The men were amazed and said, What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? MATTHEW 8:27

Transcription

1 The men were amazed and said, What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? MATTHEW 8:27

2 Dear Fr Romeo Yu Chang, It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you on your 25th anniversary of priesthood! Your vocation as a missionary in the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) has been lived out in the 25 years of your priesthood in different parts of the world, witnessing to the redeeming love of Christ. Following your ordination, you served in the Hong Kong Archdiocese in parish ministry from You subsequently returned to your home country to serve in the capacity of Provincial Treasurer. You also took this time as an opportunity to further your own development by undertaking postgraduate study in Business Administration. In the following years, you also ensured your own competence by undertaking further studies in Theology and a Sailing Chaplaincy programme. In 2001, you arrived in Singapore to serve as Port Chaplain and as Assistant Priest at the Church of St Teresa. Your work as Port Chaplain meant that you dedicated your time ministering to crew members of sea vessels in the varied areas of pastoral care. In recent years, you were appointed by the Holy See to serve as the East and Southeast Asian Regional Coordinator of the Maritime Apostolate. More recently, you were also appointed as Spiritual Advisor to Abilities Beyond Limitations and Expectations (ABLE), a charitable body helping with the disadvantaged. In particular, your years of pastoral care to the seafarers bear testimony to the care that the Church extends to those who take on these challenging and precarious careers that support the growth and welfare of countries around the world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your years of dedicated service to the hidden lives of these men whose jobs have often meant that they have to assume a degree of danger when they are out on the oceans. With best wishes for many more years of service as a priest at the service of the men and women who live on the peripheries of our societies, as a priest with a missionary joy which spreads and attracts, starting backwards with the farthest away from us (Pope Francis, Homily, 17 April 2014). Singapore, 22 July 2015

3 MESSAGE FOR REV FR ROMEO YU CHANG ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 25TH SACERDOTAL ANNIVERSARY Re: XXV Anniversary of priesthood ordination Dear Fr. Yu Chang, It is with great joy that I congratulate you on the occasion of your 25th anniversary of priesthood. You were called to be a religious missionary in the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) and after serving in different positions in your Congregation, you were appointed as Chaplain in the port of Singapore and then Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) Coordinator for the Southeast Asian region. Through your pastoral ministry, whether ashore or on board cruise ships, you have been in the front line of evangelisation by proclaiming the Gospel, and showing the loving face of the Church to seafarers, fishers sailing on different seas. The AOS community around the world joins me in giving thanks to the Lord for this service and as you celebrate this important event in your life, I would like to ask Mary, Star of the Sea,, to continue to inspire your commitment to the people of the sea and to protect you from any storm in life. Ad multos annos! Sincerely yours, I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Mt 25:35) Fr Romeo Yu Chang has a very interesting mission. He is not widely known among the Catholic community in Singapore; not because he is sleeping on the job, but because his mission requires him to spend much time out at sea, providing pastoral care to sailors on board ships. As Pope John Paul II noted in his apostolic letter on the maritime apostolate, Motu Proprio, the seafaring world has become a missionary world. This is especially pertinent to Singapore, which is one of the busiest seaports in the world. Fr Romeo is the Port Chaplain for Singapore and has been serving in this mission since In 2008, the Pontifical Commission for Migrants and Itinerant People in the Vatican appointed him as the Regional Coordinator of the Apostleship of the Sea for East and Southeast Asia, and this requires him to call regularly on the various seafarers centres in the region, meeting those involved in the maritime apostolate. Lest we get all starry-eyed, thinking that this is such an exciting and romantic apostolate, in truth, this ministry has its peculiar challenges. Dealing with people of different nationalities and social milieu, people who suffer from isolation and loneliness from long periods of separation from family and friends, the Chaplain of the Work of the Maritime Apostolate needs to be distinguished by integrity of life, zeal, prudence and a knowledge of the maritime world. He should be good at languages and enjoy good health. (John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio Stella Maris on the Maritime Apostolate). Fr Romeo is well-equipped for the job. A Chinese Filipino who had his theological formation in Hong Kong, he speaks fluent Cantonese and of course, Tagalog. I am told that he even trains at the gym, so that he has the stamina to climb the gangways! Apart from his Port Chaplain duties, Fr Romeo also helps out with parish work at the Church of St Teresa where he is based, carrying out pastoral tasks assigned to him, such as celebrating masses, conducting RCIA classes, presiding at funerals, weddings and infant baptisms, and visiting the sick in hospitals. His energetic and youthful disposition is particularly inspiring for the altar servers of the parish. He is equally well-liked by the elderly dialect-speaking Catholics, for whom he serves as Spiritual Director, who find in him a friend and confidant. We are truly blessed to have Fr Romeo serving in our community. Not only is he talented and well-qualified, he is also ever willing to be at the disposal of the Church. Notwithstanding his very full plate, at my invitation last year, he happily took on the additional role of Spiritual Director for ABLE (Abilities Beyond Limits and Expectation), an organisation catering to the needs of disabled members of the community. Such is the spirit of the true missionary at work! On this happy occasion of his silver sacerdotal anniversary, I wish to thank you, Fr Romeo, for your dedication and varied contributions to the Church in Singapore. In you, we see the spirit of our pioneering forefathers who left home and family to go to the far-flung corners of the world to seed the Good News. May God continue to bless you abundantly in your good works, and may you never tire in bringing His love and consolation to the ends of the earth. Congratulations and ad multos annos! Most Rev. William Goh, D.D. Archbishop of Singapore

