austraLasia
1419
Hi, salamat!
Congrats to newly ordained Negros Salesian Fr
Rex
VICTORIAS: 31st January 2006 --
Happy Feast day to all, though for most receiving this, the day would be
darkling by now. However, if you are in Victorias, or more precisely, at the Don
Bosco Technical Institute down on Negros Island, Southern Philippines, you would
still be celebrating a five day marathon of celebrations that began on
29th. It is 55 years since DBTI opened its doors. But the highlight
of the celebrations was undoubtedly the priestly ordination of Fr Rex Ma Agad
Cabilledo, originally from Victorias and now an illustrious past pupil of
DBTI.
The ordaining Bishop was Bishop Patrick Buzon,
himself an avid reader of austraLasia, one must add. He also happens to
have been the former Rector and Provincial of Fr Rex. The ordination is
the first for ten years in Victorias' Immaculate Conception Church (also known
locally as the 'basilica'). At least a thousand parents, forty Salesians,
many Salesian Family members and DBTI Victorias students participated.
Bishop Buzon in his homily, underlined the need for holy priests in the Negros
situation where priests are a rarity, one priest for every 20,000
Catholics. The thanksgiving mass takes place today, 31st at the
school.
In two weeks time the first 'homecoming' ceremony
for the initial batch of students who graduated in 1956 will occur. Just
20 of the 64 are still alive! They will be joined by the 'ordinary' 30th
graduation group from 1976. So while we say it's five days celebration
maybe we should extend that a little.
Negros Island is or
rather was almost completely given over to the sugar cane industry. That
industry fell into bad times a decade ago, hence the unfinished 'basilica' and
much other unfinished business which has left many of the poorer parts of the
population completely finished. Even now the sugar mill is laying off
workers and is passing into the hands of a new owner, a certain Lucaino Tan,
Chinese Filippino.
Still and all, DBTI and Fr Rex offer
mottoes which lift the spirits of those who are part of their lives - 'altiora
quaero' for the former, and 'That they may have life, and have it to the full'
for the latter.
_________________________
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