Saint Joseph House- Girls Town Santimen goes down to history
On Monday, 30 November, 2020, our Dominican sisters (The Religious Missionaries of Saint Dominic) will switch off the lights and turn the keys of the doors of their house as they leave their mission in Santimen (Pingtung County). This ends a colorful and dedicated ministry of these women religious which they began in the midst of great need and indigence in 1964. The foundation evolved from a Hospital, a day care center, the Girls Town, a day care center for the elderly... but due to the changes in Taiwan's society, the evolving policies on the care of minors, the decimating population added to all these, the dwindling number of vocations and the ageing of the missionaries, they have opted to return what they have began to the Diocese and dispose themselves to strengthen their other presences in Taiwan.
Thus the closing of the Santimen house marks the end of the Dominican presence in the Aboriginal apostolate which the Dominican Fathers began in the mid 50, reaching its apogee in the 60s becoming one of the great successes of missionary work in Taiwan. In its heyday, the Dominican presence extended throughout the aboriginal settlements in Kaohsiung and Pingtung among the Rukai and Paiwan. The districts were divided into Santimen-Wutai, Machia, Kapian and Laiyi. But due to the lack of personnel and vocations, the Holy Rosary Province began to give up the missions: Santimen-Wutai and Machia in 1990, Laiyi in 1997 and when Wanchin was transferred to the Chinese Dominicans, the last mission of Kapian was returned to the Diocese of Kaohsiung. With regards to the sisters : the Dominican missionaries of the Rosary began their ministry in the 60s in Kapian and by the 90's had moved their community to Wanchin; The Misioneras however continued their work in Santimen, even without the friars but now they had to opt out due to the signs of the times.
On Monday, 30 November, 2020, our Dominican sisters (The Religious Missionaries of Saint Dominic) will switch off the lights and turn the keys of the doors of their house as they leave their mission in Santimen (Pingtung County). This ends a colorful and dedicated ministry of these women religious which they began in the midst of great need and indigence in 1964. The foundation evolved from a Hospital, a day care center, the Girls Town, a day care center for the elderly... but due to the changes in Taiwan's society, the evolving policies on the care of minors, the decimating population added to all these, the dwindling number of vocations and the ageing of the missionaries, they have opted to return what they have began to the Diocese and dispose themselves to strengthen their other presences in Taiwan.
Thus the closing of the Santimen house marks the end of the Dominican presence in the Aboriginal apostolate which the Dominican Fathers began in the mid 50, reaching its apogee in the 60s becoming one of the great successes of missionary work in Taiwan. In its heyday, the Dominican presence extended throughout the aboriginal settlements in Kaohsiung and Pingtung among the Rukai and Paiwan. The districts were divided into Santimen-Wutai, Machia, Kapian and Laiyi. But due to the lack of personnel and vocations, the Holy Rosary Province began to give up the missions: Santimen-Wutai and Machia in 1990, Laiyi in 1997 and when Wanchin was transferred to the Chinese Dominicans, the last mission of Kapian was returned to the Diocese of Kaohsiung. With regards to the sisters : the Dominican missionaries of the Rosary began their ministry in the 60s in Kapian and by the 90's had moved their community to Wanchin; The Misioneras however continued their work in Santimen, even without the friars but now they had to opt out due to the signs of the times.
道明傳教修女會關閉三地門修院，結束為原住民的使徒工作於2020年11月28日星期六舉行感恩彌撒...........
