by Frank Savadera, SJ
February 26, 1999 (Friday) –MISSION TRIALS
Another big day today. Bishop Pacana was around for the scheduled confirmation in the morning. For this event, we slept late last night … decorating the chapel. Chris and Karel took charge of the backdrop. I decorated the altar area with bromeliads. Vangie and Efren asked me to be their ninong. I obliged. Whew! The chapel was packed full. The ceremony went well. People were having their photos taken in front of the bromeliads. Maganda!
Confirmation rites for the high-school kids in Crossing-Cabuluhan was scheduled in the afternoon. The bishop couldn’t make it there anymore. Father Mat was more than willing to be commissioned "bishop," at least for an afternoon.
Jason woke me up early. Last night was a real treat. After arrival from Bukidnon, Fr. Francis Bustamante brought us around to see the night life in Cagayan de Oro. We went to this place they call the ‘Dynasty’ and ‘The Site’ with Father Francis and Caro Alcuaz. Father Mores, the Rector reportedly provided us the much needed funds. Father Francis was a real character. I’ve heard so many funny and sometimes unusual stories about him. He seems like one of the more cordial Jesuits around. Father Busta, as people call him, involves himself in many an "untypical" apostolates ... so he says. Some of his friends he asked us to meet.
We also visited the John Vianney Seminary this morning with Father Mon. There, we also met Eva Galvey and Frs. Tim Ofrasio and Fruto Ramirez among others. In Father Tim’s office, Oliver dropped some of his memorable one-liners: “Oh, you don’t have a sofa! This is nothing better than Fr. Johnny Go’s office,” Oliver blurted out. Father Tim, on the other hand responds: “Yes, because we’re very poor around here.” Oh … oh! Everyone thought of the incident as a real funny exchange. The seminary grounds are indeed sprawling. The gardens were reportedly designed by Fr. Joe Q. The facilities are truly at par or even better than the novitiate’s. The Mindanao seminarians are very lucky to have all these for themselves. I’m praying for more vocations from Mindanao.
It was also my first time to have an SD session with Father Mon. He cries a lot, I know yet compared to Father Benny … the later is the more recognized spiritual guru (for now). Fr. Mon is as well a good guy, I’m sure … but I thought he would need to challenge me more. Masyado syang mabait.
Father Mon treated us all for lunch. Sarap! Sarap. I’ve never seen so many Muslims in one chicken house ever in my life. Eva treated us, as well to CDO’s Buko Halo. This is indeed a break … and a complete break it was. We still had plenty of time. We ended up catching the ‘Prince of Egypt” in the local theater.
Confirmation rites for the high-school kids in Crossing-Cabuluhan was scheduled in the afternoon. The bishop couldn’t make it there anymore. Father Mat was more than willing to be commissioned "bishop," at least for an afternoon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 28, 1999 (Sunday) – MISSION TRIALS
February 28, 1999 (Sunday) – MISSION TRIALS
Jason woke me up early. Last night was a real treat. After arrival from Bukidnon, Fr. Francis Bustamante brought us around to see the night life in Cagayan de Oro. We went to this place they call the ‘Dynasty’ and ‘The Site’ with Father Francis and Caro Alcuaz. Father Mores, the Rector reportedly provided us the much needed funds. Father Francis was a real character. I’ve heard so many funny and sometimes unusual stories about him. He seems like one of the more cordial Jesuits around. Father Busta, as people call him, involves himself in many an "untypical" apostolates ... so he says. Some of his friends he asked us to meet.
We also visited the John Vianney Seminary this morning with Father Mon. There, we also met Eva Galvey and Frs. Tim Ofrasio and Fruto Ramirez among others. In Father Tim’s office, Oliver dropped some of his memorable one-liners: “Oh, you don’t have a sofa! This is nothing better than Fr. Johnny Go’s office,” Oliver blurted out. Father Tim, on the other hand responds: “Yes, because we’re very poor around here.” Oh … oh! Everyone thought of the incident as a real funny exchange. The seminary grounds are indeed sprawling. The gardens were reportedly designed by Fr. Joe Q. The facilities are truly at par or even better than the novitiate’s. The Mindanao seminarians are very lucky to have all these for themselves. I’m praying for more vocations from Mindanao.
It was also my first time to have an SD session with Father Mon. He cries a lot, I know yet compared to Father Benny … the later is the more recognized spiritual guru (for now). Fr. Mon is as well a good guy, I’m sure … but I thought he would need to challenge me more. Masyado syang mabait.
Sige … let’s get this over and done with. There are a lot of work that I would need to return to in Cabanglasan. With Father Mon, I was just being spontaneous. I was simply describing my experience in Umayam … the long, and death defying expedition. yet there I was telling Father Mon how I would wish to go back, how I would wish to once again bring God’s word and the faith to the mountain people. Simply saying all these made me cry. Nakakahiya. But the sharing was all worth it.
Father Mon treated us all for lunch. Sarap! Sarap. I’ve never seen so many Muslims in one chicken house ever in my life. Eva treated us, as well to CDO’s Buko Halo. This is indeed a break … and a complete break it was. We still had plenty of time. We ended up catching the ‘Prince of Egypt” in the local theater.
