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| Bishop Romulo T. Dela Cruz (right) of the Diocese of Kidapawan, Philippines, points out their country to a former student of his there, Luis Abenir, now of Houston, and Mission Awareness Director Mary Wisniewski during his visit here.
Carol Baass Sowa | Today's Catholic |
By Carol Bass Sowa
Today's Catholic
SAN ANTONIO • A special visitor to San Antonio renewed ties between his country and San Antonio, on Aug. 20. Bishop Romulo T. Dela Cruz of the Diocese of Kidapawan, Philippines, had traveled to the United States to attend the Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus Aug. 4-6 and the International Marian Congress on Our Lady of Guadalupe Aug. 6-8, in Phoenix.
While taking care of other business in this country, the bishop paid a visit to the pastoral center in San Antonio and the office of Mission Awareness, prior to visiting his former professor, Father William DuBuisson, OMI, retired from the Diocese of San Angelo. Father DuBuisson, he related, had taught him English and physics in the mid 1960s in the province of Cotabato in the Philippines and had been his priest formator at Notre Dame Diocesan Seminary.
Bishop Dela Cruz noted that he was the first of three bishops whom Father DuBuisson had taught as students. The other two are Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer, OMI, of San Angelo and Auxiliary Bishop Colin Bagaforo of Cotabato.
The province of Cotabato, he related, has been served by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate since 1939, when the first seven Oblate “pioneers” arrived. They included his own first bishop, Bishop Gérard Mongeau, a Canadian who was sent from San Antonio.
Bishop Dela Cruz had originally wanted to be an Oblate himself and do missionary work, but his archbishop did not approve the “transfer,” so he remained in the Philippines after being ordained in 1972. He was ordained a bishop in 1988 and for 13 years served in the Prelature of Isabela in Basilan Province, first as coadjutor bishop and then bishop.
The pope to transfer him to San Jose de Antique as coadjutor bishop in 2001. He became bishop there in 2002, serving until his installation in June 2008 in his current post as bishop of Kidapawan.
During his first meeting with the clergy there, it was decided to open their own seminary, which became a reality this past June when Our Lady of Guadalupe College Seminary opened for first year classes with 25 seminarians.
“As a young seminarian, I used to hear stories from our bishop, who would visit the seminary,” said Bishop Dela Cruz. “He would tell us about Juan Diego and the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe.” He added that the seminary chapel in Cotabato, where he had studied, is graced with a large of replica of the tilma with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“Our opening the seminary for Kidapawan could be a blessing for the future,” he said, noting that many priests from the Philippines are currently serving in the United States. Dioceses in California, Hawaii and New York have all been requesting priests from the Philippines, he added, due to the shortage of priests which has forced the consolidation of many parishes. Here in San Antonio, Father Martin F. Parayno, OSB, from the Philippines serves as pastor of Señyor Santa Niño de Cebú Parish.
The present archbishop of Cotabato, Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo, he noted, studied at the Oblate novitiate here in San Antonio. Now, in a reversal of roles, the Philippines will be sending priests trained in their native country to serve in the United States.