56年前幾位道明傳教修女會的修女提著簡單的行囊，因著天主的召喚，遵從長上的派遣來到南台灣屏東縣大武山下，走過古老的吊橋，攀上宛延高低不平的山坡小徑，提著藥箱來到排灣族聚居的部落，為尚無任何政府機構建設的三地門鄉，於民國53年在三地村創建聖若瑟診所免費行醫，為孩童的啟蒙教育辦理道明托兒所。
韶光荏苒，隨著社會急速發展，原住民中有許多幼童失去至親或家境貧寒需要更多照顧與陪伴，她們陸續經由教會神長、修女以及朋友轉介到診所，於是我們接受聖鮑思高神父的邀請加入照顧栽培原住民少女的工作，最後於民國67年正式向內政部登記成立少女城，至今42年來由於社會上許許多多的恩人朋友的持續捐助與愛心陪伴，我們才能提供這些少女在物質上度過無憂無慮的童年，也讓她們的身心靈得到完整的全人培育，更因著天主仁慈的眷顧與無數恩寵厚愛，這份使徒工作才能有圓滿的結果。
如今因著環境變遷我們要關閉三地門修院，為這份愛的使徒工作畫上句點，我們懷著無限感恩與不捨的心情，必須向各位恩人朋友道聲珍重再見，深深地一鞠躬，感謝各位恩人朋友多年來無償的付出，您們的這份愛將永存我們的心中，我們也會在每天的祈禱中繼續懇求天主百倍贘報、賜福大家身、心、靈都健康平安！
56年前幾位道明傳教修女會的修女提著簡單的行囊，因著天主的召喚，遵從長上的派遣來到南台灣屏東縣大武山下，走過古老的吊橋，攀上宛延高低不平的山坡小徑，提著藥箱來到排灣族聚居的部落，為尚無任何政府機構建設的三地門鄉，於民國53年在三地村創建聖若瑟診所免費行醫，為孩童的啟蒙教育辦理道明托兒所。
韶光荏苒，隨著社會急速發展，原住民中有許多幼童失去至親或家境貧寒需要更多照顧與陪伴，她們陸續經由教會神長、修女以及朋友轉介到診所，於是我們接受聖鮑思高神父的邀請加入照顧栽培原住民少女的工作，最後於民國67年正式向內政部登記成立少女城，至今42年來由於社會上許許多多的恩人朋友的持續捐助與愛心陪伴，我們才能提供這些少女在物質上度過無憂無慮的童年，也讓她們的身心靈得到完整的全人培育，更因著天主仁慈的眷顧與無數恩寵厚愛，這份使徒工作才能有圓滿的結果。
如今因著環境變遷我們要關閉三地門修院，為這份愛的使徒工作畫上句點，我們懷著無限感恩與不捨的心情，必須向各位恩人朋友道聲珍重再見，深深地一鞠躬，感謝各位恩人朋友多年來無償的付出，您們的這份愛將永存我們的心中，我們也會在每天的祈禱中繼續懇求天主百倍贘報、賜福大家身、心、靈都健康平安！
HOMILY OF FR. JARVIS SY,OP
THANKSGIVING MASS FOR THE SISTERS OF SANTIMEN 2020
We are gathered today at the Lord’s table to thank God for the many graces He has given us.
In today’s Gospel, we were told that soon after the annunciation, Mary went in haste to the hills of Judah to assist her elderly cousin Elizabeth. The story seem to be something normal as family members come to help the many chores in important events within the family, especially during the forthcoming birth of a child. Mary’s presence not only brought joy to her cousin, but brought salvation to the house of Zechariah and to the child in Elizabeth’s womb. But from another perspective, Mary’s outreach to her cousin was for herself to give proof to the marvel that is happening within her. To see for herself that nothing is impossible before God!”
Like Mary, the sisters began their work among the Ryukai tribes of Pingtung when two sisters from their clinic/dispensary at Chishan began to visit the mission in Santimen. This was in 1962. This led to the parish priest and missionary here, Fr. Marcelino Cabeza OP to suggest the possibility of opening a Hospital in the area to serve the needs of the mission. Was this possible? When the sisters were just reorganizing and had just been recruiting new vocations in Taiwan. When the island, at in constant threat of a possible war, when the poverty and need of missionaries were needed everywhere? Yet through sheer faith and zeal for souls, the sisters through the help of the friars and the Diocese, were able to realize this great work of God, where God would want to manifest His love and magnificence. After two years of preparation, on 20 May, 1964, Saint Joseph Hospital was blessed and a community was established with seven sisters. Ike the holy house of Nazareth, it was founded in poverty and since its beginning, benefactors and friends were the greatest supporters of the ministry: shared resources from the clinic in Chishan, aid from the American forces and other private benefactors. The hospital became an institution in the area for the quality of medical care given by the sisters and the staff. It not only gave basic or primary medical assistance, but even performed diverse surgical operations, for the young and the elderly. The work of the sisters extended to to house visitations, helping the residents with basic health education and catechetics. A sort of a day care center was also established to help mothers and to insure the health of the children. This would later evolve into a kindergarten which would be established nearby to serve the community.
Meanwhile, a providential visit of a Maryknoll missionary Fr. Justin Mc Cabe MM (who would later join the Trappists in Hong Kong), led the sisters to receive young girls from broken families, so that they can continue their education. This led into the foundation of “Girls’ town”. The sisters were not strangers in this ministry. We should remember the sisters began their ministry in Taiwan with their “Santa Infancia” in Kaohsiung. Santimen’s Girls’ town became an iconic institution in southern Taiwan and the sisters’ enduring presence in the missions.
