ipaul no.1 - saint paul scholasticate newsletter

8/7/2019 iPaul no.1 - Saint Paul Scholasticate Newsletter

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Saint Paul Scholasticate NewsletterNo. 1 Christmas 2006

Quis nos separabit a caritate Christi? An gladius?

What is this? A new component of therecently released software suite iLife (alongwith iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb)?After the unexpected success of the iPod(the widespread portable media player),now words starting with i are becomingmore and more fashionable, as some yearsago it happened with words starting with

e-: e-mail, e-book, e-commerce, etc. But,unlike the latter, where the meaning ofthat e- was quite clear (electronic mail,electronic book, etc.), the same cannot besaid about the initial i of iPod and all itsderivatives. It seems that, at the origin,that i stood for interactive; but now onehas the feeling that it has lost its firstmeaning. So, nowadays nobody dares togive a precise explanation of that i (try todo a quick search in the internet, especiallythrough the ever-well-informed free digitalencyclopedia Wikipedia), preferring to in-

terpret it from time to time as a synonymof information, informatics, internetand the like.

Coming to the point, what does the ibefore Paul stand for? Its up to you! Some-body has suggested info; somebody else,identity. We could also see in that i theinitial of ideal, imitation, inspired/inspiring. If you find some other meaning,you are free to add a further explanation.In this case, unlike Canon and Civil Law,

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HERE WE ARE!by Giovanni Scalese, CRSP

May your hearts be filled with joyMay your hearts be filled with joyMay your hearts be filled with joyMay your hearts be filled with joyMay your lives be blessed with peace,May your lives be blessed with peace,May your lives be blessed with peace,May your lives be blessed with peace,

By the Infant Jesus, our newborn King.By the Infant Jesus, our newborn King.By the Infant Jesus, our newborn King.By the Infant Jesus, our newborn King.

Wishing you a BLESSED CHRISTMASWishing you a BLESSED CHRISTMASWishing you a BLESSED CHRISTMASWishing you a BLESSED CHRISTMASAnd a PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!And a PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!And a PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!And a PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!

THE BARNABITE FATHERTHE BARNABITE FATHERTHE BARNABITE FATHERTHE BARNABITE FATHERS & SCHOLASTICSS & SCHOLASTICSS & SCHOLASTICSS & SCHOLASTICS

Our Community with Bishop Tagle on July 12, 2006, on occasion of the institutionof the new Lectors and Acolytes


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No. 1 iPaul 2

A QUESTION, A CHALLENGEby Giovanni Scalese, CRSP

Above our newsletters heading a Latin motto appears: Quisnos separabit a caritate Christi? An gladius? It is taken fromthe Letter of St. Paul to the Romans: Who will separate us from thelove of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, ornakedness, or peril, or sword? (8:35 NRSV). It is one of the mostbeautiful texts of Paul, maybe the one in which all his spirituality issummed up. Our first Fathers chose the last words of that verse as themotto of our Congregation placing it in our ancient emblem. It de-picted the Apostle Paul kneeling next to a truncated column, withhands tied behind his back, his head cut off laying on the ground andblood gushing out from his neck like a fountain. On the scroll Angladius stood out. There was no need of anything else: that succinctphrase evoked the rest of the verse. What would have separated the

Apostle from the love of that Christ, for whom he had spent all his life?Neither hardship, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor na-kedness, nor peril had been able to separate him from that love; couldnow the martyrdom (the sword) separate him from it? The scenecertainly represented Paul, but it was like a program of life for theBarnabites. The Apostle says: Who will separate us from the love ofChrist?

The awareness of being challenged by that Pauline questionflourished little by little among the confreres and reached its peakduring the 19th century with the spread of the devotion to the SacredHeart. It was then that in our Congregation it became common to use(in churches, houses, on headed paper, etc.) a new emblem: two shields

placed side by side, one representing the Sacred Heart and the otherwith the new coat of arms of the Congregation (the cross on threemountains combined with the letters P and A, which stand forPaulusApostolus). Under the two shields, a scroll with the question: Quisnos separabit? Who will separate our Congregation from the love ofChrist?

So we have wanted to join together the two parts of the Paulineverse and make of it the motto of our Scholasticate, which has beennamed after Paul. And for this reason it stands out at the beginning ofour newsletter, so that it can remind us of our vocation: Who willseparate us from the love of Christ? The sword?

there is no authentic interpretation. So, why on earthhave we chosen that odd title? Because we liked it,and thats it. And we have wanted to combine a somodern and intriguing name with the classical andreassuring emblem of our religious house, the proba-bly a bit old-fashioned Collegium Sancti Pauli. Do theymatch? Up to you to decide. As far as we are con-cerned, we want to see in that combination the conti-nuity of a tradition: from Latin to hi-tech.

Beyond the titlewhich in any case reminds usof our identity as Barnabites and members of SaintPaul Scholasticatewhat mattered to us was to have ameans to communicate with othersconfreres, rela-tives, benefactors, friends and schoolmates. To tellthe truth, as far back as last year, when Father Kosekarrived at Tagaytay, he launched the idea (he wasbursting with ideas!) of a newsletter. But unfortu-nately only one issue was published, with the titleKapit Buhay (= Behold Life). How come? Because of

the high cost of printing. This year we have wantedto take again that idea, trying to avoid any kind ofcost. What better than to eliminate printing at all,and to send our newsletter by email?

