dimension. The action plan has become a direction of the implementation of the future mission for each characteristic dimension. 

The members of the Execom, in their final speeches, hoped that the participants will undertake the action plan in a more professional manner. The implementation of the action plan will involve planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating. The ASPAC zonal coordinator, Fr. Sebastian M. Michael, furthermore, encouraged all the coordinators to implement wisely the action plan in their respective PRMs. 

The assembly was officially closed with the Eucharistic celebration together with the parishioners of the Sacred Heart Parish, one of the SVD’s parish in the Indian Mumbai Province, to celebrate the SVD’s foundational day. The Mass was presided by Fr. Eduardo Rocha, Provincial of the Philippines South, the present president of Execom committee. 

After the Mass, some members of the SVD confreres of the Mumbai Province and SSpS sisters and the delegates enjoyed some delicious Indian foods. (Mumbai, September 10, 2017)