iPaul no. 6 - Saint Paul Scholasticate Newsletter

8/7/2019 iPaul no. 6 - Saint Paul Scholasticate Newsletter

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Saint Paul Scholasticate NewsletterNo. 6 Easter 2008

Q u i s n o s s e p a ra b i t a c a r i t a t e Ch r i s t i? A n g l a d i u s?

More or less, two months ago I wentto Rome to take part in two meetings or-ganized by the General Council: the an-nual gathering of the Provincial Superiors,in which I participated in my new capacityas Delegate General for the Philippines,

and a formation course for formators,which I attended as Rector of the SaintPaul Scholasticate. In both cases it was aninteresting experience. I noticed a certainattention and liking toward the reality Iwas representing: our house of formationand, in general, the Philippine Delegation.

It is no secret that our Congregation,like most of the religious institutes todayin the Church, is going through a difficulttime, especially in Europe and NorthAmerica: general ageing, shortage of voca-

tions, crisis of the traditional activitiesand, worst of all, sometimes even a crisisof religious values. It is obvious that insuch a situation everybody looks with in-terest and hope at those realities whichseem to go in countertendency. Since, forbureaucratic reasons, our African Prov-ince was not represented at the Romanmeetings, the eyes of all were fixed on us.At present the Philippines represents for

(Continued on page 2)

ALL THAT GLITTERS

IS NOT GOLDby Giovanni Scalese, CRSP

The first fruits of the Saint Paul Scholasticate:

FERDINAND DAGCUTA and ROAN CIPRIANO ABORQUE

ordained priests on February 23, 2008.

Full coverage of the event on pages 3-6


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our Congregation (not only for it, but also for otherreligious institutes and for the Church herself) a mo-tive of great hope and consolation: vocations are notlacking; religious are all young; there are no oldstructures to preserve, etc. One of our admirers, to

whom I had sent the pictures of our recent priestlyordination, replied: What a young Church! Startingfrom the Bishop! It is true; this is the impressionone receives when they come into contact with thisreality. I myself remember that, when I visited thePhilippines for the first time (eight years ago), I hadthe same reaction. Especially for those who live inEurope, where we are experiencing a strong ageingof the society (were it not for the immigrants), see-ing all this youth brings about a sense of life(opposed to the feeling of death so common inEurope). Imagine what I felt coming over here, after

living the terrible experience of the closure of theprestigious and beloved Collegio alla Querce in Flor-ence. It seemed to me that the world was collapsingupon me; and the prospect was that, following LaQuerce, one after another, the rest of our schoolswould have come to the same end, and I would havebeen called to support those collapsing structures,just delaying their end, since there was no chance ofpreventing it. I prayed to the Lord to free me fromthat gloomy fate. And He heard my prayer. Now I amliving in the opposite situation. If once I felt the bur-den of a glorious past, without seeing any future

prospect, now I have the future open in front of me.Instead of closing, I have to open. Instead of being agravedigger, I feel like an obstetrician. It is pleasingand gratifying. And yet And yet, as the saying goes,all that glitters is not gold. Life not always matches itsrepresentations: a story, a picture, a video and thelike. Sometimes behind certain smiles you admire ina picture are concealed outright dramas. NeitheriPaul can always relate the reality in all its complex-ity. Not that we tell lies; simply, we describe someaspects of our reality, drawing a veil over other lessedifying aspects. So, even a situation like this has its

difficulties. Let us enumerate some.In Europe and North America there are no more

vocations; here instead, we have many. OK. Butquantity is not enough; what matters is quality. Youcannot accept whomever knocks your door. Youhave to discern. Sometimes the real reasons whichprompt somebody to embrace religious life are notso clear. And even when they are, they are not suffi-cient to make a good religious; there is need of astrict training. This is not easy because we do notlive outside the world; with globalization we breathe

the same climate spread in the West, with all its evilinfluence on the youthand on ourselves!

It is nice to be all young. But it is not natural. Lifeneeds all ages. Besides the spontaneity of the young,there is need of the experience and the wisdom of

the elderly. There is need of balance. If now inEurope we miss the freshness of the youth, here wemiss the gravity of the aged.

In Italy a young religious has to fit into a com-munity and the Congregation. It is not easy becausehe has to adapt himself to a reality already existing,with its rules, traditions, customs and the like. But,at least, that reality already exists. After the firsteffort, once you have accustomed yourself, you havenothing else to do: just to keep what you have found.Here, instead, you find nothing; you have to starteverything. What? How? It could seem fascinating

and it is!but how many doubts, how many hesita-tions, and what a responsibility!

The issue is not only to start an activity (ofcourse this also is not an inconsiderable question).The problem is also, and above all, to hand down aspirit, a style, a way of being. Because, if it is truethat here you have to start, you cannot start fromscratch: we are not founding a new religious insti-tute, we are just transplanting an already existingCongregation. This family has its history, its heri-tage, its tradition, a patrimony that cannot be lost. Ithas a charism to be kept, deepened and developed;

but, first of all, it must be handed down. How?It is exactly the question I have dealt with in my

lecture during the formators meeting in Rome: Trainingto the charism. Once it was rather easy: without so manywords (once they not even knew what charism was)you gradually assimilated the spirit of your Congrega-tion living in its communities. There was a natural con-veyance of values, similar to that happening in the fam-ily. This also happened in the new foundations of the20th century when a group of religious was sent to estab-lish the Congregation in different countries. But now,how is it possible? We are so few and isolated: how can

we transmit our charism? Our good will is sincere; but itis not enough. Maybe we have to find new instrumentsto do what in the past happened without even realizing.

Anyway, this is life. Where there is life, there areproblems. In the cemeteries walang problema (tagalogfor no problem). So we have to accept these difficul-ties as a challenge and as a gift. They are the tokenof Gods love towards us. If it were all roses, maybewe should worry; but since along with roses thereare, as usual, thorns, we can depend upon it that weare on the right way.

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The sign of Gods presence in this fast changingworld is manifested in the wholehearted commitmentof young men and women who are ready to becomeHis messengers of hope and love to all mankind. In aspecial way there are those who are willing to offertheir whole life to God by becoming religious andpriests to serve and proclaim Gods message of salva-tion to mankind. The concrete sign of God who con-tinuously calls men to be his followers is when He,the Lord of the harvest, blessed the Barnabite com-munity in the Philippines with other two newly or-

dained priests. Just last year (2007), the communityhad two young men ordained to priesthood; this yearthe Lord also has blessed the community with othertwo young priests, namely Rev. Fr. Roan CiprianoMa. Aborque, CRSP and Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Ma. Dag-cuta, CRSP. Their ordination took place on February23, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. in the Holy Spirit Chapel of theDivine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City, Philippines.The consecrating bishop was His Excellency MostRev. Luis Antonio G. Tagle, D.D., Bishop of Imus,Cavite. The Bishop in his homily reminded the twoordinands that they are to be humble priests for that

is what the Church needs. Concelebrants were theBarnabite priests, who are presently assigned here inthe Philippines, and other guests priests. The liturgi-

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cal service was taken care of by the third-year scho-lastics of the Divine Word Seminary, while a groupfrom San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish, Bacoor, together withsome Barnabite scholastics, served as the choir.

Present during the celebration were different menand women from different religious houses aroundTagaytay, the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul, the LittleWorkers of the Sacred Heart, our philosophy stu-dents and the Laity of St. Paul from Marikina, andother guests. And of course the parents, relatives andfriends of the two ordinands were also present. Fol-

lowing the three-hour ceremony was the simple Fili-pino reception held at the Saint Paul Scholasticate. Eve-rybody enjoyed the typical Filipino food set duringcelebrations provided by many volunteers, thanks totheir generous hearts.

The two newly ordained priests are going to cele-brate their thanksgiving Masses in their respectivenative parishes. Fr. Roan has set the schedule of histhanksgiving Mass on March 25, 2008 in Carigara,Leyte and Fr. Ferdinand is going to celebrate histhanksgiving Mass on April 6, 2008 in Balingasag,Misamis Oriental, Mindanao.

Indeed the ordination event was a joyful andmemorable moment for the Congregation and for thewhole Church as well.

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Febr u ar y 23, 20 0 7

PRIESTLY ORDINATIONby Isfridus Syukur, CRSP


4/25

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Your will be done. These were the last words I utteredbefore disembarking from the ship that brought me to Ma-nila, where the Seminary of the Barnabites is located. Thesewords of surrender became my lifes motto in pursuing mypriestly vocation.

Looking back at my life from when I entered the semi-nary, I cannot help but feel amazed. What I have gonethrough in those moments makes me believe and understandthat, if I really give my trust to Him, God will never abandonme. God calls me and my response would always be the ac-ceptance that calls me to really do His will in my life. Doing

the will of God is serving Him and giving my all to Him whocalls me. Priesthood is a calling for service, a service for Godand His people.

