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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