Saipan Welcomes Tongan Cardinal with a Youth Mass
This year, Bishop Ryan Jimenez and the clergy of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa will have the honor and the privilege to have a cardinal to lead their bi-annual clergy retreat in Rota from Monday until Thursday.
Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, Bishop of Tonga arrives this weekend in Saipan in preparation for the upcoming clergy retreat this coming week. He will also preside the Youth Mass today at Mt. Carmel Cathedral at 5 PM. This Mass will also be the CCD Mass for the Holy Spirit for diocese. Hence all the youths particularly the Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation students are invited to come. Bishop Ryan and the clergy of the diocese will also concelebrate.
This year’s retreat of the clergy of the diocese coincides with the ongoing 5-year Pastoral Plan which Bishop Ryan launched late last year. The diocese is now at the Phase III of the process, after laying out the goals, objectives and concrete action plans for the different ministry priorities of the diocese.
The different pastoral ministry priorities identified for the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa for the next five years were: Evangelization and Formation, Liturgy, Vocation, Marriage and Family Life, Youth and Social Justice and Outreach.
The topic for this year’s clergy retreat will be about the ongoing Pastoral Plan of the diocese. Bishop Ryan has forwarded to Cardinal Mafi everything that the Pastoral Planning Committee had worked on so far in order that the cardinal may be able to guide the clergy in reflecting on the different ministry priorities. Cardinal Mafi will be able also to offer pastoral guidance to the clergy based on his vast experience.
The clergy retreat will be held this year in Rota Resort from Monday evening until Thursday morning. The beautiful, quiet and relaxing atmosphere of Rota is an ideal venue for this spiritual gathering. This retreat is held every two years as mandated by the canon law for all diocesan priests. Two years ago, Bishop Ryan and the clergy of Chalan Kanoa had their retreat in Tagaytay, Philippines.
Because all the priests will be in Rota this week, all weekday Masses in all parishes will be cancelled from Monday until Thursday, except the Masses at Mt. Carmel Cathedral. The diocese will bring in a priest to celebrate Mass in the Cathedral and to cover the needs at the hospital in cases of emergency. Parishioners are asked to take note of announcements in their respective parishes. Bishop Ryan and all the priests are also asking the faithful for their prayers during their retreat.