It is just almost a month since I was ordained as a priestand now I already experience what it means to be a priest;that is I am called for service. I am called to serve and not tobe served. My ordination was not a moment for me to changemy lifestyle from being a servant to a master. I am formed forservice and that will remain until the end of my life. For someI may sound idealistic, but this is what priesthood should be.Service must be my life project, the very foundation of mypriesthood and the essence of my calling. If I will not do this,then who am I? What is the meaning of my calling? Where

did this calling came from? These are but some of the ques-tions I always have in my mind. These are questions thatguide my action to really work out where I am called. Godcalls me to let His love be known by means of service. Servicedone in love guarantees that all my actions will not betainted by any selfish motives and personal desires that de-stroy the meaning of what service is all about.

Furthermore, service is not exclusive but inclusive. I amcalled to serve Gods people regardless of who they are andwhat they are. To let God be felt and experienced by all is amission that I am called to do. I am called to serve not just agroup of people, but all people to whom Christ wants to bringHis saving presence. In the world where the idea of exclusiv-

ity is very much alive, I am called to break the wall of divisionand bring Christs undivided love, for this love could only beattained through unity. To make Gods presence be felt by all,I must be a priest for all. Division has no place in the King-dom of God because that kingdom could only be attainedthrough communal action and not by individual endeavor,realizing that each one has its own responsibility in makingthe plan of God be realized in our midst. I am called by God tofoster unity and oneness in His people.

But how can I serve God if I will not know him? To serveGod is to know His will and to know His will is to have an inti-

mate relationship with Him. This intimacy could only be at-tained through prayer. Prayer fosters a kind of intimate rela-tionship with God. It is a moment that I may be able to unfoldand discover Gods will and bring it toward perfection. Thus Irealize that prayer and work are two interconnected realitiesin my priestly life. The two are always present in my calling.Prayer will help me to know Gods will and, at the same time,it will give me a strength to continue my work, and my workis the fruit and reflection of my daily encounter with Godthrough my prayer. Service is at its best when it is fullyrooted in God made known through constant conversation

with Him through prayer. Prayer is a guide and direction forme in serving God through ministry. Here God knows mydesires and aspirations and in turn I will also know what Goddesires and aspires for me to do.

Lastly, my reflection about what priesthood is all aboutpoints to just one perfect model, Jesus Christ. To know Himand follow Him is what priesthood must be. In Him I have theassurance that I will never be lost, for He is my constantguide and companion who will never abandon me. The onlything I need is to trust Him and always be ready to say, Letyour will be done in my life. Almost twelve years ago I saidthese words; before my ordination I uttered this again, andafter my ordination and for the rest of my life I will never be

tired of saying it over and over again, Your will be done.

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YOUR WILL BE DONE:

A response to serveby Ferdinand S. Dagcuta, CRSP


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I was a fourth year high school student when I first

noticed a poster in our school bulletin where it was writ-

ten DARETHE CHALLENGE: BEA BARNABITE.

Last February 23rd I was ordained a priest, a

Barnabite priest. I never thought that what I saw in the

school bulletin eleven years ago would be me.

DARETHE CHALLENGE: BEA BARNABITE. I am

one of those who dared the challenge. Why do I say I

dared the challenge? I was never active in the Church.I always thought that the ones who became priests were

only the altar boys. I never thought of becoming a priest

during my last years in high school. I never thought of

becoming a priest until I didnt want to listen to my

teacher; instead, I opted to choose listening to the semi-

narians. I never thought of becoming a priest until my

eldest sister was about to return to Manila to continue

her work. I dared the challenge just to give a try wala

namang mawawala (= there is nothing to lose).

DARE THE CHALLENGE: BE A BARNABITE. Dar-

ing is one thing, challenging is another. The journey was-nt easy and it was long. There were good times and

there were bad times. We started at a great number, yet,

at one point there were some who left and others who

remained. I almost believe that only the strong survive.

Still, I realize it is not whether you are strong or weak,

but how you overcome, and remain faithful and stead-

fast. Also, it doesnt matter who left and who remained,

but why we continue our journey.

DARE THE CHALLENGE: BE A BARNABITE. Dur-

ing his homily, our ordaining prelate challenged me to be

a humble priest. Now, if I would be asked what priest-

hood means, I would say it is a humble service. A priest

is of service to God and to His people. In order to be of

service we are to acquire humility, because priesthood is

not a profession but a vocation. What is the difference?

We could consider priesthood as a job and that the

higher up you are in the job the higher you are paid. On

the other hand, if we consider priesthood as a vocation

we have nothing except Christ and service. Indeed, hu-

mility is a challenge. It is a constant call in the priest-

hood I have come to serve and not to be served.

DARE THE CHALLENGE: BE A BARNABITE. The

night after the celebration I said to myself echoing St.

Paul, I have fought a good fight, I have run the race, I

have kept the faith. But I do not have the impression

that the priestly formation ends up with the ordination.

The formation continues, and I am certain of this till

the day I die. And so the challenge is there to remain

faithful, grateful and prayerful, and, that in spite of all,

I remain a priest forever: Tu es sacerdos in ternum.

No. 3 iPaul 5No. 6 iPaul 5

DARE THE CHALLENGE:

BE A BARNABITEby Roan Cipriano J. Aborque, CRSP


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No. 3 iPaul 6

of Theology. They are the first fruits of the Saint

Paul Scholasticate. They are the survivors of the

first batch of Students, who founded our Scholas-

ticatesurvivors, because they were six, and now

only the two of them are left. They are somehow

the pioneers and they know how it was hard,

especially at the beginning, to start this new jour-

ney. They have fulfilled their whole formation

with the one who is speaking to you; and, even

when they left Tagaytay for the preparation for

their solemn profession in Italy, two years ago,theyI do not know if fortunately or unfortu-

natelyfound me again there. So you know whom

to blame if they will not be good priests.

And it is nice to have the ordination in this

place, because it is here that we took our first

steps: for two years we lived in William Finnemann

Hall, and in this chapel we took part in a lot of

celebrations. It is a kind of return to the origins

or, if you want, it is like to close a circle. We will

always be grateful to the Missionaries of the Di-vine Word for having welcomed us and for having

allowed us, with their openness, to start this fasci-

nating adventure. I hope, dear SVD friends, that

you are not offended if I say that we feel at home

here.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, thanks for coming;

thanks for wanting to witness this special event.

But, exactly because witnesses, you have a big re-

sponsibility: as you wish now to attend Ferdinand

and Roans priestly ordination, so you have to ac-

company them with your prayers along their life.What was done until now is nothing in compari-

son with what remains to do. Do not think that

the Saint Paul Scholasticate is like a factory produc-

ing ready-made priests; these new priests will be

what they, surely with the grace of the Holy Spirit,

surely with their personal commitment, but also

with the help of your prayers, will be able to be-

come.

The following is the speech of welcome addressed by our

Rector at the beginning of the Ordination Rite, on Feb-

ruary 23, 2008 in the Holy Spirit Chapel of the Divine

Word Seminary.

Your Excellency, Dear Confrres in the priest-

hood and the religious life, My Brothers and Sis-

ters,

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you in

this church for the priestly ordination of Rev. Fer-

dinand Dagcuta and Rev. Roan CiprianoAborque.

First and foremost, I would like to welcome

our dearly beloved Bishop, the Most Rev. Luis

Antonio Tagle, always present in these circum-

stances, in spite of his numerous engagements.

Along with him I warmly welcome the Barnabite

Confrres and the other Religious and Diocesan

Priests, who accepted the invitation to join us for

this event.

A special greeting to the relatives of the two

ordinands: it is a great joy for them and a privilege

for us to have them here.

A deep thank to the Rector of the Divine

Word Seminary, Father Wilfredo Saniel SVD,

who so kindly granted the usage of this Chapel of

the Holy Spirit for our ordination.

And let me welcome also the sun, which, after

so many rainy days, has wanted to pierce the

clouds to increase our joy.

This is not the first priestly ordination in the

short history of the Saint Paul Scholasticate. Sinceits foundation in 2003 (five years ago!), seven

priests have already been ordained, but all of them

had accomplished or at least started their theologi-

cal studies in Rome and had come to Tagaytay just

to complete their formation in view of holy or-

ders. This years ordination instead has something

special, because these two deacons have fulfilled

all their studies here, in the Divine Word School

No. 6 iPaul 6

THE FIRST FRUITSby Giovanni Scalese, CRSP


7/25

The Christian Church has found its very begin-ning and its origin and foundation by looking atthe mystery of the Resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead. It is through this event that theChurch has found its perfect existence throughouthistory. As a matter of fact, many scholars of ourtime have traced that the groundwork of theChurchs very existence is in the faith confession,or shall we say the Easter faith, of the first Chris-tian community. According to Hans Kng, theactual foundation and institution of the Church isto be situated in the resurrection faith of the first

church. This view capture the very importance ofChrists resurrection and the response of the firstChristian community to that remarkable event. It isthrough that faith that the Church has gained itsname and continues to pursue the mission of JesusChrist to the whole world.

