By Father Paul Glynn

A Columban priest lives with Muslims in Mindanao to help break down centuries of Muslim-Christian enmity.

It is 3:30am: time to get up and prepare our breakfast before the sun rises at 4:15. Once we hear the Call to Prayer from the local mosques, we know we won’t be able to eat a single bite or let a drop of water pass our lips until the sun sets and we have heard the welcome sound of the evening call,‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is Greater), once again from the mosques. This will remind us that it is time to break our fast after a long, hot day of hunger and, worse still, thirst.

This is our daily routine for the 30 days of the Holy Month of Ramadan, not only here in Mindanao, but throughout the whole Muslim world. As I sit, at the end of another hot day, I wait expectantly for the bilal at the mosque to cry out: ‘Allahu Akbar,’ a reminder that it is now all right to relieve our parched throats with a cup of cold water. It is then I often ask myself what I, an Irish Catholic priest, am doing living with Filipino Muslims and sharing with them the hardships and joys of the Ramadan fast.

I have been living, on and off, in Muslim households for about nine years now. I have found it effective in breaking down the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding that have long divided so many Muslim and Christian communities here in Mindanao.

The author, Fr Paul Glynn (right) presented a Muslim/Christian relationship workshop with Amiyah Mambuhay (left), a Maranao Muslim, Aliyah Pandapatan and her husband Aleem Sanussi Pandapatan.

This tradition of Columban priests leaving their conventos to live with Muslim families in Muslim communities was inspired by the late Bishop Bienvenido Tudtud from Cebu City, first bishop of the Prelature of Iligan. Bishop Tudtud, in the face of persistent misunderstandings, violence and bloodshed between Christians and Muslims back in the 1970s, sensed that the Catholic Church must do more to be a credible witness to the peace of Jesus Christ in this war-torn situation.

In response to the vision of Bishop Tudtud, Pope Paul VI divided the prelature in 1976, made Iligan into a diocese and appointed Bishop Tudtud to the new Prelature of Marawi, which is 95 percent Muslim. The bishop said he wanted to ‘offer a hand of friendship’ to his Muslim neighbors and become a ‘reconciling presence’ between the two communities.

As the old saying points out, ‘prejudice is the fruit of ignorance.’ Bishop Tudtud had the insight to see that for us Christians to overcome our fear, distrust and hatred of Muslims, we must experience first-hand how Muslims live their lives and practice their Islamic faith, living with them and sharing important moments of their lives, such as the annual Ramadan fast. That is why I find myself here, today, living in this Muslim household.

500 Years Of Misunderstanding

The deep animosity so common between Christians and Muslims here in the Philippines was first sown by Spanish colonizers, whose hatred of all things Islamic stemmed from their 800-year struggle to expel the Moros (Moors) of Africa from their own shores. When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippine islands, Spanish officials mistakenly took the indigenous Muslim tribes to be Moors and embarked upon a hostile policy of undermining the strong Islamic influences they encountered here. These Spaniards tended to view Islam as the enemy of the Church. Thus the seeds of mistrust and animosity between Muslims and Christians were imported and sown over 500 years ago. Once engrained, as one would expect, they are not easily uprooted.

This mistrust between the two faiths is so often and so easily manipulated for the personal gain of the corrupt and powerful few. It is now generally accepted that the bitter Muslim-Christian conflict of the 1970s and ’80s was deliberately orchestrated by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies. They armed Christian civilians on the one hand and Muslim civilians on the other, creating a sufficient climate of suspicion so conflict would be inevitable. This gave President Marcos the ‘state of emergency’ he needed to declare Martial Law.

Kidnappings for ransom of foreign nationals and wealthy businessmen and other forms of terrorist activity still occasionally occur here, and the Muslim community is usually the first to be blamed. It is true that much of this criminality (most notably some Abu Sayyaf kidnappings) usually takes place in Muslim-dominated areas.

Unfortunately, these acts are often the work of corrupt political and military figures who are not Muslims but who know that the knee-jerk reaction, by the media and most of the population, will automatically blame Muslims. This ensures that few really bother to investigate the real culprits of such criminality.

The bombings of public places are not always the work of Islamic extremists. Often, they are the work of rogue elements within the military who orchestrate such events to keep Mindanao in a state of war; a war from which some continue to gain financially.