So Ladies and Gentlemen, lo and behold the firstissue ofiPaul. Through it we would like to inform youabout ourselves and our Scholasticate; to tell youwho we are and what we do. But, first of all, throughiPaul we want to tell you: HERE WE ARE! We live ina global village, an information society, where me-dia have assumed a predominant role. Perception hasbecome the ultimate criterion of the true: it is realonly what you can perceive. Should Descartes live

today, most likely he would not say Cogito, ergo sum,but Appareo, ergo sum.Maybe it is not right, but it is so. John Paul II had

realized that very well, and had exploited thismethod for the spreading of the Gospel; the presentPope, though by nature totally averse to this kind ofmentality, has been forced to adapt. After all, GodHimself adopted the same method: what is the mys-tery of incarnation, but a manifestation (epiphany) ofHim? Manifestation is explained by dictionaries asfollows: the act of appearing as a sign that somethingexists or is happening. Oh, God certainly existedbefore His incarnation; but nobody knew Him: onlyrevealing Himself God made Himself known. TheApostle Paul, referring to this mystery, uses the fol-lowing phrases: The grace of God appeared Thekindness and generous love of God our savior ap-peared (Ti 2:11; 3:4). God was generous and kind frometernity, but people knew this only when that kind-ness and generosity was revealed to them. So if Godappeared, we also want to do the same. We want totell you: Remember, we are here! This newsletter willkeep you informed every now and then about theevents of our Scholasticate. Please, do accompany uswith your affection and your prayers.


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The birth and growth ofSaint Paul Scholasticate isa handiwork of Divine Providence. It is a grace en-dowed to the Congregation in order to respond toGods call. It all began with a decision of the GeneralCouncil in 2003. The fathers agreed to close downthe decades-old Seminario Teologico InternazionaleSantAntonio Maria Zaccaria in Rome. They mandatedthe provinces (the Order is divided into nine prov-inces, one pro-province and two delegations) to es-tablish a formation house for the professed students.The Philippine Delegation, responding to this deci-sion, acted promptly to materialize the said decision.

It was on June 3, 2003 when eight scholasticstogether with Fr. Giovanni Scalese, then AssistantGeneral, came to Tagaytay City, Cavite. Those pio-neers were: Joselito A. Santos, Jimmy George C. An-astacio, Ferdinand S. Dagcota, Romulo S. Bahag, AroH. Ocon, Orland B. Quejada, Rey R. Ligtas and RoanCipriano J. Aborque. They established the first Scho-lasticate community with Fr. Scalese as father master.And since plans for the construction of a seminarywere still on its way, the students were temporarilyhoused at the Bishop William Finnemann Hallsituated within the compound of the Divine WordSeminary. The community rented the said buildingfrom the SVD fathers (Missionaries of the DivineWord). The Finnemann Hall is located next to theDivine Word School of Theology(DWST) where the scho-lastics study Theology. The scholastics also took partin the apostolic activities organized by the SVD fa-thers.

On November 4, 2003 Jecker R. Luego, renewinghis religious profession, became a member of the

Scholasticate community. On May 30, 2004 fournewly professed religious joined the community: JoseNazareno S. Gabato, Zenas C. Jumila, Russel O. Du-lay and Ronnie E. Salvaa, together with them wasRudyson D. Nulo, who had just made his solemnprofession.

The fathers were able to purchase a tract of land(formerly a coffee mill) located in Purok 163, Baran-

gay San Jose, Tagaytay. On this terrain the seminaryfor the Theology students was built, thanks to thekind support of the North American and French-Belgian Provinces. On March 31, 2005 the Scholasti-cate community moved to the new building. Theproperty is approximately 400 meters away fromDWST. On May 2005, Crisendo A. Dela Rosa andCirilo B. Coniendo became members of the commu-nity after almost four years of seminary formation inRome. Likewise, Arvin A. Dagalea, who made hisfirst profession in the same month, also became apart of the community.

On November 10, 2005 the Saint Paul Scholasticatewas officially inaugurated and blessed by the Bishopof Imus, His Excellency Most Reverend Luis Anto-nio G. Tagle. Fr. Gaerard Daeren, CRSP, the VicarGeneral of the Order, represented the Superior Gen-eral. Also present were the fathers of the PhilippineDelegation, friends, benefactors, the clergy and reli-gious of the Diocese.

On that same period Fr. Robert Kosek (a mem-ber of the Polish Delegation) was appointed superiorand father master of the scholastics replacing Fr.Giovanni Scalese, who was called back to Rome for

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No. 1 iPaul 3

Saint Paul Scholasticate:

a handiwork of Divine Providenceby Roan Cipriano J. Aborque & Ferdinand S. Dagcota, CRSP

The pioneers of SPS: the first batch of students just arrived at Tagay-tay on June 3, 2003. In the background, William Finnemann Hall.

The impromptu chapel inside Finnemann Hall. The same room, dividedinto four parts, served as chapel, refectory, kitchen and recreation room.


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the General Chapter preparations. Fr. Robert

founded in December 2005 the Tahanang Mapag-arugani Padre Semeria, a charitable centre aimed at helpingthe poor families of Tagaytay.

On May 2006 other nine students joined ourScholasticate: the newly professed Marlon B. Rami-rez, Yohanes Besi Koten, Clyd S. Autentico, Rober-tus A. Tasman, Pat M. Golis, Jonathan G. Ramoso,Thomas Federick S. Tabada, Isfridus Syukur, alongwith Michael R. Sandalo, back from his four-yearstudies in Rome.

Last November 2006, after exactly one year, Fr.Robert was assigned to the North American Provinceand Fr. Giovanni Scalese, having just finished his

term as Assistant General, was reappointed superiorof the scholastics. Fr. Robert left the country on No-vember 4, 2006. He is now a member of the Bethle-hem community in Pennsylvania.

