Let Those Bowling Balls Go!

The very first community recreation for the Redemptorist Formation Community here in Davao was a fun filled afternoon at the local bowling alley at NCCC Mall. So excited were the students to have some fun together that all were ready at 1.30p.m, the agreed departure time. Along with the students were Fr Pio Makabenta CSsR, one of the student prefects, Sr Miriam Alexandrino OSB, the dean of studies and Ms Portia Awayan FLARE, the pastoral directoress and professor in pastoral counselling.

The whole reason for the recreation was for the students to have fun, unwind and to bond with each other hence there was no competition and everybody was just invited to just let loose the bowling balls. It was a definitely a welcome break after all the meetings and schedules of the first few weeks. Altogether we occupied 8 lanes in the bowling alley. With the constant cheers and claps, anyway passing nearby would have thought that there was really some serious bowling going on but it was all in the name of fun.

After 2 hours of bowling, the sign boards above the lanes flashed that the time limit had passed. All in all, everyone had an afternoon of good fun.

I’m Yours. “Songs Reflect the Feelings of the Heart”

On the morning of Jun 13 marked another significant event here in Davao. It was the day in which two former students of SATMI and members of the Davao community were finally ordained into the Sacred Order of Presbyters. It was graced by relatives and friends of the ordinandi with the students and representatives from different Redemptorist units of Asia Oceania. Jose Arnel Rallos (Arnel) and Joseph Ryan Parantar (Ryan) was ordained by the Most Reverend Bishop Ireneo Amantillo CSsR, bishop-emeritus of Tandag. It was really a meaningful liturgy in which there was a solemn and yet a joyful celebration of vocation and commitment.

Both the old and new senior community members of Davao were there to witness the event. Fr Cruzito Manding CSsR, the former Student Prefect now Provincial Superior of Cebu, was the one who presented the candidates to the bishop and the people. It was also graced by other former students of SATMI now all ordained priests. It was also another inspiring event for the students both old and new to be part of this momentous event. Yet the most visible was Fr Jetana Kitcharoen CSsR (Bird), who was also ordained last May 27, 2011. Before the final blessing the Provincial Secreatary of Cebu, Fr Bing, announced the assignments of the newly ordained. Fr Arnel will be assigned on Iloilo while Fr Ryan will be assigned in Cebu.

 

After the liturgy in the church there immediately followed a fellowship at the covered court. The guests and friends were graced with a sumptuous meal from a catering service. Then the students rendered them songs that were done by units. Each unit was able to bring meaningful messages through their own rendition of songs in their own languages.  There were also presentations and messages from family, friends and conferrers. Yet the most eye catching was the rendition of “I’m Yours” by the newly ordained, Fr Arnel with the RFC band. As the program ended there were still surprise numbers from the students and other members of the congregation. Even Fr Cruz was able to give a couple of his favorite songs to the crowd with the help of RFC band. It ended with the song “Viva Forever" and the Salve Regina by some selected students. It was truly a blissful event. Finally Fr Arnel and Fr Ryan will now really tell to the people and to God “I’m Yours”.- Bro Rufino Macasaet Jr CSsR (3rd Year Theology)

Silsilah

The end of Summer saw all the first years heading to South West Mindanao, to Zamboanga City for the Intensive Course on Christian Muslim Dialogue of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement. The course was held in Harmony Village on the outskirts of Zamboanga City and the participants were from all over the Philippines, from Manila to Basilan, as well as from around Asia, from China, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

The Silsilah Dialogue movement was started by an Italian PIME priest, Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, to help in the peace process in the region. To help begin a dialogue between Christians and Muslims to help build peace between and amongst the peoples in the region. Hence the course was open to all and including catholics, religious and lay, protestants and muslims. During the course, the participants were introduced to both the christian and muslim faiths, with a catholic priest from Italy who is a close friend of the movement and the community being the resource person for the christian faith and a muslim professor who was the resource person for the muslim faith. In many ways, it was an eye opener for many of the participants who until now only had a very limited view or knowledge of the faith of their christian and muslim brothers and sisters. In addition, it was very heartening to see everyone both muslims and Christians sit togther and interact both in and out of the classroom as well as in the refectory.

In addition, everyone was also highly encouraged to pray everyday in his or her own faith for the courage and strength to be open to dialogue. At the end of the course, all the participants pledged their commitment to work for peace in dialogue with their muslim and christian brothers and sisters. Padayon!

Process Retreat

Immediately after our year end evaluation, the first year students were packed off to Cebu for our annual retreat accompanied by none other than our Student Prefect, Fr Ben Ma CSsR and our pastoral directoress, Ms Portia Awayan FLARE. This is just one simple example of the great amount of care, concern and dedication that is generously poured into the Redemptorist Formation Program. Both of them had put aside their busy schedules as both considered that this time, this retreat was for the first years, of utmost importance and priority.

At the Redemptorist Holy Family Retreat House, we were allowed a day to rest and relax after the endless activities of the previous weeks. It was a welcome break to have nothing to do but just to be with oneself, one’s community and the one God.

The next day, we started our process retreat under the direction of both Ms Portia and Fr Ben. It can be said that for some of the first years, it was the first time to discover a part of themselves which they had never known or named, to discover and name components or areas of their personalities in the context of the MBTI. In addition, it was the first time that personal stories and sharings was done as a complete first year batch. Over the next 5 days, under the professional and compassionate guidance of both Fr Ben and Ms Portia, all of the first years were processed and guided through to discover more of the unique gifts and talents and personalities which each possess and to help each student own it.

