A RAY OF LIGHT DOWN UNDER
In these days, the Lord has given me the chance to travel to the continent “Down Under” not only to see the way of life of the people there, to admire the opulence of the society, to wonder at the secularism prevalent in the attitude of the people and to witness the great respect and protection of nature in the vast rustic and provincial terrains. I was brought here also to acquire the spiritual inspiration of seeing our Filipino clergymen doing great service to a people so hungry for shepherds who come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
In the Diocese of Bunbury now live three of my friends who voluntarily left the comfort zone of the Filipino Catholic Church, where priests are respected, admired and many times pampered by their parishioners – young and old alike – and turned their sights on a diocese the size of Mindanao, where Catholics are scattered across many towns and farming villages, many of them, indifferent to their faith. In a conversation with a local priest, I learned that estimates have it that 94% of Australian Catholics are inactive in the practice of their faith. Filipinos, I was told by a Filipina immigrant, initially go to regular Mass, then drop off due to other priorities, then sometimes at the twilight of their lives, attempt to return to Catholic practice.
Going to rural Australia for pastoral mission is a big cultural and ecclesial shock for our Filipino priests and seminarians. Daily Mass attendees number less than ten. Sunday Mass or other holy day schedules are re-arranged according to people’s sports activities. Ash Wednesday rites can be done on a Tuesday evening to avoid conflict with ball games on Wednesday. On long weekends, people skip Mass altogether, preferring to go on camping trips with their families. Some people convert to the faith just to get their children enrolled in Catholic schools. There are many more crises in this large continent. But none to equal the scarcity of vocations among Australian youth. Help must be enlisted from outside the country to ensure the continued life of the Church.
Fired with the sense of mission, Filipino priests, brothers and sisters go with an open heart and mind.
FR. NICK LIM…
Fr. Nick Lim arrived in Bunbury diocese almost two years ago. Newly ordained and full of passion, he worked hard to pursue the dreams of service he developed while he was in San Carlos Seminary in Makati City, Philippines. He became known for his clear and inspiring homilies, his love for people, his respect for fellow priests and his creativity and commitment in visiting schools, hospitals and retirements homes and in helping shape up the liturgical program of the diocese. Last year, when the bishop of this diocese, Msgr. Gerard Holohan visited Manila, I met him for lunch. He expressed great satisfaction that his diocese is blessed with the presence of such a talented priest, fired by initiative and fervor.
Just over a year from his arrival, Fr. Nick was made the parish priest of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Dardanup, while supplying services to a priestless parish, Boyanup. He lives alone, with only Jess, a female cat, as his companion in an old rectory building that stands adjoining a beautiful church. In this parish, Fr. Nick retains his passion for action and his creativity in ministry. Everybody here loves his young parish priest; young and old are drawn to his charisma and enthusiastic approach to service. People talk about his liturgies and homilies.
As a true Karlista, Fr. Nick’s real secret is his spirituality. He is a man of prayer and his constant refuge is the Carmelite monastery in a nearby town, where Fr. Nick is a big hit with the small community of mostly Thai cloistered nuns. They are a witness to the ardent prayers of the young priest, both for himself and for his people. They know that Fr. Nick truly loves God, his vocation and his local Church.
FR. CYRIL CALIBA…
Fr. Cyril Caliba was my nextdoor neighbor in my last parish. He was chaplain of the Rizal Medical Center, an assignment nobody wanted to take. The hospital was a refuge of the mostly poor people of Pasig and the Rizal province. There were difficulties in the human and administrative structures. The small chapel was an inconspicuous presence in the midst of so much human suffering. Here Fr. Cyril was a source of inspiration for both the sick and for those who care for them. He developed a program of spiritual and pastoral care for the hospital staff and the sick. His commitment was unquestioned, his energy and devotion were manifest in all that he sacrificed for this post he humbly accepted and silently developed.
Moving to Australia with the permission of his bishop, Fr. Cyril spends his sabbatical as pastor of a community he finds so different from the communities he served before in his native country. He also lives alone but is definitely not lonely in his job. He pours his energy in connecting with his parishioners, in knowing them better, in devising ways to be a relevant prophet in their midst.
The bishop of the diocese is visibly impressed by Fr. Cyril’s maturity and spirituality. He told me that he was thinking of asking Fr. Cyril to spiritually guide his fellow Filipino clerics in the diocese. Fr. Cyril was a formator of seminarians in his home diocese and this experience can truly work to his advantage in this task. Personally, Fr. Cyril survives the challenges of mission work through his prayer life, his simplicity and asceticism and his sense of humor.
REV. FRANCIS ESPIRITU-CONSTANTINO…
Francis “Kiko” Constantino is the youngest of our missionaries in Bunbury. After leaving the seminary and taking up a secular job, he returned to his dream of serving the Lord by volunteering his presence in Australian soil. Just a year from his arrival in these shores, he will be ordained deacon on Feb. 26, 2010 and maybe a priest, in early 2011 after the new cathedral is consecrated. It is for this ordination that I made my first visit to Australia, to journey with him on a spiritual retreat before this important event in his life. As a seminarian, he was very close to me both as a student and as a confidant. In his year of discernment and before going to Australia, he stayed with us at Holy Family Parish, where he was well loved in our parochial school and in the parish community as well.
He will be ordained without the presence of his family. But I was so encouraged to see the outpouring of love and support from the two parishes Francis is currently serving as a seminarian in residence. Just after six months in Manjimup, the community received new zest and vigor in faith through the openness and friendship of Francis. Visiting homes, reaching out to children and the young, and using his talents for church media presentations, Francis filled a void in the life of his parishioners. They clearly needed a young person to walk with them in their journey of faith. They saw this need fulfilled in Francis for whom they are opening their hearts and their homes.
An Australian guy and his Filipino wife were so happy when they were mistaken to be the parents of Francis. How I wish it were the case, the man said. And in fact, he is really part of our home now, he stressed. He also said that this ordination, the first in the parish, caused quite a stir in the hearts of all. People are talking about it. People are excited about the event. People feel that they are part of the making of a priest for Australia.
Far from his family and hometown, Francis is loved and cared for by a new family and a new home. Parishioners are opening their homes for guests coming from the Perth city archdiocesan seminary. They are providing for food and other needs. The choir has been practicing double time, even translating into English a Tagalog song one of their number heard in Manila during a visit. The school children will attend the affair. Two parishes served by Francis are collaborating for all the preparations and the small Filipino population is so eager to bring a touch of Filipino hospitality during the reception.
Hopes are high that Francis will continue the Karlista spirit in this foreign land. He has the support of his diocese, his bishop and the people. And with God’s help I am certain that he will perform as expected. As he has willingly given his heart to God from his earliest years in the minor seminary, the Holy Spirit will support Francis in the years ahead. Please pray that his heart will always be open to the Holy Spirit’s inspirations
Fr. Nick, Fr. Cyril, Rev. Francis – three good reasons for being in Australia; three good reasons why the Church in Australia can rejoice and be optimistic; three good reasons why Filipinos can be thankful and modestly proud in the Lord for the faith we received, the very same faith we now share with the rest of the world.
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