The mystery of Christs resurrection is a realevent with manifestations that were historicallyverified as the New Testament bears wit-ness (CCC 639). It means that the rising of JesusChrist from the dead is an historical event thatleads to the profound understanding of Christs

true divinity. It is real and happened with the con-crete foundation. It is also the starting point of call-ing us Christians as the Church of the living andnot of the dead, for the Christian Church is theChurch which is alive and full of joy. It is not aChurch of sadness but a Church full of vigor and aspirit of happiness. It means that the Church hasbeen being rejuvenated by Jesus Christ Himselfthrough the concrete manifestation of His resurrec-tion from the dead.

By looking closely at the resurrection of JesusChrist we could find the three significant under-

standings that define the meaning of resurrectionor Easter. These definitions summarize the wholeunderstanding of Jesus Christ Himself. First, theresurrection above all constitutes the confirmationof all Christs works and teachings. it is the sum-mation of all Christs ministerial and miraculousworks during His public ministry on earth. It couldbe considered also as the proof of His divinity, thatthrough His resurrection we could find the authen-tic meaning of being who He was. It answers all

the enigmatic person of Jesus Christ that somehoweven His disciples did not understand; but, throughHis resurrection from the dead, everything turns tobe clear. The clearness brings understanding to theinsightful truths.

Second, Christs resurrection is the fulfillmentof the promises both of the Old Testament and ofJesus Himself during His earthly life. The rising ofJesus Christ from the dead connects prophecy ofthe Old and New Testament, that the Old predic-tions had been fulfilled through Christ Himself.Christs resurrection is the bottom line of capturing

the essence of both the Old and New Testament. Itis through His glorious resurrection that convergethe deepest understanding of everything. This is asort of understanding that opens the core of ourmind to see Jesus Christ as the true living God.

Third, the resurrection of Jesus Christ opensfor us the way to a new life. This new life is thepoint of departure to ones change of heart, that weno longer are living in darkness but we live in thelight of Christ. The newness of life that JesusChrist had shown and opened to us emancipates usfrom living in the old ways of life, and adopts the

new mode of living ones life. He gives us the newway to live our lives for the greater purpose of gain-ing the genuine meaning of our existence. It is anexistence that permits us to channel ones life toHim, and we may consider ourselves as the truechildren of God justified by the grace of JesusChrist.

Lastly, the celebration of the resurrection ofJesus Christ is the peak of our belief that drives usto capture the meaning of our lives as Christiansand the living existence of our Church, which,through His rising from the dead, conveys the

message of love and the change of heart, becausethe message of love and change of heart is the coreof living the newness of life. Indeed, a man with-out love for God is no longer free from his egoisticself. And a man without a change of heart is notyet living in goodness. So, the celebration of theresurrection of Christ or the celebration of Easteris the invitation to all Christians to refresh ourfaith in Jesus Christ, and even to refresh our wayof living.


The Mystery of Easterby Jay L. Patulin, CRSP


8/25

In the past thirty years the Divine Mercy Devotionshave once again become popular, especially amongCatholics. Most of this is due to the impetus of PopeJohn Paul II. As Cardinal Archbishop of Krakow, hespearheaded the cause to have the writings of Sr.Faustina Kowalska open for the public to read by head-ing a new investigation into her writings.

Sr. Faustina was a member of the community of theSisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw when in the1930s she began to have visions of Christ pleading thatthe message of the mercy of God be made known

throughout the world. The message is not new. Godloves us! He is merciful and forgiving. Sr. Faustina diedin 1938. In 1958 her diary of these visions and her con-versations with the Lord Jesus were considered ques-tionable and condemned by the Church. After twentyyears her diary received approval from the Church andonce again made available to the faithful to read.

It was in that year of 1978 that Karol Woytyla waselected pope and, as pope, John Paul II closely followedthe cause for her canonization which culminated in hisdeclaring her a saint on April 30, 2000. During thehomily of the canonization liturgy the Holy Father pro-claimed, in accordance with #341 of St. Faustinas di-ary, that the octave of Easter or the Second Sunday ofEaster from now on throughout the Church will becalled Divine Mercy Sunday. Within five days the Con-gregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of theSacraments decreed such by stating: the Second Sun-day of Easter, that is, Divine Mercy Sunday.

Those who are familiar with the Divine Mercy ofSt. Faustina are normally aware of the various devo-tions. I have already mentioned the establishment of thefeast of Divine Mercy which can be found in the diaryof Sr. Faustina, #299 (I desire that the first Sundayafter Easter be the Feast of Mercy.) and #699. Con-

nected to the feast is the Novena of the Divine Mercy:#1209 (Novena to the Divine Mercy which Jesus in-structed me to write down and make before the Feastof Mercy. It begins on Good Friday.) and #1229. Thisbegins on Good Friday and, like all other novenas, con-cludes on the vigil of the feast.

There is the popular chaplet of Divine Mercy whichis prayed on regular rosary beads. The mention and re-quest for the praying of this chaplet is found in #687,#811, #1541 (My daughter, encourage souls to say thechaplet which I have given to you. It pleases Me to

grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet.)

and #1731 in the diary. A special time of 3 p.m., espe-cially on Fridays, in order to recall the Lords death, iscalled the Hour of Mercy for praying the chaplet.This is referred to in #1319, #1320 (At three oclock,implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if onlyfor a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion,particularly in my abandonment at the moment of ag-ony. This is the hour of great mercy for the wholeworld In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soulthat makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion.)and #1572 of the diary.


Divine Mercyby Michael M. Mancusi, CRSP


9/25

Trust is an important aspect of the Divine Mercydevotions. Entries in the diary in regards to this are#47, #1074 (When a soul approaches Me with trust, Ifill it with such an abundance of graces.), #1520 and#1578. We are called upon to trust in the Lords mercy.

So important is this trust that the words Jesus, I Trustin Thee are to be placed beneath the image of the Di-vine Mercy. This image is called upon to be veneratedin homes and churches in #47-49, #299, #327, #341,(That is why I want the image to be solemnly blessedon the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be ven-erated publicly so that every soul may know about it.)#414, #1777 and #1784 in St. Fasutinas diary.

All of the aforementioned are manifestations asso-ciated with what is known as the Divine Mercy devo-tions. Devotees of the Divine Mercy consider themwith the utmost importance and central to the devo-

tions. Nevertheless, there is still one more aspect to thedevotions that is often forgotten about or rather notactually associated as part of the Divine Mercy devo-tions. In #742 of the Diary St. Faustina quotes Jesus assaying, I demand from you deeds of mercy, which areto rise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy toyour neighbors always and everywhere. You must notshrink from this or try to excuse yourself from it. Thisis very reminiscent of Matthew 25:40 which states,Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of theseleast brothers of mine, you did for me.

In Mark 7:6 Jesus says, Well did Isaiah prophesy

about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people hon-ors me with their lips, but their hearts are far fromme. Jesus speaks this to the Pharisees, the religiouspeople of Christs time who kept all the rituals andpractices of religion. They were devoted to these outerobservances which had become so important to them;however, their real meaning had become lost. None ofwhat they said or did actually touched their hearts andso their relationship with God had turned cold. Faithwithout works is dead. (James 2:26) In fulfilling all theexternal observances of the Divine Mercy devotions arewe just giving lip service to Gods mercy? Remember,the Lord demands from us deeds of mercy so that we

may pray with St. Faustina, I want to be completelytransformed into Your mercy and to be Your livingreflection help me to go through life doing good toeveryone. (Diary, #163 and #692)

Again in Diary #742 Jesus gives us three ways ofputting mercy into practice, Three ways of exercisingmercy toward your neighbor: the firstby deed, thesecondby word, the thirdby prayer. Jesus wants toshower us with the mercy of God but He wants to let itflow through us to others. He wants us to be the exten-sions of His mercy just as He has mercy upon us.

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtainmercy. (Matthew 5:7) Thus we are to be the vessels ofGods mercy to and for others. Man attains to theMerciful love of God, His mercy, to the extent that hehimself is interiorly transformed in the spirit of that

love towards his neighbor. (Dives in Misericordia, #14)One of the most expedient ways that the Church

offers us to be agents of Gods mercy is through theCorporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. (cf. Matthew25:31-40) The easier of the two to implement are theCorporal Works of Mercy. The first two call us to feedthe hungry and to give drink to the thirsty. We can eas-ily do this by volunteering at a soup kitchen or prepar-ing a meal for the elderly or sick in our own neighbor-hood. I remember those times in Rome assisting theMissionaries of Charity at the soup kitchen near theRoman Forum.

Dorothy Day has said that the extra coat sitting inyour closet belongs to the poor. She bases this thoughtfrom St. Basil the Great who says, To give of onesexcess is justice. This calls us to fulfill the next deed ofmercy to clothe the naked. Sponsoring or partaking inlocal clothing drives for the poor or donating clothing(new or used) to thrift shops is one way of making anapplication of this merciful act.

It would be good if each of us had a ChristRoom in order to take in someone who needs a room;however, many of our houses are already filled to ca-pacity. Still we are called to shelter the homeless. I recall

one winter back in New York City that was colder thannormal. The local homeless shelters were already filled.My nephews birthday falls during the coldest week ofwinter. That year, instead of asking for presents, heasked to distribute blankets to the homeless in his partof New York City.

