A LIFE-LONG NEED – It is in the Christian life that the continuing growth of the human person attains its true dimensions (ROL #46). Our Rule of Life number 47 recognizes too that, it is the Lord who calls laborers to his harvest. Certainly, the harvest is great but the laborers are few, therefore, a need to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to his vineyard is a sine qua non. Our rule continued, “In our prayer and in all our pastoral activities we will be concerned to arouse the faithful, especially the youth, to take up their personal responsibility of service to the Gospel in the Church.” Our congregation works in coordination with the diocese to foster vocations to ministries and religious life.
We have two dioceses in mind, which we collaborated with, the Diocese of Masaka in Uganda and the Archdiocese of Manila here in the Philippines. Both supplied laborers to the vineyard where the Mystery of the Eucharist is ideally lived and its meaning made known so that Christ’s reign may come and the glory of God be revealed to the world. See, one is a product of the Diocesan Minor Seminary, and the other is a young professional, who was already earning in the advertising field and yet open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, “heed the call, despite his advanced age, and stood to be counted as one of the Lord’s.”
Gratefulness is in the young man’s heart, who valued well what he learned from the minor seminary. He entered the SSS Aspirancy and Postulancy Program in Jinja, Uganda. And out of six who joined, he alone remained and continued in the Noviciat Interafricain “Le Cenacle” in Senegal, and in Scolasticat Interafricain “Emmaus” Kinshasa (DRC) for his theology. Now here in the country, he joined in the Program of Preparation for Perpetual Profession (P4) together with Fr. Throy M. Fuentebella, sss. Subsequently, he was ordained deacon last December 14, 2019, by the laying on of hands of His Excellency, Most Rev. Sofronio A. Bancud, sss, DD, Ordinary of the Diocese of Cabanatuan. He experienced to exercise his diaconal ministry in our community-parish in Davao City. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the council decided for him to be ordained here as a priest.
Meanwhile, the young professional started with his other nine co-postulants in 2009. Out of ten, five reached the Blessed Sacrament Novitiate in Bulacan, then, only three of them made their First Profession of Religious Vows. With some circumstantial delays in the formation, one becomes a religious brother, assigned now as Religious In-Charge in the Community of Panal, and the other is a Religious Priest In-Charge of the Provincial Development Office (PDO). Whereas, the young professional in this story, together with Br. Ian Michael C. Abad, sss, undertook the P4 under the tutelage of Fr. Sebastian A. Luistro, sss. He made his Perpetual Profession during the Feast of Pope St. Pius X, before his brothers in the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and the Provincial Superior, Very Rev. Fr. Roel L. dela Cruz, sss.
Then, on Saturday, August 22, Feast of the Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary, they will shine and be counted among the jewels of Our Lady as deacon and priest. His Excellency, Most Rev. Broderick S. Pabillo, DD, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila, will ordain these young seminarian and young professional as priest and deacon, respectively.
Therefore, it is, then, my joy to hail here this double grace – Fr. Emmanuel Kigwanye, sss, born on December 25, 1990, to Joseph Lubwama and Vincencias Nabuuma of Mannya Parish, Diocese of Masaka; and Rev. Alvin Pancho Manaois, sss born on March 25, 1976, to Avelino Manaois and Yolida Pancho. Though Rev. Alvin was born in Manila, he grew up in Alaminos, Pangasinan. Fr. Kigwanye has talent in composing songs, while Rev. Manaois is very good at making pasta, cards, and banners. Both of them hear the mystery of the call and responded well with their gift of selves – a double grace indeed.
August 20, 2020
Eymard Formation Center
Quezon City
