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Apr - Jun 2015
contents
Second Quarter Issue of 2015
COVER STORY
06 The Church of the Poor in the Year of the Poor
in the Philippines
join us now!
FEATURE ARTICLES
15
28
St. Anthony of Padua, Defender of the Poor
Sandiwaaan
NEWS AND EVENTS
12
13
19
25
25
26
26
27
27
27
30
General Chapter Held in Rome
Filipino Friar Elected as General Definitor
Serve the Lord with Gladness
Provincial Definitory Elects
New MInister Provincial
Missionaries for Myanmar and Sri Lanka
Accompaniment Program
Sta. Ana Celebrates Fiesta
Young Friars Renew their Vows
A Benefit Concert
Thanksgiving and Testimonial Dinner
Vows to Religious Life
INTER-FRANCISCAN EVENTS
34 Inter-Franciscan Juniors’ Renewal Conference
35 Inter-Franciscan Hermitage 2015
SPECIAL ARTICLE
20
Demythologizing Padre Damaso
32
Farewell Brother Bert
a b out t h e cover
The CBCP declared the year 2015 as the Year of the Poor, along with
Consecrated Life. In this year, we look on the poor and marginalized
people and reach out by the light of the church, specially in remote areas.
The “Katutubo” or “Agtas” in Palanan, Isabela in the Parish of St. Mary
Magdalene are given attention to make them feel that they belong to the
church. The photo was taken when the staff went to the Parish during the
celebration of the Fiesta in July 2014 when they were entertained and fed
by the parishioners.
courtesy of Mr. Tony Andaluz
C O N TA C T
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SECOND QUARTER 2015
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N O W !
call or text : 09064422509
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THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
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SECOND QUARTER 2015
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editors’
editorial team
PROVINCIAL
Communicator
fr. cielito r. almazan, ofm
Publisher
FR. ANDRES b. RAÑOA, JR., OFM
Editor-in-chief
FR. DEXTER A. TOLEDO, OFM
Managing Editor
Communications Director
FR. GENEROSO B. PASTIDIO, OFM
Associate Editor
Media Director
FR. hilaire paul valiquette, OFM
Copywriter
ROMEO V. OGMAR, JR.
Magazine Design & Lay-out
Contributor
SALVADOR B. BARROZO, III
Photography
SHIRLEY MANSANAL
CRISTINA MANABAT
Circulation Managers
FR. CRISTINO PINE, OFM
fr. eric s. ollague, ofm
fr. reynaldo legayada, ofm
Bro. mark angelo vito, ofm
BRO. joseph ARAMAR PALLONES, OFM
Contributors
THE provincial COMMUNICATOR is published
quarterly by the Franciscan Friars of the
OFM Province of San Pedro Bautista, Philippines, with office address at St. Gregory the
Great Friary # 69 San Pedro Bautista Street,
San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City with
Telephone No. +63 (2) 373- 2973 or +63 (2)
373- 2975. It is distributed for the local OFM
Communities, Friars in Mission abroad and
the benefactors. However, subscription may
also be available upon request.
This magazine is printed in the Philippines
by Zoom Printing Co, Cubao, Quezon City.
Copyright 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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OFM INBOX
foreword
from our Facebook Fanpage
Dear Readers,
t
T
o prepare for the 500th anniversary
of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021, the
Philippine Church dedicates each liturgical
year to a specific focus of renewal. Now is the Year
of the Poor, along with that of the Consecrated Life, i.e, the religious men
and women who vow to live the gospel counsels of poverty, chastity and
obedience. There are two kinds of poor: those in the entire world who are,
in various conditions, materially wanting and others in the whole Church
who, on their own decision, vow to forever live as poor. Are the latter true
witnesses? Or religious hypocrites? This issue features St. Anthony of
Padua, the Defender of the Poor. The challenge to be a Church of the
Poor rests heavily upon us.
Congratulations to Lino Gregorio Redoblado, OFM, our former
Minister Provincial who is now an elected Definitor General. Choicest
blessings be upon him and the rest of the General Definitory as they lead
the Franciscan Order in the next six years to an authentic witness to our
identity lived in fraternity and minority. As per rule of the Order, Cielito
Almazan, OFM and Reu Jose Galoy, OFM were elected Minister Provincial
and Vicar, respectively. A testimonial dinner was held in their honor. An
article related to a return to our original charism attempts to clarify the
ordinary Filipinos’ misconceptions about the Spanish Franciscans in the
Philippines by demythologizing Padre Damaso, a Franciscan friar in the
writings of Jose Rizal. Pope Francis, by adopting the name of our Founder
challenges us and expects us to be faithful to our name “lesser brothers.”
Hello to Franciscan life in the Province ends with a goodbye: novices
profess their vows – its newborn members; the friars in formation renew
their profession – its future; two of them have their solemn profession
– its fresh full pledged members; three friars are ordained priests – its
additional laborers in Lord’s vineyard; two friars are sent for mission abroad
- its contribution to the internationality of the Order; those perpetually
professed five years and below continue with their accompaniment
program – its being fortified young servant-leaders; its stage by stage
formation seedbed of vocations; a parish celebrates its fiesta – its grateful
interaction with the people it serves, and the funeral rites for a departing
friar – its celebration of the inevitable transition of members from this
earth to heaven. Farewell, Br. Bertram, OFM.
For the Province, a concert for the Evangelization Center was
produced. Beyond the Province, Inter Congregational Theological Center
(ICTC) welcomes Austrian delegates to its exchange program Sandiwaan
– its collaborative effort with an educational institution abroad; friars in
formation join the other members of the Franciscan family in the Inter
Franciscan Junior Renewal Conference, while some friars attend the
Inter Franciscan Hermitage experience in Tagaytay - common efforts at
discovering and expressing mutuality and communality in our charism.
May our return to our gospel roots and to our founding charism enable
us to rediscover gospel fraternity and minority – essential components of
our call to be poor in spirit.
FRANCISCAN WITNESS
It’s so inspiring to know the great
things of God to his people through
his own ways like the Franciscan
missionaries in dIfferent parts of the
world. I’m a living witness of how
they work while I’m in Libya with Rev.
Fr. Amado Baranquel, OFM. We had
a good experience sharing the living
God in the different communities and
nationalities and put into one in the
name God Almighty through his son
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. To
all FRANCISCANS we are so proud
of you !!God bless.
Gina Parco Matias
A HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR
FR. BERTRAM
Thank you, OFM Franciscan Philippines. Thank you for your
untiring love and care for our
beloved Fr. Bertram. We, the people
of Culaba Biliran, warmly express
our heartfelt salutation for a deeply
rooted spirituality that Fr. Bertram
and the rest of OFM implanted in
the hearts of Biliranon. One day I will
send to you my short write-up about
the life of Fr. Bert. I gave him one
copy at the Rieti House a couple of
years ago. OFM Fathers, pray for me.
Agnes Festejo Fiel
SHARE YOUR STORIES
WITH THE OFM FRANCISCANS!
Email us at ofmphil.org@gmail.com
The OFM Franciscans Magazine is featuring some interesting topics every
quarter that may be helpful for you, our dear readers. The magazine will
not only inform you of the latest news and events of the Franciscans but
will also share some spiritual insights from our friars to help you with your
reflections through some of informative religious articles.
We want an interactive magazine. We want to hear from you, your stories
and inspiring thoughts on how the presence of the Franciscans in your life
and in your community affect your Catholic faith through the Franciscan
mission. We would also want to hear from you your comments and
suggestions on how we can make this magazine wiil be more helpful to
you.
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file of the magazine!
Fr. Chito Rañoa, OFM
THANKS FOR THE SHEMA
PROJECT
Fr. Gene,
I just want to thank you for the
Shema. Please tell your staff I am
using it to help the OFW’s who can’t
come for the Holy Family Filipino
Community in Nazareth for our
weekend Mass at the Chapel of
Mensa Christi, that is given to our
use. I hope that the Shema project
can help deepen their faith and
ecclesial sense.
Once again, Gene, maraming
salamat hindi lang sa iyo kundi sa
lahat ng kaugnay sa project na iyan
ng Province.
Fr. Benny Baisas, OFM
looking for vocation
I want to answer God’s call and
willingly to serve God in poverty and
simplicity. I look over this faithful
congregation for more than one and
half year but I don’t know were to find
it. I know this is what God wants me
to be, to serve under the rule of St.
Francis of Assisi and I’m very thankful that this time God answered my
prayer. I’m hoping that this will be
the way to answer my vocation.May I
know what are the requirements and
how to be a seminarian in this faithful
congregation. Thank you very much
May God continue to guide you and
keep you all in the sacred heart of St.
Francis..
Anthony N. Estoy
4
SECOND QUARTER 2015
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
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SECOND QUARTER 2015
5
cover story
THE CHURCH OF THE
IN THE YEAR OF THE
By FR. ANDRES RAÑOA, JR., OFM
i
O
In the Gospels Jesus puts himself
decidedly on the side of all those
people who for one reason or another
are considered undesirable, despicable, impure
before God and men. These people can be
categorized into the following groups: 1) the
sick, who are associated with sin and impurity;
2) the poor, who on account of their religious
ignorance, are unable to fulfill the divine law;
3) the publicans and sinners, the especially
excluded and hated, and 4) women, who are
the most socially marginalized people.
Brothers, select
from among you
seven reputable
men, filled with
the Spirit and
wisdom, whom
we shall appoint
to this task,
whereas we shall
devote ourselves
to prayer and to
the ministry of
the word.
(Acts 6:13-4)
6
In the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles
were conscious of their primary mission to
proclaim the gospel and assist the poor: “At
that time, the Hellenists complained against
the Hebrews because their widows were being
neglected in the daily distribution. So the
Twelve called together the community of the
disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect
the word of God to serve at table. Brothers,
select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we
shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall
devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry
of the word.’ The proposal was acceptable
to the whole community, so they presented
these men to the apostles who prayed and laid
hands on them. ” (6:1-6). Here, the poor were
represented by the widows and orphans since
widows, being women, did not get inheritance
upon the death of their husbands and would
rely on the generosity of their relatives and
friends.
SECOND QUARTER 2015
POOR
IN THE PHILIPPINES
For centuries the poor have been the object
of help and almsgiving in the Church. But they
have never been the subject of decisions and
thinking among the Church officials. In the last
sixty years, however, a change has been brought
about. When John XXIII began to speak of the
“Church of the Poor,” that did not please some
and there were professors of ecclesiology who
literally laughed at this expression.
A Church of the Poor?
When the Church in the Philippines becomes truly this Church of the Poor, the poor will feel at home in her, and will participate actively, as
equal to others, in her life and mission
Many issues have been written regarding the
poor: from the Old Testament to the ministry
of Jesus and our obligation towards them. The
following comments would center on a key
issue regarding the poor in the Church: what is
their place in the Church?
Positioning in the
New Testament
It is a fact that in the Church there are many
groups and entities attending to the poor and
defending the downtrodden of the world. The
Church has for a century been declaring its
social doctrine in defense of the poor through
documents and sermons. It cannot be denied
that this is said. But what is done?
Is it true that there is a place for the poor in
the Church? In theory, the poor are the preferred
group of people in the gospels. But in practice,
everybody knows that things frequently function
in quite another fashion. Just look at where the
poor are positioned in Church during Masses.
Who make up the parish pastoral council? Are
the poor included in the decision and policy
making in the Church?
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
In the Gospels, Jesus rebukes those who seek
the first places: “Woe to you Pharisees! You love
the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings
in marketplaces” (Luke 11:43). Then, there
are episodes that pertain to the sayings of Jesus
regarding desire for positions: “They (James and
John, sons of Zebedee) answered him, ‘Grant
that in your glory we may sit one at your right
and the other at your left.’ Jesus said to them, ‘to
sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared
(Mark 10:37-40). In Matthew 20:21-23, it is the
mother of the two who asks: “Command that
these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and
the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus
has the same reply.