This institution would later take the unoccupied rooms of the Hospital and would eventually take much of the dedication of the sisters.
The long years of service of the sisters in Santimen can be characterized with great dedication and charity. In the various annals and reports to the Congregation and to the Province, we have many entries of the accomplishments, the donations, the renovations made by each of the superiors as well as decisions made by the sisters and the superiors to better the service of the sisters to the people. Yet the many days of physical and spiritual tedium, the preoccupation for the patients, the sadness and sense of loss of deaths, of many tragedies, the worries for the children, the girls as well as the joy of recovery, the hope of witnessing life transformed and life well lived… these are all deeply etched in the psyche of the sisters.
In this process of selfless dedication and humble service, rendered to the aboriginal peoples, in reality it was a living lesson of the Gospel from those they served to each of them. Thus the sisters are blessed because they believed…
Indeed like Elizabeth, we say to our sisters: She who believed in God’s promise be fulfilled is truly blessed!
Believing also demands the ability to change and to be disposed to be of service in accordance to the signs of the times and the needs of the Church. Believing also demands disposition, and trust in God.
Time of change:
Through the years, the sisters were witnesses of change in the Church and in Taiwan’s society.
With the social changes and the better medical attention even in the rural areas; most importantly easy access to better medical services in the city thanks to better communication and transportation system. The Hospital began to diminish its importance in the area, coupled with the lack of qualified personnel. As early as 1984, the Hospital became a Clinic and greatly reduced its service until it was closed in 1997.
The kinder followed suit. When the signs were obvious that the kindergarten would not be viable, the sisters decided to give up the building of the kindergarten. The facilities was rehabilitated and transformed to be a day care center for the elderly, taken by the municipal government and the Pingtung Protestant Hospital. The new policies with regards to the care of minors and centers of beneficence coupled by the lack of personnel and the ageing of the sisters led to a serious discernment to continue or to close the institution. Such changes are part of life. Yet we should not forget, the sisters too had changed and transformed through the years. Many of the sisters were re-assigned to new ministries, transferred to other missions, left the congregation, or just aged and died.
The Dominican fathers left Santimen as early as 1990 and their ministry in this mission district were continued by the Augustinian Recollects who selflessly rendered the spiritual and moral assistance to the sisters, and this is continued by the Diocesan clergy.
Despite the support and cooperation received, in the end, the sisters with the permission of the Congregation would end their presence here in Santimen. It may seem an act of defeat, a death sentence; yet it is but an act of faith, an act of love and confidence, because it is only by dying that we may be life a chance.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord..”
Despite heavy hearts and a true sense of loss, the sisters today sing with Mary her song of praise:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord…
Because throughout the almost sixty years of their presence in Santimen, the good Lord has never forgotten the lowliness, the poverty of His servants; but filled them with His blessings and mercies.
The sisters themselves usually share the many stories how the lives of the people were transformed by grace, and how their stories change their own, their viewpoints and the understanding of humanity and God’s providence.
The sisters truly experience the great power of God and his compassion. And this is why, just as the sisters have courageously came to work here in Santimen, they too have courageously decided that their presence has come to an end, and move on.
While the last sisters assigned here would be reassigned to the other communities to continue their ministry or to go into retirement, I believe that the sisters (and this would include all the sisters who had lived and worked here throughout these years!) will not only carry fond memories of the love and esteem of the people, the joy of having met and served the girls who had lived at Girlstown and grateful to the missionaries, from our Dominican fathers, the Augustinian recollects and the diocesan clergy, many benefactors and friends who had been the most important pillar of support in their work here.
Today the sisters are officially leaving Santimen, they have seen the promise of God fulfilled before their eyes when faith has been planted in the hearts of the residents. It is the greatest and most credible proof of God’s special care for the poor and the lowly.
Like Mary, in faith we pray for all the residents of Santimen, the Paiwan tribes people whom we have served during these years… assuring you all of the prayers and the esteem of the sisters which we shall bring in our hearts as we come down from the hills, knowing for a fact that
God “shall protect you remembering his mercy, the mercy promised to our fathers and to Abraham and his sons for ever”.
May we go forth and follow God where He wants us to be…
Amen.