Of course, not all the students who arrived atSaint Paul Scholasticate(26) are still here. Some of them(5) have been ordained; others (8) have chosen a dif-ferent lifestyle. Now, the community has sixteenmembers: three fathers, two deacons and eleven

scholastics in temporary vows. Fr. Giovanni Scalese,

CRSP is the superior and father master of the scho-lastics; Fr. Joselito A. Santos, CRSP, the treasurer andvicar; and Fr. Cirilo B. Coniendo, CRSP serves asvice master and formator. The scholastics attend theDivine Word School of Theology and are doing well intheir studies. They are also engaged in various apos-tolic activities; they serve actively in the chapels of St.Joseph in Barangay San Jose, San Isidro Labrador inBarangay Buho, Amadeo, and Our Lady of Cande-laria in Rodeo Hills, Buck Estate, Alfonso.

The humble beginnings of Saint Paul Scholasticatewill always serve as an inspiration to the Barnabites inthe Philippines to strengthen their commitment in

serving the people of God. It is a living reminder thatGod wills the Order of the Clerics Regular of SaintPaul to grow and extend its braches not only in thePhilippines but most of all, in the whole of Asia. Thecommunity of Saint Paul Scholasticate will always begrateful for all the persons who supported andprayed for its growth. Indeed, it is a handiwork ofDivine Providence, a gift of God to the Order and tothe People of God.

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How the new property appeared at its purchase How Saint Paul Scholasticate is today

The Sagrado Corazon Chapel: as it was... and as it is


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What people knew in Tagaytay Purok 163 was acoffee mill for the entire province of Cavite. But theplace has been transformed into a place of formation forthose who aspire to become priests. The place does notproduce coffee anymore but it now produces priests,servants of God who call themselves as the BarnabiteScholastics. Who are they?

Within the walls of Saint Paul Scholasticate or theStudentato Filippino (the Filipino version of the defunctStudentato Romano in Rome, Italy), there are energeticyoung men who have consecrated themselves by theirprofession of the three evangelical counsels namely

Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience. These young men, theBarnabite Scholastics, come from different provinces ofthe Philippines. They have accomplished their philoso-phy, postulancy and novitiate in our seminary in Ma-rikina City (St. Anthony Ma. Zaccaria Seminary andSt. Alex-ander Sauli Novitiate). Now they are studying Theology atthe Divine Word School of Theology (DWST), TagaytayCity, in the Diocese of Imus, Cavite.

There are sixteen members of our religious commu-nity: three fathers, two deacons and eleven simple pro-fessed religious. Fr. Giovanni Scalese, or Father John aswe fondly call him, is our superior and father master.Born in Rome, Italy, he is considered as the founder andthe first superior of our community. He was an Assis-tant General of our Order when he was first assigned asour formator. However, the pressing needs of the Con-gregation urged him to go back to Rome and to relin-quish the post to Fr. Robert Kosek. And after his six-year term as an Assistant, he was reassigned as our fa-ther master succeeding Fr. Kosek, who was asked toserve in the North American Province.

We have two very young Filipino fathers: first, Fr.Joselito Santos, our treasurer, who hails from MarikinaCity. He is pursuing his masters degree (M.A.) and li-centiate in Philosophy at the Pontifical University of

Santo Tomas, Manila. Then we have Fr. Cirilo Coniendo,our vice master, from the island of Bohol, Central Philip-pines. Ordained to the priesthood nine months ago, heis also taking M.A. in Business Administration at De LaSalle University, Dasmarias, Cavite. To date, he is theyoungest priest of the Philippine Delegation.

We have two Deacons, who were ordained threemonths ago and they are: Rev. Jecker Luego, from South-ern Leyte, Central Philippines and Rev. Michael Sandalo,from San Mateo, Rizal. Rev. Jeck first studied Theology

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may we introduce ourselves?by Isfridus Syukur, CRSP

at the Angelicum in Rome but he opted to continue histheological studies at the Divine Word School of Theology.At present, while taking some ecclesiastical courses inDWST, he is also pursuing his masteral studies (M.A.)in Mathematics at De La Salle University, Dasmarias,Cavite. Rev. Mike earned his Bachelor in Sacred Theol-ogy (S.T.B.) from the Angelicum in Rome. He came backto the Philippines last May after almost four years ofseminary formation at the Studentato Romano. He is alsotaking up some ecclesiastical courses in DWST.

Our community is composed of eleven simple pro-fessed religious: nine Filipinos and two Indonesians.

We have three confreres in third year Theology: Ferdi-nand Dagcota from Misamis Oriental, Southern Philip-pines; Roan Cipriano Aborque from Leyte, Central Philip-pines; andJose Nazareno Gabato from Bohol Island also inCentral Philippines. Arvin Dagalea, the lone second yearTheology student, hails from Zamboanga City, SouthernPhilippines. The first year students comprise the major-ity of our community and they are: Marlon Ramirez fromZamboanga del Norte, Pat Golis and Jonathan Ramoso,both from Misamis Oriental, Southern Philippines; Tho-mas Federick Tabada is from Cebu and finally Clyd Autenticofrom Bohol, Central Philippines. We are very honored to

have in our community the first Indonesian members inthe history of our religious family: Yohannes Besi KotenandIsfridus Syukurwho are both from Flores Island. Theycame to the Philippines four years ago.

We cannot do all things by ourselves. We need peo-ple to help us in keeping our surroundings clean andever green. We have in our seminary hard working anddedicated men and women who work with us. Theyheartily dedicate themselves to help us in carrying outour ministries. We have kuya Rey andGilbert, our mainte-nance men, nanay Mentang who is in-charge of ourkitchen and ate Len who takes care of our laundry. Weare truly very grateful for their service and hard work.

Finally, as we thank the Lord for his endless bless-ings upon us and upon our community, we also thankthose who heartily support us in all our needs especiallyour benefactors, parents, and friends and all those, whoin many ways support us both spiritually and materi-ally. May God reward your kindness and generosity.And may this new religious community continue toblossom and become a source of hope and strength forall people. God bless Saint Paul Scholasticate! MabuhayBarnabites!


