A Year Ending is Yet Another Year Beginning

Thank God for bringing us to this end of 2023 filled with happy memories and life’s lessons that inspired us all to begin the year 2024 with enthusiasm. Let us be renewed then with our aspiration to more faithfully incarnate Jesus in us through the witness of our lives as Sacramentinos. We pray all the more, that as the Church can experience the difficult and trying moments in living up the faith, we may be blessed with an increasing energy to move ahead and be faithful to our vocation to know, to love and to serve the Lord by way of our Religious calling. All these of course, have to begin from a true fraternal charity that needs to be fostered strongly in our relationship between and among ourselves as brothers in the religious community. May we treasure with gratitude whatever that created the best of kind memories in the past year as a community; and may we humbly learn to forgive and forego whatever that stressed and offended us in the past; and let us carry onwards that charity in us to sustain warmth and joy of Sacramentino family.

The grandest of gift human history has ever received is God becoming man. Christ himself is God’s gift of self to humanity – He chose to live among men, to love and to suffer with men, and to give end to death by rising again to life to save human kind. This is the real story why there is Christmas. And this alone is our reason as well to be constantly grateful to God, because Christmas is so reassuring that “God is with us!” (Emmanuel). To be all-grateful to God in this season of remembering our Savior’s birth is what Christmas can be all about. As one spiritual master said, “if ’thank you’ is all you can say when you pray, that suffices to a generous God.”

As a Province we have witnessed in every aspect this presence of God inspiring our initiatives, blessing our commitments and renewing our enthusiasm all for the love of the Holy Church through our congregation. Hence, we have so much reasons to be grateful, foremost to God! To all of you dear confreres in the Province of Our Lady of the Assumption, on behalf of the Provincial Council, please know that we are deeply appreciative and thankful for your usual warmth and joy in the keeping of our Sacramentino life, mission and spirituality.

It is my prayer that by always seeking to inspire each other by our commitment to fraternal charity, we can draw one another to living a lively sentiment of faith to God, hope in God and love for God. Merry Christmas and a Grace-filled New Year to everyone!

How Fr. Roel Got Elected to the General Council: An Eye-Witness Account

Fr. Vergel Dalangin, SSS

Last November, three Filipino SSS, Fr Roel dela Cruz, Br Reynaldo Acabado and myself, went to Vietnam and participated in the three-week long 36th SSS General Chapter, held in a veritable fivestory manor that is the Provincial House of the Province of the Vietnamese Martyrs in Thu Duc City. There is so much to tell about our experience there, but I think that Br. Rey will agree if I focus my recollection of the events of the election of Fr Roel as the Treasurer General and as the fourth General Consultor. This, after all, is undoubtedly what we three consider as the highlight of that chapter. So, without breaking confidentiality, here is the flow of events that led to the historic election of yet another Filipino in the SSS Generalate.

Fr Roel, Br Rey and I were among the last to arrive in Vietnam, and frankly, in the beginning, not much interaction happened among the delegates of the chapter. We, three, were first-time capitulars, although I have already participated in the 35th General Chapter in Chicago as a member of the Secretariat (a role I reprised for this 36th Chapter while still functioning as a delegate). It was a challenge to break the language barrier, as not every capitular can speak English. Fr Roel, always impeccably dressed and ever smiling, was mostly keeping to himself. Often dwarfed by the towering presence of Africans and Caucasians, he wordlessly got by during our social gatherings with his boyish looks and distinct Filipino charm. But Fr Roel was not the one to shrink away from discussions when they mattered: in his small discussion group and in the Capitular Commission on Finance where he is a member, he has proven himself wise, practical and very competent. In as much as he tried to understate the laudable achievements of the Philippine Province in the name of humility, the assembly were still wowed by the current state of POLA in under 15 minutes of reporting. While other capitulars ostensibly hinted themselves to others as possible candidates for the General Council, Fr Roel was careful not to attract attention to himself. He even decided that the souvenirs he brought, the rosaries made by the novices, be distributed after the election, so as to avoid any notion of campaigning

