The Present and Past of the P.O.L.A.
Sta. Cruz Community
THE PRESENT: There are nine SSS religious who are assigned in Sta. Cruz Community. The main commitment of the comunity is to promote the SSS Eucharistic charism especially by administering and taking care of the pastoral needs of the 397-year old Sta. Cruz Parish, which belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila. Currently, the community is engaged in renovating some portions of the community building. The parish, on the other hand, is preparing for its 400th Foundation Anniversary in June 2019 and is busy improving the services and church structure.
THE PAST: The late Archbishop of Manila Rufino Cardinal Santos invited the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (Societas Sanctissimi Sacramenti: SSS) to establish a foundation in Manila. The first community of Blessed Sacrament Fathers and Brothers (as Sacramentinos were then called) was established in the Parish of Sta. Cruz, Manila, on August 15, 1957. The first SSS parish priest of Sta. Cruz Parish was Father Rosaire Morin. He was also the local superior of the Sta. Cruz Community, which was made up of Fathers Leo Bourque, Donald Jette and Edmund Slattery, and Bro. Stephen Coombs (a scholastic). They worked tirelessly to propagate the SSS charism and, together with later additions of Sacramentino religious, laid the groundwork for transforming the parish of Sta. Cruz into a de facto Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Sta. Cruz Parish has a rich history dating back to the 17th century. It will celebrate its 400th founding anniversary on June 20, 2019.
Novitiate Community
THE PRESENT: There is a change of personnel at the Novitiate: Fr. Mark del Rosario replaces Fr. Thon Riosa as Novice Master; Fr. Zaldy Norba, the former Assistant Novice Master, is assigned in Hawaii Community. Fr. Vergel Dalangin will join the Novitiate Community after finishing his re-entry program and taking of formation courses. The community has undertaken a project that will maximize the productivity of the Novitiate property. This project involves having some mahogany and mango trees cut for security and bountiful harvest respectively. The vacant spaces that will be created will be used for growing calamansi and chilis, both of which already have a ready market.
THE PAST: This community was originally housed at Sta. Cruz Parish. When the Congregation was able to acquire seven hectares of hilly land in San Jose del Monte, a three-story building was built on it. On September 29, 1961, the formation team made up of Fathers Daniel Roach and Leo Bourque and Bro. Rudy Pinto moved to the new building and they became the first members of the Novitiate Community. Since July 1999, the Novitiate house has been hosting the International Program of Preparation for Perpetual Profession. (The novitiate is the second stage in the initial formation of candidates to the Sacramentino way of life; it is characterized as a period of breaking former patterns of living and testing one’s vocation.)
Davao Community
THE PRESENT: The Davao Community is happy to have a big number of Postulants this year – a total of 13. The community is also looking forward to having a new community building in the near future to replace the existing old presbytery which presents a fire hazard. The members are preparing the documents for the building permit application and anticipating to launch fund raising activities.
THE PAST: With the success of their mission at Sta. Cruz Parish and desirous of spreading their Eucharistic mission farther into the country, the Sacramentinos decided to accept the invitation of the late Archbishop of Davao Clovis Thibault, PME, to take over the administration of now 57-year old Assumption Parish on July 2, 1972. Fr. Joseph Roy was installed as its first Sacramentino parish priest. The Davao Community is also hosting the Congregation’s Postulancy Program. (This is the first stage in the initial formation of candidates to SSS religious life.)
Scholasticate Community
THE PRESENT: Five newly perpetually professed (four of whom were recently ordained deacons) came from the Scholasticate Community. The community has sent a pastoral exposurist to Uganda (Br. Throy). It has opened its doors to accommodate a Thai priest and a Thai seminarian who are both here to study.
THE PAST: Sacramentino scholastics used to be attached to the Davao Community since they were studying at St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao (ReMaSe) in Davao City. In 1982, the Blessed Sacrament Scholasticate Community was formed and moved to a new facility (now called Eymard Formation Center) in New Manila, Quezon City. Then the Community moved to Sunnyside Drive (renamed Eymard Drive) in 1988, to a building now known as Eucharistic Center, to give way to housing the resurging college program. (After discontinuing the college program at the Blessed Sacrament Novitiate, it was revived at Eymard Formation Center in 1988, but after a number of years it was again closed). The Community returned to Eymard Formation Center in the late 1990s. (The scholasticate is the third stage in the initial formation program; it is geared towards integrating spiritual values, academic load and pastoral activities into a unified whole).