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which gave birth to the Tahanang Mapag-aruga ni Padre

Semeria. He dedicated much of his time and talents todevelop the Tahanan. With courage, he asked help from

Filipino communities abroad and even from his friendsin Poland. And so the centre grew. The Tahanan offers

health services, scholarship grants for poor children andlivelihood programs for the parents of Tahanans schol-

ars. With the kind assistance of some friends fromUnilab, a Filipino pharmaceutical company, more pro-grams had been organized by Fr. Robert. And even ifFr. Robert is now assigned to the North American Prov-ince, the projects he started are still in very good shape.Indeed, he made sure that everything in the Tahanan

will be well-provided.Ive got many good memories of Fr. Roberthis

example, the things he taught me to name a few. Butmost of all, his priestly life is what I treasure most.Working with him made me realize that he is one of thebest priests I have ever encountered in my life. Andknowing him is for me a great privilege. He taught meto be always pure in my intentions as a young religious.Truly, words do not suffice to describe this person whohad done great things for me and one who had touchedother peoples lives.

Even though Fr. Robert is miles away from thePhilippines, the people of Tagaytay, particularly in our

barangay San Jose, will always remember him in theirhearts. They will reminisce his kindness, his affectionand his contagious sense of humor. And for me per-sonally, I shall keep alive his memory on those people towhom he had brought hope and strength. I am happy tosee him in the smiles and laughter of those children andparents who learn and progress each day. Fr. Robertsdeparture is not the end of everything. It is rather thebeginning of what he had started.

THANK YOU FR. ROBERT! YOULL ALWAYSBE IN OUR HEARTS!

Many people think that all goodbyes are the end ofeverything. We react in many ways when a personleaves us. Some cry, some feel that everything is over,some find it hard to recover easily, while some willchange the way they used to live in order to forget theperson whom they loved for a long time. But others justcontinue their usual work while keeping alive thememories of the person in their hearts. For these peoplegoodbyes are just the beginning of a new chapter in life.

It is still fresh in my memory the day when a veryimportant person bade farewell to me. He is none otherthan Fr. Robert Kosek, a Polish by birth and a Barnabiteby heart. He was our superior and father master for one

year. He was so dear to me and even to those peoplewith whom he spent time to share Gods love.

Fr. Robert Kosek has left behind great memories.His example as a good priest, father and friend enabledme to understand why am I here in the seminary. In hisbrief stay in our midst, he lived his priesthood in serviceof others especially the less fortunate. He is a man whohas a big heart for the poor and who does the work ofChrist for the poor. I was truly impressed by his charityand priestly zeal. Moreover, his prayer life is exemplary.He taught us how to pray well. The way he spends histime with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is for me amodel to follow.

God inspired Fr. Robert to establish in our seminarya charitable centre which will offer services to the indi-gent families of Tagaytay. He saw the need of helpingand sending poor children to school. There are quite alot of unschooled children and out-of-school youth inTagaytay. I still remember the words he once told me:To feed them is very good but not to feed their brainswill not do good; they will always be poor and willnever have the chance to uplift their lives. I wastouched by these words. And so, I enthusiastically sup-ported his project. Fr. Robert put his heart in his work

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Goodbyes are not the Endby Arvin A. Dagalea, CRSP


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No. 1 iPaul 7

The Tahanang Mapag-aruga ni Padre Semeria (=Home of Care Fr. Semeria) is a charitable centre ofthe Barnabite Fathers in the Philippines. It has beenstarted by Fr. Robert Kosek this year. It is named afteran Italian Barnabite priest, Fr. Giovanni Semeria,who, after the First World War took care of the or-phaned children. These were the children of the Ital-ian soldiers who lost their lives during the FirstWorld War. The aforementioned centre is locatedwithin the compound of Saint Paul Scholasticate. Itsgoals are: 1) to provide tutorial lessons to pre-schoolers; 2) offer assistance to poor families of Ta-gaytay through livelihood programs; and 3) grantfinancial assistance for the education of poor but de-serving students. Most of the kids who attend thetutorial lessons are slow-learners. Fr. Robert oncesaid, The slow learner children need our help. Theydeserve our love and concern not humiliation andmockery because of their intellectual incapacity. Letthem have the chance to be educated persons. Let ushelp them through tutorial. And so it is by doingtutorial lessons that we assist these children in theirintellectual development. Moreover, it is love for chil-dren which moved Fr. Robert to start this project. He

has truly lived what Fr. Semeria, the servant of or-phans, exhorted in his death-bed: I exhort you tocharity. Live in charity.

How things started? It all started when Arvin andFr. Kosek interviewed some poor families during aChristmas gift-giving day. While moving around thevicinity of Barangay San Jose, Tagaytay Fr. Kosek wasmoved with compassion to see the drop-out school

children. This urged him to come up with an idea tohelp them in their education. It was December 27,2005 when Fr. Kosek, with Arvins help, began tosearch for possible scholars. With meticulous scru-tiny, they got seven grade school pupils, three highschool students and two college drop-outs.

Fr. Robert tapped the newly-professed, first yearscholastics to teach the children basic English, Cate-chism, and Mathematics. John Koten and Jonathan

Ramoso both teach English; Clyd Autentico and Tho-mas Tabada, Catechism; and Pat Golis teaches Mathe-matics. Recreation is supervised by Isfridus Syukurand Marlon Ramirez. The tutorial lessons are heldevery Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon in ourmodest but elegantly decorated classroom. We cur-rently have ten pupils attending the tutorials andeleven mothers doing the chores (e.g. cleaning, cook-ing, etc.).