Breaking Down Barriers

One of my ministries is simply going to schools, churches and local communities in areas with a Christian majority and sharing my experiences of living in Muslim communities. Normally, I invite Muslim friend of mine, usually an aleem (Islamic theologian) or other religious leader, to share his or her faith with the Christian audiences, who are then invited to ask questions about the Islamic faith and cultural traditions of Filipino Muslims.

These are great opportunities for people to learn about the Islamic faith and replace their negative biases and preconceptions of Muslims with correct information about their religion and cultural practices.

It gives me great satisfaction to be part of a program that turns ignorance into understanding and prejudice into acceptance and tolerance. These are the very virtues Jesus so passionately preached and practiced here on earth.

At one such gathering, an elderly Catholic man said that it has been the corrupt and powerful who have perpetrated and benefited from misunderstandings between Muslims and Christians from the time of the Spanish occupation to the present. Breaking down these biases and misunderstandings, he said, is a matter of justice and liberation from oppression. As long as these misunderstandings continue to exist, he said, they will continue to be exploited in a way that benefits the corrupt and powerful and makes life miserable for the poor and the voiceless.

Seeing God In The ‘Other.’

Living among Muslim colleagues is a continual reminder why God called me to be a missionary. Our missionary vocation is an invitation from God to be part of an exciting adventure, discovering the presence of God, not just in the Church and in the Bible, but also in the most unlikely people in the most unlikely places.

For me, this missionary call has brought me to live among people with a language, faith and way of life so different from my native Ireland. I find the sheer dedication and commitment shown by many of my friends during the Ramadan fast awe-inspiring.

I am reminded of the all-embracing presence of God during the morning Call to Prayer, followed by the sound of running water as the faithful wash their hands, feet and face in preparation for dawn prayers at the mosque.

God’s spirit blows wherever God wills and to hearts open to receive it; God’s grace is abundant. A friend of mine, Sultan Maguid, told me that his nephew was brutally killed about eleven years ago by a member of a rival political family. The cultural expectation was for Maguid’s family to take revenge on the killer’s family. He prayed long and hard about this and reflected deeply on the words of the Holy Qur’an: ‘It may well be that God will restore the love between you and those of them who are now your enemies. God is All-Powerful. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful’ (Surat al-Mumtahana: 7).

These words inspired him to pray for the grace to forgive his nephew’s murderer. Two years later, Anwar, the brother of his murdered nephew, partook in the Holy Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca.

Amidst the millions of pilgrims from all over the world, the most unexpected happened. As Anwar approached the Kab’ah (sacred black stone), the focal point of the Hajj, he was drawn to stand next to a man whose face seemed familiar to him, but whom he didn’t recognize. Only when they looked each other in the eye did Anwar realize that the man was his brother’s murderer. Maguid said a force like a magnet drew the two men to embrace each other and offer each other the kiss of peace. For Maguid, this magnetic force was surely the grace of God calling both families to forgiveness and a change of heart.

‘I can now forgive the man who killed my nephew, from my heart, Paul,’ Maguid told me with a calm conviction.

I am forever grateful to God for inviting me to be a missionary and giving me the privilege to experience His spirit at work among so many diverse peoples and places in ways I never dreamt possible.

Columban Father Paul Glynn of Ireland was ordained in 1994 and first went to the Philippines in 1990 as a seminarian. He began his Christian-Muslim dialogue ministry in August 2004.You may email him at polmagfhloinn@yahoo.com or write him at St Columban’s, PO Box 268, 9000 CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY.

Having learned of the amazing story involving Captain Alcantara, Steve Georganas, a Member of Parliament, delivered a commendation at the House of Congress in Canberra on 3 November 2005

Captain Roman Alcantara

I rise to speak on a matter concerning the MV Mawashi Al Gaseem, which was impounded in South Australia seven months ago.... Many of the crew were in a desperate plight, as they were the breadwinners for their extended families living in poverty back home in the Philippines, to whom they normally sent most of their wages. Many others connected by family ties were also depending on their help to pay bills for food, medicines, and the education of their children.