For Jesus, if “anyone wishes to be first, he
shall be the last of all and the servant of all”
(Mark 9:35). In the course of his teaching he
said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go
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around in long robes and accept greetings in
the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets” (Mark 12:3839; Luke 20:46). When he noticed that people
were choosing the places of honor at table,
he told this parable: “When you are invited
by someone to a wedding banquet, do not
recline at table in the place of honor. A more
distinguished guest than you may have been
invited by him, and the host who invited
both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give
your place to this man,’ and then you would
proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest
place. Rather, when you are invited, go and
take the lowest place so that when the host
comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up
to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the
esteem of your companions at the table. For
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be
exalted” (Luke 14:7-11).
He extolled the attitude of servants rather
than that of those being served and seated
comfortably: “For who is greater: the one
courtesy of www.inquirer.net
“Grant that in
your glory we
may sit one at
your right and
the other at your
left. Jesus said
to them, … ‘to
sit at my right
or at my left is
not mine to give
but is for those
for whom it has
been prepared”
SECOND QUARTER 2015
7
seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not
the one seated at table? I am among you as the
one who serves”. (Luke 22:27).
Becoming a
Church of the
Poor would
require that
pastors and
other Church
leaders should,
by way of
pastoral
immersion,
be directly
knowledgeable
of the life
situation of the
poor among their
flock in order to
be effective in
their solidarity
with the poor.
The Letter of James severely condemns
those who seat the poor in worse places than
the rich: “My brothers, show no partiality …
For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and
in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and
a poor person in shabby clothes also comes
in, and you pay attention to the one wearing
the fine clothes and say, ‘Sit here, please,’ while
you say to the poor one, ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit
at my feet,’ have you not made distinctions
among yourselves and become judges with evil
designs?” (2:1-4).
In compliance with the above episodes,
the early Christian community did exactly the
opposite of the dominating tendency and went
directly to the last places.
Jesus’ idea lasted some time in the Church.
At the beginning of the third century, a
liturgical and canonical directory of prime
importance rules that when the church
community is assembled together at a meeting
and no empty seat is available, if a poor person
enters, the bishops should get up from his seat
OUR CHARISM
for the poor man to occupy it and the bishop
should sit on the floor.
Naturally such radicalism could not last
for long in the Church, especially so when the
Church got organized in the fourth century.
The poor returned to their place, the last for
sure. And the important people recovered their
preferential places.
The Church of the Poor in the
Philippines
In 1992 the Second Plenary Council of
the Philippines (PCP II) had the vision of the
Church being the Church of the Poor, that is:
1. one that embraces and practices gospel
poverty;
2. one with a special love for the poor,
without excluding anyone;
3. one where the poor are not
discriminated against because they are
poor and deprived of the spiritual goods
of the Church in terms of stipends and
stole fees;
4. one that courageously defends and
vindicates the rights of the poor and
HOW DO WE PARTICIPATE IN BUILDING THE
CHURCH OF THE POOR?
Franciscans are known for their
vow of poverty. As followers of St.
Francis of Assisi, their mission is to
serve the poor and proclaim God’s
love through evangelization toward
building up the church of the poor.
Franciscan communities extend
their mission to the remote areas to
evangelize people in building the
church of the poor. To work with
and for the poor is the founding
charism of the Franciscans.
The Franciscan presence in
remote areas such as, St. Mary
Magdalene Parish in Palanan
8
SECOND QUARTER 2015
Isabela with sub-communities in
Maconacon, Divilacan and Dinapigue
where the presence of marginalized
“agtas” is given attention. The Pope
Pius X Mission Church in Brgy.
Bagong Sirang in the Diocese of Virac
Catanduanes, St. Francis of Assisi
Community in Donsol, Sorsogon,
the Sta. Clara Mission Community
in Navotas, Malabon and St. Francis
of Assisi Parish in Caliat, Nueva
Viscaya are some of the communites
who initiate evangelization and
establishment of basic communities
in remote areas where majority of the
population are poor.
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
the oppressed, at all cost and not silent
regarding forms of exploitation of the
poor and reminds the rich of their precise
duties and condemns the many injustices;
5. one where everyone, i.e., members and
leaders, will have such a love of preference
for the poor as to orient and tilt the center
of gravity of the entire community in
favor of the needy, and
6. one that is willing to follow Jesus Christ
through poverty and oppression in order
to carry out the work of salvation in
humility and self-denial.
Becoming a Church of the Poor would
require that pastors and other Church leaders
should, by way of pastoral immersion, be directly
knowledgeable of the life situation of the poor
among their flock in order to be effective in their
solidarity with the poor. They will collaborate with
the poor themselves and with others to lift up the
poor from their poverty, following the example of
Christ who came to serve and not be served. The
Church in the Philippines, not only evangelizing
the poor, but being evangelized by the poor, will
not only render preferential service to the poor but
will practice preferential reliance on the poor in the
work of evangelization.
It is a secret to no one, for example, that not
rarely do we meet people of the Church who get
impatient and are even irritated by the simple
fact that some liturgical norm is not observed
in all its exactitude, while at the same time, are
not concerned, do not remember, much less are
irritated, by the fact that there are people suffering,
even dying of hunger or abandonment near,
perhaps very near where they are celebrating Mass.
of the Poor. One practical action made by the
Archdiocese of Manila was not to publicize the
Mass intentions, as such practice further separated
the have’s and the have-not’s. Years have passed,
and we hear the intentions being mentioned again
before Masses.
The Challenge of Pope Francis
Pope Francis chose the name Francis because
of the influence of Francis of Assisi in the reforms
of the Church. In this Year of the Poor, the Poor
Man of Assisi teaches us to choose evangelical
poverty as the starting point for renewing the life
of the Church. In divesting himself of material
riches, Francis started to look at the gospel in the
optic of the poor.
We will surely face oppositions and say that
this is not doable. Let us recall that when Francis
of Assisi encountered opposition to the approval
of his Rule of Life, which simply meant the living
out of the gospel, a cardinal warned the Church
officials of the danger of preaching the irrelevance
of the gospel at that time.
At least now, we must strive towards making
the place of the poor in the Church the starting
point of our renewal: because in all societies,
Pope Francis visits
the poor on his visit
to Tacloban City
during the 2015
Papal visit
in January.
When the Church in the Philippines becomes
truly this Church of the Poor, the poor will feel at
home in her, and will participate actively, as equal to
others, in her life and mission. The Church will then
become truly a communion, a sign and instrument
for the unity of the whole Filipino nation.
In 2002 an evaluation of PCP II resolutions
produced negative results. The Church in the
Philippines has not attained its status as Church
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SECOND QUARTER 2015
9
institutions, groups, the place a person occupies
expresses his rank, the esteem he merits, the
power he wields. And this is what caused so
many headaches to Jesus and His disciples.
Because Jesus wanted to change at all costs the
order set by the religious leaders in his time
according to conveniences. For Jesus, “the last
were the first and the first, the last” (Matthew
20:16).
CBCP’s Message for
the Year of the Poor
In the Year of the Poor the Philippine
bishops challenge us to dare to gaze into the eyes
of the Crucified Lord for us to realize that he
is fully one with the unwashed, the oppressed,
the scorned, the powerless, the miserable, the
outcast.
The bishops first address the poor in various
forms of destitution. In spite of their condition,
they manage to be grateful for whatever they
can produce for their families. They survive
against all odds and injustices they suffer. And
they are consoled by the Crucified Lord who
said: “Blessed are you poor ” and also hear his
call to all his disciples who labor and are heavily
burdened to come to him.
The bishops then challenge the poor to: look
for work and work well with a personal sense
of industry, self-respect and social responsibility;
provide well for their families in love: nutritious
food, adequate clothing, medical care, good
education, wholesome recreation; strive for
humane and just working conditions; be active
in their local environs and help contribute
to their welfare; vote as the common good
demands; as parents, lead their children to the
love and respect the Lord through our Catholic
communion; be involved in their parishes; share
courageously of their faith in love, and be not
just receivers of the Gospel. Be its bearers!
opportunism against the poor who labor for
them. They must share their wealth which is
God’s intention for the goods of the earth. They
must remember the words of Jesus: “Woe to
you who are rich, ...” and “Whatever you have
done or not done to one of these the least of my
brothers and sisters, that you have done or not
done to me.”
Then, the bishops challenge the rich: to stop the
corruption, the misuse of the People’s funds, the
wanton destruction of the environment; fight the
poverty of the poor by building vibrant companies
and an economy whose benefits do not exclude
the poor; provide jobs and education relevant to
the fight against dehumanizing poverty, and build
a society of dialogue and peace, because in war
the greatest victims are the poor!
Lastly, the bishops turn the challenge to
themselves as pastors, and with then, all
priests and religious, to: refrain from luxurious
possessions and recreation and vacations here
and abroad; avoid self-centered ambitions,
excessive demand for privacy and for positions
of power and control; balance their financial
security vis-a-vis parish financial difficulties, and
dispense with other gods and cling to Jesus as our
Messiah.
In the evaluation of ministry, they are to
return to their original inspiration, for healing,
for raising up, making whole and surprising anew
with unaccustomed joy. To be actually poor,
one with him, stripped of his clothes, his dignity,
his possessions, his power, his strength, one with
the unwashed, the oppressed, the scorned, the
powerless, the miserable, the outcast.
The Place of the Poor
in the Church Today
In terms of theology, do the poor influence
the way of understanding God, of interpreting
the Gospel, of explaining the essence of Christian
salvation, etc. Jesus said on one occasion, in
a categorical and disconcerting way, that the
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, “hides” what
is most profound in Him from certain people,
while he “reveals” this to others: “At that time
Jesus said in reply, ‘I give praise to you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, for although you
have hidden these things from the wise and the
learned you have revealed them to the childlike’”
(Matthew 11:25).
The truth is that the theology in the Church
is elaborated by those whom we consider
learned and knowledgeable. This is contrary to
St. Paul who says that wisdom is not achieved
through the “intellectuals,” the “powerful” and
the “people from a good family” (1 Cor 1:26),
and he goes on to say: “God chose the foolish of
this world to humble the learned, and the weak
of the world to humble the strong; and God
chose the common people of the world, the
despised, those that do not exist to annul those
that do exist” (1 Cor 1:27-28).
Therefore, the fundamental problem for the
Church is not only to evangelize the poor, but
also to allow itself to be evangelized by them.
To let poor have a say in the matter, to give
them a leading role, to try to have society and
institutions, including the Church, organize
themselves according to the criteria and interests
of the poor, are things that would pose a threat
to our much desired security, our feeling of
superiority and our badly disguised disdain
towards all that is related to exclusion and
weakness in the system.
Initial Steps
To borrow from a pamphlet The Church of the
Poor, 1999, we pose the following questions.
What do the poor ask of the Church? What
challenge do they pose now? No matter what
the answers are: Firstly, that the Church should
not be afraid of them, that it should not overlook
them at the time of thinking, deciding, acting,
teaching, etc.; that it should give them at least as
much attention and as much hearing as it gives
to the many powerful people of this world. The
same amount, to say the least. Actually, it ought
to give them much more; that it should make
them not only passive subjects of its attention,
but also active ones: that it should set itself on
the road to taking them into consideration in
its centers of analysis and decision, etc.; that it
should not persecute or ill-treat those who opt
for the poor, with all the consequences that this
brings along, and who try to construct a world
less cruel and less unjust towards these poor;
that being converted to God, it should not place
its security more in the ambiguous support of the
powers of this world than in the weak support
of the poor, and that it should know that, if this
creates problems for her, it also created the same
for her Founder.