Sr. Mercy Perla, a religious from the FranciscanMissionaries of the Infant Jesus (FMIJ), takes care ofthe spiritual formation of the parents of our pupils,while Fr. Cirilo Coniendo, CRSP is their confessorand Marlon Ramirez is responsible for the livelihoodprograms (gardening and swine raising). It is note-worthy to mention the over-all in-charge of this pro-ject, our confrere Br. Arvin Dagalea, under the super-vision of Fr. Scalese, our superior and father master.

Working at the Tahanan has become an apostolicactivity for us. Indeed, we, young Barnabite scholas-tics enjoy so much teaching and playing with chil-dren! We hope and pray that this project will con-tinue to grow with the grace of God.

Tahanang Mapag-aruga ni Padre Semeria

a Home that Caresby Thomas Federick S. Tabada, CRSP


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No. 1 iPaul 8

The Clerics Regular of Saint Paul, also

known as Barnabites, is a new religious Order in

Indonesia. It was only at the beginning of the 21st

century that the Barnabites set foot on Indone-

sian soil. Divine Providence led the Barnabites to

invite the young people of Indonesia to experi-

ence and live the charism, spirituality and tradi-

tion of the Order. So is it our task to introduce

ourselves to the people of God in Indonesia.

But how did the Barnabites arrive in Indone-sia, Raja Timur, the King from the East? How

did the hand of God lead us from the King

from the East to the Pearl of the Orient, the

Philippines? It is a nice story to tell!

We were so happy when the Barnabites ac-

cepted us in their religious family. So happy we

were that we entrusted ourselves to the care of

the fathers. Being away from home is not easy.

But God provided us the strength to persevere.

And He continues to do so!

The Barnabites came to Indonesia on May2002. Fr. Frank Papa, CRSP, the superior of the

community in Marikina, went to the island of

Flores to search for some possible candidates. At

that time, we were still in Senior High School.

Full of enthusiasm, six of us joined the

Barnabites. We flew to the Philippines on Au-

gust 7, 2002 together with Fr. Papafull of hope

and energy to answer Gods call!

We studied Philosophy for two years at St.

Camillus College Seminary in Marikina City.

Sadly, within two years two of us decided to

leave. At the end of our studies, the fathers ad-

mitted us to the novitiate. But as gold is tested in

fire, only three of us professed the vows on May

14, 2006 together with five Filipino confreres.

Then we were sent to Saint Paul Scholasticate in

Tagaytay City for our four-year theological stud-

ies. And indeed as an adage says, Gods ways

are not our ways, six months after our first pro-

fession one of our Indonesian confreres decided

to leave religious life. It was another setback for

our community. But God strengthened us and

assured me and my Indonesian confrere that He

wont let us down this time.

Who will remain until the end? Its up to

God! Now only my friend since our Senior High

School, Isfridus Syukur, and I are left. We hope

that we could pursue this kind of life and in thefuture become full members of the Barnabite Or-

der and priestsholy priests of God. And hope-

fully, with the help of God and of our beloved

Mother of Divine Providence, we can sow the

seeds of our Congregation in Indonesia.

Jesus said, Go ... make disciples of all na-

tions ... (Mt 28:19). Consequently, we, as sons of

Saint Paul, say to each of us, Go ... make sons of

Saint Paul to all nations ... Therefore, you can-

not pass over and disregard Indonesia. It is be-

cause it is also a place where the seeds of ourOrder can grow. Then, why do you hesitate to

go to Indonesia?

God bless Indonesia!

Looking Ahead:

INDONESIAby Yohanes Besi Koten, CRSP

Yohanes (on the left) and Isfridus (on the right)


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What is/are your feeling/s as yourpriestly ordination is fast approaching?

Rev. Jecker:As of now I am not excited.I do not feel yet the thrill of my ordination

for this moment because it is still far.Maybe, I will feel this excitement on the eveof my ordination.

Rev. Mike: I have mixed feelings of ex-citement, worries, anxiety and happinessbecause the thing (priestly ordination) thatIve been waiting for many years now is al-most near.

Are you now ready to embrace priestlylife?

Rev. Jecker: I am ready and willing toembrace priestly life despite of the difficul-ties alongside with it.

Rev. Mike: Of course embracing thiskind of life is not easy because it is a life-time commitment. But I am trying to makemyself ready to embrace priestly life withthe help of God. I wont be able to embracesuch commitment without the help of God. I

am ready Bahala na ang Diyos basta ako here I am.

Do you have some doubts or fears thatyou may not be ordained?

Rev. Jecker:I still have a doubt and fearthat I might not be ordained or I wont beable to do my ministry in the future know-ing my weaknesses and limitations. But I am

trying my best to overcome them all withthe help of God. It is with the help of Godthat I can do my ministry in spite of the un-certainties. My fear of not getting ordainedhas somehow subsided because the fathers

here in the community of Tagaytay have ac-cepted and admitted me already to be or-dained as a priest.

Rev. Mike: I have still a doubt if it isreally my call. I think it is normal for a per-son, for an ordinand to doubt. Who has nodoubt/s with ones vocation? And I am notafraid if I might not be ordained. I trust theLord. My business is to do what God wantsme to do. It is the Lord who will provide.

Please remember our two deacons inyour prayers. We hope to see you on the dayof their ordination!The appointment is forSaturday, February 17 at 9 a.m., in OurLady of Lourdes Parish Church, Tagaytay.