One year I had been hospitalized during the Christ-mas holidays. I felt so bad not being a part of the fes-tivities. From that moment I made it a point to gatherpeople together and visit the sick in local hospital dur-ing any holiday season. Together we would bring asmile to so many dejected faces.

There are many who are imprisoned by either age,

lack of transportation, or disease has made them home-bound. We can easily take some time out of our sched-ules and spend an hour or more visiting them in theirso-called prisons. If it is possible, we could invitethem out for a little excursion to a local park or eatery.Human contact is so important for such people.

I may not be in the business of burying the deadand I do not plan to start to dig graves; however, I still,in todays society, assist in burying the dead. We canpartake actively by our presence at the Mass of Resur-rection or the burial ritual for the deceased.


10/25

No. 3 iPaul 10

The Spiritual Works of Mercy may be a little harderto place into practice, but they are still a means of actu-ated Gods loving mercy to others. The first two ofbringing counsel to the doubtful and instructing the

ignorant are closely related. Many consider these onlywithin an educational field and thus relinquish it toteachers. Nevertheless this applies in giving good clearadvice to those who are unsure of Church teaching orany lesson in life. Thus parents and older siblings prac-tice this more often than they think.

In todays world we are afraid to criticize anything.This can lead to a type of intellectual sloth. To admon-ish the sinner is to give constructive criticism to or con-structively correct the other. This does not mean thatwe are called to belittle or condemn the other but rathervirtuously show them the wrongfulness of their ways.Still, the one being admonish must be open to correct-ness and such advice. This is not the case for one whois filled with pride.

Bringing comfort to the sorrowful can be given intwo ways. There are those who are suffering the deathof a loved one. Our visitation during viewing or wakeservices brings comfort to those who are mourningtheir loss. There is also the comfort we can bring toanother who is mourning their own wrongful actions.We can explain to them that they are not the actionitself but rather one who committed a wrongful act.They can learn from their ways and thus become a bet-ter person. Did not Jesus do the same for the adulter-

ess? (cf. John 8:3-11)Forgiveness does not mean that we now accept it

or forgetting about it. It is more so letting go of thehope for a better past. It does imply an attitudinal andbehavioral change on behalf of one or both parties con-cerned. If without this change one is still called to for-give. Forgiveness is one of the hardest aspects of Chris-tianity, but it is a characteristic which makes Christianityunique. I can remember someone who had hurt mephysically as well as many other ways. What I came torealize that one of my actions and attitudes actually pre-cipitated our conflict. I admitted my wrongfulness to

him and explained that I was willing to change my ways.He would have no part of it. I forgave him and I alsoforgave myself, yet I have not seen or talked to him intwenty-four years.

To bear wrongs patiently calls forth the virtues ofpatience and meekness. Meekness does not imply weak-ness but rather self-possession in facing adversity. Jesusmeekly bore the insults, accusations and beatings Hereceived during His Passion. (cf. Matthew 26:57-68)

This last work of mercy is to pray for the living andthe dead. When I was in elementary school I had been

taught by the Brothers of Holy Cross. They had told methat every time I see or hear an ambulance go by that Ishould make the sign of the cross and pray for that sickperson. I decided to extend that action also whenever I

saw a funeral cortege or passing a cemetery. Besidespraying for people on special dates (birthdays, weddinganniversaries, anniversaries of death), this little act ofkindness displays a solidarity in love for the other.

The external devotional practices revealed by St.Faustina are not enough. The outreach of Gods mercyalways to everyone and everywhere can only become areality through us. We may hang the image in ourhomes and pray the chaplet each day at three in theafternoon. We may partake of the novena and receivethe sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist on Di-vine Mercy Sunday. But it is not enough. We ourselvesmust show mercy to our neighbors. Putting mercy intoaction is not an option of the Divine Mercy devotion; itis a requirement!

There is a story of how some American soldierswere sent into a small town in Italy after a recent bomb-ing during World War II. They were there to help lookfor survivors. One young soldier went into the localchurch to check for survivors and estimate any damage.He found no one and the only damage was to a statueof the Sacred Heart. The statue had fallen off its pedes-tal and the hands broken off. The soldier returned thestatue to its rightful pedestal and looking back had anidea. That Sunday many of the townspeople came into

the church and to pray before the Sacred Heart statue.They were surprised not only to see the broken handsof the Scared Heart but a hand made sign connected tothe pedestal upon which the statue stood. The signread, I need your hands to do My work. God needsus to show His mercy!

No. 6 iPaul 10


11/25

San Isidro Labrador chapel, which is located atBuho Amadeo, is one of the chapels of Amadeo Par-ish, Santa Maria Magdalena Parish. It is a smallchapel which was established in April 2004. Thischapel came into existence through the efforts ofthe Sambayanang Kristiyano ng Buho with the leader-ship of Rosalina and Alberto Reyes and subordi-nated by ate Yna and kuya Roger, who is the layminister of this chapel, and other members whowere eager to give their time and strength and even

financial support to make this chapel possible.The Barnabite priests have been given theschedule to celebrate the Mass in this chapel dur-ing the third and fourth Saturday of the month.During the time when it was established there wasno choir to sing and no one played the guitar dur-ing the celebration of the Mass so that the celebra-tion could be alive. For this reason, the SambayanangKristiyano ng Buho requested the Barnabite commu-nity to send some of the seminarians to teach thepeople to sing songs for the Mass. Their requestwas granted. The first two scholastics assigned

there were Bro. Pat Golis and Bro. Jose NazarenoGabato. It was in the year 2006. They would gothere every Saturday evening and every secondSunday of the month just to play the guitar andsing with the people during the Mass. However, inJune 2007, Bro. Pat was appointed as the liturgychairman of the Saint Paul Scholasticate; therefore, hewas asked to resign and concentrate in his newoffice. Bro. Clyd Autentico replaced Bro. Pat as anew partner of Bro. Jose in apostolate in Buho.

Through the initiative of ate Leny and ate Yna,and the cooperation of some mothers, the chil-drens choir in Buho was organized. There were 18children who joined the choir. Bro. Jose and Bro.Clyd were the ones who taught them songs for theMass. But on October 28, 2007 Bro. Jose left forItaly. Bro. Pat substituted him as a guitarist for thechoir until March 15, 2008 since all apostolatesended for summer break. These children, who singduring the Mass in Buho, are still functioning to-day even though there is no guitarist to accompanythem in their singing.

The Congregation of the Daughters of St. Jo-seph started in Venice, Italy on April 30, 1850 byFr. Luigi Caburlotto. Fr. Luigi Caburlotto wasborn in Venice on June 7, 1817 and became apriest on Sept. 24, 1842. He became an assistantparish priest and later a parish priest in St. JamesDallOrio from 1849 to 1872. It is in this time thathis love and zeal in educating the poor was blaz-ing up like a ball of fire. Education, during thisera, was a privilege for the few. The few are therich people. The public schools were very fewin Venice at that time. Many more were private

schools or teachers tutoring pupils at home. Bothpublic and private were only for the few whocould afford to pay a teacher. It is in this con-text that the enthusiasm and longing to educatethe poor was burning in the heart of Caburlotto.To make his longing materialize, he asked thecooperation of the young people, who, by voca-tion would care for the human and Christianeducation of the needy and the helpless girls.His pastoral experience taught him that theproblem of family, society and the Church wasthe lack of human and Christian education. Theasking for help of Caburlotto moved the young

volunteers to become Sisters. This move causedthe foundation of the Congregation of theDaughters of Joseph. Caburlotto chose St. Josephas the patron saint for the reason that Joseph wasentrusted by God to educate and to care for Je-sus. Like Joseph, the Sisters are called to be edu-cators of the poor with St. Joseph as model ofservant-educator to whom Caburlotto entrusted


P la c e s o f o u r A p o s t o la t e

BUHOby Clyd S. Autentico, CRSP

O u r N e ig h b o r s

THE DAUGHTERs OF ST.

JOSEPHCABURLOTTO


12/25

the Sisters. The Sisters have only one task, i.e. toEDUCATE.

Education then is the focus of their charism.Caburlotto believed that a holistic and integraleducation is the key for the upliftment of the

condition of the poor. He believed that if the per-son is educated with Christian and human edu-cation, the person will be effective in the societyinfluencing good values to others. It is in thishunger to educate the poor that the first mission-aries were sent to Brazil. In May 1992, the Insti-tute set foot its mission in the Philippines. Withits twenty-nine current members in the Philip-pines, they continue the works of Caburlotto bydevoting themselves in the Christian formationof the youth in the schools, parishes, and missionwith lay collaboration forming a foundationcalled a rainbow of hope which aims at sendingpoor children and youth to school and assistsome families through a livelihood program. Thelatest mission of the congregation was in Kenya,Africa, which was started last 2000.

With the sword of education, they serve withhumility, charity and dedication. As educatorsthey clothe themselves with mercy and materialtenderness enwrapping the person to attend toand to be served with humility and dedication.