DIFFERENT FACES
OF THE POOR IN THE
PHILIPPINES. Still
many Filipinos are
affected by sufferings
and starvation. Both
the church and the
government should give
more attention to this
reality.
In this Year of the Poor, may our neediness
be turned to sanctity, and may our arrogance
be turned to service. In all, may the love of the
Crucified Lord triumph as he gazes into our
hearts and we dare to look into his.
In addressing the rich, the bishops point
out that the rich appropriate their hard gained
treasures to their selfish efforts, greed and
Images used in this article are credits from the respective owner.
10
SECOND QUARTER 2015
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
www.ofmphil.org
SECOND QUARTER 2015
11
news & events
A Filipino Friar Elected As
general definitor
2015 General Chapter
held in Rome
By Fr. Dexter A. Toledo, OFM
By Fr. Dexter A. Toledo, OFM
t
T
he 2015 General Chapter began with
the theme “Brothers and Minors in
our Time.” It was held at the Domus
Pacis, adjacent to the Porziuncola in Saint
Mary of the Angels, Assisi (Perugia, Italy),
from the 10th of May to the 7th of June 2015.
Fr. Greg Redoblado, OFM participated in
the event as one of the capitulars.
The Capitulars
duriing the
opening of
the General
Chapter in
Assisi Italy
infront of the
Saint Mary of
the Angels in
Assisi Italy.
The chapter began with a celebration
of the Eucharist in the Basilica of the
Portiuncula. Before Mass the Chapter
participants gathered in the piazza in front
of the basilica and listened to a passage
from the life of St. Francis by Thomas
of Celano. They then entered the
basilica in procession and,
pausing in front of the tiny
church of the Portiuncula, they reverenced
the book of the Gospels.
The Minister General, Br. Michael
Perry, OFM presided over the Eucharistic
Celebration along with Cardinal Francisco
Javier Errazuriz Ossa, the cardinal delegated
by the Holy Father to be with the friars during
this Chapter. Br. Julio César Bunader, Vicar
General and Br. Aidan McGrath, Secretary
General of the Order were the principal
concelebrants.
For more
news about
the General
Chapter 2015
you may visit
the official
website of the
Ordo Fratrum
Minores at
ofm.org
During the said chapter, Br. Michael
Anthony Perry, OFM was re-elected as
Minister General of the Order and
Br. Julio César Bunader was reelected Vicar General.
iI
t indeed brought a great
sense of pride for us Filipinos
to have one of our own
to be elected to one of the highest
administrative positions in the Order.
Fr. Lino Gregorio V. Redoblado,
OFM, Minister Provincial of
Province of San Pedro Bautista in
the Philippines, has been elected
OFM General Definitor for Asia,
Australia and Oceania during the
General Chapter 2015 celebrated
in the Domus Pacis, adjacent to the
Porziuncola in Saint Mary of the
Angels, Assisi, last May 10 to June 7,
2015. He is the first Filipino elected to
such a position.
Inter-Congregational
Theological
Center (ICTC). He had his further
studies at Pontificia Universita
Antonianum in Rome earning
both a Licentiate (2002) and later a
Doctorate in Philosophy (2005) with
an academic distinction (magna cum
laude).
After his solemn profession,
he served the Province in various
capacities: Provincial Secretary of
the OFM Province of San Pedro
Bautista;
Provincial
Definitor;
Provincial Secretary for Formation
and Studies; Dean and Lector at
Our Lady of the Angels Seminary
(OLAS); Guardian and School
Director of OLAS; Member of the
General Secretariat for Formation
and Studies Executive Committee
and Guardian at Santuario de San
Antonio, Forbes Park, Makati. He
was elected Minister Provincial of the
Province last February 2013 during
which he served as President of the
East Asian Conference (EAC).
The Provincial fraternity of San
Pedro Bautista wishes him good luck
in his new ministry to the Order. May
God be with you always Fr. Greg.
Fr. Redoblado is the son of
the late Dr. Franco Redoblado and
Lourdes Velasquez. He made his first
profession of vows on May 31, 1988
and his solemn profession of vows
on May 23, 1992 at Santuario de San
Antonio Parish, Forbes Park, Makati.
He was ordained priest by Most
Rev. Julio X. Labayen, OCD, DD on
October 22, 1994.
He earned his Master’s Degree
in Comparative Religion, Minors
in Philosophy and Sociology at the
Our Lady of the Angels Seminary in
1986. He later earned an Ecclesiastical
Degree in Pastoral Theology at the
Fr. Lino Gregorio V. Redoblado, OFM, New Elected General Definitor meets Pope Francis during the General Audience
with the OFM Capitulars in Rome, Italy.
12
SECOND QUARTER 2015
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www.ofmphil.org
SECOND QUARTER 2015
13
FEATURE ARTICLE
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA
DEFENDER OF THE POOR
B Y F R . A ndres R añoa J r . , O F M
s
S
aint Anthony of Padua lived for 36 years (1195-1231) and is considered a
phenomenon for his influence, universality and lastingness. Gregory IX
declares him: “Ark of the Testament” and “Repository of the Holy Scripture.”
Leo XIII defines him: “The Everyone’s Saint.” Popular tradition calls him: “Hammer of
the Heretics” and “Saint of Miracles.” Pius XII recognizes his wisdom by proclaiming
him the “Evangelical Doctor.” In this Year of the Poor this issue features him as
“Defender of the Poor.” For more information about Saint Anthony of Padua, log on
to the ofmphil.org.
Portuguese Origin
From Augustinian Ferdinand to
Franciscan Anthony
He was baptized Ferdinand in Lisbon,
Portugal. His father Martin descended from
After prayerful discernment, Ferdinand
the heroes of the first crusades. His name
joined the Franciscans. Invested with the
was common among the higher social class.
Franciscan habit he took on the name Anthony,
His mother Teresa taught Ferdinand the
after the hermit of the desert to whom the
fundamentals of faith. From childhood he made
Franciscan hermitage was dedicated. After some
use of free time to go to church.
time spent in solitude, prayer and
Ferdinand joined the
At 6 he was permitted to be an
penitential austerities, he, burning
altar boy. At 16 he decided to Franciscans. Invested with with a desire of martyrdom, went
be an Augustinian. To avoid the the Franciscan habit he took to Africa to preach the Gospel to
frequently distracting visits of his on the name Anthony, after the Moors. He had scarcely arrived
friends, he moved to Coimbra, the hermit of the desert in Morocco when he became very
a hundred miles from Lisbon. to whom the Franciscan ill, obliging him to return. But by
There he devoted himself in hermitage was dedicated contrary winds, his boat was driven
profound prayer and austere life,
to Italy. Informed that Francis was
while he pursued his studies on the Bible and
in Assisi, together with most friars for a big
the Church Fathers. He had been there for eight
gathering, Anthony, sick and weak, went to meet
years when, in all of Portugal, the martyrdom
him. And in his desire to nurture the company
in Morocco of 5 Franciscan friars became great
of Francis and the Franciscans there, he offered
news. Their remains were transported to Portugal
himself to the provincials and guardians. A
and were brought and enshrined precisely at his
guardian took him, and sent him to the hermitage
monastery. Praying before their tomb, he started
of Montepaolo, a little solitary convent near
to have a vocational crisis. He wanted to imitate
Bologna. There he devoted himself to the
them in their austere life, in serving Jesus Christ in
sacramental service of his new lay confreres.
poverty and joy, and maybe in their martyrdom.
Then one day, two Franciscans begged for bread.
He had the opportunity to know more about the
Franciscans.
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SECOND QUARTER 2015
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SECOND QUARTER 2015
15
In a short time,
the Paduans
esteemed him
and loved him.
His simple and
ardent word had
conquered their
hearts; some
decided to follow
him embracing
the Franciscan
ideal
A Moment of Grace
Perhaps, Anthony would never have been
famous if he hadn’t gone to an ordination of
Dominicans and Franciscans in Forli. There, it
was found out that no one had been appointed to
preach. The Dominicans were first approached,
but everyone declined. The Franciscan provincial
ordered Anthony to preach. He first demurred,
but finally began to speak in a simple, artless
way. The fire within him became evident. His
knowledge was unmistakable. But it was his
holiness that really impressed everyone there.
The rest is history. St. Francis was informed of
the discovery of Anthony's eloquence and sent
him to study theology, and after a short time
to teach theology to the Franciscans preparing
for perpetual profession and ordination while
not losing the Franciscan spirit of prayer and
devotion.
The Role of Padua
The Franciscan Province of Emiglia and
Romagna then comprised almost all of Italy in
terms of area, number of friars and the existence
of very prominent friaries. At that time the
Minister Provincial of this province occupied in
the Order a very eminent position, after that of
the Minister General. The provincial house was
at Bologna. When Anthony took his office, he
began the visitation of every friary to get in touch
with his confreres. He revisited the hermitage of
Montepaolo. Then he went to Forli, to Rimini,
Ravenna and other friaries until he reached
Padua.
Padua, then, was a beautiful and rich city.
Wool factories and business in the region
were flourishing there. It took advantage of a
university, among the most famous in Europe,
where students of various nations came. Anthony
arrived at the friary of Holy Mary Mother of the
Lord. The Paduans received Anthony with great
joy and veneration. All wanted to come close
and to listen to him. The fame of his holiness had
preceded him. In a short time the churches of
Padua became insufficient to accommodate the
thousands of faithful who arrive also from nearby
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SECOND QUARTER 2015
cities, to listen to him. A lot of times the piazzas
were not enough and they had recourse to the
meadows, in open fields.
In a short time, the Paduans esteemed him
and loved him. His simple and ardent word had
conquered their hearts; some decided to follow
him embracing the Franciscan ideal. Anthony
reciprocated with equal affection: they felt
the same for one another; because of this, the
provincial house was transferred from Bologna
to Padua.
Eloquent Preacher and
Defender of the Poor
In general, Anthony’s words pierced the
hearts of his hearers. What he cultivated by
humility, silence, mortification, contemplation
and prayer, he would communicate to his
listeners. The educated admired the loftiness of
his thoughts, and the strong images with which
he painted the most sublime mysteries. He added
an unspeakable dignity to the most obvious
and common truths of religion and morality;
yet a natural simplicity rendered his preaching
intelligible and easy to grasp. Even his rebuttals
and his very reproofs against heresies were not
bitter or severe but amiable and insinuating.
The most obstinate heretics and the most
hardened sinners threw themselves at his feet,
declaring themselves conquered. Dissension and
animosities were transformed into reconciliation.
In Padua the poor were very many. The
rich, on the other hand, were very few and they
dominated every commercial activity. In his
untiring work of peace, justice, reconciliation and
respect for each person, in particular the weakest,
the unprotected and the exploited, he opposed
the fashionable vices like usury. Usury was the
ordinary form of taking advantage of the poor. It
came to be done by unscrupulous persons, which
Anthony called “ferocious beasts which rob and
devour.”
The poor were defenseless and without any
power; when they did not settle their debts, they
were condemned to jail by law; therefore, in
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
poor families, misery upon misery accumulated.
Anthony found the law unjust. He rallied for a
municipal ordinance abrogating the law. Padua
relented and the written declaration recognized
his intervention.
In Padua and the nearby neighborhood
there reigned Ezzelino, a cruel man, an enemy
of God and of men. This person had challenged
three popes (Gregory IX., Innocent IV., and
Alexander IV). He put to death in one day
12,000 persons who revolted against him.
Fearless, Anthony sought audience with him.
When Ezzelino found out that Anthony wanted
to talk to him, he became troubled, but in the
end relented.
Anthony, upon entering the house, in a loud
voice spoke thus: “Cruel tyrant, enemy of God,
till when will you continue to shed innocent
blood? Know that the justice of God will come
upon you soon. Change your life or you will be
damned eternally!”
