To the Provincial Superiors of the Philippine SVD Provinces

September 8, 2009
134th SVD Foundation Day

Rev. Fr. Nielo Cantilado, SVD
Rev. Fr. Jerome Adriatico, SVD
Rev. Fr. Heinz Kulüke, SVD

Dear Confreres,

It’s now a week since I returned to Rome from the SVD Centennial celebrations in the Philippines, but I continue to relish the memory of those ten beautiful days of August 13-23, 2009. I would like to thank you for the invitation to participate in the celebrations, and to congratulate all of you in the Philippine SVD for preparing such a worthy and fitting tribute to our 100 years in the Philippines. The celebrations in all three provinces were truly festive, colorful, and creative but also solemn, reverent, and moving.

I know much work went into its preparations. I note especially the excellent collaboration and coordination among the three provinces in the planning, organization and execution of the celebrations. Most gratifying for me was the participation, in all aspects of the celebrations, of our mission partners and collaborators – our Sisters, lay associates, the XVDs, alumni, and other friends of the SVD. I wish to acknowledge the participation especially of the people associated with the SVD in various ways and with whom we work and live as missionaries. All this made the Philippine SVD Centennial an event not just of the SVD but of all those who have been and continue to be part of our missionary journey.

Indeed, it was one big act of “mission animation” – those ten days in August 2009, but also the three years of celebrating the Philippine SVD Centennial. And for this, I would like to sincerely thank each and every confrere in the Philippines.

Soon the “remembering” and “rejoicing” will recede into the background, but the “renewing” will remain an ongoing challenge. I would like to appeal that we all take seriously this challenge of renewal – of our commitment to our religious missionary vocation, and of our fidelity to our religious vows and to our SVD constitutions according to which we professed our vows. Needless to say, we are heirs to a great missionary work started by our pioneer missionaries and developed by our predecessors in mission, in collaboration with our lay partners. The editorial of last Sunday’s issue of the Philippine Panorama magazine (September 6, 2009) is an expression of how noble our SVD heritage is in the Philippines. I believe it is our solemn duty to treasure this heritage by developing it further and making it bear even more abundant fruit for God’s people.

True renewal, of course, will come about only with the commitment of every single confrere. But to mark our common resolve to renewal, I suggest that, on the official closing of the Centennial celebrations, every local community arrange a ceremony of renewal of vows and consecration of the Philippine SVD to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the spirit of the Founder. I believe such an act would bring to a fitting conclusion the long period of celebration of our SVD Centennial in the Philippines.

Congratulations again, and sincere thanks to all.

Fraternally in the Divine Word,

Antonio M. Pernia, SVD
Superior General