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....But thank God for the generous, supportive Filipino community in South Australia. Their generosity meant that the crew who stayed on were looked after whilst in Adelaide. The captain and his crew were strongly supported by the Apostleship of the Sea, the MUA and the ITF, who had campaigned against these ‘ships of shame’—flags of convenience vessels, whose owners treat employees like disposable garbage.…

The courage, hope, and optimism of people in such adverse conditions should be recognised and celebrated. The moral leadership of Roman Alcantara Jr, the captain of Mawashi Al Gasseem, kept his crew focused despite the difficult circumstances that they were in. Leadership such as this, displayed when things are at their worst, should be acknowledged. So should the involvement and the help of the strong local Filipino community that we have in South Australia. The Filipino community responded to the needs of those on board the ship and tried to alleviate their plight. Month after month, the crew waited to be paid, dreading going home empty-handed to those who depended on them under these dreadful circumstances. Even the most level-headed people would be exasperated. One or two of the crew members were nearly suicidal. But the captain ensured that the Filipino crew did not lose their cool.

I will have the pleasure this Saturday in Adelaide of attending a ceremony organised by the Filipino community under the guidance of journalist Norma Hennessy and Dr Dante Juanta, OAM, to express appreciation for and pay tribute to the ship’s master, Captain Roman Alcantara Jr, and to acknowledge the efforts of the many local Filipino and Australian families who helped the crew with care and compassion. They understood this question: if we are not on this planet to help each other, then what are we here for?

 

PANGARAP AT PAMILYA

Akala ng iba, buhay marino'y kay sarap,

malikot na alon, hatid ay hirap.

Sa karagatang kay lapad,

pag-asa'y hinahanap,

upang sa pamilya'y makamit ang pangarap.

Buhay mandaragat, kung iyong iisipin,

hirap at pasakit, pilit mong titiisin.

Hagupit ng alon ay di mo pansin,

sa litrato ng pamilya, lagi kang nakatingin.

Dalangin sa Maykapal, ilayo sa sakuna,

ara ng pag-alis, mahal paalam na.

Pangarap sa pamilya, ay siyang laging una.

Sipag at tiyaga, sa barko'y lagi kong gawa,

aking perang naipon,l ang hatid ay tuwa.

Pag-tiket ko'y hawak na, agad tawag sa asawa,

buo kong pamilya, lahat ay nakatawa.

 

Arman Enriquez and Neil Verocel
MV Pride of Brugges

By Fr Seán Coyle

Father Arsenio ‘Dodo’ Redulla from Bohol, now a priest of the Diocese of Lubbock, Texas, USA, worked for some years with the Columbans in Ireland. Early one Sunday morning he was driving out of the small southeastern port city of Waterford to celebrate Mass in a nearby town and to speak about the work of the Columbans. As we say in Ireland, ‘There wasn’t a sinner to be seen’ – the Irish aren’t early risers on Sunday morning – except for a young Filipino thumbing a lift. At the time there were very few Filipinos in the country and Father ‘Dodo’ was the only Filipino priest there. Of course, he stopped. To his amazement the young man said, ‘I was hoping someone would take me to a church for Mass.’ His ship had just docked and he had never been in Ireland before.

I’ve told that story many times doing mission appeals in Britain. On one occasion a young man came to me after Mass and thanked me for it. He was from the West Indies but a member of the British Royal Navy. The late Fr Albert Hayes OFM Cap, port chaplain in Dublin for some years, told me that whenever a ship with a Philippine crew docked they asked for the priest and, if possible, for Mass onboard.

This happens not only in Dublin, as a story from the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) page of the website of the Diocese of Middlesbrough, http://www.middlesbrough-diocese.org.uk/organisations/apofs/, in the northwest of England shows:

The merchant vessel Maple Ridge recently visited Teesport. The crew were all Filipino and therefore all Catholic. The AOS was able to provide Filipino news, local information, transport to town on more than one occasion, a supply of books and videos and, most importantly, was able to arrange Mass on board whilst the ship was alongside. In addition we also provided a new woolly hat, knitted by local parishioners, to all members of the crew and arranged to email the Filipino News to the ship each day no matter where it is in the world. As in all situations the ship soon left the port and headed for the Far East. But a few days later the following email message was received:

Good Day

We have arrived in Singapore safely and on the voyage didn’t experience any bad weather; we thank God for guiding us. Thank you for all your prayers. We stay here until Sunday before going to Korea. I am receiving the news daily and my crew is very happy when they read news from the Philippines.