Cagayan de Oro Community
THE PRESENT: Quite recently, the parish of Sacred Heart (a.k.a. Santuario Eucaristico) celebrated the installation of Fr. Froilan Briones as the new pastor and rector. Regarding the parish of Nuestra Seňora Virgen del Rosario in Consolacion, welcome news is that it has fully paid for the adjacent land bought from the Acebo Family. The small house left by the Acebos is now being used by a congregation of sisters who are also serving the diocese of Cagayan de Oro.
THE PAST: The Sacramentinos were originally invited to administer Sacred Heart Parish; however, due to the long wait to take over the parish, it was decided that they move to Brgy. Consolacion on December 9, 1995 where NSVDR chapel is located and there underwent immersion. Eventually, the Most Rev. Jesus Tuquib, D.D., then Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro, elevated NSVDR Chapel to a Chaplaincy on April 25, 1999 and installed Fr. Exzur Eballe as its first chaplain. The chaplaincy was elevated to parish status in April 2008 and Fr. Exzur was installed as the first parish priest of NSVDR Parish by the Most Rev. Antonio Ledesma, SJ, D.D., who succeeded Archbishop Tuquib.
Sacred Heart Parish was formally turned over to the Sacramentinos on February 2, 2003 as a chapel, and Fr. Mark del Rosario was installed as chapel administrator. On August 2, 2005, when it was elevated to a chaplaincy, Fr. Joel Lasutaz was appointed by then Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Jesus Tuquib, D.D. as chaplain. On August 2, 2008, the chaplaincy was elevated to a full-fledged Parish of the Sacred Heart, and Fr. Joel was installed as its first Sacramentino parish priest and rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Holy Eucharist by the Most Rev. Antonio Ledesma, SJ, D.D.
Provincialate Community
THE PRESENT: The death (or the birth in heaven) of Bro. John Bourque was the significant thing that had happened to the Provincialate Community. Bro. John was a well-loved member of the community and he will be sorely missed. In San Vicente Ferrer Quasi-Parish (Taguig), improvements of the place and the programs for the parishioners continue unabated. And in San Pedro Calungsod Parish (Surigao), Fr. Joel was recently installed as the first SSS Parish Priest last August 9, 2016.
THE PAST: The headquarters of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Province of Our Lady of the Assumption – Philippines-Uganda-Hawaii, is located at Eymard Drive (formerly Sunnyside Drive), New Manila, Quezon City. The community acquired its juridical personality as an independent community after the second POLA Chapter in 1996. The members of the community are the provincial superior, the provincial treasurer and religious in specialized ministries. Aside from the regular duties of its members, the community also provides a homey place to stay for visiting religious and extends assistance to other communities that are short of personnel.
*** The following are located in the same compound as the POLA headquarters and fall under the responsibility of the Provincialate Community:
Eucharistic Center: This serves as a residence for local and foreign diocesan seminarians studying philosophy and theology in the nearby universities and theological schools. Male young professionals who are preparing to take Board or Bar exams are also being housed here.
Bahay ni Eymard: Construction of this two-story building was completed in 2014. This is a facility to house senior members of POLA
who are in need of constant medical care; they are no longer active in their ministry, but they continue to be active in praying for the world and other particular intentions or graces.
*** The following are the Mission Stations of the Province and fall under the responsibility of the Provincialate Community:
San Vicente Ferrer Quasi-Parish (Taguig City): This Quasi-Parish has come a long way from being a simple chapel born out of the spirit of neighborliness among the first residents of Armor Village, Barangay Southside, Makati (now Palar, Pinagsama, Taguig City) under the diocese of Pasig. The Most Rev. Mylo Hubert C. Vergara, D.D., bishop of the diocese of Pasig, elevated San Vicente Ferrer Chapel to Quasi-Parish status on September 15, 2013.
Fr. Arnel Martinez was presented to the clergy and lay faithful of the diocese of Pasig as the designated parish priest for San Vicente Ferrer Quasi-Parish on October 25, 2014, but the formal turnover was scheduled for February 1, 2015 to allow the quasi-parish to make the necessary preparations. A day before that date, the former parish priest, Fr. Reynaldo Reyes, turned over the canonical books, important documents and financial records including the parish passbook to Fr. Arnel.
When February 1, 2015 arrived, Fr. Arnel, Bro. Reno and a number of parishioners started the day with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:30 a.m., which has become a regular practice in the quasi-parish church.
Sta. Cruz Quasi-Parish (Surigao del Norte): POLA informally took over the administration of the quasi-parish of Sta. Cruz (later renamed San Pedro Calungsod Parish) on July 18, 2015 when the pioneering group composed of Fr. Willy, Fr. Lennen and Bro. Ed M. arrived there. The quasi-parish of Sta. Cruz was turned over to the SSS by the Chancellor in the presence of some lay representatives.