This is the model which is based from the life-style of the Home of Nazareth, a life with sim-plicity, humility, sweetness and charity.

The Daughters of St. Joseph follow theirfounder in two directions: first is the fidelity to

God. They are called to be faithful to God in ser-vice. The more they are penetrated by the chal-lenges of Gods love in service to humanity themore they find the light and strength and wis-dom of God in service. The second is the com-mitment to be faithful to a man called Jesuswhom the Sisters serve through the faces of theirneighbor, especially the poor, the needy, the ne-glected, defenseless, and the orphans. The dailycommitment to discover the expectations andanxieties of the people contemporaneous to thehistory of the religious family, renewing theworks and the way to do them but keeping thegift of service are the prerequisite to their com-mitment to faithfulness to Jesus. Thus, theDaughters of St. Joseph seek the face of God In-carnate in the concrete reality of our time in thepoor, who are continuously blessed by Godthrough agents like the Daughter of St. Joseph.

Thomas Federick Tabada, CRSP



13/25

No. 3 iPaul 13

Mindanao is the second largest island in thePhilippine archipelago. It approximately covers alandmass area of 36,537 square miles or 94,631squarekilometers.The terrain isgenerallymountainous and heavily forested. The island ofMindanao is indentedbyseveraldeepbaysandhasalarge western peninsula, the Zamboanga orSibugayPeninsula.ItsmainriversarethePulangi,200milesor320kilometerslongandnavigablebysmall steamers for 40milesor60kilometers; andtheAgusan,240milesor390kilometers long.Thelargest lakeisLanao, forcenturiesaround the lakehasbeenthehabitatoftheMuslims.Offthenortheast coast in the Philippine Sea is theMindanaoTrench, 35,000 feet or 10,670metersdeep, one ofthegreatestknownwaterareasaround theglobe.Mindanao is home to a diverse populationdifferent ethnic groups like Tboli, Yakan, Tausog,Samal, Maranao, and Bajao,who aremostlyMuslims,aswellas Ilocanosandothermigrants fromthe two major regions, namely Luzon and theVisayas.

TheMuslimsinMindanaoareknownasfiercewarriors, who successfully resisted the Spanishcolonizers and all their attempts, bloody or conciliatory,todefeatIslam.Todaytheislandremainsthe stronghold of that religion. It is,however,nolongertheMuslimislandthatitwascenturiesago.In fact, the region now includes more provincesthat are predominantly Christian, besides otherswhereChristiandenominations andMuslims liveinpeacefulcoexistence.

Mindanaoisalsoconsideredasanatureloversparadise.MountApo,thehighestmountaininthePhilippinesand thehome to theendangeredPhilippine eagle, is a landmark. Mindanao is alsoblessedwith soil thatproduces someof themostdeliciousfruitsandtherarestorchidsandflowers.Itsrichsoilaccountsforbountifulharvestsofavarietyoffarmproducts.ItgrowsmostofthePhilippinesmajorcropssuchasrubber(100%ofnationalproduction), pineapple (91%), aswell as banana,coffee,corn,rice,andcoconut(over50%).

Mindanao is likewiseendowedwithrichmineralresourcesthatattractforeigninvestorswhoare

luredbyitspromisingprofits.Itsmetallicdepositsinclude lead, zinc, ore, iron, copper, chromites,magnetiteandgold.Goldmined inMindanaoaccountsfornearlyhalfofthenationalgoldreserves.Itsnonmetallicmineral resources includemarble,salt,sand,gravel,silica,clay,andlimestone.

Mindanaoistrulyblessed,notonlyinitssocial,political,andculturalaspects,butalso in the religioussense.Thisislandofpromiseisalsothemeltingpotofvocations.Forthepast15years,sinceitsfoundation here in the Philippines, the ClericsRegularofSt.Paul (BarnabiteFathers)ordained4young and ferventpriests from thenorthernpartofMindanao,particularly from the townofBalingasag,MisamisOriental.Fr.VeranoM.Ladra,Fr.JosephM.Tabigue,Fr.RudysonM.NuloandFr.FerdinandM.Dagcutaarenativeofthesameplace(onlyFr.TabiguewasborninProsperidad,AgusandelNorte,buthisfamilytransferredtoBalingasag)andattendedthesameschool(SantaRitasCollege,runby theReligiousof theVirginMary).Atpresent,theClericsRegularofSt.Paulhassixtemporarily professed theologians, one novice and numerous college seminarians from the differentpartsofMindanao.Trulynobodyknowshow theHoly Spirit works. Mindanao is truly a sleepinggiantofthesouthandmostofallawellspringofvocations.

No. 6 iPaul 13

The P l aces o f Or i g i n o f Our Scho l as t i cs : M i nd an ao

THE SOTHERN PROMISEby Rosauro A. Valmores, CRSP


14/25


15/25

ment affirms that the Christian youth were constantlyexposedtodangersfortheirsoulsbecauseof themixture of Turks, Jews, and Barbarians ofdifferentorigins.ThefirsttoanswerwastheProcu

rator

General,

Fr.

Cattaneo,

then

Fr.

General

Dossena, whowas on a visit to Lombardy. Theyjustified their denial saying that, in their opinion,theschoolapostolatewasagainstthespiritoftheCongregation of Saint Paul, which had beenfoundednot to teachhumanities.Suchanactivitywould have kept the members away from thechoir,andbesidesmembersreadytoworkfortheyouthwerenotavailable.ButtheletterofDossenatothePopeexpresseshisgreat regret fornotbeingabletocorrespond to thedeepesteemof thePontiff,andatthesametime,aspiritofgreatabandonment inthehandsofDivineProvidenceandtothewilloftheVicarofChrist.

In 1603, inMilan,Monsignor John Baptist ArcimboldiofferedtotheBarnabiteshispalace,tobeusedasaschoolfortheyouthofthecity.In1605,the General Chapter discussed the issue and decidedtoaccepttheoffer,soopeningtheCongregationtoanewapostolate.ButtheChapterputsomerestrictions: the Fathers could teachonly philosophyandsacredsciences,leavingtheothersubjectstodiocesan clergyor laypeople. In 1608 thenew

ArcimboldiSchoolswereinaugurated.Alreadyatthe timeofSt.Charles,theCardinal

entrustedtothecareoftheseminaryinArona.Thefirstcasewasin1605whenCardinalJeromeMatteientrusted to our fathers the direction of the RomanSeminary.Anotheropportunity came in 1671,when at theGeneralChapters the French Fathersexpressedtheirwillingnesstoassumethedirectionof seminaries against theoppositionby theotherCapitular Fathers. A year later the bishop of Daxinvited theBarnabites to takeoverhisbrandnew

seminary.

Since

there

was

the

stipulation

that

the

Fatherswouldlive intheirownreligioushouse,Father General gladly accepted the proposal. Threewereselectedforthetask,thedirector,aprofessoroftheology,andthespiritualdirector.ThefinalyeswasgivenbytheGeneralChapterof1647,declaringthatscholasticandspiritualdirectionofseminarieswasnotagainsttheConstitutions.

In 1740, Cardinal Lambertini became Pope.Again he asked the Barnabites to send four fa

thers to teach theology, philosophy, humanitiesand grammar in the seminary of Bologna, withone of them as dean of studies.He asked themalso to takeover thepenitentiaryofhisprevious

Diocese.

Contemporary to the seminaries, there is amovementinfavorofboardingschools.Themajority of the fathers was against it, because, as Fr.Dantiwrites,changingsolelythe institute intimewould totally destroy the religious Order. Onceagain it is France to lead. In 1680 the Fathers ofMontargis requested permission to open theirschool to lay students and to create a section asboardingschool.ThecommissionappointedbytheGeneral Chapter suggested tomake a threeyearexperimentoncondition that itwas ina separatebuildingwithonly theFatherinchargeallowed togo in it.Anybodyelseneededtheexpresspermissionof the superior. Itwasabeginningofa longtraditionstillalivetoday.

In Italy, Fr. Sitoni, Rector of St. Alexander inMilan,wantedtousetheheredityleft,waybackin1615,byPeterAnthonyLongoni.Thisheredityhadtheclausethatithadtobeusedonlyasahouseforstudents attending theArcimboldi school, and socreatea totally separateboarding school,but stillunderthedirectionoftheFathers.Nowitwas1723.

TheGeneralCouncilrefused,alsobecauseofsomejuridicalcomplications.Butthepressurewason.InNovember the first boarding school of theBarnabites in Italywas inauguratedwithFr.Sitoniasitsfirstdirector.

Then in1774,therewasthesuppressionoftheJesuitsandthiscausedtheBarnabitestoexpandina field inwhich they had been comfortable. TheJesuitshadmanyboardingschools;therefore,allofasuddensomanyoftheseschoolswere indangerofbeingabandoned.Newworkerswerenecessary.