May God bless all at Stella Maris (AOS) always.

Your Brother in Christ,

Captain Bernado Empleo,

MV Maple Ridge

The AOS was founded in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1922 and following a blessing from Pope Pius XI, spread rapidly around the world. It started as a lay-led ship-visiting ministry to seafarers but, following an Apostolic Letter in 1958, it became part of the mainstream pastoral care of the Church. It’s now under the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant Workers.http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/migrants/.

One lay AOS chaplain is Tony McAvoy, pictured on our front cover with Vincent, a Filipino seafarer. He writes about the photo and his work:

The picture was taken in June 2003 during one of my visits to the roll-on roll-off ferry 'Norstream' which sails three times a week between my home port of Teesport and Zeebrugge in Belgium. Through regular visits I’m able to get to know the eight Filipino crewmembers, who change over time, quite well, and send them news by email each day, do shopping for them, provide prayer books, rosaries and occasionally when they are allowed free time, take them to Mass or to town. I got to know Vincent quite well. The AOS National Office used his picture on our Sea Sunday collection envelopes in 2004. (Sea Sunday is held every July in Great Britain with collections at all churches for AOS). In 2005 they used the same photograph but left me in the picture also. Vincent has now left the ferries and seems unlikely to return, perhaps having decided to join a deep sea vessel.

AOS Coordinators from nine regions around the world held their annual meeting on 31 January and 1 February in the Vatican. Their final statement pointed out that matters hadn’t really improved and that there were new dangers ‘such as piracy, criminalization of sea folk, restrictions to come on land, greater stress and fatigue, which have created a deterioration of the human environment.’

According to a paper by Maruja M.B. Asis of the Scalabrini Migration Center-Philippines, www.smc.org.ph, published on the website of the Migrant Policy Institute, www.migrationinformation.org, some 20 percent of all OFWs leaving the country every year are seafarers. Filipinos dominate the industry: 25 percent of the world's 1.25 million seafarers are from thePhilippines. Greg B. Macabenta in The Manila Times, www.manilatimes.net, on 6 May, gives a figure of 28.5 percent. He quotes from a Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) report in 2001 a showing that less than half of 400,000 registered Filipino seafarers are employed internationally. Life is hard for those who have jobs and for those who don’t.

The poem of Arman Enriquez and Neil Verocel, Pangarap at Pamilya, printed elsewhere, expresses the loneliness, hope, courage and love for their families of our OFWs who work at sea. It can also remind us that the pastoral mission of the Church involves evangelizing seafarers so that, like the young Filipino in faraway Waterford, they will become, in another sense, evangelizing seafarers.

By Fr Joseph Panabang SVD

MALARIA SCARE

A group of Australian youth, whose organization has been helping many parishes in Ghana, came to visit some of their projects. After an exchange of pleasantries, I learned that they were staying for four weeks and were all new to the country. Welcoming them at Kintampo, I said, ‘Four weeks is long enough to get malaria. Just try to survive the first attack because it’s the most dangerous.’ They looked as if they wanted to leave Ghana that same day.

INVITED IN

Fr Gabriel Ballawig, my cousin, happened to be in Rome on his birthday.  I invited him to attend the Ilocano Sunday Mass at our SVD House. After Mass, he joined us for lunch. I introduced him to the group by saying, ‘It’s his birthday today but since I don’t have time to bring him out, I decided to bring him in.’ I thought I could get away with this, but someone teased me and said in Ilocano, ‘Nasikap kan Apo,’ ‘You are wise.’

THE WEIGHING SCALE

At the end of the course in Rome, my group weighed our accumulated books for shipping.  The parcel of Fr Ban Hachiro from Japan, who always brought an English dictionary with him, was on the weighing scale. Looking at the scale Fr Ban exclaimed, ‘Oh, 50 kilometers!’  Fr Herbert, who was at the door, corrected Fr Ban jokingly, ‘Kilos not kilometers, Ban!’

