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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 |
| Reflections of a COPA Volunteer By: Ricky Apolonio |
I was really honored to have been invited to join a visit to
COPA beneficiaries in Davao on March 2 and 3, 2011, in
the company of my good friends and CPA volunteers Jun
Penaranda, Francis Palafox, Eugene de la Cruz and
Lester Susi. I did not hesitate at all to join them. In this
visit, I witnessed the fruits of the help that COPA had
extended to our brothers and sisters in the Catholic
Church in those places.
Our first day, March 2, was with Fr. Randy Murillo, our
host who showed us around the Diocese of Tagum. I
learned from him that Catholics are the 97% majority (at
least in their diocese), contrary to my outdated notion
that our brother Muslims are the majority in the Mindano
area. And, when our priests and church workers narrate
how they sustain and maintain their daily apostolic
missions, you start to slowly comprehend, truly God is
with them. They don’t care whether they are in an NPA-
dominated area, or an area so remote that they need to
commute and spend Php 90.00 to 150.00 one way for a
ride which will take them half day to reach their
destinations. They simply just carry on their mission.
The funds given by COPA are very much appreciated
and have been spent wisely for God’s work. Their
beloved Vicar General, Fr. Ulysses Perandos wittingly
mentioned in front of his fellow priests that you need to
“ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE.”
Our second day, March 3, with Fr. Rogelio “Yoyong”
Albite of San Vicente Ferrer Parish under the Diocese of
Tagum, was as impressive as our first day. I learned
how they have successfully integrated their evangelical
mission not into private schools but into public schools. I
believe this is not only a clever move but a very precise
solution to the problem of how to cure a cancer in our
society. Imagine if we start to educate them at a young
age (Grade 3 pupils) to be God fearing and to
COPA beneficiaries in Davao on March 2 and 3, 2011, in
the company of my good friends and CPA volunteers Jun
Penaranda, Francis Palafox, Eugene de la Cruz and
Lester Susi. I did not hesitate at all to join them. In this
visit, I witnessed the fruits of the help that COPA had
extended to our brothers and sisters in the Catholic
Church in those places.
Our first day, March 2, was with Fr. Randy Murillo, our
host who showed us around the Diocese of Tagum. I
learned from him that Catholics are the 97% majority (at
least in their diocese), contrary to my outdated notion
that our brother Muslims are the majority in the Mindano
area. And, when our priests and church workers narrate
how they sustain and maintain their daily apostolic
missions, you start to slowly comprehend, truly God is
with them. They don’t care whether they are in an NPA-
dominated area, or an area so remote that they need to
commute and spend Php 90.00 to 150.00 one way for a
ride which will take them half day to reach their
destinations. They simply just carry on their mission.
The funds given by COPA are very much appreciated
and have been spent wisely for God’s work. Their
beloved Vicar General, Fr. Ulysses Perandos wittingly
mentioned in front of his fellow priests that you need to
“ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE.”
Our second day, March 3, with Fr. Rogelio “Yoyong”
Albite of San Vicente Ferrer Parish under the Diocese of
Tagum, was as impressive as our first day. I learned
how they have successfully integrated their evangelical
mission not into private schools but into public schools. I
believe this is not only a clever move but a very precise
solution to the problem of how to cure a cancer in our
society. Imagine if we start to educate them at a young
age (Grade 3 pupils) to be God fearing and to
understand His words. Imagine also the households that Fr. Jude Tampon of St. Francis of Assisi Mission Station in
Banate, Saranggani Province, would be able to reach with 53 Chapels to cover , 11 barangays, 4 High Schools, 14
Elementary Schools, and with only 80 Cathechists as his helpers. It is a wonder how they are able to accomplish their
work. I have no words to compare them to others…maybe they deserve to be in the Guinness World Records or in
Time Magazine ....
Banate, Saranggani Province, would be able to reach with 53 Chapels to cover , 11 barangays, 4 High Schools, 14
Elementary Schools, and with only 80 Cathechists as his helpers. It is a wonder how they are able to accomplish their
work. I have no words to compare them to others…maybe they deserve to be in the Guinness World Records or in
Time Magazine ....