Nobody had ever talked that way to the
tyrant. Anthony enumerated his murders,
sacrileges, and plunders which called to heaven
for vengeance upon his head, and that those
whom he had slain or oppressed were witnesses
before God against him. The guards waited for
the tyrant’s command against Anthony. But
Ezzelino listened without reaction. Blinded by a
light which burst forth from the face of the Saint,
he bowed his forehead, afraid and silent. And
to their great astonishment, he descended from
his throne, pale and trembling, and putting his
girdle round his neck for a halter, cast himself at
the feet of Anthony, and in tears begged him to
intercede with God for the pardon of his sins.
But after the death of the saint, he relapsed into
his former disorders and died a miserable death.
The extremely high ethical and mystical
ideal that animated his pastoral ministry was,
however, often in conflict with the harshness of
the situation of sin and injustice that weighed on
the family, social and political structures of the
cities and countryside that he passed through.
Anthony never lost faith and he burned up his
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Anthony’s words pierced the hearts of his hearers. What he cultivated by humility, silence,
mortification, contemplation and prayer, he would communicate to his listeners.
short existence for the renewal of the lives of
the most alienated masses and the institutions
contrary to the dignity and well-being of human
beings. His commitment also shows through
clearly in the series of miracles sent to the Pope for
Anthony's canonization. Miracles which, above
all, worked for the protection of the poor and the
relief of the ill who had no human aid, and, in
particular, for the safeguarding of the family, with
great tenderness for children, comfort for wives
mistreated and offended by brutal husbands, and
support for family bonds in any kind of difficulty.
Hearing Confessions and
Writing Sermons
At the same time, Anthony received
penitents. He would say: “the preacher sows the
seed from the pulpit and gather its fruits in the
confessional.” When he was hearing confession
he would lose the sense of time. There were days
when he would be hearing confession without
interruption till sunset, not eating nor getting
a breath of fresh air, as if he were in the pink of
health. Previous to that, he was persuaded to
write down his sermons .
Anthony willingly consented and wrote the
Sunday Sermons, a work of almost thousand
pages. He wrote them in the Franciscan
hermitage of Arcella, connected to the monastery
of the Poor Clares. It was a reason for rest, as well.
Anthony related
well with
the persons
seeking spiritual
counseling. He
took care of the
sinners by raising
and encouraging
their sinking
souls by
confidence in the
divine goodness
and mercy.
SECOND QUARTER 2015
17
News STORY
Anthony on
his deathbed
opened
his eyes,
gathered
energy, raised
his arms, and,
with a thin
voice, intoned
a hymn to the
Blessed Mary:
“O Glorious
Virgin.”
Other than the sermons, he wrote Sermons on
the Feasts of Saints, the Moral Concordances in
the Sacred Books, the Mystical Interpretation
of the Sacred Scriptures, and the Sermons in
Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, making him
the greatest writer of the Order. Presenting them
to his confreres he said: “Seek to be not boring
in preaching, otherwise the people will stay
away from the church. But above all give a great
example of Christian life.”
laid him in a cart, drawn by cows, offered free
by the good farmers. Anthony, before leaving,
thanked and blessed those present, who were
praying and weeping. The cart moved slowly.
The heat was oppressive and the street was so
uneven that the cart jerked at every hole. The
entourage would stop from time to time to allow
a little bit of rest. After 5 hours of travel, nearing
Padua, Anthony entered into agony. They held
it opportune to stop at Arcella.
Anthony Gets Sick of Ergotism
The Last Hymn to Our Lady
Anthony became sick with ergotism, a
disease now known as "Saint Anthony's Fire,"
and, in 1231, went to the woodland retreat at
Camposampiero, a hermitage 20 miles from
Padua. The ground was damp at that time of year
and it aggravated Anthony’s illness. One day,
while he was in the woods, he found a walnut
tree. He asked for a tree house on top. He could
go there and immerse himself in a sea of quiet.
Anthony was placed in a room, where he
remained immobile, without words and with
closed eyes. The confreres, sad, were waiting
for the end. In one moment, Anthony opened
his eyes, gathered energy, raised his arms, and,
with a thin voice, intoned a hymn to the Blessed
Mary: “O Glorious Virgin.” It was the prayer
of the son who invoked the help of his mother
at the hour of death. After this hymn, his face
became shining; he raised his eyes fixed toward
the heavens as if he was seeing something. A
confrere asked him what he was watching; he
replied: “I see my Lord!”
The notice of the presence of Anthony
in Camposampiero, rapidly spread in all the
surroundings. Groups of friends and devotees
were successful in reaching him. He would
receive them smilingly, without giving any sign
of impatience and from the tree top he was
directed his words of exhortation: “Thanks, my
brothers and sisters, for having come to visit me.
Remember that earthly life is like a bridge, which
is made for the crossing, not for stopping. I,
also, am almost to the end, waiting for the Lord.
Return home, with my blessing.”
Toward Sister Death
Over the walnut trees, Anthony passed some
months. Over there he seemed to inhale better.
But what effort to climb there! His thoughtful
confreres lent him assistance, but they were
ascertained of the rapid growing weak of his
energies and the difficulty in breathing. Anthony
knew well of his nearing death.
Early on June 13, 1231, the state of health of
Anthony all of a sudden aggravated. Seeing that
his end was near, he asked his confreres to bring
him to Padua. It was 12 noon when his confreres
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SECOND QUARTER 2015
The Children Announce His Death
The friars decided to keep secret the news
of his death as they transferred the remains to
Padua. A little while after, all Padua got hold of
the news. Groups of children, filled with interior
inspiration, ran through the streets of the city
shouting: “The Saint is dead! Friar Anthony is
dead!” Anthony, like Jesus, had his preferences:
they were the children. During his lifetime,
when he passed through the streets of Padua,
these stopped their games and ran to him. He
would stop and relate with them. Oftentimes he
welcomed them lovingly in the friary, without
showing signs of impatience. It would be the
mothers and the fathers to bring them, so that he
might instruct them and bless them.
Bishop’s Challenge to the Newly Ordained Priests:
SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS
By Jhay Vasquez Ogmar
Franciscan Order, our seraphic father
St. Francis of Assisi. He defined St.
Francis’ passion as a joyful servant
who was able to serve the Lord with
gladness because he took the Lord as
his only possession.
Fr. Fernando Radin, JR, OFM, Fr. Emerson Bumagat, OFM, and Fr. Angelo Dizon, OFM
Serving the Lord with gladness
means being prepared to suffer
and open to be sent out
“You are a precious gift of
the Lord and expression of God’s
love to the church!”- This is how
Bishop Ramon Villena, DD of the
Diocese of Bayombong expressed
his congratulatory words for the
new ordained priests, Fr. Fernando
Radin, Jr. OFM, Fr. Emerson
Bumagat,
OFM and Fr. Angelo
Dizon, OFM as
he presided at
the ordination
Mass at the
Our
Lady
of
the
Abandoned
Parish in Sta.
Ana Manila on
April 25, 2015.
T h e
bishop
further
For Francis of Assisi it was the skylarks which
notified the people of his death. For Anthony of
Padua it was the children to spread the news that
their friend was dead: he has left them, to return
to “his Lord!”
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
expounded on the context of
priesthood as a servant - one serving
the Lord with joy and gladness.
Paraphrasing the prophet Isaiah:
“You are the priests and ministers for
God who will proclaim his kingdom
and goodness.” It is a profound
reminder to the ordained priests to
bring good tidings to the poor and
heal the broken hearted.
Serving the Lord with gladness
means being prepared to suffer and
open to be sent out. As a priest, the
Lord will be sending priests like a
lamb among the wolves. By this they
will receive the cross of Jesus Christ
and their life will be a sacrifice. They
will thread the path of the cross and
the cross will give them spiritual joy
and gladness. He also said: “The
proclamation of the kingdom of
God is not only a discourse, but
rather it includes action, and this
action defines total service, a service
that carries nothing but the love and
providence of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
The bishop expressed his great
admiration to the founder of the
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Since they are ordained to
the sacred office as new workers
in the vineyard of the Lord, they
are challenged to live the life as
consecrated brothers proclaiming
the Gospel and bringing the message
of God’s love to the lowly and to the
poor as a way of responding to the
Franciscan founding charism.
The three newly ordained priests
currently fulfill their tasks in their
respective assignments which the
Province has entrusted to them. It
is with great hope that these friars
will live accordingly to the gospel of
Christ through the inspiration of St.
Francis of Assisi.
Pope Francis said, that a good
shepherd gives life and offers his life
in sacrifice for all of us! May the newly
ordained priests imitate Christ’s way
of shepherding his flock!
“The proclamation of the
kingdom of God is not only a
discourse, but rather it includes
action, and this action defines
the total service, a service that
carries nothing but the love and
providence of our Lord’s Jesus
Christ.”
SECOND QUARTER 2015
19
Special Feature
DEMYTHOLOGIZING
PADRE DAMASO
B Y F R . R E Y N A L D O L A N D A Z A B A L L E G AYA D A , O F M
D
D
ue to the anticlerical Spanish feelings generated by the more than 400
years of colonialism in the Philippines, negative remarks have been made
regarding the Spanish Friars of the Dominican, Augustinian, Recollect and
Franciscan Orders, as well as the Jesuits. The article would address the issues
connected with the Franciscans as represented by Jose Rizal’s Padre Damaso.
Introduction
Try asking adult Filipinos what they
think of Padre Damaso and you will get
similar responses, but mostly centered on the
“villainous quality of the Spanish Franciscan
friar.” Thanks to Jose Rizal’s portrayal of
him and the rest of the other friars belonging
to the Augustinian, Dominican, and the
Recollect Orders, including the Jesuits, as
antagonists in his novel Noli Me Tangere and
El Filibusterismo.
Who Is Padre Damaso?
Who is the real Padre Damaso? Wolfgang
Bethge wrote an article in 2009 detailing the
fictional character of the friar:
In Noli he is a Franciscan monk (sic)
who, next to the central character Ibarra and
his fiancée Maria Clara, is one of the other
characters or protagonists. In the relatively
unpleasant portrayal of Padre Damaso, a
good part of the criticism is centered on
Rizal’s harboring of ill feelings against the
monastic (sic) orders in his time, especially the
Franciscans.
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PADRE DAMASO
SECOND QUARTER 2015
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
Based on the novel as translated by
Charles Derbyshire, we want to make an
attempt, to characterize the figure of Padre
Damaso.
Padre Damaso, gray-haired, with mighty
physique, covered by a brown habit, still
looks alive and vigorous. The face shows a
prominent chin, ending in a fat neck. Perhaps
the fat neck also results from the fried chicken
that he is accustomed to eat every day. With
sweeping gestures, he usually emphasizes his
words. Padre Damaso talks a lot. Without
being asked, he begins to speak. He wants
to have the final say. Without any respect he
interrupts other persons. His diction is very
direct and appears arrogant. He feels himself as
the representative of God, and is not receptive
to criticism. Sometimes he loses control. To
drum the commandments into the heads of
his parishioners, he taps the table, slaps the
faces of others or he beats with a cane. Even
the gravedigger gets his beatings, who calls
him in the Spanish original of the novel as
“truncheon Padre“ and “Padre garrote.” No
wonder the Franciscan is feared in his parish.
Even at the near approach the faithful have to
show respect with some gestures:
“When an Indian meets a curate in
the street he should bow his head and offer
his neck for his master to step upon. If the
curate and the native are both on horseback,
the native should stop and has to take off
his hat or salakot reverently; and finally, if
the native is on horseback and the curate on
foot, the native should alight and not mount
again until the curate has told him to go on,
or is far already away. This is what the holy
decrees say and he who does not obey will be
excommunicated.
The native is, in Damaso’s opinion, very
indolent and probably also stupid. Even a
stay abroad can do little to change this fact.
