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| St. James COPA Foundation, Inc. CHURCH OF THE POOR APOSTOLATE PARISH OF ST JAMES THE GREAT AYALA ALABANG VILLAGE |
| COPYRIGHT 2007. ST JAMES - COPA FOUNDATION, INC. AYALA ALABANG VILLAGE, MUNTINLUPA CITY PHILIPPINES |
| WISH KO LANG! continued ... |
After the enlightening lecture of their vision-mission, programs, Fr.
Bombom toured us to one of the sites where his second non-formal
school would be built - a few minute’s ride through a bumpy feeder
road and a few minute’s walk uphill on foot, passing through patches
of gardens planted to broccoli, cabbage and carrots. With a few
shouts from the priests of “Maayad ha masalum, kaduma!” (Good
morning, brother!), the people came out of their houses and met us
in the rickety chapel where they hold their Sunday “katilingbanong
pag-ampo” (the dry-mass or mass without a priest) and where they
also hold classes during week days. I had never seen such eyes of
gratitude from children, mothers, fathers and grandparents who felt
they were treated humanely, this time, by the “dumagat” (people from
the coastal areas). Religion, indeed, brought something good to
them.
As we went along visiting the COPA-adopted parishes, I wrote a
“Wish Ko Lang List”, as they requested. In some people’s
standards, they are not really much: 5 overhead projectors (of which
3 have been delivered); 2 second-hand computers; a radio base with
portable VHF radios (cell phones are useless in these difficult
terrain). One parish priest from an adopted parish got updates from
the diocese only via DXDB, the Diocesan AM Radio. A VHF radio
could be more useful than cell phones, especially in Kalabugao, a
COPA-adopted parish situated at the headwaters of the Pulangui
River in the Pantaron ranges. Putting up a VHF radio
communications repeater on Mt. Kitanglad for the Diocese of
Malaybalay will be a great challenge for the next batch of COPA
volunteers to Bukidnon.
Bombom toured us to one of the sites where his second non-formal
school would be built - a few minute’s ride through a bumpy feeder
road and a few minute’s walk uphill on foot, passing through patches
of gardens planted to broccoli, cabbage and carrots. With a few
shouts from the priests of “Maayad ha masalum, kaduma!” (Good
morning, brother!), the people came out of their houses and met us
in the rickety chapel where they hold their Sunday “katilingbanong
pag-ampo” (the dry-mass or mass without a priest) and where they
also hold classes during week days. I had never seen such eyes of
gratitude from children, mothers, fathers and grandparents who felt
they were treated humanely, this time, by the “dumagat” (people from
the coastal areas). Religion, indeed, brought something good to
them.
As we went along visiting the COPA-adopted parishes, I wrote a
“Wish Ko Lang List”, as they requested. In some people’s
standards, they are not really much: 5 overhead projectors (of which
3 have been delivered); 2 second-hand computers; a radio base with
portable VHF radios (cell phones are useless in these difficult
terrain). One parish priest from an adopted parish got updates from
the diocese only via DXDB, the Diocesan AM Radio. A VHF radio
could be more useful than cell phones, especially in Kalabugao, a
COPA-adopted parish situated at the headwaters of the Pulangui
River in the Pantaron ranges. Putting up a VHF radio
communications repeater on Mt. Kitanglad for the Diocese of
Malaybalay will be a great challenge for the next batch of COPA
volunteers to Bukidnon.
On June 28, 2010, I will go back home to Malaybalay bringing with
me the love and support of the parishioners of St. James the
Great Parish in Ayala Alabang. In our conversation with my new
bishop, the Most Rev. Joe Cabantan, he said something to the
effect that I might have been attached to St. James. I smiled and
said, “Guilty as charged!”
I would like to thank Msgr. Ernie Joaquin, my fellow guest priests
Msgr. Noe Thomas and Fr. Joseph Diamante, as well as the
Parish Pastoral Council, for putting up with this student-priest
among you. My gratitude goes especially to the St. John Mary
Vianney Association for shouldering my tuition fees at UST -
helping me finish my licentiate degree in Canon Law. I am also
grateful for the BEC community in District 2 for our spiritual journey
together. Thanks to my Wednesday bible study group, the
Renewal Movement of St. James - especially the youth and my
biking group in the Village.