BELL SEARCH

In 2000, during my home leave in the Philippines, I was looking for a church bell. The sister at the store of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master showed me a big one, but I politely declined it. ‘Sister, if I take this bell, I bet even the monkeys from the mountain would be rushing down to join theMass.’

by Jimmy Lindero

The author, from the parish of St Julian de Cuenca, Janiuay, Iloilo, a seminarian of the Mill Hill Missionaries (www.millhill-missionaries.net), is continuing his studies in Nairobi, Kenya.

The author (rightmost) with friends in Kenya

After two years of theological studies at the Missionary Institute, London, England, I was sent to Witu Parish, Malindi Diocese, Kenya, in August 2003 for a two-year mission experience. The aim of the program is to give missionary students a foretaste of real life in the mission. It gives an individual student an opportunity to properly discern his vocation before making a lifetime commitment to missionary life.

I enjoyed my time in Witu and learned not only many things about the art of missionary ministry but was also challenged about my real motivation for wanting to be a missionary priest. Witu is a rural area, about 250 kilometers away from the town of Malindi, where the new diocese is centered. Witu is covered by the resettlement scheme of the government which has brought many people from different parts of the country and from different tribes to live there.

Our main task in Witu is to cater to the needs of the few Catholics who have come to the area. We gather them and form small Christian communities. To date, there are 11 mission outstations and the number of Catholics is increasing notably. Since the area is predominantly Islamic, we also try to build up good relationships with Muslims by visiting their homes, talking to them and helping them bring social services to the area. This form of interaction is commonly called nowadays ‘dialogue of life’.

My happiest moment in the mission was when I learned the local language and was able to communicate with the people with ease. By learning their language, I was able to adapt to the people’s way of life and challenge what was contrary to Gospel values. Another rewarding moment was to see communities of believers growing and maturing in faith. Yet, there is still a lot of missionary work to be done. As Jesus said in the Gospel, ‘the harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few’. So please include me and my fellow missionary students in your prayers that we may be given the grace to continue to spread His gospel of Love and Service.

A FORETASTE OF MY DREAM

By Narcelle B. Toñacao

When I was a child, being a nurse someday was always my dream. It’s as if it was a program in my mind because until now my goal hasn’t changed. It started when I had a car accident and was hospitalized for a month. The nurses were so dedicated in their profession. They took good care of me even if they were already tired from taking care of other patients.

Last year, as a third year nursing student, I started field duty. I was very excited and nervous at first; excited because it was my very first time in a hospital, not as a patient in need of care, but as a student-nurse willing to render care, and nervous because I didn’t know what would happen. As I was on duty regularly, the feelings of excitement and nervousness faded. I didn’t feel excited anymore because I was so tired. So becoming the ideal nurse, as taught by our school, unconsciously faded in my belief. I didn’t administer drugs in the ideal way, which affected my interaction with patients, and my mood changed from eagerness to apathy.

One day I was assigned to the medical ward, very crowded with indigent patients, with very poor ventilation and many contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, and hepatitis B. Our class instructor assigned each of us to a particular patient and we had our assessment the day before our duty. When I went to the hospital and looked at the matching names on the board, I found that my patient had acute viral hepatitis. I was so scared. Only one thing came to mind: my immune system wasn’t that strong. I had no choice but to accept what was given to me. On the other hand, I also had to consider it as God’s way of teaching me a lesson that the school couldn’t, testing me if I would be a dedicated nurse someday, as I had aspired to be when I was a child.

I realized that I was a weak student-nurse because my performance was immediately affected with just a little trial. In the ward I had many experiences that affected my performance. I always wore a mask when I entered the ward. I also kept my distance from patients with contagious diseases and always brought rubbing alcohol with me. I didn’t care what they might say; I was just protecting myself.

In the midst of my duty, one patient asked a favor from me, to check his intravenous (IV) infusion because it wasn’t flowing. I was willing to do the favor but then saw that his medical diagnosis was secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). I started to hesitate because I knew that the PTB virus was transmitted by air droplets. I looked at him; he was an old man, alone, with no watchers, unlike the other patients. I realized that if I would choose my patients I’d better not continue nursing. Therefore, I went near him and regulated his IV fluids. We talked and I felt sorry for him. I knew that this was God’s way of changing me. If I wanted to become a successful nurse, I must be willing to reach out to those in need of my care.

