{"id":25607,"date":"2020-03-23T12:30:20","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T11:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lamennais.org\/?p=25607"},"modified":"2020-03-26T10:48:16","modified_gmt":"2020-03-26T09:48:16","slug":"testimonies-brothers-and-laity-faced-with-the-pandemic-in-indonesia-japan-philippines-uganda-england-and-marquises-isles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lamennais.org\/en\/testimonies-brothers-and-laity-faced-with-the-pandemic-in-indonesia-japan-philippines-uganda-england-and-marquises-isles\/","title":{"rendered":"TESTIMONIES. Brothers and Laity faced with the pandemic in Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Uganda, England and Marquises Isles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brothers and Postulants at Yogyakarta, Indonesia <\/em><\/p>\n

Overview and news of the communities, schools, Brothers and laity of the Mennaisian Family. Here is another series of testimonies received.<\/strong><\/p>\n

+ ASIA. All schools are closed and the Brothers\u00a0 organise themselves differently<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00abI am currently, this Saturday, 21st<\/sup> March, in Japan for a visit that will last until Tuesday, 24th<\/sup> March . I hope to be able to return to Manila that day!<\/p>\n

\"\"

In San Jos\u00e9, the streets are deserted.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Here in Asia the situations are diverse but unlike China or South Korea, our countries had been little concerned until now! This is gaining in intensity and speed over the days.<\/p>\n

+ INDONESIA. Closed schools and communities are organising themselves<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Indonesia, the number of cases is officially not very high (369) compared to the number of inhabitants and already several deaths are reported. Schools and universities have been closed in Yogyakarta for a week.<\/p>\n

The student Brothers and the aspirants<\/strong> stay in the Community to work through the Internet. The community now comes out less, the sport is practiced at home!<\/p>\n

In Larantuka, the School has been operating until now<\/strong> but will close like all the others next week by order of the political and administrative authorities. There are currently no containment measures in Indonesia, but the borders are gradually closing.<\/p>\n

You can easily imagine the complexity of the problem for a country made up of more than 10,000 islands!<\/p>\n

+ PHILIPPINES. No examinations this year and courses by internet<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Philippines, until now it has been the metropolis of Manila that was mainly targeted by measures to isolate it from the rest of the country.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Harries, aspirant at San Jos\u00e9.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Schools and universities have been closed for 2 weeks and in the rest of the country since 16th<\/sup> \u00a0March (San Jos\u00e9 and Pandan). The final examinations and graduations will not take place this year and the management teams are trying to organise the closing of the current school year.<\/p>\n

\"\"

At the Scholasticate in Manila, the Brothers students at work.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Masses and celebrations<\/strong> have been cancelled since 13th<\/sup> March in Manila. Inside, situations vary from place to place but also go towards more restrictions.<\/p>\n

Curfew is imposed in Manila and in many cities in the evening from 8pm to 5 in the morning and very restricted traffic, which has at least as a positive aspect to greatly reduce air and noise pollution!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Bro Zeno, scholastic, focused on online work.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Our scholastics<\/strong> who follow an intensive training in English have their courses organised on the internet and therefore continue to work in this way.<\/p>\n

In San Jos\u00e9, our pre-applicant also works on courses and research on the internet.<\/p>\n

+ JAPAN. Likely delay of the school year<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Japan, the virus is also progressing but at a still contained pace.<\/p>\n

Schools and universities<\/strong> have been closed for about two weeks, but this also coincides with the end-of-school holidays here. It is likely that the start of the new school year in April (2020-2021) will be postponed.<\/p>\n

For the rest, life goes on taking more precautions: the parish organises a single Mass on Sundays for example!<\/p>\n

Our brothers in the community<\/strong> remain wisely in the community for the older ones or at least avoid going out too much! The question in Japan is obviously the postponement or not of the next Olympic Games scheduled for next August!<\/p>\n

Briefly<\/strong>, an increase of the Covid 19 in all our Asian countries and measures that are gradually being added to each other.<\/p>\n

Schools are all closed now.<\/p>\n

Communities organise daily life<\/strong> according to restrictions. Everyone also tries to remain calm and to pray in an unprecedented context, the outcome of which is for the moment uncertain. Fortunately thanks to the Internet and the telephone we remain in contact with each other and even more by prayer!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bro Gildas Prigent, Brother Visitor Saint Fran\u00e7ois Xavier District <\/strong><\/p>\n

+ ENGLAND. A musical creation by Bro James to listen to here<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00abHere in Liverpool, we said \u201cGoodbye!\u201d<\/strong> to our French colleague, Bro Jacques Jouvance, who returned to France two days ago after discussion with the other Brothers of the community, who are fine.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Spring in the community garden of Liverpool.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

The British government finally closed schools on Friday, with a plan for some schools to remain open to accommodate the children of essential workers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bro James is part of a group of Catholics<\/strong> engaged in social networks (men and women religious, priests, lay people) who respond to Pope Benedict XVI\u2019s 2009 call to \u00abevangelize the digital continent\u00bb.<\/p>\n

In addition to contributing to discussions on Twitter and Facebook and publishing on his blog, Bro James now starts recording at home singing and playing guitar pop songs praise and hymns at the request of his interlocutors.<\/p>\n

This is the first of these songs, \u00abMy Lighthouse<\/strong>\u00bb,<\/strong> written by a group of Christian musicians from Northern Ireland, Rend Collective.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is the favourite Christian song of the students of St. Francis Xavier\u2019s College, Liverpool <\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/vMX3JM9xnUo<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is another song<\/strong> with meditation<\/p>\n