Popes,

bishops,

and

civil

authorities

begged

the

Barnabitestotakeover.Therewasnochoice.Inreadingthedetailsofthefoundationofvari

ous schools in the 1600sone element hits us: asagreementweremade,thematteroffinanceswasalways in the forefront.Naturallywe have to understand that the founders of the schools envisionedthemtobetotallyfreeforall, includingthewelltodo families. Paying public schools did notexistyet.Therefore,therewastheneedforafund



16/25

whichwouldassurepaymentsfortheteachersandat the same time would provide for the maintenanceanddevelopmentoftheschool itself.This iswhyatthebeginning,oratthe momentsofcrisis,

we

find

bequests

from

civil

authorities,

bishops,

andprivatesectors.ThecaseofFlorence isdifferent.TheschoolofSanCarlinohadgreatbenefactorsinthegrandukesand the archbishops. But at the beginning of the1700s the schoolhad tobe closed for the lackoffunds. In 1735 itwas reopenedbecauseof a richdonation from theFlorentineFrancisBoddi.A letterbyFr.GeneralMaccabeiabout theacceptanceof studentsmakesus think:Thegoodorbad futureof the school restson the first registrations,thereforewehavetobecarefulhowandwhomdowe register.Wedonot say thatwegodownandacceptthelowestpeople,butwesaythatwemustproceed insuchawaythatwhatwehavereceivedasalms,wouldnotbeusedbyuswithpomp.

The students,whowere registered, immersedinawidevarietyof subjectsbutultimatelyof theclassichumanistic type. Inmany differentways ahealthy emulation was stimulated. In the classes

there

was

a

live

enactment

of

the

division

between

the Romans and the Carthaginenses, with theirown emblems and classes of people (Emperors,counsels,magistrates,etc.)Therivalrybetweenthetwo parties was manifested in the study and incompetitions.Theproclamationofthewinnerswasagreatscholasticcelebration.InLivornoattheendoftheyearthelistofthewinnerswaspublished inthree categories:princeofhonors,honors andalmosthonors.Eachoftheseordershadspecialprivileges.ForsurethismethodwasnotliketheonesoftheMagisterplagosuswhich,wearetold,wouldcommunicate all of his knowledge by a whip ofthree dimensions,which, according to his inbornclemency,hewoulddirecttotheshoulders,tothehands,ortothelegsoftheshakingdisciples.


The present school of the Barnabites in Milan: Istituto Zaccaria


17/25

Militia est vita hominis super terram (Job7:1). This saying is a kind of fight that we un-dergo in every vocation of life that we take.Struggle and fight are a kind of competition inwhich we must strive to win the crown. Here,we are like an athlete who fights the good fightin order to get the crown that already is pre-pared for us. We are athletes who win the im-perishable crown: our salvation. Moreover, we

are strengthened by the words of St. Paul, Doyou not know that in a race the runners allcompete, but only one receives the prize? Runin such a way that you may win it. Athletes ex-ercise self-control in all things; they do it to re-ceive a perishable garland, but we an imperish-able one (1 Cor 9:24-25). So, fight and winyour crown.

As religious it is our task to fight against theworldly things, evils and fleshly desires. Westrive for spiritual matters which bring us towin the crown. It is a spiritual battle, as St. An-thony Mary Zaccaria said, We must becomeexperts in the spiritual battle that the devil willnever deceive us in his way (see Constitu-tions, ch. 12: The Writings, p. 179). It is some-how giving us strength to fight against the devil

that always prowls to devour us. We are justlooking at Jesus, Who is the way, the truth andthe life. It is because only in Him do we findour strength to fight against all allurements inthis world. Only in Him we are saved from allthat could harm us.

Furthermore, as Barnabites who are the sol-diers of Christ Jesus, we are called to do thespiritual battle. This is somehow to free usfrom any evil inclination. It is a kind of crossthat leads us to the way of God. Moreover,

God will fight for us. He will never leave usalone to fight and peril in the battle. He will bewith us. Be strong in the Lord and in thestrength of His power. Put on the whole armorof God, so that you may be able to standagainst the wiles of the devil (Eph 6:10-11). Itmeans that we are always staying in His love sothat the evil may not overshadow us. Remainalways in Him.

As we go on our journey towards Him weare to remember that we are the soldiers ofChrist Jesus. We fight for the sake of Him. Weare not alone to do the battle. He will fight forus. Let us trust only in Him and ask His powerin order for us to win the battle and have ourcrown in Him who strengthens us. Fight thegood fight and win the crown that is eternal.Fight and win your crown in the name of ChristJesus. FIGHT AND WIN YOUR CROWN.


Paul i ne - Zaccar i an Sp i r i t ua l i t y

FIGHT AND WIN YOUR CROWNby Yohanes Besi Koten, CRSP


18/25

No. 3 iPaul 18

It has been a year since I was ordained. Ithas been also a year with so many struggles,failures and successes. One may wonder whathappened during my first year as a priest. Yes,why not ask myself; what happened to me in

this past year as a priest? It is good to recallthose stupid things that I have done; but, stillit is better to remember those good ones.However, I will neither mention them one byone nor speak about some of them. What Iwant to share is the abstractexperience that I

have with God, His presence in my life despitewhoand whatI am.In my article last year after my ordination,

I mentioned that I was not worthy to becomeone of the Lords servants. I confirm this onceagain after the events that happened to me inthe past thirteen months of my priesthood.Undeniably, I am not worthy; yet, despite this,God has chosen me and has made me a priest.I do recognize my sinfulness and weaknessesand, if I were God, I would not have let Jeckerbe ordained. But, surprisingly, God made me a

priest. God has done everything in me in con-trast to what I thought about myself. Whatdoes God want to tell me then? That, I do notknow.

Honestly, in this past year as a priest, Ished tears, a lot of tears because of the thingsthat I did which were against my priesthood. Iam ashamed of what I did. Because of thosethings I even had thoughts of leaving thepriesthood (this is an honest confession). Al-ready? That soon?Yes, that soon. I did not dothe things that I priest should do. Until now

my sins and my weaknesses are haunting meand I do not know what I should do to get ridof them. I want to live without them, free andfar from all worries of life. I want to escapefrom all these. Yet I do not know what makesme remain and go on.

I have never seen God as He should beseen, as He is. Nevertheless, I feel His pres-ence that serves my source of energy to con-tinue in spite of everything. It seems to me

that God is telling me to stop worrying abouteverything, about every sin and weakness thathinder me to serve Him to the full. He wantsme to serve despite of who I am because it isnot I who really work here but He himself isthe one doing everything. I am just an instru-ment that He is using for something better. Asan instrument I should not dictate God not touse me because anyway God is the mind of allthat happens in me and in my surroundings.Inside and outside me, it is God who is the

Master. What I need to do is to let go of my-self. Let myself be used by God for somethingbetter not for me but for others. I have beenso naughty this past year and have been sohard headed, and even proud. I wanted to dothings by myself away from God. I wanted todo things according to my own plans. I wantedto be free from God. I wanted to prove to Himand to others that I could do things withoutHim. But how wrong I was! Indeed, I am verystupid and foolish by thinking and doing so. Iam NO God. I am just a human being, an im-

perfect creature that God has made for Hisown and not for my own.

This Lenten season, it is very much inter-esting to realize how far I have gone awayfrom God. Because of my pride and selfish-ness I have missed to see God. I have been fac-ing myself all these past months. Now it istime for me to face God and recount all thethings that I have done. It is time for me tocome back home and be reconciled with God. Iadmit I have not yet been reconciled that wellwith Him. I want to be submissive with God no

matter what. I want to let Him use me to thefull. I do not want to do my will anymore. It isso tiring and hard to be alone. I know I cannotdo anything far away from him. He has beengood to me in spite of everything. He contin-ues to call me and wants to use me as His in-strument to other people. I do not know how Ishould react to the way He uses me but onething do I know, GODSWILLBEDONE in me. Eve-rything is a grace of God.

No. 6 iPaul 18

A Year Afterby Jecker R. Luego, CRSP


19/25

No. 6 iPaul 19

On the day of the 475th

anniversary of the

foundationoftheBarnabites,February18,2008,

the Tahanang Mapagaruga ni Padre Semeria

alsocelebratedits2nd

anniversary.However,the

celebrationwasanticipatedontheSaturdaybe

foretheanniversary,February16,2008.Thesaid

datewasagreedbothbythebrothers incharge

and the members. It was both favorable for

them since the members have work onweek

days

and

the

brothers

were

having

their

Com

prehensiveExaminationatschool.

Theanniversarywas celebratedwithaHoly

Mass.Itwasparticipatedbythemembersfami

lies, some friends, and the brothers of the

Barnabite Community. There were about one

hundred in attendance at the celebration. Fr.

Giovanni Ma. Scalese, CRSP, Superior of the

Saint Paul Scholasticate and Director of the

Tahanan, was the main celebrant. Fr. Michael

Ma.Mancusi,CRSPalsoconcelebrated.

TheEucharisticCelebrationwasheld inthe

FatimaShrine.Itwasthemostsignificantvenue

for this anniversary because it was in this

chapelthattheTahananwasstarted.Theyheld

theirmeetingsinthischapelandmaderugsfor

theirlivelihoodprogramatthesmallroomthat

now serves as a sacristy. The pioneers could

nothelp themselvesbut share theirmemories

in that chapelduring theagape that followed.

