Vocation
Promotion of OSM sisters
Sr.
Alicia, as a vocation directress of the Servites, visited the Senior High
Schools in the region of Manggarai. One of these schools is Sta. Familia Senior
High School located in western part of Manggarai, in one district called
Lembor. She went to this school together with his two servite sisters (Sr. Alicia
Diaz and Sr. Xitlali) to promote their congregation and to encourage the young
girls of this school to be part of their religious family. Usually in Manggarai
when vocation director/directress pays a visit to promote their congregation,
the principal of the school ask all the students to listen to them. With their
limited capability to speak Indonesian, they were able to cultivate the
interest of the students, not only from the female side but also from the male
side. For this reason, the boys were also asking the nuns if there is a male
branch in their congregation. The answer of Alicia was positive. She was very
happy to find out that the boys are also interested in religious life. However,
he could not confirm that the male Branch of the Servites are willing to accept
the young Indonesians into their religious family.
Since
then, with the help of Fr. Robertus Pelita, pr, the headmaster of the Sta.
Familia Senior High School, there was a regular communication with Sr. Alicia.
At least twice she came to visit this school towards the end of the school year
2000-2001. She invited those who are interested in their congregation to visit
their house in Mbau Muku in the heart of the town of Ruteng. One day there were
more or less six students who come so far from Lembor (3 hours with the bus)
just to visit them in Ruteng. Sr. Alicia and her sisters welcomed the students
very well. There was no particular program that was prepared, but Sr. Alicia
has invited these students to stay in front of the blessed Sacrament. It was in
the small chapel next to the living room. It was also the first time the guys
experienced staying silent in front of the Blessed sacrament. After this holy
hour, she invited us for lunch. They prepared a good lunch. The atmosphere of
the visit was very nice.
At
the end of the visit, sr. Alicia Sandoval, OSM, informed that those who are
interested to enter the seminary have to be in Ruteng on June 1st,
2001 without exact address of the house where to stay. There was not yet any
house intended for the male candidates. There was no such thing as an
application letter or any formal letter to indicate that the guys are accepted
in the seminary. It was a simple invitation for those who want to be part of
their religious family. They guys went back to Lembor with heart full of joy.
The Entrance to the Seminary
June
1st, 2001 was the official date for the entrance to the seminary.
Some of the guys arrived earlier in Ruteng. Since there was no house, they were
accommodated in a rented house in Dongang for few days. Fortunately, by June 1st,
2001 Sr. Alicia was able to find a house not yet fully finished where the
candidates can be sheltered. The owner of the house is Mr. Rofinus Mbon, he is
the third assistant of the Mayor of Manggarai. There were still workers who
needed to finish painting the house. The guys had to sleep on the floor for few
days. Then slowly the beds are provided together with other things needed in
the house. This house is located a bit distant to the house of Sr. Alicia.
There
was neither a priest nor a religious brother in the house. By June 1st,
8 students lived here. Sr. Alicia from time to time came to visit the guys and
gave some indications to live together. She was able also to form a sort of
organization in the house. There was a general coordinator, bursar and one in
charge of liturgy. Most of the students, if not all of them, entered the
seminary for the first time and have no clear idea of what the seminary life is
all about.
The Activities of the Day
Below
is more less the schedule that we had during our stay in Ruteng. I need to
admit that the exact time is probably not as written below but the activities
were really like mentioned below. I will tell you the details as we go on in
this simple story that we have passed.
04:30 Rising
05:00 Mass
06:15 Louds - Preparing breakfast (breakfast once the
food are ready)
08:00-12:00
(English Lesson, tempo libero, marketing, etc)
13:00
Lunch (After lunch, we have
siesta until 3 pm o may be more)
15:00 Manualia
17:00
Preparing dinner
18:00 Vespri
19:00 Dinner (After dinner, we are totally free)
The days began too early
When
we were in Ruteng, we began our days very early. It is not easy to wake up
early in this small town. Ruteng is at around 1500 m. The weather is very cold
especially early in the morning. The water is also very cold. We didn’t have a
hot-water system to take a shower. Neverthelesss, we were full of enthusiasm.
Like anyone else in Ruteng, waking up early is not a problem. Most of the
students who studied in Ruteng wake up early because they want to go to attend
the mass.
Our prayers
In
Flores in general and Ruteng in particular, the seminarians are known for their
spiritual life and eagerness to pray. We were no exemption. We attended the
mass everyday. Since in the house, there was no priest, the guys had to go to
the parish of Cewonikit or to the cathedral to attend the mass. The parish priest of Cewonikit knew us most
probably because Sr. Alicia presented us to him. During the mass, sometimes he
asked one of us to read the readings of the day. Most of the time we were
requested to be the altar boys.
Right
after the mass, some guys prepared the breakfast while the others did the
louds. Sr. Alicia have bought the breviary for all but unfortunately nobody knew
how to use the breviary. The guys were just guessing how to pray the louds.
Slowly through the help of other people who came to visit us, we began to know
how to use the breviary. As a matter of fact, there was no such thing as a
seminary. It was simply the coming together of the youths who desired to become
a priest.
We Ate Well in Ruteng
In
Ruteng we ate very well. There was nobody who cooked for us. We divided
ourselves everyday to cook. Sr. Alicia allocated good amount of money for us.
As I said earlier, in the house we had one in charge of the economy. He is
responsible of budgeting the money given by Sr. Alicia. The budget was big that
most of the time we bought a good food. In our High School Years we hardly
found the food that we ate during our stay in Ruteng. Perhaps it is one of the
reasons why many liked to stay.