The local Ordinary of Surigao del Norte, Bishop Antonieto Cabajog, D.D., formally invited POLA to establish an SSS presence in the diocese of Surigao, which is located in the southern part of the Philippines. Bishop Cabajog’s desire for the Sacramentinos to share their Eucharistic charism was the main reason for the invitation, which POLA considers very reasonable for possible foundation.
Tacloban Community
The Present: The parish community has just celebrated its 12th parish fiesta in honor of Saint Peter Julian Eymard August 7th this year. The former members of the community have moved on to new assignments, thus the SSS personnel in the community are all new. Fr. Choi Castaňeda assumed the role of superior while Fr. Willy Vallar embraced the responsibility of parish administrator.
The Past: The Most Rev. Pedro Dean, D.D, who was then Archbishop of Palo, invited the Sacramentinos to administer the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament located at Barangay Tigbao, Tacloban City, and the invitation was accepted. On August 1, 1997, the Shrine was officially turned over to the Sacramentinos, who dedicated themselves to promoting love for the Eucharist and Eucharistic adoration. Their efforts were recognized with the elevation of this ecclesial community to a quasi-parish in 2003, and finally to full parish status on August 2, 2004. Fr. Francisco “Kit” Mendoza was its first parish priest.
Tabaco Community
The Present: After a few years of planning, pooling of resources and fund raising in order to renovate the historcal chapel in Barangay Panal which later became the parish church of now Holy Family Parish, the church will be dedicated on August 22, 2016. Moreover, the community has a new local superior who is a religious brother in the person of Bro. Reynaldo Acabado. Lastly, Fr. Edgard Bugna is a new addition in the community.
The Past: This was the first pastoral community founded not in a city by the Sacramentinos. The Most Rev. Jose C. Sorra, D.D., Bishop of Legazpi, formally welcomed the Sacramentinos at the Holy Family Shrine, which has quasi-parish status, on February 4, 1999. Under the Sacramentinos, the quasi-parish thrived, thus Bishop Sorra decided to revert it to its former status in 1970-1973, that of a territorial parish. Fr. Arnel Martinez was its first Sacramentino parish priest.
Lasallian Center Community
The Present: The Memorandum of Agreement between POLA and De La Salle-Saint Benilde has been renewed. Moreover, the request that the religious assigned under Saint Benilde (namely, Frs. Jun-ed, Ben and Israel) shall be under the Vice-President’s Office was granted. The new member of the community is the recently ordained Fr. Israel Cruz.
The Past: From being regarded as a “satellite community” of the Provincialate Community, the Lasallian Center was canonically erected as a local community on May 13, 2011, with the permission from Rome. The first local community superior was Fr. Froilan Briones. There are currently four religious assigned as chaplains of four Lasallian institutions, namely, De La Salle University, College of Saint Benilde, Angelo King Institute for Culinary Arts and School of Design and Arts.
San Leonardo Community
The Present: The Life in the Eucharist Seminar (LITES) is being revived, but not by the LITES Team in San Leonardo (where there is none yet) but by the LITES Team of the Cathedral. Fr. Nelson, the local superior, is the one in charge, and Fr. Jon Sison, the LITES National in charge, is closely supervising the revival. Both are taking the opportunity where the parish priest himself of the Cathedral is the one enthusiastic in promoting the seminar in the different parishes of the diocese of Cabanatuan.
The Past: POLA’s 2011 Provincial Chapter mandated the Council then to accept the invitation of the Most Rev. Ronnie Bancud, SSS, D.D., to establish an SSS foundation in the diocese of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. Thus, the normal procedure of immersion by Sacramentinos was undertaken, and thereafter, an area in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija was elevated to a quasi-parish and its church named after St. John Marie Vianney on March 25, 2011. Fr. Mandy Tipones was appointed as the first superior of the local SSS community and parish administrator at the same time. On August 4, Feast of St. John Marie Vianney, the quasi-parish was raised to the status of a full parish, and Fr. Mandy was installed as its first Sacramentino parish priest.
Mapandan Community
The Present: The community has a new local superior. He is Fr. Mike Garcia and he takes over from Fr. Kit Mendoza, who is still the pastor. Moreover, Bro. Art Abalos has been assigned in the community as the community treasurer, In addition to this responsibility, Bro. Art will be very much involved in the catechetical apostolate, which is seen as one of the priorities of the parish. The construction of a bigger church which was halted is now being resumed.