Everyone went home satisfied despite of the

simplicity

of

the

celebration

and

all

of

them

wished that the Tahanan will continue in the

yearstocome.

This month another joyful celebration was

celebrated, the Recognition and Culmination

Dayof thechildren in thePreparatoryLearning

Centerof theTahanan.Among the fifteenchil

drenwhoenrolledattheopeningoftheschool

yeartensurvived.Nineofthemarereadyforthe

firstgradewhileone is retained in the learning

center because of her very young age. The

brotherswhoare incharge inteachingthechil

dren came up with a passing grade for all of

them. The parents, upon knowing that all of

thempassed,were very excited for theday of

recognition. They saved money to buy new

whitedressesfortheirdaughtersandnewwhite

longsleevedshirt fortheirsons.Thosewhodid

not

came

up

with

the

amount

for

buying

new

clothes satisfied themselves by borrowing old

clothesfromtheirneighbor.

The Recognition and Culminating program

startedwithaCelebrationoftheHolyEucharist.

Fr.CiriloMa.Coniendo,CRSPwasthemaincele

brant.During thehomily,he congratulated the

T a h a n a n g M a p a g -a r u g a n i Pa d r e S e m e r i a

second yearby Joseph M. Bernales, CRSP


20/25

No. 3 iPaul 20

childrenand theparents.Allbrothers incharge

in theTahanan,Bro. Joseph,Bro.Thomas,Bro.

Clyd,Bro. Jonathan,Bro. JayandBro.Rosauro,

werepresentand served theMass.Twoof the

parents,LudivarDelosSantosandCrispinaBawi,

readthefirstreadingandthepsalmrespectively.

AftertheMass theGraduationMarch followed.

From the Fatima Chapel, going through the

seminarygarden,thechildrenwiththeirparents

proceeded to thevenue, inside theoldbodega

where the classroom is locatedand the impro

vised venue for graduation was held. By this

timeFr.Giovannijoinedtheceremony.

TheprogramwasstartedwiththePhilippine

National

Anthem

led

by

Shella

Bustamante,

one

of the proud mothers. Fr. Giovanni gave his

opening remarks. In his speech he quoted Fr.

Semeria about the importance of education.

Oneof thosewhoarepresentwereMrs.Alma

Roa, a friend and benefactor of the Tahanan.

TogetherwithFr.GiovanniandBro.Thomas,she

helpedoutinthedistributionofcertificatesand

theawardingofhonors.Afterthedistributionof

certificates to the children, Mrs. Roa was sur

prisedwhenhernamewascalled.She,together

with her husband although not present, were

awardedwiththeCertificateofAppreciationfor

theirundyingsupportfortheTahanan.

For the amusement of all present the chil

drenpresentedtheirgraduationsong,ICount,

Read,Write,andPray,composedbyoneofthe

brothers. Joana Barientos, a first year college

student fromCityCollegeofTagyatay,oneof

theTahananScholars, rendereda tribute song.

TheTahanan staff is thankful forall thosewho

helpedandcooperatedinthecelebration.

The

Tahanan

apostolate

does

not

end

on

the

dayoftheculminationactivity.ThiscomingMay,

tutorialserviceswillbegiventothechildrenand

the restof the Tahananmembers. Thiswillbe

donewith thehelpof the college scholarsand

someofthebrothers.

Thankyou!Maramingsalamatposa inyong

lahat!

No. 6 iPaul 20


21/25

Institution of New Ministers

It is a mandate by the ecclesiastical law for

the one who aspires for priesthood that in order

to be promoted to the permanent or transitional

diaconate, he is required to have received the

ministries of lector and acolyte and to have exer-

cised them for a suitable period of time. (can.

1035 1)

Last December 31, 2007 six of the Barnabite

confreres: Bro. Marlon M. Ramirez, Yohannes

Besi M. Koten, Clyd M. Autentico, Jonathan M.

Ramoso, Thomas Frederick M. Tabada, and Is-

fridus M. Syukur were installed to the ministry of

acolyte, while two of our confreres: Jay M.

Patulin, and Joseph M. Bernales were installed as

new lectors. The said installation was held in the

Sagrado Corazon Chapel, Saint Paul Scholasti-

cate, Tagaytay, Philippines during the 6:30 a.m.

Mass.

Rev. Fr. Giovanni M. Scalese, CRSP, the Supe-

rior of the Philippine Delegation, had been dele-gated by the Most Reverend Father General Gio-

vanni M. Villa, CRSP for the institution ceremony.

It was also concelebrated by two of our priest-

confreres: Fr. Jecker Luego, and Fr. Cirilo Coni-

endo. In the homily, Fr. Scalese emphatically im-

parted to those who would be installed the car-

ried-marks of those who would receive the min-

istry. He verbalized that the ministry of the Word

and the ministry of the Eucharist is not simply a

person-identity, a mere function; but rather a

way of life. He added that these ministries are

both a gift and a task. It is a gift because it is a

grace from the Lord and a task to be carried out

for those to whom it was given for the service of

the others as well.

In the ceremony, Fr. Scalese handed over the

Holy Scripture to those who received the minis-

try of lector while those who received the minis-

try of acolyte were handed over the chalice as

each one designated to their own particular min-

istry. The simple celebration was attended by our

neighboring friends the Merciful Sister. The Holy

Mass ended around 7:30 a.m. and everyone

shared the happiness, goodness and right service

for the Church. Congratulations to the newly in-

stalled acolytes and lectors (Jonathan G. Ramoso,

CRSP).

Parochial Celebrations

The community of the Saint Paul Scholasti-

cate joyfully participated in the three important

celebrations of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. The

first celebration was the dedication of the new

parish church, celebrated by the Diocesan Bishop

Most Reverend Luis Antonio G. Tagle and Auxil-

iary Bishop Emeritus of Manila Teodoro Buhain,

last February 2. This was also the beginning of

the Novena Mass for the feast of Our Lady of

Lourdes. The Deacon of the community Rev. Fer-

dinand Dagcuta, CRSP was invited by the Capu-

chin Fathers to serve the celebration.

In the next day, the community was invited

again by the Parish to lead the 2nd day of the No-

vena Mass, presided by Fr. Cirilo Coniendo, CRSP

and concelebrated by the other two members of

No. 3 iPaul 21

NEWS, EVENTS, AT IBA PA

No. 6 iPaul 21


22/25

the community, Fr. Jecker Luego, CRSP and Fr.

Michael Mancusi, CRSP. The invitation was ad-

dressed originally to the Superior of the commu-

nity Fr. Giovanni Scalese, CRSP, but, because he

had other commitment in Italy, he was not ableto celebrate it.

On February 11, the community joyfully

joined the celebration in honor of the Blessed

Virgin Mary. The solemn Mass was celebrated by

Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Archbishop of Ma-

nila, with the homily of Bishop Luis Antonio G.

Tagle. This celebration was graced with the pres-

ence of several priests from the different reli-

gious communities in Tagaytay and the presence

of many faithful devotees of the Blessed VirginMary (Cirilo B. Coniendo, CRSP).

DWS Graduates Tribute

On March 7 the DWSTSA, the student body

of the Divine Word School of Theology, organ-

ized a simple yet special program intended for

the graduates of the school both from the AB

Theology graduates (2nd Year students) and the

Four-Year Ecclesiastical Program (4th Year stu-

dents). The school grounds was the venue of the

event that made the aroma of a cool atmosphere

all throughout the said program.

The grand dinner was prepared by each reli-

gious and diocesan community brought with

them as a potluck, with the juicy lechon prepared

by the DWS Student Council headed by Sem.Dennis Nacorda. This opened up the delight be-

fore the program was started. While the students

were enjoying eating the dinner, everyone did

not let pass by the value of friendship and cama-

raderie among students. The organizer had pre-

pared a power point presentation of pictures of

each year level. It tried to reminiscence the mo-

ments of friendship, companionship, loses and

victories, tears and joys which added flavor to

the event. During the program the freshmengave a token of appreciation to each Second

Year student while the Fourth Year students gave

the Key as a symbol of encouragement and se-

crets of success to the Third Year students. The

angelic voices of each years level presentation

resounded in the four corners of the school.

At the end, all the students joined together

singing the Pilgrims Theme and followed by the

new composition of our dean, Fr. Michael La-

yugan, SVD for the Alma Mater hymn. Each one

brought back the joy in their faces as they re-

turned to their seminary (Jonathan G. Ramoso,

CRSP).

No. 6 iPaul 22

The 2008 DWS Graduates


23/25

No. 3 iPaul 23

DWS Graduation

On March 15 the Graduation Ceremonies for

the academic year 2007-08 took place at the Di-

vine Word Seminary. At 8 a.m. a solemn Mass

was celebrated in the Holy Spirit Chapel, pre-

sided by the Most Rev. Buenaventura M.