I may not be able to mention all the names but, deep from my
heart, I say “Thank you” to all of you for the fruitful three years of
allowing me to grow while staying in your beautiful parish. Keep it
up! Thank you for “adopting” me as a member of your family. Be
assured of my prayers always and remember me, too, in yours. If
I had made mistakes and hurt anyone, without my knowing it, I ask
for forgiveness.
Auf Wiedersehen!
me the love and support of the parishioners of St. James the
Great Parish in Ayala Alabang. In our conversation with my new
bishop, the Most Rev. Joe Cabantan, he said something to the
effect that I might have been attached to St. James. I smiled and
said, “Guilty as charged!”
I would like to thank Msgr. Ernie Joaquin, my fellow guest priests
Msgr. Noe Thomas and Fr. Joseph Diamante, as well as the
Parish Pastoral Council, for putting up with this student-priest
among you. My gratitude goes especially to the St. John Mary
Vianney Association for shouldering my tuition fees at UST -
helping me finish my licentiate degree in Canon Law. I am also
grateful for the BEC community in District 2 for our spiritual journey
together. Thanks to my Wednesday bible study group, the
Renewal Movement of St. James - especially the youth and my
biking group in the Village.
I may not be able to mention all the names but, deep from my
heart, I say “Thank you” to all of you for the fruitful three years of
allowing me to grow while staying in your beautiful parish. Keep it
up! Thank you for “adopting” me as a member of your family. Be
assured of my prayers always and remember me, too, in yours. If
I had made mistakes and hurt anyone, without my knowing it, I ask
for forgiveness.
Auf Wiedersehen!
| Fr. Jun with Msgr. Ernie and the members of the St. James Parish Pastoral Council of St. James. |
Back in Ayala Alabang, I bumped into Mr. Benny Araw in one of the
Sunday Masses. He jokingly asked me whether the “junket trip” to
Malaybalay was worth it. I gather that the idea that a COPA visit to
adopted partner-parishes in the future should have a character of a
junket trip, which means, by definition, without the pejorative
connotation, a trip fully paid by the institution or government, a lakbay-
aral of sorts, where the knowledge gained from such experience will
be shared with the folks back home. In church parlance, we call it
“exposure” or “immersion”. This immersion is important for many
reasons. First, adopted parishes will cease to be looked at as just
statistics. The parishes take on faces, names and values. They
emerge as a group of persons who we can relate to and we can be
friends with. Secondly, exposures such as COPA visits will have their
impact in the way we live in this posh, insulated, high-end community
and will, eventually, make a change in our lifestyles. Thirdly, COPA
parish visits will broaden our horizon regarding Philippine socio-
economic reality and may have implications on ‘hands-on’ training
for the young on what it means to be “biased for the poor”
Sunday Masses. He jokingly asked me whether the “junket trip” to
Malaybalay was worth it. I gather that the idea that a COPA visit to
adopted partner-parishes in the future should have a character of a
junket trip, which means, by definition, without the pejorative
connotation, a trip fully paid by the institution or government, a lakbay-
aral of sorts, where the knowledge gained from such experience will
be shared with the folks back home. In church parlance, we call it
“exposure” or “immersion”. This immersion is important for many
reasons. First, adopted parishes will cease to be looked at as just
statistics. The parishes take on faces, names and values. They
emerge as a group of persons who we can relate to and we can be
friends with. Secondly, exposures such as COPA visits will have their
impact in the way we live in this posh, insulated, high-end community
and will, eventually, make a change in our lifestyles. Thirdly, COPA
parish visits will broaden our horizon regarding Philippine socio-
economic reality and may have implications on ‘hands-on’ training
for the young on what it means to be “biased for the poor”
| Fr. Jun dons his gear with the bikers of Alabang. |
| Fr. Jun poses with members of the Apostleship of Prayer of St. James the Great Parish. |
| A Message of Sympathy The SJ COPA Foundation, its Officers, Members and Administration, offer their deepest Condolences to the family of Ma. Luisa L. Rodriguez, SJ COPA Trustee at the demise of her only child, Loy Joseph ’Joey’ Rodriguez + who passed away on May 21, 2010. |