Making Friends With

Thursday this week saw us having a sunny weather.  It was already early evening, but the sun was still up.  As we were preparing dinner, Chiara was outside the garden playing. Later on she began to sing "Let it go" (a famous song from the movie "Frozen"). As she was belting out the song, the little girl from next door happened to be outside their garden too. As she heard Chiara singing, she sang too albeit struggling to enunciate some of the lyrics.  Chiara sang even louder. The little girl didn't let her guard down.  

A few minutes later, they began to talk to each other in spite the tall hedge which separates them.  Chiara volunteered to go to the neighbor's garden, although she expressed her reservations as she was scared of their dog.  Later on, we found Chiara and the girl (her name is Siena and is of the same age as our daughter) playing in the swing in our garden.  Chiara found a new friend. 

How do we make friends? It seems that as we age, befriending gets more difficult.  We have reservations for various reasons. Perhaps some would have told us something negative about this person. Probably we're happy with our comfort zone and any 'disturbances' aren't welcome. Or we just don't want to.

Seven years ago, our parish had a new parish priest.  Like any parishioner, there were  some 'fears' in me. A few thoughts crossed my mind. Will the new person be good? Will he effect any changes? If so, will these be beneficial to us? What will he do with what has been the 'norm' in the parish?

In his first Mass, Fr Paul Newman dispelled those fears.  He came across as a friendly and accommodating person.  This impression became more evident as days, weeks, months, and years went along.  There have been moments that I have expressed delight, gratitude, fear, or concern to him and in all of these he listened and gave words of encouragement and comfort. He was also a man who was generous in giving praise and appreciation to people's contributions to the community. Because of the respect and care he showed to parishioners, they in turn supported him. Bulwell and Bestwood parishes, in my book, found a friend in him. 

The last time I saw Fr Paul was in May last year when there was a diaconal ordination in the parish. I was on the queue where he was distributing Holy Communion.  As I received the Body of Christ, I felt his touch. A touch of a friend whom I missed a lot.

Fr Paul may have left us (in 2011), but the friendship that he made with me and my family remains cherished in my heart. I am sure fellow parishioners share the same view. Tomorrow, 20 July, he will be celebrating his 25th year as a priest!

May God bless you, Fr Paul, as you reach a new milestone in your priestly vocation. Remain trustful in Jesus who called His disciples (that includes you!) as friends, not servants (John 15:15).  Continue to be a blessing to others, wherever the Lord of the harvest sends you. Keep up the good work of affirming people's faith, reassuring their hope, and kindling their charity. It's a shame we won't be in Chaddesden to join the celebration, but you would be one in our prayers and thoughts. Thank you, my friend!

Fr Paul

Catching up on the loads of mail we received when we were away for our trip to the Philippines 2 years ago, we were surprised to hear that Msgr David Forde was leaving our parish on the first weeks of January.
One Saturday evening, we attended the Mass which would be the first one to be presided over by Msgr Forde’s successor – the youthful Fr Paul Newman. During his homily he gave a short introduction of who he was. We learned that he had that calling to the priesthood at an early age and was previously assigned to the Diocese’s Youth Centre (a.k.a. The Briars).

What touched me during his homily was his awareness of working together for the good of the parish (parishes actually as he is also looking after the neighbouring Divine Infant of Prague Parish). People would have looked up on their parish priests as the source of all knowledge and direction in the life of the Christian community. But for me, listening to Fr Paul, made me realize that he’s one who wishes to engage with all parishioners and allow them to contribute in their own way for the growth of the parish.

Indeed, in his first few months he mobilised the people (including the Poor Clare sisters) in raising funds for the refurbishment of the church. By the end of 2007, Our Lady’s was ready to celebrate Christmas with the walls, beams, Our Lady’s image and the crucifix being repainted, a new carpet was installed for the sanctuary, and the patio being remodelled to name a few.

Realising the cultural diversity of Our Lady’s Parish and the need to celebrate this, he initiated in September 2007an international cuisine event featuring the various international meals prepared by parishioners. Two days later, the Sunday Mass was so special as readings and the Bidding Prayers (a.k.a. Prayer of the Faithful) were said in various languages. I had the privilege of proclaiming the Second Reading in Filipino. Inspired by this gesture, I proposed that our website be included in the parish’s website as a link and vice-versa. Through this partnership both communities have been supporting each other since then. Fr Paul was also involved in this Holy Week's "The Seven Last Words" project.

His engagement with people includes the little ones too. Every time those attending the Children’s Liturgy come back from the sacristy to present what they have discussed and worked on in their liturgy, Fr Paul makes it a point not only to talk to the facilitators, but most especially to the children, offering them praise and encouragement.

I have often heard Fr Paul address me as “My friend” to which I am very grateful for.

Fr Paul, as you celebrate your 20th Anniversary as a priest on 20th July, may you continue to be that friend who would inspire us in bringing God’s love to His people so that more and more souls would come together to praise and serve Him.

Ad multos annos!
***

Best wishes too go to Msgr Mario Enriquez, former parish priest of St Joseph Parish de Gagalangin, who celebrates his 29th Sacerdotal Ordination Anniversary this 18th July.

Msgr Mar, as you would know, has been instrumental in establishing our organization in that parish. He has been a source of guidance and strength when the group was at its infancy stage.