4 The Wanderer Born in a small town in Pili, Camarines Sur, Philippines, on 7 October, 1961, Fr Romeo Yu Chang was inspired by the Chinese priests he met while studying in St Joseph School. These four Chinese Fathers had fled communist China in the 1950s, moving from South China to the Philippines, and setting up a school in Naga City. Young Romeo who was the youngest of 12 siblings, would travel into the city daily to attend school. His imagination was sparked by the missionary spirit of these priests who lived to spread the Gospel and who believed in education as the key to evangelisation. Under their tutelage, he excelled in school and was valedictorian of his graduating class. He even won top prize in a regional chemistry competition in high school. Upon graduation, it seemed a natural choice to leave home and enter the seminary. So while on vacation with friends in Baguio, teenage Romeo went for an interview with the CICM Missionaries and was accepted into their fold. Thus began a journey, a walk closer with God, which would soon take him far from home.

5 OPPOSITE PAGE: Top left, clockwise: At his MBA graduation ceremony, learning new camera skills, studying French in Belgium, reviewing his camera skills. To reach a port we must set sail Sail, not tie at anchor Sail, not drift. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT I have set sail to reach many ports, many places, and places of the heart. From my rustic hometown to the City of Pines Baguio City. There I nurtured my calling to be a religious missionary. I left the comfort of home and found another home in the seminary, amongst young people searching for life direction.

6 I first met the young and serious CICM seminarian, Fr Romeo, in 1989 in theology classes at the Holy Spirit Seminary in Hong Kong... Now he loves teasing and calling me sik chou chan loi (eat grass sister) because of my poor Cantonese. What I meant to say was sik jo chan (to take breakfast) in one of our outings together. SR TERESA LIM, FSP Daughters of St Paul, Singapore THIS PAGE: Group shot with fellow seminarians in Hong Kong. OPPOSITE PAGE: Having some fun while working in the garden. We were seminarians at Holy Spirit Seminary in Hong Kong during the 1990s. Those were happy times when we studied and played together... The most inspiring is his devotion in preparing homilies. FR FRANCIS TAM KAM WING Parish Priest, Our Lady of Rosary Church, Hong Kong

7 During our seminary days, we fondly called him, Ming or Minggoy. In street lingua it connotes simplicity, smartness, friendliness, spontaneity and joyfulness. Fr Romeo is a joyous missionary who embraces his call, and shares the struggles of the poor he helps... He enjoys fine dining yet is equally comfortable eating on banana leaves in the company of workers, friends, and the poor. FR NOEL OCTAVIANO, MJ Lanao del Sur, Philippines OPPOSITE PAGE: Top: With two local CICM candidates, Ladyhill, Singapore. Bottom: Something looks really delicious! THIS PAGE: Top: Ordination to the diaconate. Bottom: Signing his perpetual profession of vows.