You may email the author at zyke_1026@yahoo.com

 

By Suzanne Goloy-Lanot

The author, from San Juan, Metro Manila, lives with her husband Leonardo, from Mandaluyong City, in Bremerton, Washington State, USA, with their daughter Adrienne Marie and son Jean-Lenard, both young adults. This is her second article in Misyon.

Some members of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Guild pose with Fr Patrick Freitag (top row, second from right), parish priest of Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish, before the special mass honoring the saint.  Also in photo is Dr Telly Muldong-Tantay ( top row, fifth from right), founder of the guild.

Twenty-five years ago, I worked with one of the nation’s leading financial institutions in the Chinese district of Manila, within walking distance of Binondo Church. At that time, there was much talk about the beatification of Filipino martyr Lorenzo Ruiz. This was wonderful news to me, knowing that someone who once walked the very streets I walked on and who once worked in the very same area I worked in had made a connection with heaven! This made me aware that heaven had come closer to earth.

Born in Binondo in the early 1600s to a Chinese father and Filipino mother, Lorenzo Ruiz was educated by the Dominicans, served as a sacristan, and worked as a calligrapher at Binondo Church. He was married with three children but unfortunately was implicated in a murder that he didn’t commit. He fled the country with a missionary expedition that ended in Nagasaki, Japan, where he was tortured and executed because of his faith. Beatified on 18 February 1981 at Luneta Park, Manila, by Pope John Paul II and later canonized on 18 October 1987 in Rome, Lorenzo Ruiz became the first Filipino saint, his feast day celebrated on 28 September.

Fr Jack Buckalew, the author and her husband Leo

In veneration of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, numerous religious and secular institutions, establishments, and organizations were named in his honor. His death in a foreign land inspired countless Filipinos overseas to recognize and glorify him as their patron saint. His feast day is celebrated in a variety of ways in different parishes among Filipino communities all over the world. With the unrelenting support of their respective parish priests, Fr Patrick Freitag and Fr Jack Buckalew, the parishes of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, (www.starofthesea-bremerton.com) and Holy Trinity (www.holytrinityparishkitsap.org) in Bremerton, Washington State, are no exceptions.Bremerton is divided by the waters of Port Washington Narrows with Our Lady, Star of the Sea, on the west and Holy Trinity on the east working together in ministering to the city’s Catholic community.

Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish

The San Lorenzo Ruiz Guild of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, began as a First Saturday Reparations prayer group in May 1994. In February 1995 it converted into a weekly prayer meeting. In December of that year, the devotion to the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy was formed. The group, realizing they could accomplish more than just pray, finally established the guild on 19 March 1998 after a slow process of evolution under the leadership and painstaking efforts of Telly Muldong-Tantay, a retired physician with the rank of captain in the United States Navy.

Membership is not exclusive to Filipinos but is open to all Catholic families and at present boasts of 45 family memberships as it continues to grow. Two categories of membership exist - active and praying. The guild, its members, and affiliates are further enrolled in the National Asian Pacific Catholic Organization (NAPCO) in Ontario, California.

Guild functions include, but are not limited to, the management and fundraising efforts for various pastoral projects and activities, mainly the parish’s observance of the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz and, since its inception in 1997, the annual Simbang Gabi celebrations of the Archdiocese of Seattle (www.seattlearch.org) in its 82 parishes under the inspirational leadership of Archbishop Alex J. Brunett. It promotes Filipino culture by its participation in various year-round multicultural expositions in Western Washington, the area covered by the archdiocese. It provides financial assistance to charitable organizations in the Philippines, the United States, and other countries, and food and shelter for the homeless men of the community in December. It manages the reception dinner after the semi-annual communal administration of the sacrament of the sick.

The parish celebrates the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz on the Friday evening closest 28 September with a special Mass and reception. This year’s celebration will incorporate the centennial commemoration of Filipino migration to the United States. Clad in identical barong and kimona,the design varying each year, guild members look stunning as they usher in the guests, presenting them with programs and souvenirs.

The Mass begins with a short procession of the two-by-three foot framed religious icon of San Lorenzo escorted by four candle-bearing altar servers. The icon is a depiction of the saint in Nagasaki with various illustrations relating to his martyrdom, particularly the hanging pit, the most horrible form of execution in those days. It is positioned on Mary’s side of the sanctuary. After Holy Communion, Felix Fabellano, Pastoral Assistant for Youth and Young Adults, leads the congregation in his original composition, ‘Viva, San Lorenzo.’