Ibarra has returned from Europe and he
speaks about the social, political and religious
life and freedom in Europe. Damaso barks
at him: “It was not worthwhile to squander
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your fortune to learn so trifling a thing. Any
schoolboy knows that.” Later, Padre Damaso
gives the following comment: “You know
well enough what the native is - just as soon
as he gets a little learning he sets himself up as
a doctor!”
Bethge may have many points about his
characterization of Padre Damaso, but allow
me to correct two errors in his use of the terms.
First, he says “Franciscan monk…” Padre
Damaso is not a monk. He is a friar belonging
to the Franciscans, a mendicant Order. The
second error is the term “Monastic Orders
of his time” When Rizal wrote Noli and Fili,
the Benedictines or any other monastic
Orders had not yet arrived in the Philippines.
The Benedictine monks from Cataluña,
Spain started to arrive in the Philippines on
September 12, 1895 after a hostile and anticlerical Spain closed their novitiate.
The Friars in Rizal’s Novels
Friars were portrayed by Rizal as conniving
and abusive collaborators of the Spanish
civil government who, under the pretense of
evangelizing and Christianizing the natives,
were actually used by the colonial powers to
pacify and subdue them.
My hypothesis on Rizal’s raison d’etre for
using the friars as antagonists is largely due to
the actuations of the friars in the Islands: a)
the friars were constantly in close contact with
the people through liturgy and administration
of the sacraments; b) the people naturally
gravitated to the friars for advice and help when
faced with civil and juridical complications,
perhaps to vouch for their sanity and
innocence, and to sway the verdict of the civil
rulers in their favor through the intercession of
the friars.
Thus, the critical question would be, “But
why Padre Damaso of the Franciscan Order,
and not Padre Salvi or Sybilla?” Fr. Jose Femilou
Gutay, OFM, a Franciscan history professor
proposes this study in an article entitled “Rizal
Last January the
author returned from
Spain after seven
years with studies in
Archiving (Archivo del
Autonomo Comunidad
de Castilla-La Mancha
in Guadalajara, Spain;
Medieval and Modern
Paleography at the
Colegio Official de
Doctores Y Licenciados
en Filosfia y Letras Y
Ciencias in Madrid,
and Licentiate in
Theology major in
Church History at the
Universidad Pontifica
de Comillas - Madrid.
In December of 2013,
the author received the
official appointment
and obedience from the
Provincial Minister to
be the new Provincial
Archivist for this
triennium.
SECOND QUARTER 2015
21
“Rizal was
familiar with
the life of St.
Francis and
romanticized
the saint’s
life and
example as
seen in some
of his works
and letters”
and the Franciscans” in the OFM Philippines
webpage
http://ofmarchivesphil.tripod.com/
id14.html. Essentially, Fr. Gutay proposes
that the Noli Me Tangere is a “Franciscan”
novel in a bad way due to the frequency in
which the Franciscans are mentioned (155
times), compared to the Dominicans (18
times), the Dominican Terciary (5 times),
the Augustinians (6 times) and the Jesuits
(4 times). Rizal portrayed the Franciscans
as 1) extravagant in their way of dressing; 2)
fanatic and ignorant; 3) immoral (sexually);
4) enriching themselves by exploiting
their parishioners; 5) accomplices in some
criminal activities; 6) looked down by other
religious orders in the Philippines. The only
positive trait was their sense of self-identity
which made them feel that they were different
from other religious groups and their bond
of solidarity with the poor.
Saint Francis of Assisi was mentioned
(14 times), Saint Clare (11 times), Saint
Anthony of Padua (5 times) and Saint Pachal
Baylon (3 times). Could it be attributed to
the personal knowledge and familiarity of
Rizal with the Franciscans? Fr. Gutay writes
that, 1) Rizal was familiar with the life of
St. Francis and romanticized the saint’s life
and example as seen in some of his works
and letters; 2) his mother, Teodora, was a
Franciscan tertiary; 3) he must have met the
Franciscans in Europe; 4) in his encounter
with the Franciscan missionaries aboard the
ship “Melbourne” on his way home to the
Philippines on October 18, 1891 he made
positive remarks and observations about the
friars in the ship. Rizal, however, made some
negative remarks about the Franciscans in
the Philippines.
The irony of it all, as mentioned by Fr.
Gutay, is that Rizal portrayed the Franciscans
in the Philippines as if he knew them. The fact
is, 1) Rizal had a limited personal encounter
with the Franciscans in the Philippines; 2)
Calamba was already administered by a
native secular clergy by the name of Don
Leoncio Lopez, a good friend of the family,
22
SECOND QUARTER 2015
Fr. Jose Burgos, one of the three martyred priests dubbed as
GOMBURZA during the Spanish regime
personified by Padre Florentino in his novel
Fili; 3) he studied with the Jesuits at the Ateneo
Municipal de Manila and the Dominicans
at the University of Santo Tomas; 4) the
Dominicans owned the hacienda where the
Rizals were tenants and administrators. They
had problems with the Dominicans regarding
the land.
Possible Reasons for the
Negative Remarks
What then could be the possible reasons
for Rizal’s vitriolic attack on Padre Damaso
and the Franciscans in his novels? The possible
reasons are:
1. Jose Burgos versus Joaquin de Coria,
OFM: a) Paciano (Rizal’s elder brother) was
mentored by Fr. Jose Burgos (one of the 3
martyred priests – GOMBURZA) when
the former was still studying in Letran; b)
Paciano was responsible for Rizal’s political
and ideological upbringing; c)Manuel Jerez
Burgos, cousin of Jose Burgos, was teacher of
Rizal at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. Rizal
lodged in his house during the early years of
his stay in Manila; d) Burgos contributed
some articles in the print media in Spain
(e.g. El Eco Filipino newspaper in Madrid)
exposing the abuses of the missionaries in the
Philippines (cf.“Secularization Movement”).
Friar Joaquin de Coria wrote some articles
in the newspapers refuting his accusations;
Fray Joaquin de Coria was a missionary in the
Philippines; Paciano accused the Franciscan
friars as co-responsible (c/o Joaquin de Coria)
for the death of Gomez, Burgos and Zamora.
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
2. Marcelo del Pilar (author of “La
Soberania Monacal”) versus Fray Miguel
Lucio y Bustamante, OFM: a) In 1885
Bustamante, a Franciscan missionary,
published in Manila a pamphlet entitled “Si
Tandang Basio Macunat” where he criticized
the natives for their indolence. He was parish
priest of Tanay, Rizal. He was personified
by Padre Camorra, parish priest of Tiani, in
the novel “El Filibusterismo;” b) Marcelo
del Pilar wrote a satirical work against the
friars entitled: “La Soberania Monacal” (Rule
of the Monks / Friars) as a reaction against
Bustamante’s work, and c) Rizal was very much
familiar with these works.
3. Political Reasons: a) Rizal’s novels
were primarily intended for Filipino readers in
order to expose the problems of the colony; b)
to create a greater impact on the Filipinos, Rizal
must have chosen the Franciscans to represent
the abuses of the regime because the friars were
the most visible symbols of Spanish presence
in the Philippines. It was very common that
friars in brown habit (Franciscans) were
always included in paintings or in any art work
depicting the arrival of Magellan and his men
in the Philippines. This is a historical error
because it was a secular priest Don Pedro de
Valderama, chaplain of the expedition, who
accompanied Magellan to the Philippines. He
also said the first mass in the Philippines, and
c) the mission work of the Franciscans covered
the most populous areas of Luzon (Laguna,
Bulacan, Quezon and Bicol) that were close to
the center, Manila.
postscript:
1. While it is historically true that there
were Franciscan friars who committed abuses
during the whole duration of the Spanish
colonization of the Philippines, it would be
historically unfair to insist that they had a
monopoly over these excesses. Other religious
groups (Jesuits, Augustinians, Recollects and
Dominicans) were equally culpable of the same
accusations too. But again, why the Franciscans
only in the novels of Rizal?
2. Jose Rizal was an active member of
www.ofmphil.org
the propaganda movement in Spain, “La
Solidaridad.” One of the objectives of this
movement is assimilation - that the Philippine
colony be assimilated as a regular province
in the Spanish Republic. In other words,
the reformists or “ilustrados,” like Rizal and
company (del Pilar, Jaena, Ponce, etc.)
envisioned a Spanish-speaking “Provincia
de Madre Espana” in Asia. The truth is that
the movement never intended to have an
independent Philippines. This would be the
objective of a later revolutionary movement
of the worker and peasant class led by
Bonifacio. Shouts of “viva la independencia”
were heard from the “katipuneros” and not
from the “ilustrados.” It was quite unfortunate
that this revolutionary movement weakened
after the execution its leader Bonifacio by the
elitist faction of the KKK led by Aguinaldo.
What would happen eventually was the
reformists’ conciliation again with the
colonialists in the Pact of Biak na Bato which
resulted to Aguinaldo’s exile to Hongkong.
3. Another
objective
of
the
Propaganda movement was the expulsion
of the friars. Many members, like Rizal, of
the propaganda movement belonged to
families who were administrators or tenants
or “inquilinos” of the friar haciendas, e.g.,
the Dominicans in Laguna. They also gained
financially from these lands. They owned
the biggest house in town, e.g., the house of
the Rizal’s in Calamba and the Aguinaldo’s
in Kawit, Cavite. No wonder these families
could afford to send their children to Europe
for their studies. Who would benefit if the
friars, owners of the friar lands, were expelled
from the colony?
Epilogue
In conclusion, I wish to share to you a
short conversation I had with Fr. Gutay,
OFM when he visited the Provincial House
during his vacation here in the country. I
asked him why would Rizal pick a Franciscan
friar to represent a hated fictional character
in his novels against the Spanish abuses in
the 19th century Philippines. He said to just
“Rizal realized
how well-loved the
Franciscans friars
were not only
during his time,
but even before it.
It may be worth
mentioning that,
of all friar Orders
who came to the
Philippines in the
16th century, only
the Franciscans
(Order of
Friars Minor) is
exempt from the
pejorative term
“Friar Lands”
because they were
the only ones who
refused to accept
land donations
and tributes from
the authorities”
SECOND QUARTER 2015
23
news and events
read his article. But I would not let him go
that easily, and asked again, why? Well, other
than the reasons he outlined in his article,
Fr. Gutay, with an amused countenance,
bantered with some “perhaps.”
Perhaps, Rizal realized how well-loved
the Franciscan friars were not only during
his time, but even before it. It may be worth
mentioning that, of all friar Orders who came
to the Philippines in the 16th century, only
the Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor)
is exempt from the pejorative term “Friar
Lands” because they were the only ones
who refused to accept land donations and
tributes from the authorities. The first friars
who came to the Philippines in 1578 come
from the reformed branch of the Alcantarine
Franciscans.
Fr. Jose Femilou D.
Gutay,OFM studied
towards his doctorate
in Church History at the
Gregorian University
in Rome. He was the
former Provincial
Archivist of the
Philippine Franciscan
Province of San Pedro
Bautista and is now a
missionary to the Navajo
Tribe in Albuquerque,
New Mexico in the US.
After he left for the US,
the Archive was sort
of abandoned for a
triennium.
24
Father Cayetano Sanchez Fuertes, OFM,
Archivist of the Archivo Franciscano IberoOriental in Madrid, Spain whom I had the
honor and opportunity of working with for
almost five years in AFIO-Madrid, and a
renowned Franciscan scholar and author
of various books and publications related
to the Franciscan history in the Philippines
and the Far East, published last year a small
book “Pocos Medios, Grandes Impeños,
(Limited Means, Great Achievements),
Madrid 2013” on the intrepid and pioneering
efforts of the early Franciscan friars and how
they succeeded in their ministries in the
mission with very little or no resources to
back them up. This was primarily due to the
austerity, poverty, dedication to prayer and
contemplation, and single-mindedness of
purpose typical of the Alcantarine friars that
their mission succeeded, producing great
works in catechesis and Christian doctrine,
community organizing, music and the arts,
education, engineering, health and urban
planning, despite meager resources.