When the election days arrived, there was palpable excitement in the air. Certain names were already widely mentioned from the start, but no one can really predict where the Spirit blows. Fr Roel was never under any pretention of being elected, but somehow, his competence as an accountant and as former Provincial Treasurer was discovered by many capitulars, that when the nomination of the General Treasurer came, it was mostly the name of Fr Roel that was read from the straw ballots. Fr Roel confided to me that same day that he was surprised and bemused by this nomination, as he never really expected to be even mentioned at all. When it was time to definitively vote for the members of the Council, Fr Roel was already a clear choice for the position of the General Treasurer. What came as a surprise was his election as the fourth General Consultor. Br Rey and I were overjoyed, but Fr Roel was nervous, worried about how will this affect POLA. Fr Benzy Romician, the newly elected General Superior, assured him that it is but proper for the Philippine Province to make this generous gift, at the same time as Fr Roel is making an even greater gift of self. By noontime, the new General Council was complete and the whole Chapter rejoices.

As someone who was at the ringside view of all this, I have come to a firm conclusion about the Congregation and about the will of God. You see, I arrived in the Chapter with a conviction that these elections were mere popularity contests more than anything else. But after the Chapter, I left Vietnam strongly believing that it was the Holy Spirit all along that was at work, assuring that the humble and the meek are truly exalted. I now have greater confidence that the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, when it opens itself to the prompting of the Paraclete, can genuinely and selflessly respond to its vocation as a faithful witness of Eucharistic mission, the way St Peter Julian Eymard envisioned it. Congratulations and may God bless you, Fr Roel!

THE GENERAL COUNCIL (From left to right)

Rev. Fr. José Antonio Rivera Ruiz, SSS (3rd General Consultor, Vicar of the former General Superior) Rev. Fr. Anaclet Bambala, SSS (1st General Consultor, delegate from the Province Blessed Isidore Bakanja, Democratic Republic of Congo – Uganda) M. Rev. Fr. Benzy Philip Romician (General Superior, former General Consultor and General Treasurer) Rev. Fr. Francisco Junior de Oliveira Marques (2nd General Consultor, delegate from the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Argentina-Brazil-Chile) Fr. Roel dela Cruz, SSS (4th General Consultor and General Treasurer, former Provincial Superior of the Province of Our Lady of the Assumption, Philippines)

A Jubilant Animation Marks the 50th Anniversary of the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament – People’s Eucharistic League in Zamboanga City

On November 28, 2023, the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament – People’s Eucharistic League (ABSPEL) Zamboanga City was visited by Fr. Rudsend Paragas, SSS and Fr. Jonelito Sison, SSS. The meeting was attended by 70 plus members. The group began on October 3, 1973, with less than 200 members now. The animation was a moving remembrance of our shared spiritual development over the last fifty years.

Our warmest gratitude to Archbishop Julius S. Tonel, DD, whose acknowledgement, steadfast support and direction have been crucial in fostering the spiritual life of ABS-PEL in Zamboanga City. The occasion was welcomed and hosted by Msgr. Rizalino Francisco Jr., Rector of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Ms. Nelsa Nading, the ABS Zamboanga coordinator, was also thanked heartily for her thorough planning and attention to ensuring the event’s smooth coordination.

Participants and spectators alike were taken on a spiritual journey that defined the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Zamboanga City as the animation developed. The encounter was a joyous celebration too of the 50-year-long growth of the spiritual community. We are grateful to everyone who helped make the event a success and ensure that the ABS-PEL in Zamboanga City will always be a source of inspiration and light for future generations.

There’s first time in everything

THE 2023 EXTRAORDINARY AMPLIFIED PROVINCIAL COUNCIL

In faith we acknowledge that everything happens for a purpose. Many of these at instant may be surprising if not confusing. Believing however that it is the Lord who is taking His lead, we do not just open our minds but our whole life to the unfolding of changes, graces and opportunities that will always call us to better ourselves and our communities. POLA seemingly unready with the consequent turns upon the election of the current Provincial Superior Fr. Roel dela Cruz as the new General Treasurer and Consultor, had to go under formal directives that will paint a continuity but with a new face of leadership.

