Category SCJ Philippine Region

Oct 24 2013

Mission Sunday – Fundraising Campaign for the Philippines in Croatia

Dehonian Mission Community is a group of lay people connected with the Mary Mother of Church and St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Zagreb, Croatia, administered by SCJ priests. The group was established on March 14th, 2011.  The main goal of this community is to help the Dehonian missions. Ms. Mirela Vukovic, the head of the community, wrote “We decided to have 3 charity actions per year, when we collect money from our parishioners. Last year we sent our donations to Dehonian priests in Africa and in upcoming year we would like to support also the Dehonian mission in the Philippines.”

On the occasion of the Mission Sunday, the Dehonian Mission Community (DMZ) organized on October 20th, 2013, an exhibition and fundraising campaign for the Dehonian mission in the Philippines. Since last year, the DMZ is linked with the Dehonians, through Fr. Francis Pupkowski SCJ, who has been working on the island of Mindanao since 1989, one of the poorest and least developed parts of the country. Recently, the island has been hit twice by devastating typhoons. Typhoon Pablo in December 2012 – was one of the strongest, but due to earlier warnings it did not cause as many damages as Typhoon Sendong in 2011. Besides the damages, it claimed many lives. Until now, a number of families continue to live in temporary shelters. That’s why a group of different religious communities has decided to raise funds to buy a piece of land and start construction of new residential houses. The plan is to build 500 of them. The cost of one house is 125,000 Philippine Pesos, or 3,000 US Dollars. Last June 2013, the DMZ was able to send to the Philippines an amount good for one house which was collected in earlier actions.

The exhibition prepared by Ms. Mira Vukovic  and Pavice Ercegovac comprised of three parts: the Philippines and scale of damages due to typhoons, Dehonians in the Philippines , and the ” Croatian house” – a house that is being built from funds collected by the faithful and numerous friends of the mission .

For more pictures please click here.

Sep 20 2013

Accounting Seminar in Cagayan de Oro

On October 17 – 19, 2013, in Cagayan de Oro City took place an Accounting Seminar intended for local treasurers and those interested in financial matters. Here below is a sharing of Fr. Showe Reddy Bala Nekkanti, of one of the participants of this crash course.

“Our manner of administrating and managing our goods should be a witness of evangelical life.”(GD 142)

Our general directory clearly emphasizes the need of transparency and accountability in handling the goods which are at our care.  For this concern, the regional treasurer, Fr. Arthur SCJ with the approval of our superior Fr. Francis SCJ and his council arranged a short seminar on the accountancy.

There were 17 members including Fr. Halim SCJ  from district of Vietnam.

The first day was handled by one of our seminarian, who is also CPA and was working as an Internal Auditor of a private company. His input was more of general accounting and how to make the financial reports. From the second day till fourth day, a team came from the Cagayan de Oro city accounting department headed by Atty. Beda Joy Elot, CPA whose main lecturers were Rhea Suralta CPA, and Rodel Boc, IT specialist. The main topics of these days were journal writing, ledger and double entry.

Though not all of us and not everything was grasped, it was really useful and meaningful seminar. It was difficult to understand and reasons behind. But the whole group attended with full spirit and enthusiasm. First two days were normal but last two days were fun filled days as all of us could enjoy the seminar.

We would like to really express our gratitude for the team of Atty. Bede Joy Elot. It was not easy to teach us and explain to us in common language. And the team really did wonderful job in explaining and helping. We appreciate their patience and generosity. We would also express thanks to Fr. Arthur who worked behind all the preparations and thanks to our superior Fr. Francis and his council for their approval.

As a whole, it was really very different seminar from others. Though sometimes it gave us some headaches, over all we enjoyed a lot while learning about the accounting. I hope this kind of seminars would help and encourage us to learn and know more about administering the goods of the church and the congregation.

Aug 30 2013

Viva Señor San Augustin!