Needless to say, the Franciscans were
well-loved by the people. They were the
closest in relation to and in solidarity with the
natives and had supported and encouraged
SECOND QUARTER 2015
New Missionaries for
Myanmar and Sri Lanka
By Jhay Vasquez Ogmar
Provincial Definitory Elects
New Minister Provincial and Vicar Provincial
By Fr. Dexter A. Toledo, OFM
The Provincial Definitory has chosen
Fr. Cielito Almazan, OFM as the new
Minister Provincial of the Franciscan
Province of San Pedro Bautista
Philippines and Fr. Reu Jose Galoy,
OFM as the new Vicar Provincial in
a solemn rite of election held at the
OFM Provincial House last June 17,
2015.
Rizal, the creator of the fiction Franciscan friar character Padre Damaso
who has unpleasant portrayal of a Franciscan friar.
native skills and talents, as well as defending
the natives from the harsh and oppressive
treatment of the Spanish authorities. So, “Why
Padre Damaso?”
Perhaps, Fr. Long proposes, it must be
because Rizal knew that the Franciscan friars
could take it, secure in their knowledge that
the natives genuinely loved them because of
what they had done for them.
Having no clear answers, I was left to my
own sources, and may I stress, that I have very
few in my possession. The real reasons or
motives Rizal had for using a Franciscan friar
as the chief villain in his novel is unclear. I can
only hazard my two-cent’s worth of opinion
but in the end we are faced with the glaring fact
that Padre Damaso is but a fictional character,
and in no way representative of the Franciscan
friars of his time. You can verify this by reading
various articles on the missionary works of the
Franciscans in the Philippines and the Far East
from the Archivo Franciscano Ibero-Oriental
in Madrid or our archives at the Archivo
Franciscano Filipino in Frisco, Quezon City,
not excluding the other written and published
articles on the Spanish Franciscan Missionary
efforts in this part of the world.
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
Two of our Franciscan brothers
voiced their desire to be Franciscan
missionaries abroad. Their desire was
heartily welcomed by the Provincial
Definitory and the Minister General of
the Order of Friars Minor.
Br. Mario Ricablanca, OFM has
joined the international community in
Myanmar and Fr. Andro Fernandez,
OFM will be in Sri Lanka.
The rite of mission sending for Br.
Mario and Fr. Andro was held last
April 18, 2015 during the celebration of
the Holy Eucharist at the Santuario de
San Pedro Bautista Parish in Quezon
City. It was presided by the Minister
Provincial, Fr. Greg Redoblado , OFM
in the presence of the Director of the
Office for Mission and Evangelization,
Fr. Oscar Ante, OFM and some
Franciscan Friars.
Bro. Mario is a solemn professed friar
for more than 30 years. He formerly
served as Provincial Coordinator
for Justice, Peace and Integrity of
Creation (JPIC) and until recently
was assigned as Guardian in the
friary of St. Mary Magdalene Parish
in Palanan, Isabela. He took the
preparatory program under the Office
for Mission and Evangelization and a
similar program in Brussels, Belgium
as part of his preparation for the
mission. The Minister General of the
Franciscan Order, Br. Michael Perry,
www.ofmphil.org
The special election was conducted
due to Fr. Lino Gregorio Redoblado,
OFM’s election as new General
Definitor for Asia, Australia and
Oceania during the General Chapter
held in Rome last May 2015.
Thereafter, Fr. Cielito Almazan, OFM
was appointed as an interim Minister
Provincial whose primary task is to
convene the Provincial Definitory for
a special election.
The rite of election was preceded by
a Mass of the Holy Spirit held at the
chapel of the Provincial House with
Fr. Greg Redoblado, OFM presiding
the celebration. In his homily, he
stressed that an “election is not about
ourselves but about allowing the
Holy Spirit to work in us.” He further
stressed that “the very reason why
we exist is because we are sent to
show God’s mercy and love in our
lives.” He also shared to the brothers
an important lesson that he learned
during the General Chapter that “a
Minister Provincial does not ‘run’
a Province but he animates the
brothers.”
Almazan, OFM, Fr. Cristino R. Pine,
OFM, Fr. Generoso B. Pastidio, OFM,
Bro. Jerome Oringo, OFM and Fr.
Andres Rañoa, OFM went to the
Conference Hall together with Fr.
Lino Gregorio Redoblado, OFM,
as representative of the Minister
General. Fr. Dexter Toledo, OFM;
Fr. Esmeraldo Enalpe, OFM and Fr.
Andro Fernandez, OFM were also
present as members of the election
committee.
Following the election procedures,
Fr. Cielo was elected as new
Minister Provincial. His election was
confirmed by Fr. Greg Redoblado,
OFM, in behalf of the Minister General.
Fr. Cielo, besides being the Vicar
Provincial, was also the Guardian of
the Santuario de San Pedro Bauitsta
Friary in Quezon City. On the other
hand, Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM,
will retain his ministry as Parish Priest
of Santuario de San Antonio Parish in
Forbes Park, Makati City. The newly
elected members and the rest of the
Provincial Definitory shall fulfill their
respective
offices
until the Provincial
Chapter in April
2016.
After the Mass, the members of
the Provincial Definitory Fr. Cielito
The new elected Minister Provincial during his oath of
office on June 17, 2015 at the Provincial House
OFM, has assigned Br. Mario to the
St. Francis of Assisi Foundation in
Myanmar. Last April 20, 2015, he left
the Philippines to begin his new life
as a Filipino Franciscan missionary in
Myanmar.
Fr. Andro will join the Franciscan
friars of St. Joseph Vaz Foundation
in Sri Lanka. He will still have to
undergo some preparations for his
future assignment in Sri Lanka and
prepare his travel documents. His
recent assignment was as parochial
vicar at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in
Sta. Ana, Cagayan. He was ordained
priest only last year.
SECOND QUARTER 2015
25
Accompaniment Program
By Bro. Joseph Aramar Pallones, OFM
The Franciscan Accompaniment
Program 2015 was held at the Our
Lady of the Angels Seminary in
Novaliches, Quezon City last April 14
– 23, 2015. This annual activity of the
Franciscan Province of San Pedro
Bautista, designed to accompany
the young friars below 5 years after
solemn profession in the ministerial,
communal and spiritual life, really
served its purpose and provided
a new set of useful experiences.
This year, a total of 17 young Friars
attended, 11 from the Province and
6 from the Custody of St. Anthony
of Padua. The “kumustahan” part
was again one of the most exciting
portions of the encounter. Part of
it was the out of town bonding.
Young friars were lucky to avail such
privilege to use the beautiful private
resort in Barangay Wawa, Nasugbu,
Batangas through the generosity of
the Conception family. The place was
perfect for reflection and relaxation
with its serene and spacious garden
plus the seashore and water pool
access.
The friars were grateful to the people
who extended manual help and most
especially thankful for their hospitable
presence. The three facilitators,
Fr. Cielo Almazan, OFM, Fr. Gene
Pastidio, OFM and Fr. Dexter Toledo,
OFM were consistent in their role to
provide assistance to the immediate
needs and queries of the participants.
Fr. Oscar Ante, OFM contributed
his expertise on mission and
evangelization, sharing some updates
and trends. The input and personality
assessment by Sr. Letty Garcia, D.C.
about mid-life crisis was also helpful
to the young friars in anticipation on
how to deal and handle the crucial
points of life confrontation. Fr, Andres
Rañoa, OFM gave them inputs on
Funeral Liturgies.
The gathering was indeed a
wonderful and meaningful one. The
joyful camaraderie evidently surfaced.
It was a successful one not only in
26
SECOND QUARTER 2015
the facade but deep down in each
one’s heart and emotion as clearly
expressed during the evaluation and
plenum in the afternoon of the last
day. The Accompaniment Program
2015 formally ended with the
celebration of the Eucharist presided
by the moderator of the On-Going
Formation, Fr. Cielito Almazan, OFM.
Honoring “Ina” Sta. Ana
Celebrates the Parish
Fiesta
By Fr. Eric S. Ollague, OFM
The devotees and people of Sta Ana,
Manila celebrated the annual Parish
Fiesta in honor of the Our Lady of the
Abandoned last May 11-12, 2015. For
this year, the theme was "Maria, Ina
ng mga Dukha.” As part of renewing
the traditions of fiesta, Fr. Wilfredo
Benito, OFM persuaded Dr. Amelia
Cobangbang, TOC to be the Hermana
Mayor for this year's celebration.
The fiesta activities begun with
the "Dalaw ni Maria" when the
Pilgrim Image of the Our Lady of the
Abandoned (which was blessed by
Pope Francis during his Papal Visit
last January 2015) visited and stayed
overnight in the barangay (Bukluran).
The dalaw was an opportunity for the
community to give their tribute to our
beloved Mother.
Various ceremonies were held such
as hatiran, handugan and the annual
Latin Mass on the First day of novena.
The hatiran was done last April 30
when the small replica of our Lady
was brought to the house of the
Hermana after the 6:30 pm mass. For
the handugan, the devotees prepared
a big cape of flowers and covered
the image of our Lady located in the
parish patio. This activity was copied
from the tradition being held every
March 17 and 18 on the feast of St.
Joseph in Valencia, Spain where our
image came from.
Boderick Pabillo, DD presided over
the Fiesta Mass. After the Mass there
was a simple liturgy at the Camarin
for the launching of the 300 years of
the arrival and devotion to the Our
Lady of the Abandoned in 2017. The
solemn procession was held in the
evening when Franciscan Saints
and other images joined. Truly, this
year's celebration was a success.
Thanks to the collaborative effort of
the Hermana and the pastoral team.
Young Friars Renew
their Vows
By Bro. Mike Rodnick Laforteza, OFM
The Renewal of Vows of Temporary
Professed Friars was held last May
22, 2015 during the 6:00am Mass
in San Gregorio Magno Provincial
House in San Francisco del Monte,
Quezon City. It was presided over
by Fr. Cielito Almazan, OFM - the
Vicar Provincial, and was attended
by solemnly professed Friars and
priests. There were fourteen friars
who renewed their vows, namely:
Bro. Lloyd Paul Elauria, OFM; Bro.
Jose Fababair, OFM; Bro. Angelito
Cortez, OFM; Bro. Julius Bonife,
OFM; Bro. Ivan Bolotaolo, OFM; Bro.
Myke Rodnick Laforteza, OFM; Bro.
Mark Gilbert Martesano, OFM; Bro.
Guilieros Montemor, OFM; Bro. Mark
Angelo Vito, OFM; Bro. Jhoe Jhon
Billones, OFM; Bro. Wilmar Rosales,
OFM; Bro. Aaron Dick Batistis, OFM;
Bro. Crisaldo Baltazar, OFM, and
Bro. Stevenson Escartin, OFM. Stand
as witnesses were Fr. Judee Mar
Maquinad, OFM and Fr. Fernando
Radin, Jr., OFM.
(left-right) Fr. Generoso Pastidio, OFM, Fr. Cristino Pine, OFM, Fr. Cielito Almazan, OFM, Fr. Reu Jose Galoy, OFM, Bro. Jerome Oringo, OFM and Fr. Andres Rañoa, OFM.
The photo was taken after the oathtaking of Fr. Reu as new Vicar Provincial at the Santuario de San Antonio Parish.
