NEW SVD SUPERIOR GENERAL IS FROM THE PHS! July 3, 2012
Posted by Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD in Priesthood, SVD.Tags: 17th SVD General Chapter, Cebu City, Fr. Heinz Kulüke SVD, Fr. Tony Pernia SVD, Philippine SVD Southern Province, PHS
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Photo Credit: Catholic Weekly Website
Fr. Heinz Kulüke, SVD, the Provincial of the Philippine Southern Province (PHS) was elected the 11th Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). His received 98 votes against capitulars Fr. Bob Kisala, SVD (10 votes), Fr. Greg Pinto (4 votes), Fr. Arlindo Dias (3 votes), Fr. Emmanuel Fianu (2 votes) and Fr. Jose de Silva (1 vote).
Born in 1956 in Emsland, Germany. Fr Heinz spent two years in electronics before he joined the Divine Word Missionaries in 1979. He was 22 then. Somehow he was not satisfied with his work. He confessed, “I was very good at it so I earned a lot of money, but it was not fulfilling.”
Joining the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) changed his life completely. He was ordained in 1986 after completing philosophy and theology. He had a short stay in London to practice English. When he arrived in the Philippines, he immediately studied Cebuano and was assigned in Agusan where he stayed for 2 years doing parish work. After his short stint as professor in the seminary in Davao, he was transferred to University of San Carlos in Cebu on 1989.
He recalled that, “at night I would go out and visit street children who were living on the sidewalks. I saw people looking for food in trash cans and living on the sidewalks and thought that if this is the case there must be many people living on the dump sites. So I just took my motorcycle and followed a dump truck.”
His experience brought him to the dump sites of Cebu and bravely stayed there for a month. There he share their way of life, their livelihood, their food, their struggles, their joys, their pains. “…and also their sickness,” he added with a laugh.
Fr. Heinz with His Wonderful Friends in Cebu City
Soon he attracted others into his cause. A day care center was established with the effort of educating children and promoting nutrition as well as on-going formation for their parents. And the rest is history.
He became the Provincial of the Philippine Southern Province of the SVD in 2005. He was re-elected in 2008. In 2011, the members of the province decided that he should continue his mission as Provincial for the third term.
As a Provincial, he is a visionary. He has long term goals for the province which the confreres greatly appreciated. His dedication to also help the poorest of the poor in Cebu inspired so many. He also exercises efficient management in his sustainable projects for justice, peace and integrity of creation. Indeed, he is a gift to the people he served.
It is interesting to note that this is the second time that a Provincial from the Philippine Southern Province got elected as Superior General. In 2000, Fr. Tony Pernia, SVD who was also a PHS Provincial from 1993-1994 was elected to the highest post in the Society of the Divine Word.
Congratulations Fr. Heinz! God bless you in your new role as the great servant of our congregation. You have served the Philippine Southern Province with the heart of Christ. You will be always in my prayers. May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all.
PHILIPPINE SVD @ 100 August 30, 2009
Posted by Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD in Arnold Janssen, Bible Animation, Family Feast, Jesus, JPIC, Mission Anecdotes, Pastoral, Pilgrimage, Pink Sisters, Prayers, Subanipa Diaries, SVD, SVD Philippines Centennial, Vocation Story, XVD.Tags: Bishop Arturo Bastes SVD, Blue Sisters, Cebu, Fr. Anthony Salas, Fr. Carlos Lariosa SVD, Fr. Eleno Bucia SVD, Fr. Felicito Borres SVD, Fr. Felmar Fiel SVD, Fr. Jingjong Rocha SVD, Fr. Joseph Audiencia SVD, Fr. Juan Scheiermann SVD, Fr. Ludwig Beckert SVD, Fr. Melencio Balay SVD, Fr. Ramilo Mapaye SVD, Fr. Roger Solis SVD, Fr. Ruel Lero SVD, Fr. Tony Pernia SVD, Fr. Virgil Alejandria SVD, Fr.Heinz Kulueke SVD, PHS, Pink Sisters, SVD, University of San Carlos
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The Society of the Divine Word (SVD) is now celebrating our one hundred years of missionary presence in the Philippines. On August 15, 1909, the first two SVD missionaries arrived in Manila and began their long journey to Abra, a landlocked province in Northern part of Luzon. With only a bamboo raft, Fr. Juan Scheiermann, SVD and Fr. Ludwig Beckert, SVD journeyed on Abra River to Bangued, the capital. They reached Pilar, Cagotungan, Abra — their mission station, by horse — in their full black cassocks! Perhaps they never thought that one hundred years after, the SVD mission in the Philippines will be this big and this successful. We owe all to the grace of God.
