The Conference of Asia Oceania had its Assembly soon after the Mid Sexennial Meeting from the 17th to the 19th of November 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam. The Meeting began with the opening of the Assembly by Fr. Yoakim Ndelo, C.Ss.R., (Kimi) in the presence of the Major Superiors and delegates from each of the Provinces, Vice Provinces, and Regions of the Conference. Present at the Assembly were the two General Consultors from Asia Oceania, Fr. Joseph Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R. and Fr. Paul Vinh, C.Ss.R. Present were also the Secretary of the Conference Fr. Pio Makabenta, C.Ss.R of the Cebu Province, the Economo of the Conference Fr. Efrem Bolly, C.Ss.R., of the Province of Indonesia, Bro. Celestine Toh, C.Ss.R., the Representative of the Brothers and Mr. Magin Adrena, the Representative of the Lay Partners in Mission.
The Assembly opened with a recollection on the theme of mission and sending forth to the other side preached by Fr. Paul Vinh, C.Ss.R, General Consultor, wherein he took up the passage in the Gospel of Luke on the call of the disciples and the miraculous catch of fish and applied to our Redemptorist charism and mission today citing examples from the lives of confreres who truly capture the spirit of mission in the Congregation.
Each unit major superior then gave a sharing on the situation in his unit, and this was a time for both sharing information but also for learning about what is happening regarding mission in each of the 13 units of the Conference. The rest of the days were spent in the presentation of the reports of the different Secretariats of the Conference in their following of the Action Plan of the Conference at the 1st Phase in 2023 as well as the plans for the rest of the Sexennium: The Secretariats of Formation, Evangelisation, Spirituality and Consecrated life as well as the Commissions for Brothers, Media and Communication, Partners in Mission, Safeguarding, Youth and Vocation Ministry, and finally the Secretariat for Finance. The Economo of the Conference presented the Finance report along with proposals for consideration which were passed at the Assembly which included continuation of the Conference’s contribution to the Conference of Africa and Madagascar. The Assembly voted to take up the Statutes of the Conference at the next Conference Assembly planned for the following year, from 10th to 15th August 2026 at Minburi in Thailand.
The Assembly closed with the final Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Fr. Ivel during which he highlighted the many images of hope in the Conference where the light of mission continues to shine brightly in each unit of the Conference. He also expressed his thanks and that of the entire Assembly of the Conference to Fr. Dominic Dung C.Ss.R., Provincial of Vietnam and to all the confreres from the Province of Vietnam led by Fr Dominic Tra, C.Ss.R, the Secretary of the Province for the planning, organisation and above all the hospitality shown with much graciousness all through the Mid Sexennial Meeting and the Assembly of the Conference of Asia Oceania.
Fr. Joseh Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R.
General Consultor