The Past: During the 2013 Amplified Provincial Council (APC) meeting, the immersion in Mapandan, Pangasinan, was approved. The Sacramentinos were given a warm welcome by the archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan headed by the Most Rev. Socrates “Soc” Villegas, D.D. After a little more than four months of administering the chapel as a pastoral station, the archbishop elevated it to the status of a parish on May 1, 2014, with the name Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish. Meanwhile, mandated by the 2014 Provincial Chapter, a request was made to the General Council for the canonical erection of the Mapandan Mission Station as a local community. This request was granted and took effect on December 8, 2014. Fr. Francisco “Kit” Mendoza, was appointed as the first local superior and was installed as the first parish priest on March 4, 2015.
Uganda Community
The Present: Despite the growth in the number of young people in the initial formation, the community is in need of more personnel with the death of Fr. Stephen Kanyike, the transfer to Paris, France, of Fr. Martin Ochola and poor health of Fr. Victor Zinkuratire, the local superior. Unfortunately, POLA can only send for now a scholastic to help and only for less than a year.
The Past: In the 1960s until 1977, the American Province of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament had a Community administering a parish in Masaka, Uganda. But due to the brutal regime of its former president Idi Amin, the members were compelled to leave and the Masaka House closed down. Almost twenty years later, the Sacramentinos re-established their presence in Masaka with the help of the Superior General at that time, Fr. Norman Pelletier.
The Masaka House personnel were volunteers from different SSS provinces; however, this arrangement only worked for a few years. Thus, the General Team, headed by Fr. Fiorenzo Salvi, who succeeded Fr. Pelletier, offered the care of Uganda to the American Province, who in turn had to decline due to a lack of personnel. So the General Team turned to POLA. During its APC meeting in October 1999, POLA made the decision to accept the General Team’s invitation. Thus on February 4, 2000, a canonical decree was issued transferring Uganda from the responsibility of the General Council to POLA.
On May 24, 2000, four Filipino religious arrived in Uganda and another followed on June 30. There were two independent SSS communities then in Uganda, one in Masaka whose superior was Fr. Joseph Matitu while Fr. Melchiades Ssemakula† was pastor of Kimaanya Parish, and Ggaba Community whose superior was Fr. Sebastian Luistro.
Later on, the Ggaba Community was closed down but a formation house, the Eymard Formation House, under the Masaka Community, was opened in Walukuba, Jinja, for the students studying Philosophy.
Hawaii Community
The Present: In principle, the contract between POLA and the Diocese of Honolulu is renewed for another six years after its expiration this August 2016. The two parishes under the Hawaii community will have three religious each upon the arrival of Fr. Zaldy Norba in Hilo. He will be joining Fr. Poli Ty, the local superior, and Fr. Wilbert Laroga, the next SSS parish priest of Saint Joseph Parish (to be installed September 4, 2016). From Hilo, Fr. Paterno Labasano was transferred to Oahu to join Fr. Frankie delos Reyes and Bro. Bobby Yanzon. Fr. Sammy Loterte has already begun his year of living outside the SSS community.
The Past: The Sacramentino Hawaii Community administers two parishes of the Honolulu diocese: Mary, Star of the Sea Parish in Oahu and St. Joseph Parish in Hilo.
Mary, Star of the Sea Parish was administered by the Marist Fathers for 58 years, but they decided to give it up due to a lack of personnel. Bishop Francis Di Lorenzo of Honolulu invited the American Province of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament to take over the Parish. It so happened that the American Province of the Congregation was also experiencing a lack of personnel at the time, so it turned to the Philippine Province. In the end, it was decided that the Philippine Province, in collaboration with the American Province, would take on the responsibility of staffing the parish. On August 25, 2004, four Sacramentinos (three Filipinos and an American) arrived in Honolulu and began the work of sharing the Congregation’s charism to make Mary, Star of the Sea Parish a Eucharist-centered community. The Most Rev. Larry Silva, D.D., who succeeded Bishop Di Lorenzo in the diocese of Honolulu, formally entrusted Mary, Star of the Sea Parish to the Philippine Province of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. He then installed Fr. Mark del Rosario as its first Sacramentino parish priest on April 5, 2006.
Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva, D.D., extended the invitation to POLA to take care of another parish, St. Joseph Parish. The parish officially came under the care of the Sacramentinos on July 1, 2009. Fr. Sammy Loterte was installed as its first Sacramentino parish priest.
Prayer
- For the forthcoming APC on October 18-21, 2016
- For the repose of the soul of Teodoro Tomo, father of Fr. Dingdong Tomo
- For the speedy recovery of Fr. Exzur Eballe, SSS
Fr. Joseph Matitu, SSS
[AUGUST 15, 2016]