Brother Dominic Kiong: The last Singaporean Gabrielite at Boys
Town
WE HAVE NO Brothers anymore, the Director of Boys Town,
Gabrielite Brother Dominic Kiong, commented. The last profession
we had in Singapore was in 1986. There are only two active
Gabrielite Brothers left in Boys Town Brothers Dominic and
Emmanuel. Five more are retired. One, Brother George Bertrand, who
used to organize catechism classes for students at Boys Town,
recently returned to Canada.
Its a whole social phenomenon and the church is going through
change, Brother Dominic commented on the decreasing number of
Gabrielite and other vocations to the religious life. He regrets
that the religious life is fading away in Singapore. Not many
families are willing to offer up their children or to encourage
them toward religious life these days, he said.
A boy walks through the gates into Boys Town, which has welcomed
and cared for thousands of boys from all walks of life.
Although we have vocation promotions and its nice to hear people
talking about it, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, its a
different story, he commented on the reluctance of people to step
forward.
Brother Dominic himself was converted to Catholicism while a
student at St. Patricks School. Although he felt called to the
religious life, he did not join his alma maters La Salle Brothers
because he was not inclined towards education.
He joined the Gabrielite Brothers thinking that he would be able to
do missionary work and it was only after his novitiate that he
realized that the Gabrielite Brothers were involved in education
too. God has a strange way of going about things, he mused. That
was 30 years ago. Today, at 56, Brother Dominic undertakes mostly
administrative duties as Director of Boys Town.
In spite of the lack of Gabrielite vocations, he believes that the
Gabrielite spirituality will be maintained in the Gabrielite
schools through the Gabrielite Foundation. This Foundation was
started four years ago as a trustee to look after the seven
Gabrielite schools Montfort Primary and Secondary, St. Gabriels
Primary and Secondary, Assumption English Secondary, Assumption
Vocational Institute and Boys Town.
We are fortunate that lay principals in these schools are very
conscientious of carrying out the work that the Brothers began,
Brother Dominic acknowledged. They are very much preserving the
Gabrielite branch of spirituality.