It seems young priests are more comfortable in front of the camera
Last August 17, I arrived in Cebu for the Centennial Celebration of the SVD Philippine Southern Province. More than 100 of my confreres came to celebrate this significant occassion.
Hehe Parang Mag-Ama! Puros Hubag!
With the theme “We Remember, We Rejoice, We Renew”, we were delighted to hear anecdotes about the SVD in the Philippines. Bishop Arturo Bastes, SVD shared to us never-been-heard-nor-published stories about the Divine Word Missionaries in the Philippines (Sample: Did you know that the SVD owned all the Church properties in one of the Archdioceses in the country after the World War II? Mahabang istorya ito!) I was really thankful to the good bishop who happened to be the ordaining prelate during my priestly ordination. So, i also took the opportunity to have photo op with him.
Fr. Tony Pernia, SVD shared about the facts and figures in the Philippine SVD. FYI, Fr. Tony is the Superior General of the SVD worldwide!!! Not only that, he is a Filipino!!! During our time with him, somebody made a remark, “100 years of the SVD in the Philippines is not enough to produce a saint, but enough to produce a Superior General.”
The SVD together with the Blue Sisters and the Pink Sisters
The Pink Sisters are praying for me! Ssshhh, wag maingay!
Our sister congregations also celebrated with us. The Centennial Mass was celebrated at the Pink Sisters Convent together with our lay mission partners, XVDs and the Blue and Pink Sisters. The presider and the mass homilist was Fr. Tony. Agape meal followed.
We also had basketball exhibition game: SVD vs. XVD (ex-SVD seminarians). Did I mention the SVD won? We were on the Sports page of the Sunstar Magazine the following day, and the whole of Cebu knew about it.
Ricardo Cardinal Vidal also joined us for the prayer before the clergy religious night. He also expressed his appreciations for the missionary work done by the SVDs in the Archdiocese of Cebu.
The SVDs listened to a fisherman from Cordova
The last day of the Centennial Celebration proved to be the most memorable and most meaningful for me. Perhaps all my other confreres will also agree. We went to Cordova, where one of the housing projects of the SVD is located. Father Max Abalos, SVD, who spearheaded the project said that it is geared toward the development and liberation of the people from poverty and oppression. The Cordova fisherfolk village has now a cooperative business and will soon establish their dried danggit business.
Mabenta ang mais ng mga fisher folks. Mga pari nag-enjoy!
Our last stop was the Janssenville in Bangkal, Soong, Lapu-Lapu City. Janssenville is another housing project of the SVD. It is a compound of 100 houses with a gate and a chapel for the housing recipients. Together with NGOs, our mission partners, fisherfolks, street children, XVDs, students, visitors, Janssenville settlers and many others, we were given a tour in the area. Fr. Anthony Salas, SVD, JPIC-IDC director, said the houses were built through the consolidated effort of the SVD and the University of San Carlos (USC) community and the beneficiaries.
Fr. Tony is given a tour in the Janssenville Compound
The Holy Mass in the afternoon was presided by Bishop Bastes. He also gave the homily in flawless Visayan language. Hehe Bol-anon man pod diay siya mao nga hasler kaayo mobisaya. Paka-paka oy!
Bishop Bastes, SVD
After that, Fr. Tony led the blessing of the whole village. We blest the 100 houses, one priest per house. (siyempre sama ako doon). It was very touching…ang bawat pamilya may isa-isang paring dala papunta sa kanilang mga bahay. Masaya ang naging kwentuhan ko with the family na nakasama ko.
Fellowship meal followed. It was like a feast. I was happy and thankful to be part of that celebration. Indeed, it was a piece of heaven. More pictures HERE!!!
Congrats SVD and may the Triune God live in the hearts of all.
____________________
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