PASPAC ASSEMBLY OPENS
Pictures below
On Sunday 19th September the biennial PASSIONIST ASIAN PACIFIC CONFERENCE Assembly opened with a very moving ceremony in the Sacred Garden of the Monastery.
Representatives from the Congregation in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia assembled together with the Superior General and his Council, members of the central administration in Rome and of the Committee guiding the present restructure of the Congregation world wide. A special welcome as part of the Passionist Family was extended to the Passionist Sisters of St Paul of the Cross and the Sisters of the Cross and Passion.
Srs. Jasmine Lawrence CP and Kanistal Soosai CP signed the foreheads of the members in a traditional Indian welcoming.
The members walked in silence to near the Moreton Bay fig tree, estimated to having been on this property for over 150 years. The Provincial for Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, Fr Denis
Travers CP, acknowledged the Kaurna people, the indigenous people who are the original owners of the land of the Adelaide Plains, and pledged the Passionist Family to continue to work for the values of peace and the integrity of all creation as do the Kaurna people. Fr Denis welcomed to the Province of the Holy Spirit the Superior General, Fr Ottaviano D'Egidio CP, and his Council, and all the Passionists who had come to the Assembly.
The three wicks of the PASPAC Candle were lit by Brother Larry Finn CP, the Secretary of PASPAC and presented in turn to the Superior General, representing the wolrd wide Passionist Family, the President of PASPAC, Fr. Jeff CP (General Consultor), respresenting the PASPAC Passionists, and to Fr Denis Travers CP, Provincial, representing the host Province.
The members then dispersed into six groups to make the Way of the Cross through the Sacred Garden. In the Foley Room the Monastery tradition of serving bitter herbs and black coffee was followed by a time of silent contemplation of the instruments of the Passion.
Fr Ottaviano, Superior General, gave a powerful address, calling on the PASPAC region to enter with the Passionist family in the life giving process of restructuring.
The Opening ceremony concluded with the singing of the Salve Regina and a celebratory dinner at which the special guests were Archbishop Wilson of Adelaide, Emeritus Archbishop Leonard Faulkner and Bishop Eugene Hurley of Pt Pirie.
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