The Camerman Hall, named after Monsignor Joseph Camerman, a Belgian priest who spearheaded the parish expansion project in the 1950s, is the venue for the multicultural fellowship celebration where a five-foot solid wooden statue of San Lorenzo in an exquisitely carved barong is displayed. The statue, a donation from a generous guild member, stays in the home of the hermana mayor of the particular year. Guests are welcomed with an exhibit of the art, culture, and history of the Philippines.

Projecting an image of cultural distinctiveness, explanatory texts and artifacts set the stage for exploring this nation of islands. The exhibit is divided into two main groups: spiritual and educational. The spiritual category lays emphasis on the different feasts held throughout the year: January, Sto Niño; February, Our Lady of Lourdes; March or April, the Easter Triduum; June, the Sacred Heart; July, Our Lady of Mount Carmel; August, the Assumption; September, San Lorenzo Ruiz; October, Our Lady of the Rosary; November, All Souls; December, Simbang Gabi and the Nativity. The educational category accentuates Filipino heroes, books about the Philippines, native crafts, and the different images and shrines of the Blessed Mother in the country.

The festive table is laden with multi-ethnic specialties to accommodate the taste preferences of all nationalities. From the delightfully simple to the extraordinarily exotic, every last morsel is there to be savored. An evening of wholesome family entertainment includes a variety of multiethnic music, song, and dance. A professional Filipino dance troupe with members ranging from in age from five through young adulthood presents a rich repertoire of dances reflecting the influence of major civilizations on the Filipino heritage. Japanese martial arts, Hawaiian, Tahitian, and other Polynesian dances are equally entertaining. A fun selection of sing-along songs entices everyone to join in. However, the evening is never complete without the hilarious antics of Felix Fabellano and his entourage.

Holy Trinity Parish

In June 2001 the same generous devotee of San Lorenzo donated a four-foot resin statue of the saint clothed in an intricately embroidered barong to my parish, Holy Trinity, with the hope that the gift would unite all Filipinos. Although a guild has not been established in his honor, the observance of his feast day is organized and managed by members of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open in Spirit to God)Covenant Community, simply known as the BLD.

On the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz, his statue, adorned with roses, is displayed in the parish sanctuary during all weekend Masses. On the Saturday nearest his feast, a parish banner imprinted with the saint’s image and the sacred statue borne closely behind it lead the congregation in a simple procession around the perimeter of the church’s parking area, commencing this annual event. Holding lit candles that rival the bright afternoon sun, parishioners join in songs of worship and praise to the accompaniment of folk guitars.

A narrative about the saint’s life precedes a regular Mass that is highlighted with a musical arrangement of ‘Awit kay San Lorenzo’ (San Lorenzo Ruiz Hymn) by Joyce Paxson, Pastoral Assistant for Music. This rendition, made more special because the parish music ministry team, its members of diverse ethnicity, performs it, resonates deeply in the hearts of the Filipino community.

After the Mass, the statue is ushered into the social hall where a banquet of scrumptious Filipino delicacies and delightful cultural entertainment await the congregation. Guests are immersed in an ambiance of Filipino hospitality and are provided with an array of mouth-watering cuisine. Although a succulent lechon (roast pig) holds the place of honor on the festive table, entrees like pancit, adobo,and lumpia as well as native desserts like puto and leche flan are extremely favored by non-Filipino guests.

The evening continues with Filipino song and music, featuring many of our native dances and distinctive costumes. The grand finale is the anticipated presentation of the Tinikling (bamboo dance) since it generates a sense of fun along with the enthusiasm and opportunity to participate in an activity that demands the grace and skill of quick movement by its performers. Laughter fills the room as guests take on the challenge to escape the rapidly clapping bamboo poles.

This tradition of paying homage to a patron saint clearly demonstrates how we Filipinos continue to embrace the richness of our culture and its fervent Catholic faith with mind, heart, and spirit, thereby promoting Filipino Christian values and its diverse cultural heritage in a foreign land. For Filipino immigrants like me, it also creates an air of nostalgia reminiscent of the traditional hometown fiesta, enriched by a strong Spanish religious influence that has been absorbed into the Filipino way of life.