8 The Servant In the CICM seminary in Baguio City, Romeo pursued a course in psychology. During those four years of college study and faith formation, his call deepened. To be of service to God, to bring the Good News to others the flame of discipleship was fanned and burned brightly. While his family did not fully understand his decision to opt for a life without financial security and family life, they respected his choice and supported his decision, even as he moved farther away from home each time. In 1982, he graduated cum laude, after which, he began his novitiate. He moved to Quezon City to read philosophy and theology at the CICM Theological School for two years. In his third year, he moved to the Holy Spirit Seminary (a diocesan seminary) in Hong Kong after learning Cantonese for five months at the Language School of the Chinese University of Hong Kong as all his future classes were to be conducted in Cantonese. It proved to be a challenging time, but as they used English textbooks, he managed to keep his head above water. He graduated magna cum laude probatus for his baccalaureate degree in Sacred Theology. During his time in Hong Kong, the seminarian in training served in the parish of St Vincent Church, where he was ordained diaconate on 16 December, He subsequently served as a deacon in the Church of the Holy Family. The proud day finally arrived on 8 September, 1990, when Romeo Yu Chang was ordained a priest in the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, Naga City.

9 For all that has been, Thanks. For all that will be, Yes! DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD Ordination at the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, Naga City. As I celebrate the silver anniversary of my priesthood, I remember all those close to my heart my family, childhood friends, teachers, mentors, classmates, fellow priests, religious sisters, and all whose lives have touched me and allowed me into their lives. I have received far more than what I have given. Yet, the debt of gratitude is repaid forward, to another as undeserving. This is the beauty of my priestly vocation, touching people s lives and being touched by their lives.

10 Newly ordained priest in action.

11 Cosmopolitan Hong Kong with its skyscrapers, vibrant economy, lively fashion scene, and epicurean gourmet food can almost drown out the call of Christ to be rooted in the life of the poor. Those early years of learning were challenging. I ministered to a Chinese parish as a young Assistant Priest. I encountered the young and the old, the healthy and the sick, the married and the single. I desired to be close to the people. Be always a person for others. May you be always sustained by God s grace and may your life be a source of joy for others. FR GARRY GESTUVEO, CICM Apostleship of the Sea, Japan

12 The Fisher of Men As Port Chaplain, the welfare of seafarers is close to Fr Romeo s heart. He oversees the Seafarer Centre that was set up within the port in 2007 and officiates at the blessing and commissioning of new vessels. He offers help wherever it is needed; be it to exploited seamen who need to be repatriated, to looking after their spiritual needs. To prepare for the post of Port Chaplain, Fr Romeo even underwent training in Finland, in 2006, to be a sailing chaplain. He was appointed Regional Coordinator of the Apostleship of the Sea for East and Southeast Asia in 2007 and travels around the region to establish a support system among peers, and offer spiritual direction. To encourage them in their faith walk, he has organised regional conferences to bring together those who minister to people of the sea. The injustice he encounters when he ministers to the fishers is challenging, but he works to bring new hope and Christ s compassionate love to them in his visits to the port of Singapore and to the vessels docked there.

13 There is a cruel humour in appointing a Port Chaplain who doesn t swim! So, I believe it must be prayers (and whiskey) that keep him afloat. Seriously, he is a good priest and has the welfare of the seafarers at heart. FR JOHN-PAUL TAN OFM, JCL Chancellor, Chancery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore THIS PAGE: Ministering in the port. His pastoral care for the seamen is heartwarming. Through him I learnt so much more about the hardships of fishers who risk their lives to provide us with food for our tables. FR DAMIAN DE WIND Assistant Priest, Church of the Holy Family He is a passionate and energetic AOS Regional Coordinator, expanding the ministry to new regions. Despite a busy schedule, he has been very kind and generous in supporting AOS ministries of Japan and Korea. SOON HO KIM Sarah Women Center, Japan

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15 We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. T.S. ELLIOT, FOUR QUARTETS In my work as Port and Cruise Chaplain and as Regional Coordinator for the Apostleship of the Sea for East and Southeast Asia, I have been to numerous countries. After all the travels and meetings, I come back to my second home, Singapore, and I am still fascinated by the beauty of her people.

