St. Anne's Church has a new member, Brother FX. Edo Valentino O. Carm. He is a young Carmelite friar. Brother Edo was born on June 7, 1999, and has a younger sister. After graduating from Junior High School in 2014, he attended St. Paul Minor Seminary in Palem-bang, Indonesia.

Then, in 2018, Edo joined the Carmelites Order. He chose to enter Carmel because of Carmel's profound charism of contemplation. This charism, emphasizing silent prayer and deep reflection, resonated with Brother Edo's spiritual journey, as he felt the need to live in silence amid the noisy world.

After finishing his novitiate in 2020, he started his Philosophy Education. For him, life as a friar should be balanced regar-ding the depth of spiritual life, physical health, social frater-nity, and intellectual insight.

So, in addition to studying Philosophy, he filled his free time with gardening, which he sees as a way to connect with God's creation, doing sports, which he believes is essential for maintaining physical health, and sometimes making rosaries, a meditative activity that contributes to his spiritual life. These activities, along with his studies, make his life balanced.

Brother Edo, a recent graduate from the School of Philosophy in July 2024, was sent by his superiors to Hong Kong, to St. Anne's Parish, to experience parish life.

This was a valuable experience and a significant challenge for him. However, he embraced it with the exact obedience and determination he embodies as a Carmelite.

Brother Edo believes joy is crucial in following the path of vocation as a Carmelite. He acknowledges that challenges, such as the demands of his studies and the adjustment to a new culture in Hong Kong, are ever-present.

Through prayer, he finds the strength to overcome these challenges, strengthening his faith and heart to persevere.

He likes Saint Therese of Lisieux's motto: "My vocation is Love." This motto affirms that in her whole life of vocation, she has learned to love many things, starting from small things and significant responsi-bilities.

Brother Edo's commitment to his vocation as a Carmelite is unwavering. His determination to serve as a priest candidate with a spirit of prayer, brother-hood, and humility inspires us all. We can be confident in his abilities and steadfast dedica-tion to his calling. On the other hand, we need to support him with prayer. (*) 

A Search for the Meaning of Life

Fr. Albertus Magnus Herwanta, O. Carm is a Carmelite priest. He was born on November 19, 1958. His father and mother were elementary school headmasters. He has five brothers and one sister.

After graduating from junior high school in 1973, he attended Saint Peter Canisius Minor Seminary and graduated in 1979. Before attending the major seminary, Albertus considered becoming a Trappist monk or a diocesan priest.

However, after much discernment, he decided to join the Carmelite Order, which, in his opinion, stood between those two choices. Albertus chooses an Order that combines prayer and service.

He was ordained in 1987 and then was assigned as a teacher at Saint Albert of Trapani High School in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. After three years of teaching, he pursued a Master's degree in education in the United States of America and graduated from The Catholic University, D.C., in 1993.

From 1994 to 2007, Abertus was assigned to different Carmelite High Schools in Indonesia. From 1994 to 1997, he taught at Saint Paul High School in Jember, after which he was appointed headmaster.

In 2002, Albertus was transferred to Saint Albert of Trapani High School as a headmaster, where he carried his duty until 2007.

From 2007 to 2013, Albertus worked at the Carmelite International Office in Rome, Italy, assisting Father Prior General as the General Councillor for Asia-Australia-Oceania. He was also appointed as chairman of the Justice and Peace Commission.

Upon returning to Indonesia, Albertus was asked to be the president of Widya Karya Catholic University. He finished his duty in 2020. In December 2020, Albertus arrived in Hong Kong, starting a new mission.

When he is asked about his life journey, he says: "I find that it has been a search for the meaning of life. I am very grateful that God has called me to Carmel, which facilitates my search for the meaning of life. Carmel has called me to climb Mount Carmel and reach its top, Jesus Christ." (*) 

My first encounter with God was in 1976, when I was in primary school at Rosaryhill School. Without much understanding about God, I secretly followed other classmates to the chapel before exams and dipped my little finger in the holy water, believing that God would bless me with good grades. My academic performance was satisfactory, and I was fortunate to enter Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, after graduation, where I was nurtured by the Jesuits and promptly responded to the call of God by joining the catechism class in 1986. I received the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and began my faith journey, participating in the school's prayer group and altar server group, as well as the choir at Holy Cross Church. In 1991, I entered the University of Hong Kong and served as the external affairs vice-Chairman of the Catholic Society. I also resided in Ricci Hall for three years, where I continued to be nurtured by the Jesuits. In 1994, after graduation, I completed the Diploma in Religious Studies program and began teaching Sunday school at the Mother of Christ Church while also serving as the choir director. I met my wife, Michele Liu, at the Catholic Society and were married in the Sacrament of Matrimony in 1996.

God blessed our family with two gifts in 1998 and 2001: our eldest daughter Portia and our second daughter Jessica. Until 2006, my wife and I spent most of our time on the small but heavy tasks in raising our two daughters and at work. Our family's faith life gradually declined and became dull. I only fulfilled my basic responsibilities as a Sunday church-goer at St. Margaret's Church without participating in any charitable or faith-based organizations. My faith life was not nourished, and I often felt lost in my life. I lost my sense of direction and purpose. It was in these dry days of faith that God called me once again. A poster on the bulletin board at St. Margaret's Church drew my attention, and I responded to the Holy Spirit's call: "Do you want to be a permanent deacon?" After my 35th birthday, I made up my mind to submit an application for permanent deacon. In 2007, I was enrolled as an aspirant at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. After being accepted as a Candidate as a permanent deacon in 2008, I began to study for a Bachelor of Religious Studies at the Holy Spirit Seminary.At the same time, we were blessed with our third daughter, Gloria. In 2010, I was deployed to St. Jude's Church, mainly to receive training in pastoral work and ministry. In the same year, I received the Ministry of Lector in the Holy Cross Church. In 2011, I was appointed to the Marriage and Family Pastoral Committee. We were blessed again by God's love with our fourth daughter, Vania. In the same year, I received the Ministry of Acolyte at St. Jude's Church. In 2012, I completed the four years basic theological training at the Holy Spirit Seminary, graduating from the Department of Religious Studies with the honor of "Magna cum Laude Probatus". On 16 November 2013, I was ordained to the diaconate by Cardinal John Tong Hon, Bishop Emeritus.

As a permanent deacon, I am called to be a person of communion and service. During the six-year period of my formation, I was given opportunities to cultivate my ability to establish good relationships with others. This also comes along with a considerable degree of emotional maturity, allowing love to be the center of my life. This is especially essential for my wife and me to learn to accept and love at all times, to educate our four daughters and to demonstrate the communion of our family to the church and society. One of the most distinctive elements of deacon spiritual formation is to discover and share the love of Christ's servants, "not to be served, but to serve." Gratitude is the source of this spiritual formation, and the sacrament of gratitude expresses the characteristic of the deacon's ministry. Deacons embody the grace of service, participate in church duties such as administering sacraments and serving at the altar, preaching the Gospel and teaching doctrine, and actively participating in and accepting the training and internship that help fulfill these duties, as well as cultivating a strong sense of evangelism. 

Fr. Paulus was one of the first Carmelites working in Hong Kong.  He moved to Hong Kong in October 2013 from Indonesia.  Fr. Paulus joins us from St. Teresa's Church in Kowloon, where he was the assistant parish priest from Apr 2016.  He might be a familiar face to some parishioners as he had stayed in St. Anne's in the past, and he would also occasionally celebrate Mass when Fr. John (McAuley) was away.