Twenty-five years ago, the beatification of a Filipino martyr was a mere probability. Today, his sainthood is a profound reality. The vision for the future is the universal devotion to San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, whose life, imbued with religious fervor, is an excellent example for all Christians since it provides a good context within which to know, love, and serve God.

You may contact the author at sumgl57@yahoo.com.

By Father Donal Halliden SSC

Fr Donal Halliden

Fr Donal Halliden is one of four brothers who became priests. Fathers William and Jerome, both Columbans, and Patrick, a diocesan priest, have all gone ahead. Father Donal came to the Philippinesin January 1948 and now works at the Misyon office in Manila. He writes here about the great patroness of missionaries whose feast is 1 October.

The ‘Little Way’ of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus captivated countless hearts and souls when it came to light shortly after her death in 1897. It first appeared in Story of a Soul, her autobiography written under command of her religious superiors. Translated since into some 60 languages, Story of a Soulhas become one of the great classics of spiritual literature and is known to have had a remarkable influence on the Second Vatican Council. In it Thérèse reveals a spirituality that is a radical departure from the types of devotion that many perceive as too complicated or difficult for them. It quickly drew widespread interest because it is clear, gospel-based, and suitable for people in all walks of life.

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Thérèse herself practiced, or rather lived, the Little Way in the obscurity of the Carmelite convent at Lisieux in France, completely unknown to the outside world during her short lifetime of only 24 years. In her search for the special vocation in the Church to which she felt sure God was calling her, she struggled for six years of her convent life before it became clear what this was. She came to realize that in achieving union with God, weakness was more of an asset than a liability. She was struck by the text in Proverbs 9:4 in which the Lord says ‘if anyone is very little let him come to me.’ She was that little one who, she once wrote, was ‘not a great soul but one who is very little and very imperfect.’ Her littleness or shortcomings would not prevent from growing in God’s love because God Himself would make it possible through His merciful love. She had made a momentous discovery and called it the ‘Little Way’ - a way to God for her and for all who are little.

The solid foundation on which Thérèse built the Little Way was her firm conviction that ‘God is nothing but Merciful Love.’ In the Bible, St John - the beloved disciple of Jesus - proclaimed that ‘God is Love’ (1 John 4:16). Thérèse would assert that ‘He is Merciful Love.’ This teaching came at a time when Jansenism, although condemned by the Church, was rampant in Europe. It portrayed God as a severe task-master, ever ready to punish misdeeds without mercy. This caused many people to have an excessive fear of God which greatly damaged their relationship with Him. But Thérèse, with her deep knowledge of the Scriptures and her personal intuition and experience, knew that God is a loving Father full of compassion and tenderness.

Thérèse further emphasized that God’s love is given to us freely. It comes totally from His goodness and is not in any way due to our merits or good works. He loves us for our own sakes and wants us to love Him in the same way, simply for His sake. The key to understanding and accepting the merciful love of God is total confidence in that love. On her deathbed when Thérèse was asked if she feared meeting God, she replied ‘How can I fear the One who loves me?’

The Little Way is of major significance for all who wish to become holy and to experience the greatest joy that life can give: union with God. It teaches that everyone can do this by living for God in the ordinary, everyday activities and experiences that we all have. Whether in the home, the workplace, the community, or wherever we spend our days, we can offer everything to God. Carrying out duties and responsibilities faithfully, practicing charity to friend and foe alike, bearing patiently sufferings and trials, are among the countless opportunities we have to ‘lay up treasures in Heaven’ (cf Matt. 6:20) To do this, Thérèse tells us, ‘it is enough to do all for the love of God.’ We are asked only to believe in God’s unfailing love for us. No matter how weak we may be spiritually, God accepts us as we are and wants us to do the same for ourselves in spite of our failures and shortcomings.

Our vocation in life is to love God with all our hearts and souls, as Christ said. And we are to share that love with our fellow human beings. St Thérèse in her Little Way teaches that ‘it is confidence and confidence alone that must lead us to love.’ When we have this confidence, God in His goodness and Mercy will make us holy – ‘we can expect everything from Him’ is the assurance of this modern-day Teacher and Doctor of the Church.

You may write Father Halliden at: St Columban’s, PO Box 4454, 1099 MANILA.