No. 1 iPaul 9

When a Deacon is about to be Ordained

to the Priesthood by Clyd S. Autentico, CRSP

Here is an interview with our two deacons, Rev. Jecker R. Luego and Rev. Michael R. San-dalo. They were ordained to the diaconate last September 5 at the Imus Cathedral. They arescheduled to be ordained to the priesthood next February. Let us ask them how they are pre-paring themselves for that special day of their lives

Mike and Jecker on the day of their diaconal ordi-nation, on September 5, 2006 in Imus Cathedral


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The Poets Corner

BE A LOVER OF JESUS

by Yohanes Besi Koten, CRSP

In the silence of my heart,In the dark place of my sinfulness,In the desert of my longing,In the market of my business,

Am I thinking of Jesus?Am I asking pardon from him?Am I looking only for him?Am I quiet just a minute with him?

BE A LOVER OF JESUS . . .

I need silence,I need to purify myself,I must long to see him alone,

I must have business only with him,


Always thinking of him,Always asking pardon from him,Always looking for him,Always in the presence of him,


I shall imitate him,I shall be his ambassador,I shall become his follower,I shall be a businessman of him,


No. 1 iPaul 10

St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria is probably the

imitator par excellence of St. Paul the Apostle.

Among the many saints, nothing compares to

the Pauline spirit assimilated by St. Anthonythroughout his life. The Pauline style is very evi-

dent in all his writings. In all his sermons, there

are seventy-two spiritual quotations from the

Letters of St. Paul. Either in spoken or written

communication, St. Anthonys words and ideas

are filled with Paulinism. As a great reformer, he

zealously carried out the mission of St. Paul, i.e.,

to build the Church of God and spread it to the

whole world. Both energetic and vibrant souls,

they have the same love for God and man

both are open to the same sensitivity towardsothers; both receive the same constancy in pain

and the same humility in their successes. The

whole life of St. Anthony is an imitation of St.

Paul. Thats why, he is a great saint and a

renovator of Christian fervor. And he invites all

his sons and daughters and all Christians as well

to do the same!

BITS OF INFO!by Jonathan G. Ramoso, CRSP


11/15

It was the feast of St. Joseph the worker, May 1,

1982, when I was born in Gingoog City, Misamis Ori-

ental. My parents, Encarnacion Mandin and AbsalonGolis, are hard-working, God-fearing and honest per-

sons. My father works as a driver while my mother is a

grade school teacher. My parents were my first

formators. My mother taught me how to read and

write. My father formed me to be hard-working and

responsible. Indeed, my parents formed me to be a

good person. But most of all, they were the ones who

taught me how to pray. Every Sunday, we used to go

to church to hear Mass. We used to sit at the first pewso that we could hear the homily of the priest. My

mother would listen attentively to the priests homily.

She used to quote the priests words whenever she

reprimanded us!

Since childhood, I already had the intention of

helping poor people. I am easily moved whenever I see

people in dire need. And before entering the semi-

nary, I wanted to become a lawyer to defend and

serve the poor. But God had another plan for me.

I was 17 years old when I entered the seminary. It

all started when two seminarians from the BarnabiteFathers came to our school for their vocation cam-

paign. I was then a fourth year high school student.

They talked about their Congregation, about semi-

nary life, and shared with us some of their experi-

enceseven their adventures in Manila! As a barrio

boy I was so eager to take the seminary admission

test with a sole desire to see the beauty of Manila.

Gods will or notI passed the admission test! And so

my seminary journey and my wholesome adventures

in Manila began.

I entered St. Anthony Ma. Zaccaria Seminary, the

minor seminary of the Barnabites situated in MarikinaCity, Metro Manila. My first days were not easy as I

found it hard to adjust with the routine of the semi-

nary. Also, it was not easy for me to mingle with my

co-seminarians; some of them were friendly and some

were too serious. As time passed by, I got used to the

atmosphere of seminary life. After many weeks of ad-

justing and trying to get along with others, I came to

realize that I had to get out from my comfort zone,

that is, I had to take risks in knowing others. Finally, I

was able to build friendships with my co-seminarians

and experience the real joy of seminary life.I was a third year Philosophy student when I ex-

perienced difficulties in my studies. I was badly af-

fected and even my vocation suffered severely. I ex-

perienced what St. John of the Cross calls the dark

night of the soul. I spent many sleepless nights think-

ing whether I should pursue this vocation or leave the

seminary and start anew. In spite of this, God did not

allow me to get lost. He spoke to me in the words of

Jesus in the Gospel of St. John, You did not chooseme,I chose you (Jn 15:16). After spending moments of

reflection, I realized that God will never abandon me

if He really calls me in this kind of lifereligious and

priestly life.

It was in the novitiate where I first encountered

the real presence of Jesus. That was the place where I

experienced total detachment from the things that

hinder my relationship to Him. The silence of the no-

vitiate helped me to concentrate on my spiritual de-

velopment. Everyday we had to spend time in prayer,

writing our journals, reading the life of the saints, anddoing reflection on biblical passages. We also had the

time to go to our spiritual director. All these things

strengthened my desire to continue answering Gods

call. It was in the novitiate where I have found Jesus.

On May 14, 2005 I made my first religious profes-

sion at the presence of our fathers, some of my family

members, friends and guests from other religious con-

gregation. There were eight of us who made the first

profession. Through Gods grace and mercy, I am now

in my first year Theology at the Divine Word School ofTheology. I am a member of the religious community

of Saint Paul Scholasticate. Together with my con-freres, I still continue searching the will of God for

me. I am so thankful to God for guiding me in this

journey. He was at my side amidst the many trials and

difficulties. In spite of my limitations and shortcom-

ings He continues to invite me to follow Him in His

footsteps. As Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, GOD

DOESNT CALL THOSE WHO ARE QUALIFIED

BUT HE QUALIFIES THOSE WHOM HE CALLS.

No. 1 iPaul 11

Vocation Story of a Young Religiousby Pat M. Golis, CRSP


12/15

Supertyphoon Milenyo

Being situated on the eastern part of Asia, fac-

ing the Pacific Ocean, our country has been always

prone to storms and typhoons. Filipinos have been

used to experiencing at least 20 typhoons a year.