At the end of the retreat, we discovered more of ourselves, our batch mates and more importantly of the Redemptorist vocation to which the Holy Redeemer himself has called each and everyone of us to.

DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH

It’s that time of year again when the students have to shake of the dust of their vocal chords which have been placed in cold storage and tune them again to vocal brilliance as its time for “DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH.” Yes the spirit of Christmas is in the air once again in Davao. As lights and street decorations come alive all over the city, here at SATMI, the students have been busy training and practicing their voices to bring Christmas cheer and joy and happiness and sheer wholesome yuletide goodness to the very people who have been actively supporting and cheering us on in our studies, apostolates and our vocation, the Redemptorist Oblates and Associates. These very important people behind the scenes pray constantly for each aspirant, each seminarian and each brother and priest who walks and passes through the doors our formation houses and seminaries and they also support the formation process materially through very generous donations and gifts. Hence the students each christmas, show their heartfelt appreciation for the invaluable support that has been shown and given to them by going to the homes and houses of our oblates and associates to sing christmas carols.

In addition, the students decided this year, due to greater numbers and also greater confidence in their vocal prowess, to bring christmas cheer through caroling to the inmates of the Davao city jail as well the patients at Davao Medical Center, the local government hospital. However in the end, it was not so much the quality of the singing that mattered, whether the right notes were sung, whether it was sharp or flat. What was important was presence that the seminarians came to visit, to drop by and to talk and chat and laugh. That is the spirit of christmas, Emmanuel, God being born to be with us as one of us. We are hence invited to be with each other, to share in the love that God so freely gives. Merry Christmas!

Loy Kratong

With the beginning of advent season, this is also another opportunity for the Thai festival called “Loy Kratong” to reflect our life with the water especially water in our life.

On the Loy Kratong night, at dinner, everyone wears their own costumes, especially Thai students because they have a new costumes,and it is Thai trandition and Thai festival. We also have Kratong making competition. We made Krantong by year level.Fr. Bom, who acclaimed the first year Kratong as the winner.

Tonight we enjoyed eating especially Thai foods which were served. Some of none Thai students who have experience Loy Kratong festival in Thailand were given the chance to share their espresions and experience. After dinner, all of us went to the pond in the middle of our garden for Loy Kratong floating. We hope that all of the Kratongs would float but our hope sometime, fails because the Kratong of the Second year sank as Fr. Bom foretold.

Why do we have Loy Kratong festival? It Is too long history. The interpretation and the meaning of Loy kratong are not only for fun, but it has a meaning for our lives too. In the tradition we believe that water is the most important for our life, so we come together in the river with our Kratong, say a prayer of thanksgiving and apologize the river or the water before we float the kratong. We believe also that when we are floating the Kratong we also floating the bad thing in our life.

We come together here not only to celebrate the festival only, but also the Kratong reminds us that we are also floating ourselves in the same boat in the wide space of the ocean. It is not easy to float our boat alone but with the helping of each other our boat will smoothly go to its direction, even though sometimes we encounter the surge of the wind or other storms of life.

Lastly, we hope that the Loy Kratong festival will continue to the next years. Thank God that we have beautiful festivals, and thanks also to the whole community who supported our festival celebration.

(Black)

SUN, SKY & MOUNTAINS

Hardly a day had passed since the end of our mid year retreat that the students were off again. This time to Davao Del Norte and Compostella Valley for our much awaited community vacation. The students had given the community committee a very challenging task by requesting for a vacation that encompassed the elements of Sun, Sand and Sea as well as Scenic Views and Cool Mountain Air. I don’t think that mother nature in all her beauty and grandeur would be able to meet the demands of the students in one location at least here on earth. However the community committee did not let this seemingly impossible requirement from getting in the way of planning a fantastic vacation for the community.

In addition, the Philippines as an island chain formed by seismic and volcanic activity does offer though not in one location but in relatively close proximity the elements requested by the demanding students. Thus the plan would be to drop by a beach resort on the first day in Davao Del Norte close by to Tagum City before heading off to Haven’s Peak Resort in picturesque Compostella Valley.

First stop was Sun, Sand and Sea at Manaklay Beach Resort Some of the students spent the morning swimming and playing beach volley ball whilst others were content to just soak in the refreshing sea breeze and laid back atmosphere of the beach resort. After a packed lunch of pasta, chicken and water melon, the students were on the road again heading further east up into the mountains of Compostella Valley.

After a 5 hour drive through some challenging country roads, we finally reached Maragusan. Home of Haven’s Peak our mountain resort and home for the next 2 days. Passing through the town proper, our convoy of three vehicles were soon reach the base of the resort but due to a slight down pour earlier, the dirt road leading up to the resort itself became an impediment for our vehicles and thus one by one, the students and formators chipped in to push the vehicles through and up to the resort‘s entrance and carpark only to find that the final challenge lay in walking the 203 steps up to the resort itself. What a trek. The rest of the evening saw the students in various parts of the resort enjoying the cool and refreshing mountain air.

The next day was a jam packed, activity filled day from morning to evening as the students went river trekking, swimming at two different waterfalls and cold spring. The day was nicely capped by a relaxing dip in a hot spring. Well relaxing at first until some of the students decided to human trampoline the others one by one. All too soon on the next day, the vacation came to an end. It was a tremendous effort done by the community committee. Kudos to the guys who went out of their way to ensure a great vacation for their fellow students.