A Testimonial Dinner Held
for Newly Elected Officials
By Fr. Dexter Toledo, OFM
The Provincial Fraternity held a
testimonial dinner at Santuario de
San Antonio Parish in Forbes Park,
Makati City in honor of the newly
elected officials of the Order namely:
Fr. Greg Redoblado, OFM (new
General Definitor for Asia, Australia
and Oceania); Fr. Cielito Almazan,
OFM (new Minister Provincial of the
Franciscan Province of San Pedro
Bautista) and Fr. Reu Jose Galoy,
OFM (new Vicar Provincial).
The dinner was preceded with a
thanksgiving mass which was well
attended by the friars of the Province
of San Pedro Bautista together with
some invited guests, benefactors
and family of the honorees. Minister
A Benefit Concert for the
Evangelization Center Held
With the St. Anthony Shrine in
Bustillos, Sampaloc Manila, as
producer, Fr. Cielo Almazan, OFM,
the Franciscan Vicar Provincial,
organized the musical concert
“Take Courage” to raise funds for
the ongoing construction of the
five story multi purpose Franciscan
Evangelization Center adjacent to
the shrine.
The novena masses were presided
by friars from various Franciscan
houses in Luzon. On the eve of the
fiesta, a procession of replica images
of Our Lady of the Abandoned
was held before the Mass. Bishop
The concert was held May 30, 2015
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
www.ofmphil.org
Provincial Fr. Cielito Almazan, OFM
presided at the mass with Fr. Lino
Gregorio Redoblado, OFM, and Fr.
Reu Jose Galoy, OFM concelebrating.
After the greetings at mass, the friars
expressed their obedience to the new
minister provincial with a fraternal
embrace. Fr. Cielito expressed in his
homily his deepest appreciation to Fr.
Greg for his spirited leadership to the
province for the past two years. He
said that he will be a great loss for the
friars but a gain to the General Curia.
Talking about his new position
he said, “We do not get anything
from our position, no perks, no big
privileges, we will finished our terms
in the same lowly condition as when
we first started.” He also said that
“superiors are not there to judge the
wayward or failing brothers but to
encourage them.”
at the Carlos Romulo Auditorium,
RCBC Plaza, Makati City. The Main
Artist was David Wycoco, Fr. Cielo’s
nephew and a multi talented FilipinoCanadian musician and composer.
He performed with the Slice band
from Pasig, Dolce String Quartette
from Las Piñas (featuring the
amazing 7 year old violinist – Cellist
Damodar Castillo) and Franciscan
Dream Chorale from Frisco, Quezon
City.
Fr. Cris Tibong, OFM was the stage
director, while Fr. Tony Rosales, OFM
was the emcee.
On the same day, the oath taking
of Fr. Reu Jose Galoy, OFM as new
vicar provincial was made in the
private chapel of the friars. Fr. Galoy’s
election was confirmed by the newly
elected Minister Provincial Fr. Cielito
Almazan, OFM.
After the mass, guests and friars
proceeded to the parish hall for the
Testimonial Dinner. Select speakers
were given a chance to express
their congratulation to the honorees.
Among the speakers were Atty. Angie
Dy, Ms. Melon Silverio, Fr. Christian
Buenafe, O.Carm, Sr. Julie Saguibo,
SFIC, Fr. Tony Rosales and Atty. Sarge
Redoblado. Fr. Greg Redoblado, OFM
also delivered his message of thanks
to all the friars in the fraternity who
became part of his religious journey
as a Franciscan servant leader in the
Philippines. Angel Ace Cortez, OFM
was the master of ceremonies of the
program.
David Wycoco
a Fil-Canadian
musician, the
main artist of
the benefit
concert.
Readers who may want to donate to the
construction of the Franciscan Center or in
thanksgiving for graces received through
St. Anthony of Padua may deposit to BPI
Family Bank, Bustillos Branch, St. Anthony
Shrine, Savings Account No. 5585047181.
Or they can make checks payable to
“St. Anthony Shrine”
SECOND QUARTER 2015
27
FEATURE ARTICLE
SAN
DI
WA
AN
Young friars of the Province of San Pedro
Bautista, Philippines were among the
communities who ushered and accompanied
the students from the University of Vienna
Austria for this year’s SANDIWAAN Program.
The encounter with foreign guests is indeed
an opportunity for the young friars to build
solidarity among the foreign students by
sharing different cultures and beliefs and be
united with common goal of the program.
BY BRO. MARK ANGELO VITO, OFM
The different itineraries of the students from the University of Vienna (Austria) accompanied by the young friars of the Province of San Pedro Bautista
SS
andiwaan is an exchangestudent
program
between the Pastoral
Theology Department of the
University of Vienna, Austria
and the Inter-Congregational
Theological Center (ICTC) in the
Philippines. Next time it will be
the ICTC which will send students
to Vienna. Technically, the coined
term Sandiwaan is from a two-word
Filipino common motto, 'Isang
Diwa' (united in mind and spirit),
or in other words, solidarity.
Eleven
participants
of
Sandiwaan 2015 arrived from
Vienna on January 31, 2015. Two
28
SECOND QUARTER 2015
of them were the facilitators: Maria
Katarina Moser and Gunter PrüllerJagenteufel; and nine of them were
students of theology: Alexander
Gaderer, David HaPunkt, Martin
Steiner, Vera Hofbauer, Birgit
Rah, Tessi Dörflinger, Barbara
Niedermann, Katja Schwaigerlehner,
and Katarina Hintermayer.
As the main objective of
the program, they came to the
Philippines and stayed for three
weeks to experience the faith, beliefs
and religious practices of the Filipino
Roman Catholics in collaboration
with the ICTC administrators,
pastoral team and students.
The participants were welcomed
by the students and some alumni of
the previous Sandiwaan with a simple
party and 'salo-salo' at Blessed Titus
Brandsma Center. In the following
days, they were given some input
on the historical background of the
archipelago and the chance to visit
Intramuros and other historical places
in Metro Manila. They were also
oriented on the Church, economic
and political situation of the country
along with popular religiosity. After
these series of lectures, the group
together with some students went
to Quiapo Church, to Baclaran
Church and to some parishes with
active BEC's like in Commonwealth,
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
Quezon City. Towards the end of
the first week, the participants went
malling and experienced the Filipino
”mall culture.” They were among
the guests during the provincial
celebration dinner of the feast of San
Pedro Bautista.
On their second week, February
06-11, 2015, our Austrian friends
were grouped into three for their
rural exposure which was very
timely because the first year theology
students of ICTC were having
their sectoral exposure among the
farmers of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, the
fisherfolks of Bagac, Bataan, and the
IP's of Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya. So,
www.ofmphil.org
they joined our students in the said
areas and experienced the life of their
host families in the provinces.
When they came back to Manila,
they started with their first reflection
and processing followed by another
set of inputs on the urban life. After
which, half of the group were sent
to the OFM Kapanata inserted
community in La Loma, while the
other half went to the Kasama inserted
community in Commonwealth,
Quezon City together with the
Franciscan student friars. There, they
spent two days and experienced the
life of the brothers in the inserted
community. Then on the next
couple of days they went to Forbes
Park, Makati in cooperation with the
Franciscan community of Santuario
de San Antonio de Padua. They
stayed with selected host families and
roamed around Makati area.
At the end of the program,
a theological dialogue with the
ICTC students was held. It was
facilitated by Prof. Enrique "Pete"
Batangan. Thereafter, the whole of
ICTC community together with the
participants of Sandiwaan 2015 went
to Batangas for the last reflection
and outing. The despedida party
happened on February 20, 2015 at
Blessed Titus Brandsma Center.
SECOND QUARTER 2015
29
VOWS TO RELIGIOUS LIFE
By Jhay Vasquez Ogmar
LIFETIME VOWS
Bro. Angelito A. Cortez, OFM and Bro. Jose R.
Fababair,OFM new solemnly professed friars
The solemn and temporary professed friars of the Province of San Pedro Bautista Philippines with some friars from the St. Francis Foundation of Myanmar and Bishop Philip Za
Hawng Lasap of the Diocese of Lashio, Myanmar with the new temporary professed brothers during the first profession of vows at St. John the Baptist Parish in Liliw Laguna.
BROTHERS PRONOUNCED
THEIR FIRST VOWS
a
A
fter a year of formation in
the Franciscan Novitiate,
four brothers were accepted
to the Order of Friars Minor in the
Province of San Pedro Bautista,
Philippines, as new temporary
professed friars. The First profession
of vows of Brothers Mark Gil
Yongco, OFM, Ronald Factor, OFM,
Adrian Fedelin, OFM and Charles
Hawng Kwang, OFM was made at
the Parish of St. John the Baptist,
Liliw Laguna on May 29, 2015. The
Interim Provincial Minister of the
Province of San Pedro Bautista, Fr.
Cielito Almazan, OFM presided over
the celebration. Standing as witnesses
were Fr. Fernando Radin, Jr., OFM
30
SECOND QUARTER 2015
and Fr. Judee Mar Maquinad, OFM,
both formators in the post novitiate
communities of the province.
occasion as an expression of their
love and support for their chosen life
as religious.
In his homily, Fr. Cris Pine,
OFM, shared his thoughts about the
stages of formation and the process
on how a novice is honed in the
novitiate house for a year. He also
expounded on the challenges to be
faced by the newly professed young
friars in their chosen vocation in the
religious and consecrated life.
Bro. Charles Hwang Kwang,
OFM is a formandus of St. Francis
of Assisi Foundation in Myanmar.
He had his Postulancy and then
the Novitiate formation here in the
Philippines. The President of the
Foundation, Fr. Basil Heo, OFM, the
Most. Rev. Bishop Philip Za Hawng
Lasap, bishop of Lashio, Myanmar
and other priests and guests from
Myanmar witnessed Bro. Charles'
first profession.
As a sign of brotherhood, both
temporary and solemnly professed
friars were present during the
Eucharistic celebration to witness the
brothers as they pronounced their
first vows to the order. The families,
relatives, friends and benefactors
of the profesandi also graced the
The newly professed friars
will join other young friars in
the Kapanata Community in La
Loma, Caloocan City where they
will undergo their Post-Novitiate
Formation Program.
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
t
T
wo
brothers
bound
themselves permanently to
the service of God and to
the order when they pronounced
their perpetual vows last March
28, 2015. Bro. Angelito “Angel”
Andig Cortez, OFM and Bro. Jose
“Phoebe” Romero Fababair, OFM
made their solemn profession at the
Our Lady of the Angels Seminary
Portiuncula Chapel. The acting
Provincial Minister of the Province of
San Pedro Bautista, Philippines, Fr.
Cielito Almazan, OFM presided the
celebration.
Bro. Angel and Phoebe had their
first profession of vows on May 25,
2012 at the Santuario de San Pedro
Bautista Parish in Quezon City. Bro.
Angel is from Gen. Mariano Alvarez,
Cavite while Bro. Phoebe is from
Pinamalayan Oriental Mindoro.
Together they attended the yearlong
Integration
and
Intensification
Program in Baguio City, with Fr.
IrineoTactac III, OFM the director
www.ofmphil.org
of the Intensification and Integration
Program.
through the inspiration of St. Francis
of Assisi.
Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM, the
parish priest of the Santuario de San
Antonio Parish in Forbes Park Makati
was the homilist for the occasion. He
shared his insights inspired by the
words of John “Unless the grain
of wheat falls to the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat, but
if it dies it produces much fruit."
According to Fr. Galoy, the perpetual
vows of Bro. Angel and Phoebe is a
sign of a new life as religious and
consecrated people, and they have
to remain firm in their commitment
while they face the challenges
that come along the way. He also
challenged the new solemn professed
friars to observe sincerely the vows of
poverty, obedience and chastity.
