For me, the joy of Christmas doesn’t only begin on December 25. It begins when my alarm rings way too early, when the sky is still dark and the world feels quiet and sleepy. Here in the Archdiocese of Davao, Christmas starts at dawn, with...
In Davao, the story of the Catholic Church cannot be told without acknowledging the quiet and persistent work of the Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKK), the basic ecclesial communities that animate parish life across urban barangays and the most remote sitios. Built on small faith-sharing circles,...
Starting December 16, in the soft glow of dawn, long before the city fully awakens, the Archdiocese of Davao comes alive with a tradition that has shaped the heart of every Filipino Christmas: Misa de Gallo. Across parishes and Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKKs), the faithful...
The PME Fathers (Société des Missions-Étrangères du Québec), Canadian missionaries sent to Davao, played a crucial role in the Catholic evangelization of the region before and during World War II. Their mission was relatively young: they had taken over from the Jesuits in Davao in...
“Unforgettable December 11, 2024. I could not move my arms, legs, my body was uncooperatively heavy. Tried to take a step, but like a candle burning to its end, totally weak, I fell on my butt. It was confirmed in the hospital that I had...
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. It is the time of the year where people starts to prepare for the the yuletide season. It is also a Christian season of preparation and anticipation for the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. In the Catholic...
While Freemasons in Spain were known to have flourished in number a couple of centu-ries after the Crusades, their arrival in the Philippines was not organized. Many of the Ma-sons who served in the colonial period were military officers and administrators already affil-iated with the...
“GINOO, PASAYLOA KAMI! KAY KAMI MAKASASALA …” intoned the roving Rosary leader. “AMAHAN NAMO,” … “Ang kalan-on namo, …” “MAGHIMAYA KA MARIA,” … “Santa Maria, Inahan sa DIYOS” in song, rang sweetly from the Coastal Road up to the San Pedro Cathedral. Alongside us were three...
[gallery link="file" size="full" columns="2" ids="50447,50448"] There were 19 members of our Pangulo sa Liturhiya (PSL) group from GKK, Zone 6, Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, Davao City, who planned to embark on this pilgrimage, but only 16 of us were able to go. Still, with...
In the missionary world, a personal space far from the family, one of the most challenging aspects of the priestly tradition while on a fieldwork, is the struggle to fight off loneliness. During Spanish times, reaching remote missions was not about the hardships along the...