Famadico, D.D., Bishop of Gumaca, DWS Alum-

nus. He was assisted by the Rector of the DWS,

Fr. Wilfredo Saniel, SVD and the Dean of studies,

Fr. Michael Layugan, SVD. The Faculty of DWS

and the Rectors of the houses of formation con-

celebrated.

After the Mass, the Graduation Ceremonies

followed. There were present the Diocesan

Bishop, Most Rev. Luis Antonio Tagle, D.D., pro-

fessor at the DWS, and the Hon. Eddie T. Panlilio,

Provincial Governor of Pampanga, DWS Alum-

nus.

The following degrees were conferred: Four-

Year Ecclesiastical Course, Baccalaureate in Sa-

cred Theology (S.T.B.), Master of Arts in Theology

Major in Pastoral Ministry (M.A.P.M.) and Bache-

lor of Arts Major in Theology (A.B. Theol.).

Three Barnabite students graduated: Fr.

Jecker Luego (M.A.P.M. cum laude), Fr. Ferdinand

Dagcuta (Ecclesiastical Course cum laude, S.T.B.

and M.A.P.M. magna cum laude) and Fr. Roan

Cipriano Aborque (Ecclesiastical Course, S.T.B.

and M.A.P.M. cum laude). Hearty congratulations

to them!

St. Joseph Novena

The novena is a Filipino typical practice.When a feast day of a Saint is approaching nineconsecutive days prior to the feast are celebratedin honor of that Saint. Barangay San Jose, wherethe Saint Paul Scholasticate is located, celebratesits patron feast every March 19. This year, be-cause of liturgical reasons, the feast day wasbrought forward to March 15. So the novenastarted on March 6.

Each day the novena and Mass was spon-sored by a different purokor street. The differentreligious congregations also assisted in leadingthe novena for each day. To the Barnabites the7th day was assigned. All the members of SaintPaul Scholasticate Community in Tagaytay were

present. Fr. Cirilo led the participants in the no-vena prayer; Fr. Scalese was the main celebrantof the Mass with the other Fathers as concele-brants. Fr. Ferdinand was the homilist, while Bro.Marlon served as acolyte. Bro. Isfridus played themusic on the keyboard to help the ScholasticsChoir as well as the choir from the chapel. Eachday of the novena one of the Barnabite priestswas the celebrant for the evening Mass assistedby Bro. Joseph, who oversaw all the liturgical ac-tivities, and Bro. Jay, who gave musical accompa-niment with his guitar.

The feast day itself was celebrated with amorning Mass led by the assistant parish priest.Later in the day a procession was held through-out the entire Barangay amid flags and colorfullydecorated purok. There was also a contestamong the different purok, who had decoratedstreets and houses. Guess which purokwon thecontest! Purok 163, our purok, of course.

No. 6 iPaul 23

Fr. Ferdinand receives his diploma from Fr. Rector


24/25

No. 3 iPaul 24

Carissimo Padre Giovanni, posso usare litaliano,data la mia pochezza con linglese? Con grandefaticaealtrettantopiacerecontinuoaleggereiPaule cos, da lontano, a prender parte alla vostracomunit. Poich lerba del vicino, ecc. ecc., misembrate cosbelli!Ma forsedeveesserepropriocos.LaicidiSanPaolodallevostreparticomepotrebberoessereintesi?

Arch.StefanoSilvagniBologna,Italy

[email protected]

HappyBirthdayandcongratulations! It just showsthattheSpirit isworking.Thankyou forthemanybeautiful insights you share you are the newapostleswhosetouttothewholeworldtospreadthegoodnewsofChrist.Keepup!

Sr.RorivicP.Israel,ASPEaston,Pennsylvania,[email protected]

Carissimo

P.

Giovanni,

confratelle

e

studenti,

vi

raggiungocon imieipicordialiringraziamentideldonobellissimodiiPaul,semprericcodinotizie,masoprattuttodigioiaviva,attuale,apertaalfuturoealla profezia.Mentre auguro a tutti voi un SantoNatale di comunione festosa, con la comunit diTrani e il gruppo Fons unitatis vi assicuro lapreghiera perch possiate perseverare nellasequela del Signore col coraggio dellatestimonianzacreativa,a imitazionedisanPaolo,ilgigante.Con lannopaolino...chisscosaci faretevedere,leggereesentire...ancheecumenicamente!

Siete vicini a un vulcano... ecco perch sietevulcanici!CarisalutialleFilippine,aTagaytay.

P.EnricoSironi,CRSPTrani,Italia

[email protected],perchsiricordasempredimee, nonostante i miei lunghi silenzi, continua adinviarmi laVostrarivista.Possa ilSignore inquesto

Natale riempirvi di celeste gioia e possaricompensarecon lasantitdeiVostriseminaristi isemidiVeriteBenechegettatenei lorocuori.Viaiuti laVergine santaeviaccompagnino lenostrepreghiere.Ogni sera prego il Signore che dia allaSuaChiesasantiSacerdotiemantenganellasantitquelli che egli gi ha chiamato. Dica ai Suoiseminaristi che i figli delle isole Filippine ci sonocarissimi e sono speranza per la Chiesa.Dica loroche rimangano fedeli alla Verit e saldissimi nellaVirt, sicch possano annunziare con la Parole econ lesempio il Cristo Redentore che viene in

questo Natale a salvare il mondo. Infine unapreghiera. So che la esaudir.Mario Coretti, quelmioamico,perilqualeleavevochiestodipregareedicuiLeiavevafattomenzioneanchesullarivista,morto,mainmanieracostotalmenteabbandonataal Signore che ci ha consolato. Ha pregatoletteralmente fino allultimo.Quando non riuscivapiaparlarecisegnavasullafronteconlacroce.Haofferto il suo sacrificio davvero in manieraesemplare. Ora Le chiedo di pregare per la suasposaeperitrefigli,perchpossanoconcluderegli

studi

e

non

essere

abbattuti

da

questa

prova

cui

il

Signore lihachiamati.Sochenonviscorderetediloro.Unaffettuosoabbraccio,unSantoNataleeunannodiGrazianelSignoreGesCristo.

Mr.DomenicoSavinoReggioEmilia,[email protected]

GlorytoGodinthehighestandpeacetohispeopleon earth! Just as I sayHappy Birthdate to Jesusandthankinghimforbecomingfleshtobringlifeto

humanity, Ialso sayHappyBirthdate to iPaulandatthesametimethankingthecontributors(writersand editors) for the good intention they bringforthtotheiravidreadersandtheirconfrereswhoaremiles away from home. Youmade them feelreallyathome.Nicework!Happy1yearoldiPaul!

Bro.JoseNazarenoS.Gabato,CRSPRoma,Italy

[email protected]

No. 6 iPaul 24

LETTERS


25/25

APPEAL

The SAINT PAUL SCHOLASTICATE

and the TAHANANG MAPAG-ARUGANI PADRE

SEMERIA need your help:

scholarships for our scholastics;

sponsorships for our poor children;

free donations;

celebration of Holy Masses.

You can deposit your offering on the cur-

rent account #0971-0085-47 under the

name of THE CLERICS REGULAROFST. PAUL

BARNABITES of the Bank of the Philippine

Islands, Tagaytay Branch, notifying us of

your donation.

APPELLO

Il SAINT PAUL SCHOLASTICATE

e il TAHANANG MAPAG-ARUGANI PADRE SE-MERIA hanno bisogno del tuo aiuto:

borse di studio per i nostri studenti;

adozioni dei bambini da noi assistiti;

libere offerte;

celebrazione di Sante Messe.

Puoi versare la tua offerta sul c.c.p.

29654001 intestato a I BARNABITI, Via G.

Medici 15, 00153 Roma, specificando la

causale del versamento.

No. 3 iPaul 25

iiPaulPaulSaint Paul Scholasticate NewsletterTHE CLERICS REGULAROF SAINT PAUL

BARNABITES Saint Paul Scholasticate

Purok 163, San JoseTagaytay City, Cavite, the Philippines

Mailing Address: P. O. Box 32,4120 Tagaytay City, PhilippinesTel. & Fax: +63 46 413-2837Email: [email protected]

Director: Fr. Giovanni Scalese, CRSPEditorial Staff: Fr. Cirilo B. Coniendo,Fr. Michael F. Mancusi, Fr. Jecker R.Luego, Rev. Ferdinand S. Dagcuta, Rev.Roan Cipriano J. Aborque, Marlon B.Ramirez, Yohanes Besi Koten, Clyd S.Autentico, Pat M. Golis, Jonathan G.Ramoso, Thomas Federick S. Tabada,Isfridus Syukur, Rosauro A. Valmores,Joseph M. Bernales, Jay L. Patulin

Typeset in the Philippines by Saint Paul

Scholasticate, March 2008

Quis nos separabit a caritate Christi?

An gladius?

No. 6 iPaul 25

HAPPY EASTER!

MALIGAYANG PASKO NG

MULING PAGKABUHAY!

BUONA PASQUA!

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iPaul no. 6 - Saint Paul Scholasticate Newsletter

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