MY HARVARD-BOUND BOY
"DARYL XAVIER DUMBONG"
By
Allan Dumbong
DARYL XAVIER DUMBONG,8, is my second child and only son (so far). He was born at Sarva Maternity Clinic, Kota Kinabalu on the 26th September 1997.
Currently he is in Primary 2 at SJK(C) St James Likas, Kota Kinabalu, a school dubbed as the "most prestigious" Chinese school in Kota Kinabalu. Before that, he attended Chung Hwa Kindergarten, also in Likas, Kota Kinabalu. Obviously, he is quite fluent in Huayi (Mandarin). He also speaks English, Malay and, of course picking up Kadazandusun. He also attends tuitions after school and take up Abacus Mental Arithmetic lesson every Saturday and Sunday School at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu. He is expected to receive his first Holy Communion in April this year.
Daryl is a very active boy. He could not stand still. At times he is very expressive and dare to stand on his ground, driving home his points. But then, he is a very kind hearted boy, caring, loving, generous and has a soft spot for the underprivilaged. He has shown quality leadership traits at least among to his neighbouring peers. The friends will gather around him for almost anything.
He is very close to me. There were times when I got him to surf the Internet with me, and we visited Harvard University. I also helped him, with his knowledge of course, to write to the President of Harvard University to ask the Professor how he could get to Harvard in the future. You know, he got the reply from Harvard encouraging my son to visit Harvard's website more often. Actually, I try to psyche him to plan to further his studies up to doctoraral level, preferably "Ph.D in Economics and Political Science" at Harvard University. He seems to understand that Harvard is the No.1 University in the world and quite open to the idea.
Daryl is named after St. Francis Xavier, SJ, the first Catholic/Jesuit Missionary to bring the Catholic & Christian Faith to India, Souheast Asia, Macau and Japan. Daryl has not fully grasped why he is named after this wonderful Saint, but I hope someday he'll be more curious to know more why.
Daryl is my son and I have a very high hope of him to become someone someday. I would really love if he could travel to every corner of the Earth and understand God's Love in creating this Universe.
For the time being, I just love to be with him to go and play badminton and learn golf.
1 comment:
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER:
THE PATRON SAINT OF MY SON
Posted By
Allan Dumbong
(Source: www.catholic.org)
FRANCIS XAVIER, ST. (1506-1552). Born in the family castle of Xavier, near Pamplona in the Basque area of Spanish Navarre on Apr. 7, he was sent to the University of Paris 1552, secured his licentiate in 1528, met Ignatius Loyola and became one of the seven who in 1534, at Montmartre founded the Society of Jesus. In 1536 he left Paris to join Ignatius in Venice, from whence they all in tended to go as missionaries to Palestine (a trip which never materialized), was ordained there in 1537, went to Rome in 1538, and in 1540, when the pope formally recognized the Society, was ordered, with Fr. Simon Rodriguez, to the Far East as the first Jesuit missionaries. King John III kept Fr. Simon in Lisbon, but Francis, after a year's voyage, six months of which were spent at Mozambique where he preached and gave aid to the sick eventually arrived in Goa, India in 1542 with Fr. Paul of Camerino an Italian, and Francis Mansihas, a Portuguese. There he began preaching to the natives and attempted to reform his fellow Europeans, living among the natives and adopting their customs on his travels. During the next decade he converted tens of thousands to Christianity. He visited the Paravas at the tip of India. near Cape Comorin, Tuticorin (1542), Malacca (1545), the Moluccas near New Guinea and Morotai near the Philippines (1546-47), and Japan (1549- 51). In 1551, India and the East were set up as a separate province and Ignatius made Francis its first provincial. In 1552 he set out for China, landed on the island of Sancian within sight of his goal, but died before he reached the mainland. Working against great difficulties, language problems ( contrary to legend, he had no proficiency in foreign tongues ), inadequate funds, and lack of cooperation, often actual resistance, from European officials, he left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. F. D. Dec. 3.
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