Like Fr Paul, he has also whipped the community into shape by promoting lay empowerment which saw more lay faithful participating in the affairs of the parish via the Worship, Education, Service, Temporalities, and Youth (WESTY) committees of the Parish Pastoral Council and the historical Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPC-RV)which fielded an enormous number of youth parishioners (that included me!)to volunteer in ensuring a clean and honest national and local elections way back in 1992.

God bless you, Monsignor!

Brother John

Apart from Fr Paul, the next person you won’t fail to see at Mass in Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church is John Staniland. John serves the parish as a Senior Altar Server (Sacristan Mayór we would call it in the Philippines), Special Minister of the Eucharist, Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Secretary, and Chair of the Liturgy Group under the PPC.

I first met John on Good Friday in 2004, a few months since I started worshipping in this church. Surprisingly, John seems to know me beforehand and was thanking me for taking part in the Washing of the Feet that was done the night before. Right after our chat, I decided to do the Stations of the Cross as I won’t be able to attend the parish’s devotion that evening. I was on the 10th/11th station when John approached me and politely informed me that the church was about to close. He gave me a few more minutes and then we both made our way to the door. That meeting was the nucleus of my relationship with this respectable man.

John has been such a wonderful fellow parishioner whom I worked with in the Liturgy Group for some time in the past and in doing the Mass readings since 2005. He has given me his trust and confidence which allowed me to contribute further into the life of the community. He is that role model in serving God and His Church which each and every parishioner should emulate. He is that humble servant ever attentive at the Lord’s Table. He is that person whom we could look up to as our brother.

Congratulations, John for receiving the Benemerenti Medal on the 24th May. You truly deserve it! May your tribe increase!

Best Gift Ever

A few weeks after Chiara was born, people were asking, "Kailan ang binyag?" (When's the baptism?) I just responded, "Pinaghahandaan na." (It's being sorted out.).

We were planning for a baptism in early Spring (March or April) as the weather in November to February won't be that favourable especially for the baby. But we later agreed to have it in December as we really wanted Chiara to be baptized before the year ends. December is also a memorable month for Nidz and I since we tied the knot on this month years ago. We checked the calendar to see what's the nearest Sunday to the 18th (our wedding anniversary) and we found the 21st as the prospect date.

I got in touch with Fr Paul Newman, our Parish Priest, who was very kind, accommodating, and supportive to us. The 21st was OK in his calendar. He gave me a form to complete and set a date for him to visit us at home to orient us on the ceremony. We felt really honoured to have him as a visitor!

We contacted family and friends to invite them to be Chiara's godparents and they all accepted. In the following weeks invitations were sent out to them and to other acquaintances. Other items such as catering, baby's attire, and the like were all put into place.

A month was reduced into weeks and weeks turned out to be days. It was Chiara's Big Day! The weather looked fine; it wasn't cloudy nor windy. The sun turned up (like it did when our daughter was born)! The 21st is actually the shortest day of the year (Winter Solstice), but in 2008 it wasn't!

We arrived at the Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish Church a few minutes before 12 noon, the time for the baptism. The atmosphere was very solemn. There were a few familiar faces who turned up for the event. Fr Paul welcomed us all, most especially Chiara and guided us throughout the ceremony, explaining the use and significance of oil and water and the sign of the Cross. It was a very informal gathering which made each of us feel really special, Chiara in particular. The Godparents also took an active role in the ceremony - Kaye Lagman read the Bidding Prayers, Joel Briones wiped Chiara's head after water was poured onto it, Jona Estioso wrapped Chiara with the white shawl, and Ronald Abrera received the lighted baptismal candle.

The priest explained that being a baptised Christian is being called to love just as the saints did, just as Jesus did. During the invocation of the saints, Father included two saints from Assisi, Italy - Saints Clare and Francis - Chiara's namesake. Chiara (pronounced as Kya-ra)is Italian equivalent of Clare and means 'clear' or 'bright'. Francesca (pronounced as Fran-ches-ka), her second name, is Italian equivalent of Frances. Nowadays we all need to be clear with our purpose and mission in life like St Clare. We also need to be agents of peace like St Francis who once prayed to God to make him an instrument of His peace. I hope and pray we parents and godparents would be good examples of these to Chiara so she could do the same to others.

There's actually a 'Franciscan' reason behind our daughter's name. Almost five years ago, one of the parishioners who warmly welcomed us to Our Lady's was Sr Margaret, a Poor Clare sister whose monastery is attached to the church. We did not meet them then physically, only by e-mail but that meant a lot for Nidz and me. From then on we developed a relationship with the sisters. As their congregration suggests, St Clare was their foundress and St Francis was the founder of the Franciscan order; the umbrella organization where the Poor Clare sisters belong. (Incidentally, St Francis's dad was named Pietro...)

After the ceremony (and a number of photo shots at the beautiful altar) we had a sumptuous lunch of various Filipino dishes at home. Colleagues from the parish as well as friends and neighbours came to share in the celebration.

I'm very glad that during our child's first Christmas we gave her the best gift any parent could offer: being a Christian. I'm grateful for everyone who supported us throughout the process. They have been the helping hands we could rely on.

Our parents have once brought us along in their journey of faith through baptism. It's now our turn to do so with our own daughter.