DacsuToathanh

Most Rev. Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, DD

Cagayan de Oro City – August 28 of every year, the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City celebrates the Feast of its patron St. Augustine of Hippo. Today marks the 391st year of Christianity in this part of Mindanao and it is also the 80th year anniversary of its erection as a diocese. The solemn Eucharistic celebration was presided by the Most Rev. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ DD, archbishop of Cagayan de Oro and graced by the Most Rev. Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, DD, Cardinal Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Metro Manila as the homilist. Also present in the celebration were 19 bishops and archbishops from all over the country as well as more than a hundred priests and religious. The cathedral was packed with many faithful.

In his homily, Cardinal Rosales recalled how the first Augustinian Missionaries labored in bringing Christ to the people of Cagayan de Oro. He likewise congratulated the people and praised the Lord for the enormous growth of the number of the faithful as well the vast development in the city. He said that despite the people’s suffering because of many trials and hardships, mentioning in particular the recent bombing in the city and typhoon Sendong that surprisingly rocked the people, God proves His presence in the way that the people responded to such trials. “Sometimes,” he said, “we need to be surprised” so as to awaken in us the values that Christ has gifted us with, values of selflessness and genuine care for others. He recalled how, while he was the yet bishop of Bukidnon, they rallied against illegal loggers in the area 30 years past. “The people did not listen to us and they even killed one of our priests, Fr. Sator. Now we have seen the result of unheeded call.” He ended his homily thanking once again the whole Christian community of the archdiocese, the pastors and the local government leaders.

Archbishop-Antonio-Ledesma-320x420

Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ DD

Days before the fiesta, the city government held various activities with the theme, Panaghigalaay (friendship), as the city is popularly known as ‘the City of Golden Friendship’.  Given particular remembrance were the icons of the city whose life and unequaled selflessness helped in making the Catholic Church and the city as they are now. Despite some little fear due the recent bombing incident, the entire fiesta celebration was very peaceful and well secured by the city police force.

– Fr. Tong,scj  

History of Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

During the Spanish era there was only the Province of Misamis which included the present Provinces of Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental, and was handled by the civil government from Cebu. The Recollect Missionaries came down from Cebu and started a mission in the province. The civil government of its own started only in 1901. And because one part of it was separated from the main by Iligan Bay, the government decided to divide the province into two. Misamis Oriental is the bigger portion. Today the Diocesan Cathedral is one of the 12 Cathedrals that was founded by the Order of Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines.

Before 1865, the whole of Mindanao island and Sulu were part of the Diocese of Cebu. In 1865 the western half of Mindanao came under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Jaro in Panay. Then Pope Leo XIII established the Diocese of Zamboanga, separating it from Jaro and making it the first diocese in Mindanao. But it was Pope Pius X who executed this in 1910. Thus from 1910 Cagayan de Oro City became part of the Diocese of Zamboanga.

On January 20, 1933, Pope Pius XI created a second diocese in Mindanao, that of Cagayan de Oro City, separating it from Zamboanga City and giving it jurisdiction over the then Provinces of Surigao, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon and part of the Province of Lanao. Together with Zamboanga it became a suffragan of the new Ecclesiastical Province of Cebu.

In 1939, the Diocese of Cagayan de Oro was divided again with the creation of the Diocese of Surigao comprising the Provinces of Surigao and Agusan; and in 1951 was divided again with the creation of the Diocese of Ozamiz comprising the Provinces of Lanao and Misamis Occidental.

On June 29, 1951, Pope Pius XI elevated Cagayan de Oro City to an archdiocese, coinciding with that of Jaro. The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro became the first archdiocese in Mindanao, thereby separating Mindanao from the Ecclesiastical Province of Cebu. It had as its suffragans all the dioceses and prelatures then in Mindanao island: Surigao, Cotabato, Sulu, Davao, Ozamiz, and Zamboanga which had been its mother diocese. It became an archdiocese seven years ahead of its mother diocese.

Later, the Apostolic Prefecture of Sulu, the Prelature Nullius of Marbel, the Prelature Nullius of Tagum, the Diocese of Butuan, the Prelature Nullius of Malaybalay, the Prelature Nullius of Iligan and the Diocese of Tandag became suffragans of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

Eventually four other archdioceses were established in Mindanao island: Zamboanga in 1958, Davao in 1970, Cotabato in 1979 and Ozamiz in 1983. Thus there are at present five ecclesiastical provinces in Mindanao.

