The Conference Council of Asia Oceania met from the 7th to the 9th of February 2024 at Minburi in Thailand. Fr. Yoakim Ndelo (Conference Coordinator), Fr. Edward Joseph (Provincial Superior of Bangalore), Fr. Ino Cueto (Vice Provincial Superior of Malaysia and Singapore, Fr. Peter Jittapol (Provincial Superior of Thailand) and Fr. Joseph Ivel Mendanha, (Consultor General) met for the first meeting of the Council of Asia Oceania since Fr. Yoakim took over as Conference Coordinator.
The opening day was chaired by Fr. Ivel who initiated the group into the spirit of the meeting by celebrating the Eucharist with a reflection on the challenge of Leadership for mission in the Congregation today. He then facilitated a time for personal reading, reflection, and prayer. This was followed by sharing personally about each person’s vocation story, experience of leadership in the Congregation as well as both the joys and challenges of leadership and finally the hopes for the Conference of Asia Oceania. On the second day Fr. Ivel through a presentation outlined the Role of the Conference Coordinator and the Conference Council. Then the meeting was chaired by Fr. Yoakim. The Council sat to nominate the members for the various Secretariats and Commissions of the Conference. These Secretariats and Commissions will meet online in the month of April to work on the Strategic Plan of the Conference and offer plans for carrying out the tasks in the Strategic Plan appropriate to each Secretariat and Commission.
The Council also discussed in detail the way all the aspects of the Strategic Plan would be carried out in the Conference. Other matters discussed and decided upon were the forthcoming Youth Gathering in Sumba at the end of June and the first week of July 2024, the Meeting of the Major Superiors of Asia Oceania in Bali in July 2024, the ways in which restructuring and reconfiguration would be accompanied in the Conference as well other matters on Formation, Finance, and Mission in the Conference. The next few meetings would be held online in the month of May and June. The group thanked Fr. Peter Jittapol for his hospitality and then visited the Minor seminarians at Siracha in order to celebrate Chinese New Year with the formators and seminarians.
Fr. Joseph Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R.
General Consultor