Last September 28, a very strong typhoon hit the

central region of the Philippines. Many lives were

lost, properties were badly damaged or completely

destroyed. Hundreds of families became homeless

and without any source of living.Fortunately, only a few trees and plants were

damaged in our Scholasticate. Two beautiful fruit

trees in front of our Fatima Chapel were struck

down. We suffered blackout for almost a week and

we had to do a general clean up. Our experiences in

that day were very terrifying. But it was a reminder

to us Filipinos that in times of natural disasters,

God is the only One who can help us. It was in-

deed a very memorable day, not only because of

the typhoon, but it was the feast of our first Filipino

saint, Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila.

Repairs for Fatima Chapel

Some (fortunately not serious) damages were

caused by Milenyo even to our Fatima Shrine, the

little outdoor chapel in honor of the Blessed Virgin

Mary standing in the compound ofSaint Paul Scho-

lasticate. But its an ill wind that blows nobody

any good: we have taken advantage of this calam-

ity to repaint the chapel, to prepare a new wooden

showcase for the statue of the Virgin, to renew the

floor of the sanctuary and to build a big stone wall

to embank the ground on the right side of the

chapel. Now everything looks very nice. It is our

wish to promote the devotion for Our Lady of

Fatima, starting, as soon as possible, to use the

chapel for the celebration of the Rosary and of the

Mass with the faithful.

Delegation Meeting

On November 3 our Scholasticate sponsored a

meeting of all the confreres of the Philippine Dele-

gation. Everyone knows that the Barnabite Commu-

nities of the Philippines do not constitute yet a

Province, but they still depend directly on the Supe-

rior General. Last July the General Chapter was held

in Rome. According to the Constitutions, after a

General Chapter each Province convenes its own

Provincial Chapter to apply the General Chaptersdeliberations and plan the future sexennium. Simi-

larly, Filipino Barnabites had their intercommunity

meeting, to reflect on the decisions of the General

Chapter and to plan the future of their Delegation.

All the solemnly professed members of the Delega-

tion at the moment residing in the Philippines were

present, fifteen religious in total, nine from Marikina

and six from Tagaytay.

No. 1 iPaul 12

NEWS, EVENTS, AT IBA PAby Marlon B. Ramirez & C.

Here is how Fatima Shrine and its surroundings appearafter the recent rearrangement works


13/15

Changing of the guard

The return of Fr. Giovanni Scalese as the re-

appointed Superior and Master of Scholastics of

Tagaytay was accompanied with euphoria. Joy andexcitement were felt because Fr. John is part of the

history of our Scholasticate. However, sadness was

also observed for Fr. Robert had to leave. Fr. Gio-

vanni arrived last October 5 while Fr. Robert left the

country last November 4. To Fr. Robert, GOOD

LUCK to your future ministry and to Fr. John, WEL-

COME BACK!!!

Father Generals Health

We have been very anxious for the state of

health of our Superior General, Fr. Giovanni Villa.

We have kept up with the news coming from Italy,

at times quite worrying, and have prayed very much

for him. Then everything was settled, and now is

back in Rome, in good shape. Thanks be to God!

Vocation Promotions

Number 130 of our Constitutions exhorts all the

members of our Congregation to actively take part

in promoting vocations. Urged by this call, the

community ofSaint Paul Scholasticate organized a

two-day vocation promotion in various high schools

in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. Last October

26, Fr. Joselito and Deacon Mike, together with

scholastics Arvin, Isfridus, Clyd, Pat, John, Jonathan

and Thomas went to the following schools: Roose-

velt College-Cainta Campus, Roosevelt College-San

Mateo Campus, and Nuestra Seora de AranzazuParochial School, all in Metro Manila and San

Mateo areas. Last November, Fr. Cirilo and Deacon

Jecker, together with scholastics Roan and Ferdi-

nand went to Tolentino Memorial High School and

Tagaytay City Science High School, both in Tagay-

tay, Cavite. The said vocation promotion was a suc-

cess as quite a lot of high school students ex-

pressed their interest to know more about our Order

and about the priesthood.

Search-in Seminars

A two-day search-in seminar was held last De-cember 16-17 at Saint Paul Scholasticate. The activ-

ity aimed 1) to help young people understand themeaning of Christian vocation; 2) to introduce toyoung people our Order; and 3) to help young menunderstand the meaning of religious/priestly life.Three high school graduating students took part inthe said event. Two of them came from MarikinaCity and one from Kaytitingga, Alfonso, Cavite.Three conferences were organized by Frs. John andJoselito together with Deacon Mike. At the end ofthe activity, the boys took the seminary admissiontest. It is hoped and prayed for that these youngmen will answer Gods call and in the future, will

become members of our Order.

Advent & Christmas

From December 12 to 14, as it is customary inour country, we also went around for carol singingin the houses of our friends in Tagaytay and sur-rounding areas.

On December 14 we had our Advent recollec-tion. Fr. Aldo Rizzi, the novice master from Ma-

rikina, came to Tagaytay to deliver some inspiringmeditations on prayer and community life. We aregrateful to the Missionaries of Charity of MotherTeresa in Munting Bukal for their kind hospitality.

On December 16 another deeply-rooted Philip-pine tradition started, the so called Simbang gabi orMisa de Gallo or Misa de Aguinaldo, a novena inpreparation for Christmas, during which Mass iscelebrated very early in the morning or in the eve-ning of the previous day. Even though we kept onserving in various chapels, this year we decided tostart Simbang gabi even in our chapel. Every morn-

ing at 5 we celebrated Missa de Gallo for our com-munity, our next-door Sisters (the Merciful and theHospitalers) and many a neighbor.