In the evening before the
profession (May 27, 2015), a night of
thanksgiving and gratitude was held
in the plaza fronting the Chapel of the
Portiuncula in the Our Lady of the
Angels Seminary. In this celebration,
Bro. Angel and Bro. Phoebe expressed
their deepest gratitude and love to
their parents who were always there
to support and inspire them in their
vocational journey. Also During this
night, the professandi cherished the
times and years of their lives that were
full of God's blessings because of the
many people who have been a part of
their life and who contributed to their
formation as Franciscans. Towards
the end of the celebraton the parents
of Bro. Angel and Bro. Phoebe
received plaques of appreciation,
bouquets of flowers and the image of
San Pedro Baustista. It is the simple
sign of gratitude from the Franciscan
fraternity to the parents and families
for giving their sons to God and to
the order.
Bro. Phoebe and Bro. Angel
were very emotional throughout
the rite. For them, their solemn
profession means a vow forever, a
lifetime offering of their life to the
church and to the Franciscan charism
Contributed by: Jhay Vasquez Ogmar
The Profesandee prostrate before the altar during the singing of the Litany of the Saints.
SECOND QUARTER 2015
31
special feature
AN EYEWITNESS’ TESTIMONY
Farewell
BROTHER BERT
( An excerpt from the homily of Fr. Gene Pastidio, OFM )
In 1987 I was assigned as the
director of our novitiate program and
Fr. Bertram was our guardian. It was
during this time that I learned more
about Fr. Bert.
FR. BERTRAM HAROLD TIEMEYER, OFM
“
(1921- 2015)
Fr. Bertram Tiemeyer, OFM or “Fr. Bert” is known for his prayerful life. His dedication to serve the
poor and proclaim the message of God’s love specially to the natives marked as his legacy as a
friar. He will always be remembered by so many people who inspired by his missionary work and
the whole franciscan fraternity where he shared his religious and priestly life for so many years.
FF
r. Bertram Tiemeyer , OFM
(March 30, 1921-May
2015) of Kansas, USA,
made his solemn profession on August
16, 1942 in the Franciscan Province
of St. John the Baptist in Cincinnati,
Ohio. He was ordained a priest June
5, 1947.
He arrived in the Philippines in
1961 and worked in Biliran Island
till May 1981. There he worked with
the credit union and consumers and
marketing cooperative, was chaplain
to his organized Federation of Free
Farmers (FFF) and established the
Kriska or Basic Ecclesial Communities
32
SECOND QUARTER 2015
From 1981-1986 he served as
spiritual director of the Our Lady
of the Angels Seminary in Quezon,
City. He took courses at Saidi and
at Emmaus. He underwent a 12week intensive Franciscan Internship
Program in Spiritual Direction and
Directed Retreats. From April 1986May 1991, he was the guardian of
the novitiate and assistant director of
novices.
From June 4, 1991-August 2001,
he served at Josefina, Zamboanga del
Sur as Chaplain, Spiritual Director
and Director Retreats not only to
the Poor Clares but also to other
religious, priests and lay people
who would come to Josefina for this
purpose. It was also during this time
that he was having dialogue with the
Subanans eventually leading to the
production of the Book “Subanans”.
On June 1991 he arrived as the
first chaplain of the new Foundation
“
and propagated the Charismatic
Movement.
of the Poor Clare Sisters in Josefina,
Zamboanga del Sur. While at prayer
he felt that God was asking him not
to be selfish in his desire for solitude
and prayer, but that he should reach
out to the Subanans, who were living
very near the compound of the Poor
Clares.
Finally, from April 2001 until his
death, he lived and was attended to
in the Rieti House of retirement and
for the sick at Our Lady of the Angels
Seminary.
During the vigil for Fr. Bert
remains, Masses were offered by the
friars who expressed their gratitude
for the example he has shown in the
Franciscan fraternity.
Fr. Bert remains lies in the
Franciscan Mausoleum in Laloma
Catholic Cemetery in Caloocan City.
GRAB A COPY!
Fr. Bert’s “Subanan” Book is available
in all Libreria de San Antonio Stores.
For inquiries call 371- 8399
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
The first time I met Fr. Bert was
when I substituted for him in his
ministry in Culaba, Biliran, Leyte. Fr.
Bert was then scheduled to attend a
seminar in Manila and I volunteered
to man his place for a few days while
he was away. This must be sometime
in the 1980s.
Fr. Bert’s convent in Culaba was
small. It had two floors. The first floor
was enough for an office table with a
couple of chairs, a small dining table
and a dirty kitchen. A woman would
come to cook for Fr. Bert. The second
floor was only enough for a small
bedroom. I was deeply touched by
the frugal life Fr. Bert lived in Culaba.
in his hands a worn-out plastic bag
which contained his old breviary held
together with pieces of rubber band.
It was then that I saw what prayer is
for Fr. Bert.
My first encounter with Fr. Bert in
that few minutes before he left Culaba
for Manila taught me a lot about living
the life of poverty and being a man of
prayer.
Fr. Bert was a man of discipline.
He was strict about silence in the
novitiate, punctuality, responsibility,
honesty, prayer, etc., as he was
also strict with himself. He never
would want to miss any of his own
personal schedule like conducting
his classes and conferences for
the novices, saying Mass or being
the confessor in nearby religious
communities, meetings with the
Secular Franciscans, etc. Most of
all, he never would want to miss this
nightly routine - after we had said
our night prayers in common, Fr.
Bert in his pajamas would return to
our dinning table. There while sitting
in the dark, as if in a very meditative
pose, he would slowly chew one or
two pieces of crackers interrupted
by the occasional sipping of water
from the glass. And then, when he
was through, he would go to our little
chapel, and in the dark spent his last
waking hours of the day with God
and the Virgin Mary.
Fr. Bertram, a man who lived so
poorly, but whose heart was rich with
the presence of God.
With just a small bag hanging on
his shoulder, Fr. Bert climbed unto
the back seat of the motorcycle that
was to take him to the bus on his trip
to Manila. But after a few minutes the
motorcycle came back. Without a
word Fr. Bert went in a hurry to the
second floor of the convent. He was
smiling when he came down. He had
Friars are carrying the remains of Fr. Bert from the
Postulancy house to Santuario de San Pedro Bautista
Parish for the funeral mass.
www.ofmphil.org
SECOND QUARTER 2015
33
inter-franciscan news
INTER-FRANCISCAN
INTER-FRANCISCAN
JUNIORS’ RENEWAL
CONFERENCE
By Bro. Mark Angelo Vito, OFM
o
O
n April 20-24, 2015, the InterFranciscan Juniors' Renewal
Conference (IFJRC) was held
at the Inter-Franciscan Formation
Center in Paenaan, Baras, Rizal, with
the theme: "Consecrated Life in the
Church Today: Gospel, Prophecy
and Hope.”
Eleven Franciscan
congregations actively participated in
this event: Order of Friars Minor (OFM),
Order of Friars Minor Conventuals
(OFM
Conventuals),
Franciscan
Sisters of the Immaculate Conception
(SFIC), Franciscan Apostolic Sisters
(FAS), Franciscan Missionaries of
the Infant Jesus (FMIJ), Franciscan
Missionaries
of
Mary
(FMM),
Franciscan Sisters Pro-Infante et
Familia (FSPIF), Franciscan Sisters
of Our Lady of the Divine Providence
(FLDP), Religious Franciscans of St.
Anthony (RFSA), Franciscan Sisters of
St. Elizabeth (FSSE) and Franciscan
Immaculatine Sisters (FSI). There
were fifty-one junior friars and sisters
who joined this renewal conference.
The gathering started with a wholeday exposure of the juniors to selected
host families in Payatas, Quezon City
in cooperation with Ina ng Lupang
Pangako Parish in Payatas before
going to Paenaan, Baras Rizal. On the
second day, Professor Gerry Lanuza
from the Sociology Department of the
University of the Philippines, Diliman
gave a talk entitled "Blessed are the
Poor." On the same day, Fr. John
Nathan Maagma, OFMConv. shared
about the "Franciscan Evangelical
Vows." A lecture on the "Canonical
Provisions and Canonical Issues on
Evangelical Vows" was conducted
34
SECOND QUARTER 2015
Hermitage
“ A gathering of all Junior Franciscans in
the Philippines from different Franciscan
congregations. A venue to discuss
common issues and challenges among
the Junior Franciscans who participated
in the said event.”
by Fr. Esmeraldo Enalpe, OFM on
day three. The next day, Fr. Antonio
Ma. Rosales, OFM shared on "The
Challenges of the Vows." Day five was
spent with a recollection facilitated
by Fr. Bernard Lanuza, OFM with the
topic, "To Whom Are You Walking
For?”
During prayer time and Eucharistic
celebrations, the brothers and sisters
observed Franciscan devotions in the
context of the theme and fraternal
bond and recreation during meal
time and Franciscan Joy celebration.
In the afternoon of the last day of
EXPERIENCE 2015
GET A COPY NOW!
Relive the sharing of Fr. Tony
Rosales, OFM. You can get a
DVD or MP4 file copy of his talk
at the OFM Media office.
By Fr. Generoso Pastidio, OFM
the conference, the juniors elected
the new set of officers of the InterFranciscan Juniors' Association,
2015-2016. Here is the list of the newly
elected servant leaders:
Chairwoman: Sr. Maricel dela Cruz,
SFIC, Chairman: Fra. Maximilian Ma.
Bumacod, OFMConv., Treasurer: Sr.
Farrah Partol, RFSA Secretary: Sr.
Joesarie Ann Englis, FSPIF
Acknowledgement to the Director,
Administrators and Staff of the
Franciscan Institute of Asia and the
Inter-Franciscan Juniors' Association
who made this gathering a success.
The Junior Franciscans from different congregations who particpate in the Franciscan Juniors Renewal
Conference at the Inter Franciscan Formation Center, Paenaan, Baras Rizal.
THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATOR
A fascinating panoramic view at the FMM cemetery is the venue where the participants enjoy the cold breeze of
air while contemplating on the theme, Franciscan Contemplation, mirroring the mercy and compassion fo Christ.
fF
ranciscans
from
different
Congregations,
Orders,
Fraternities
and
Societies
gathered once more last March 14,
2015 for the joint celebration of the
Franciscan Hermitage Experience.
This is an annual activity of the big
Franciscan family whose members
are scattered all over the Philippines.
Around 250 Brothers and Sisters
came for this occasion. The venue for
the celebration was the retreat house
of the Franciscan Missionaries of
Mary in Tagaytay City.
The whole day affair was divided into
three parts: 1) Input on "Franciscan
Contemplation: Mirroring the Mercy
and Compassion of Christ" given by
Fr. Antonio Rosales, OFM from the
Custody of St. Anthony - Philippines; 2)
period of quiet with God during which
the Sacrament of Reconciliation
was made available for everyone;
and 3) the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist presided by Fr. Gregorio
Redoblado, OFM, Minister Provincial
of the Province of San Pedro Bautista
Philippines and Chairperson of
www.ofmphil.org
the
Inter-Franciscan
Ministers
Conference of the Philippines.
"The Franciscan is not both
contemplative and active. The
Franciscan is always contemplative
24/7! Because even in his actions
and ministry the Franciscan is
always conscious of the presence
of God," This was one of the most
beautiful gems of spiritual insights
that Fr. Rosales shared in his talk,
one that inspired everyone to realign
themselves. For, indeed, when
done out of context of prayer, work
becomes a distraction if not an idol
that absorbs all of one`s energy,
attention and affection.
At the end of the Hermitage
Experience each one returned
to their respective communities
renewed and eager to begin once
more as Franciscans of prayer and
contemplation by making their
ministries, apostolates and works for
the poor as acts of adoration to the
loving and merciful God.
Fr. Antonio Rosales, OFM, the resource speaker during the
Hermitage Experience 2015
“The Franciscan is not both
contemplative and active. The
Franciscan is always contemplative
24/7! Because even in his actions
and ministry the Franciscan is
always conscious of the presence of
God,”
SECOND QUARTER 2015
35