In this case happening for the first time, the 36th General Chapter immediately defined procedures on how to go about the replacement of the current provincial superior who still have more than two years before his term of office ends. As per newly amended provision of the General Statute, approved and implemented by the 36th General Chapter, (defined as GS 86.01 no. 1)

“the Provincial Vicar is tasked to convoke “quam primum” (at the very first) the Extraordinary Provincial Council in order to elect the new Provincial Superior.”

It is ordered further, that:

“The concrete canonical procedure which precedes and provides for the election, will be the procedure defined in the Provincial Statutes for the election of the Provincial Superior.”

Hence, POLA’s traditional twice secret selective balloting was observed. However, due to proximity of time, the procedure of selective balloting was done via electronic mail (email). The said provisions were carried out in a period of one week to ensure that all requirements are completed before December 12, 2023 which was scheduled as the POLA Extraordinary Amplified Provincial Council. On November 27, 2023 was the day of the first selective balloting; November 28, 2023 was publication of first result; November 30, 2023 was the final selective balloting.

As regards criteria involved in the selection of the members of the Extraordinary Provincial Council, the following references were adopted:

1. In the event of Extraordinary Provincial Council, GS 86.01 no. 1 directs the province to follow a composition which is effectively representative of the whole province. Hence, in the case of POLA, it is the AMPLIFIED PROVINCIAL COUNCIL (APC)
2. ROL 88 – The Amplified Provincial Council, an optional governing body, assures a broader representation in the government and animation of the province. Recourse to it is had especially when it is a question of making decisions that are normally the 8 responsibility of the Provincial Chapter but which, for reason of urgency, have to be made, as a provisional measure, before the chapter. It is composed of the Provincial Superior, Provincial Consultors, the Provincial Treasurer and several representatives of the Province, particularly those in charge of various tasks and activities. The norms to be followed in choosing the representatives of the province, as well as the further areas of competence of the Amplified Provincial Council, are determined in the General Statutes and the statutes of each province.
3. PS 88.01.02, a – The APC shall be composed of the PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR, CONSULTORS, PROVINCIAL TREASURER, LOCAL SUPERIORS, PASTORS AND ITS EQUIVALENT. (In this light, POLA considers College Chaplains and Parish Administrators being equivalent to pastors.)

In the letter addressed to POLA through Fr. Roel dela Cruz, SSS from the General Superior, Fr. Philip Benzy Romician, SSS – the province was further reminded of this key principle that: those eligible members (PS 88.01.02.a) present in person can cast their votes; BUT those who are not present in person cannot cast their votes through digital medium for the election of the Provincial Superior or consultor (GS 81.03). Hence, on December 12, 2023 when the Extraordinary Amplified Provincial Council gathered, members assigned abroad did not cast their votes. Twenty-four POLA religious physically present officially formed the composition of the Extraordinary Amplified Provincial Council held at the Provincialate House, 20 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City.

Rev. Fr. Reynaldo Capili, SSS (Local Superior of Davao Community) was appointed president of the Extraordinary APC. The said EO-APC formally gathered to begin by a Solemn Exposition/Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:30 in the morning followed immediately by the Rite of Election of new Provincial Superior. Fr. Michael Timbol, SSS and Fr. Eddienel Villa were appointed scrutineers during the said election.

At the turns of ballots, the EO-APC 2023 declared the Rev. Fr. Rudsend Paragas, SSS as the New Provincial Superior of the SSS Province of Our Lady of the Assumption. He is currently the Pastor and Rector of the Manila Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Sta. Cruz Church and was Provincial Vicar of POLA prior to his election. Fr. Roel dela Cruz, SSS now member of the General Council in Rome had officially confirmed on behalf of the General Superior the election of Fr. Rudsend Paragas, SSS as the 8th POLA Provincial Superior. Immediately after this rite, Rev. Fr. Jonelito Sison, SSS was named Provincial Vicar of POLA.

He is currently the Director of Scholastics and the head of the Commission of Lifestyle for POLA. As the year 2023 ends, POLA with all its grateful spirit recognizes everything coming into its place as God’s retelling of His assurances that it is Him leading us forward to a life taken, blessed, broken and shared – for the love of Jesus in the Eucharist.