Misyon Goes to Ozamiz

Posting an article I wrote :)

When I attended the Annual Convention in Tagaytay last February, I realized how important it was to make the work of the Columbans known. It gave me a great sense of nostalgia meeting and spending time with the priests. ‘The Columbans are fading.’ This is what I would always hear these days. It is true. And while they are fading, stories about how much they’ve shared their lives with the people reverberate all throughout the country.  These stories resonate with the kind of life that the Filipino faithful live, ever since the Columbans set foot on Philippine soil.

We need to let these testimonies be known to more and more people, especially those who still do not know about the Columbans.  ‘It is time we blew our own trumpet’,  Fr Brian Gore once said in a homily. A bit too late, yes, but it’s actually never too late. Each story, each life when shared can be immortalized in the written word.

On 23 Mary Joy Rile, our editorial assistant and I went to Ozamiz City to gather stories from this part of the Philippines where a huge part of Columban mission was spent. It was our first time to be in Mindanao and our excitement was heightened by our eagerness to meet the people who were privileged enough to live and work with the priests.

We first got to know the people behind Pedalling to Live, a project of Fr Oliver McCrossan. They now have a housing project for sikad-sikad drivers and their families.  Father Oli worked hand in hand with the The People’s Co-op eserving drivers. Over a few sticks of camote-que, Ma’am Yolly, the co-op manager for 35 years now, narrated to us how the cooperative started and how it has grown to see lives of the poor improve.  The drivers pay their dues, only P30.00 per day, through a ‘rent to own’ mode of payment. We went to see the housing site, met the people and got to know their stories.

Ozamiz is a big city, but it seemed small to me as everywhere we went was just a sikad-sikad or a motorcycle ride away, with P5 for the sikad-sikad, and P7 for the motorcycle.  We heard there was a statue of St Columban in front of the Cathedral and so we went there to see it.  We saw a tall St Columban with his Bible and staff standing sturdily and on the plinth the names of the Columban priests who had lived and served in the local church. [Photo?]

We hung around a bit and met Mang  Anselmo, a barangay public safety officer. He spoke so much about Fr Joseph Grimley, buried in nearby Clarin, how they used to hang around together playing cards whenever there was no Mass.  He was one of his sacristans before and he said he’s never met such a gentle and good-humored priest. ‘The Columbans? When you say “priest”, that is the Columbans.’

Bernie Durangparang, Columban Vocation animator, invited us for lunch with his family. His eldest son Billy, aged 12, led the prayer before meals. I admired Bernie and his wife Laga for raising their children in a way expressing how the Columbans have influenced their lives. After that we went to see the nearby Columban house, known locally as Ang Palasyo.  He introduced us to Mang Jun who has been working for the Columbans for 25 years now.  His stories bear the lessons he’s learned from serving in this place.  He mentioned many names, each producing a broad, knowing smile. Indeed, his 25 years with the priests have earned him not only trust, but valuable friendships which he will cherish as he grows old. 

Entering the Palasyo, recently turned over to the Archdiocese of Ozamiz, diocese, I was so filled with a sense of awe and wonder, thinking about how much memories the place holds.  We went as far as entering the chapel. It wasn’t the same place anymore, someone told us. All the old, intricate details were replaced with new, more modern designs. Teopisto Culanag Sr, Bernie’s father-in-law, served there as an altar boy. ‘Now’, he said, ‘everything is just a distant beautiful memory. If only I could take home one, broken part of the pillar for remembrance.’  It was beautifully poignant watching the nostalgia on his face. By then I was very much convinced already how the Columbans have affected the lives of the people in Ozamiz.

The rest of our stay was spent going around for more stories. We were able to interview Fr Vinny Bush and Fr Oli McCrossan for their vocation stories. We also met the Subaanen girls working for Subanen Crafts. Joy was to continue the journey to Pagadian and Midsalip and I was left behind to go and visit Community of Hope, with which our editor, Fr Seán Coyle, has some connections through his involvement with the Deaf.

As soon as I sat in the airport lounge waiting for my trip back to Bacolod, I took out my pen and started scribbling my thoughts on this very enriching trip. There is so much to know about St Columban and the Columban and it’s a privilege to take part in sharing the story of their people.