Rev. James_T.G.Hayes

Rev. James T.G. Hayes

The first bishop and archbishop of Cagayan de Oro was the Most Reverend James Hayes, S.J., D.D., who established the Ateneo de Cagayan (now known as Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan) and among others. He was succeeded by Most Reverend Patrick Cronin, S.S.C., D.D. in 1971. Bishop Cronin established the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. The third bishop was Most Reverend Jesus B. Tuquib, D.D., S.T.D., who was installed as Archbishop with right of Succession on May 31, 1984, and became the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro on January 5, 1988. Today, the current Archbishop is the Most Reverend Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J., D.D., who was installed on March 4, 2006.

St. Augustin Cathedral

St. Augustine Cathedral is the city’s main Catholic Church and the seat of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. The original church was built in 1845 by the Augustinian Friars but was destroyed during the American bombardment in 1945. Only the wooden cross in front of the church survive d up to this day. After the war, American missionary Fr. James T.G. Hayes S.J., who later became the city’s archbishop rebuilt the church inspired by Gothic architecture. Its centuries old stained glass windows came from another old Gothic church which were donated by American Catholics from New York, USA.

Aug 16 2013

Farewell and installation of a new superior in the Novitiate Fr. Dehon

Fr. Laurentius Suwanto

Fr. Laurentius Suwanto, SCJ

On August 16, 2013, Fr. Laurentius Suwanto, the Novice Master, was installed as a new superior of the Novitiate Community. He replaced Fr. Indra Pamungkas who got his assignment as a Vocation Promotion Director in Manila. As of now, the Novitiate Community is composed of three religious and five novices.

The ceremony of installation took place during the Holy Eucharist presided by the Regional Superior Fr. Francis  Pupkowski, scj. In his homily, Fr. Francis thanked Fr. Indra for six years of service to the community, his dedication and availability and wished Fr. Suwanto to be a “Good Shepherd” in attending the needs of the whole community and of each member. After the homily Fr. Donald Longno,  read the letter of appointment of a new superior, which was followed by the “Profession of Faith” recited by the new superior.

The celebration was concluded with a simple supper, which was attended by fellow SCJs, religious sisters from various congregations and friends of the congregation.

Aug 10 2013

Kasanag Daughters Foundation in a new location

Two years ago in a disastrous rainfall the mountains, the river running through Cagayan de Oro burst its boundaries and inundated a large portion of this city on the island of Mindanao, the Philippines. Many people were swept away in the raging waters. The flood also reached as high as the second floor of the Kasanag Daughters Foundation, one of the social projects of the Philippine Region. Fortunately, no one was killed. However, the water damage was extensive. After the event there was a fear that such a flood might return and threaten lives. Shortly after the flood the Foundation decided to look for another property on higher ground.

With the help of some good friends in the Philippines but around the world a new property was found and also the funds to buy the property and build on it a new house. A special help was provided by the Episcopal conference of Italy but also by SCJ Provinces and Regions. It is for this reason that so soon after the flood there is now a brand new house for the Kasanag Daughters Foundation.
On Sunday, August 4, the new house was blessed. Sixteen of the young women were present together with members of the Board of Directors, the social worker, the directress of the house, the housemothers and a good number of Dehonians, the spiritual force behind this work. The mass was presided by Fr. John van den Hengel, the vicar general of the Dehonians, who was in the Philippines to direct a retreat for the fellow SCJs. In the Eucharist he reflected on the miracle of generosity that had happened. He asked the young women: “You have been given a miracle. It is up to you now to show to others what you do with the miracle.”
After Mass the house and the grounds were abundantly blessed. Fr. Francis Pupkowski expressed the thanks of the community for all who had made this event possible. The work is the ministry of Fr. Marcial Corpuz Aquire. He had helped to organize the feast after the blessing. The young women entertained with song and dance.
The work of the Foundation receives support from a number of countries in which the Congregation is active. It is one of the crown jewels of the Philippine Region. It stands as a symbol of their commitment to follow in the footsteps of social commitment and spirituality of Fr. Founder.