On December 24, for the first time, we cele-brated in our Sagrado Corazon chapel ChristmasNight Mass at 11 p.m. To our amazement (andwhy to deny it?with great satisfaction) the chapelwas insufficient to hold all those present. Next yearwe will have to look for a more spacious place tocelebrate our Christmas Mass!

No. 1 iPaul 13


14/15

No. 1 iPaul 14

What is your preferred place to stayin an

inn or in a manger? Only a person who is out

of his mind would choose to stay in a manger.

For who would like to stay in a manger where

animals live? Basically, no ONE! We would

rather prefer to stay in a well-adorned and air-

conditioned room, with a bathroom, complete

with amenities and most of all, well-secured.What about the manger, a dwelling place for

animals with its open spaces? Who would like

to stay there?

Jesus Christ, however, was born in a dark

and cold manger. Ideally, Jesus should be born

in an inn but since there was no room for

Him there, He was born in an open room

manger.

Our lives could be compared to a closed

room inn or an open room manger. On one

hand, our lives can be likened to a well-

adorned inn but beautiful as it may appear, it is

rather occupied and closed. We are totally pre-

occupied in preparing for Christmas: we beau-

tify our houses with Christmas decors; we are

obsessed of what type or brand of clothes and

shoes to buy for ourselves and for our families

and friends; we are anxious of what kind of

foods to prepare. Hence, our concern in prepar-ing for the birth of our Savior is very external.

We can truly say we are prepared but only ex-

ternally! What about internally? Sad to say, we

are so preoccupied with other things that we

forget about the place of Jesus in our lives. Per-

haps it may happen that Jesus has no place to

dwell because our rooms, that is, our hearts are

already occupied, locked or closed. Therefore,

the decorations of our houses and the preoccu-

pation in our hearts become worthless because

Jesus has no place to stay.

On the other hand, our lives can be likened

to a manger. We do not have much Christmas

decorations but in our inmost self we have a

beautiful place prepared for Christ. Our heartis open to receive Him. We may have few

things this Christmas but we are extremely

happy because we have Christ. He is the best

gift one can receive. He is more than all the

treasures in the world. He is the visible sign of

the Love of God gratuitously given to us. Any-

one who accepts Jesus in their hearts receives

the best Christmas gift. Once we accept him in

our hearts, we will be the happiest people this

Christmas and in the years to come.

The essence of Christmas is allowing Jesus

to dwell in our hearts. Nothing can be ever joy-

ful than being with Christ. When Jesus was

born in Bethlehem the manger where He was

born was filled with joy. The angels sang:

Glory to God in the highest and peace to his

people on earth, for Jesus Christ is born! We

will also experience the same if we allow Jesus

to dwell in our hearts. Our hearts will be filledwith joy in thanksgiving. Let us celebrate

Christmas not as a closed inn where there is

no place for Jesus to stay, but like a manger

with an open room prepared for Him to dwell.

Always prepare a room for Him to stay!

Maligayan Pasko! Merry Christmas! Buon

Natale! Feliz Navidad!

AN INN OR A MANGER?A Christmas Reflection based on Luke 2:7

by Jose Nazareno S. Gabato, CRSP


15/15

that DAY IN HEAVENA Meditation on Heb 10:5-10

by Giovanni Scalese, CRSP

One day the Father decided to convene thefamily council and said to the Son and to theHoly Spirit: I pity humanity that I have cre-atedbetter, that we have created (since we al-ways decide everything together and do every-thing together). We created them in our imageand likeness so that they could live in commun-ion with us; but they preferred to go away fromus and live on their own. But I cannot live with-

out my creatures, without my children. So whovolunteers to go to the earth, to search themand bring them back home? I want them safe,here with me. This is my will. I have alreadytried to call them back home but it was all invain. I have sent to them my servants, theprophets, but they have not listened to them.But, nonetheless, I do not resign myself. Now Ihave an idea: one of us could become one ofthem, so that, seeing him similar to them, theyfeel homesick. If you agree, I have already pre-

pared a body.The Son answered: Father, I am your Sonlike them; they are my brothers. When you cre-ated them, you were looking at me; so theyshould recognize me. It is up to me to go thereand save them. I am ready for anything; if needbe, I am willing even to give my life for them.Behold, I come to do your will.

Then the Holy Spirit intervened: Dontworry, I wont just look on; I shall do my share. Ishall overshadow the woman you have chosen

to become his mother, so that she can conceiveand bear him. After his birth, I shall never leavehim alone; I shall be always with him, so that hecan accomplish his mission. Finally, once hu-manity has been found, I am willing to stay al-ways with them. As far as I am concerned, itsOK; we can start.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongus.

No. 1 iPaul 15

iiPaulPaulSaint Paul Scholasticate NewsletterTHE CLERICS REGULAROF SAINT PAUL

BARNABITES Saint Paul Scholasticate

Purok 163, San JoseTagaytay City, Cavite, the Philippines

Mailing Address: P. O. Box 032,4120 Tagaytay City, PhilippinesTel. & Fax: +63 46 413-2837Email: [email protected]

Director: Rev. Giovanni Scalese, CRSPEditor: Rev. Michael R. Sandalo, CRSPEditorial Staff: Ferdinand S. Dagcota,Roan Cipriano J. Aborque, Jose NazarenoS. Gabato, Arvin A. Dagalea, Marlon B.Ramirez, Yohanes Besi Koten, Clyd S.

Autentico, Pat M. Golis, Jonathan G.Ramoso, Thomas Federick S. Tabada,Isfridus Syukur.

Typeset in the Philippines by Saint Paul

Scholasticate, December 2006

Quis nos separabit a caritate Christi?

An gladius?

ipaul no.1 - saint paul scholasticate newsletter

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