16 The Shepherd Fr Romeo s first posting was in Hung Hom, Hong Kong, to serve in the Church of St Mary. He was Assistant Priest from until his congregation recalled him to Manila to become its Provincial Treasurer. To prepare for his new role, he spent time with a Merrill Lynch investment banker learning about equities and bonds in his last months in Hong Kong. He then returned to the CICM Provincial House in Manila, Philippines, in May 1994 to become Assistant Provincial Treasurer, and later Provincial Treasurer. During the next six years, he would also attain his MBA (with honours) from De La Salle University. In his sabbatical year in 2000, he attended Boston s Weston Jesuit School of Theology before his next posting: Singapore. Arriving on 9 August, 2001, Fr Romeo has called Singapore home for the last 14 years. During this time, he has declined opportunities to take up a position in Rome, loving Singapore as much he does. Apart from being Port Chaplain and overseeing the maritime apostolate in the region, Fr Romeo is closely involved in the Church of St Teresa with pastoral and liturgical responsibilities. He also oversees the Cantonese Group, celebrating monthly mass in Cantonese, and he is the Spiritual Director for the Bible Sharing Group. Fr Romeo is active in several Filipino migrant communities across the island as well. Lately, he has taken on the Spiritual Directorship of Abilities Beyond Limitations and Expectations, ABLE, under the auspices of CHARIS. Fr Romeo is truly a man of action in many quarters.

17 A bundle of energy, caring and ready to help! He knows the parishioners, notices the newcomers, and is familiar with all the family connections. How wonderful! I find it difficult to find my way in the jigsaw puzzle of the parish. Fr Romeo is the one who is our guide. At times, he says he feels old. But he is of the new generation who live longer! Twenty-five years as a Priest and Missionary is only a beginning. Thank you for your presence, your sharings and friendship. What a wonderful time this is as we recognise your many years of ministry. I value your friendship and look forward to every opportunity for fellowship with you. May God s continued blessings be upon you and give you many, many more fruitful years of ministry ahead. FR JOHN BOSCO PEREIRA Parish Priest, Church of St Teresa FR MICHAEL ARRO Former Parish Priest, Church of St Teresa

18 I met him at the most important time of my priesthood, the early years. They were filled with joy, sharing, love and laughter. He taught me how to live and enjoy my priesthood. He blended so well into our community that many thought I was the Filipino and he was the Singaporean. FR DAMIAN DE WIND Assistant Priest, Church of the Holy Family

19 Actively pastoring at Church of St Teresa. He is very nice and caring. He is always ready to chat and play with my brother, Yang and me, and is interested in what we are up to. BENEDICT CHUA Parishioner, Church of St Teresa

20 Energetic and cheerful, Fr Romeo deeply immerses himself in the pastoral care of the parishioners of St Teresa s. He has an amazing memory for names of people. JOSEPH SILVARAYAN Parishioner, Church of St Teresa A literary figure of Shakespearean legend but not quite literally many have called him an Auntie Killer. He is well loved by many. FR JOHN-PAUL TAN OFM, JCL Chancellor, Chancery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

21 The next 25 and beyond... Twenty-five years have flown by and Fr Romeo is still moved to be the face of Christ to those he meets. I would like to be God s instrument of mercy to people living on the fringes of society; the seafarers, the sick in the parish, and the disabled. I believe our Blessed Lady, who has set sail to many places in her life, is with me in my peregrinations. I was born on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. I professed my religious vows on the Feast of the Visitation. I was ordained priest for her Son on her birthday. She is looking down on me lovingly, and protecting me with maternal care. Hail, Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star, Guide of the wanderer here below, Thrown on life s surge, we claim thy care, Save us from peril and from woe. Mother of Christ, Star of the Sea Pray for the wanderer, pray for me.