CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS AND DECORATIONS - Starting with Advent and our wreath in front of our altar, we built up our parish spirit to welcome our Infant Savior into our hearts. On the second Sunday of Advent, we had an all-day retreat for about 130 of our parishioners given by Fr. Bernard Chu, S.J., a former Provincial of ours and now working in Berkeley and Los Angeles with Chinese students coming over from mainland China. Most of them are not Catholics. He himself is over here doing ministry in Taiwan and Macao for a few months. We began all the decorations - our crib, Christmas tree, etc. in our church; then our vestibule, our auditorium. The front of the building was lit up with a beautiful neon-lighted crib up about three stories, easily spotted by the many motorists passing our way. Our Midnight Mass started at 10:00 p.m. and was preceded by carols from our Sunday School and parish choirs. We had a packed house of about 800 persons. During the Mass, we had three adult baptisms. On Christmas Day, we had a big Mass at 9:00 a.m. at which the liturgy and singing was handled by our Sunday Schools. After this Mass, we had a party for our children and their parents with a live Santa Claus (an 80 year old Spanish Jesuit Father) who put on a great show while distributing gifts to the little ones. Then we had many goodies for everyone. All seemed very happy with the birth of Our Savior into their hearts and the visible joy of all.

NOW I AM THE SENIOR IN OUR JESUIT COMMUNITY - In our community of 15 Jesuits, Fr. Yves Raguin, a French Jesuit, had been our senior member. He was two weeks older than I. About three weeks ago, he passed away. He was very famous as a spiritual writer, retreat master and expert on Chinese culture. Now I take over as the senior member of our community. I am the only American here. There are four Chinese, four Spanish, three French, one Canadian and one Austrian - quite an international community. The youngest is forty years old, a Chinese. The next youngest is our Superior, a Chinese, and he is 45. The oldest Jesuit in Taiwan is 96, an Austrian, and he is still quite active, though almost deaf. There are still a few other Jesuits older than I in Taiwan. However, I hold the honor here at Tien Center.

THE SENIOR JESUITS HEALTH CONDITION - I still have a constant pain in my back which causes me to tire very easily. At 9:00 p.m., I am ready for bed and I am up about 4:45 a.m. The pain is bearable so I am able to do my work in the parish - much lighter than when I was pastor - and I get out for a good walk of about an hour every afternoon. When I take Communion to the sick in the hospital each Tuesday afternoon, I see so many who are younger than I, but some are unconscious or had a stroke, heart attack or have terminal cancer. Then I feel what pain I have in my back is minimal. I am most grateful to God that I am still able to move around and do some work for our parish and community.

Once again, wishing you a blessed, prosperous and healthy 1999 and assuring you of my daily prayers for you, I remain with love and blessings,