I
believed that other seminaries in Flores and in Indonesia in general urged the
seminarians to give their contributions to the running of the house and for the
expenses of their studies. Some of them, they determine the exact amount to be
given every month. When we were in Ruteng, this was not clear. Yes, Sr. Alicia
from time to time informed us that we need also to contribute something for the
congregation but as we see it, it seemed to be not necessary because she gave
regularly the money for our expenses in Ruteng.
English Course
English
has been recommended when we stay in Ruteng. All the materials about the
congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles – Scalabrinians are in English.
No one of us understood well English. In the first days, we studied on our own.
Sr. Alicia Sandoval, OSM, tried to find an English teacher for us. She
contacted Miss Karen, English Teacher of british origin who at the moment was
giving English Course in the Catechetical School in Ruteng (STKIP). Miss Karen
could not commit herself to teach English for us. Instead she recommended one
of her student from manggarai Mr. Jack. He was one of the bests students at
STKIP. Actually STKIP offers two programs; English program and Theology.
He
was really a good teacher. With his help, we were able to understand and write
English. He adopted a good teaching method for us. He gave more space for us to
speak and write English. He corrected us when necessary. In less than one
month, we slowly understood and spoke English.
Due
to his busy schedule, he decided to stop giving tutorial class to us and in his
place, he suggested to ask his companion who was also studying on the same
institute. His name was Mr. Ansel. From Monday to Friday he came to give
tutorial class for two hours. He was also very good one. He mastered English
and he knew how to transmit it to us. We had studied English with him for
several months before Sr. Alicia decided to send us in STKIP.
We
enrolled in English Program at STKIP. We were just guests students. We took
only few courses. Since we had had English courses prior to enrolling there, we
were ahead of other students in terms of English comprehension. Most of the
things that the teacher taught us are the things that we have learnt with Mr.
Jack and Mr. Ansel. At the end, we went there not to learn more English but to
get to know other people.
It is
in this institute that we found some other scalabrinian vocations. They were
our classmates and after few months of knowing us decided to join the
congregation. Sr. Alicia accepted them. By the end of February, we were already
18 all in all.
Labora et labora
Since
there was no solid structure in the house, we had many hours vacuum. In the
first two or three weeks we just slept as we liked to. But then, Sr. Alicia has
asked the parish if they had some work to do. At that time, the parish in
cewonikit had a project to rebuild a new church. The priest asked us to do some
work there. All the afternoons we spent to work. No other activity available
and so the easiest choice was to send us to work.
In
the Parish of Cewonikit, we worked only for more less one month. After that,
Sr. Alicia decided to send us to Mbau Muku Parish to work. In that moment, the
parish under the guidance of Fr. Matias, pr (diocesan priest) was constructing
a house for the priest. Here we experienced the hardship of work. In this
parish, there were 2 priest: father Matias and Father Maksimus Regus. However,
we have never had some spiritual guidance or sort of instructions from them.
They were there only to indicate us the work that we needed to do.
One Slap before the Outing
The
majority of the candidates of the first batch came from Holy Family High School
(SMUK Sta. Familia – Lembor). One day they proposed to visit this school and to
have a friendly soccer game. The school accepted the proposal and they agreed
on one Sunday to have this friendly soccer game. Some of the seminarians did
not have soccer shoes. For this reason, one day before the visit, on Saturday
afternoon, they went to borrow the soccer shoes in STKIP. On Sunday morning before the departure, Sr.
Alicia Sandoval, OSM, asked us if we have attended the mass already (Saturday
afternoon). Some said yes while others no because they went to find the soccer
shoes. Sr. Alicia was very angry and he slapped us one by one. It was the most
embarrassing experience.
Processing the Passport
On
February 2002, we were asked to process the papers. We prepare every document
that will be needed in order to attain the passport. We went to the hospital to
have the general check up. Until the month of February, there were 18 of us
in the house. But then later on, Sr. Alicia has admitted only 14
candidates to process the passport in order to be able to go abroad. In
Flores, only in Maumere has the immigration office. So we travelled more than
14 hours to Maumere with the bus. We slept in the house of one policeman of
origin ambonese whose relative is one of our candidates. Some of us could
attain easily their passport while others had to wait for few days more because
there some discrepancies in the documents required by the immigration office.
We seek help from some priests in Ledalero. Flores is an island with a strong
catholic influence. Usually the priests are well-respected. That is why we
asked help from them. At that time there was a priest from Manggarai whose
nephew is scalabrinian seminarian came with us to the immigration. He was
trying to explain to the officers about our situation and thanks God at the end
we were able to attain the passport. Now this priest is the current Bishop of
Ruteng, Mgsr. Hubertus Leteng, pr. It was on February 19th, 2002
that we attained the passport from the migration office of Maumere.
Tears Falling in the Airport of Labuan
Bajo
On
March 10, 2002, 14 seminarians together with some OSM sisters aspirants left
Ruteng. Together with them there were Fr. Carmelo Hernandez, Cs and two nuns
(Sr. Alicia and Sr. Xitlali). We rented the wooden truck owned by the Yayasan
Gembala Baik St. Aloysius, the consecrated brothers who are working in Ruteng.
The car got stopped in the middle of our trip because of some malfunctions. Fortunately,
the driver was able to repair it.
We
arrived at around 11 o’clock in Labuan Bajo. In this airport, some of the
families have waited for us. Most of the guys experienced for the first time
leaving their families for a far place. Only those who come from outside of
Manggarai have been outside of their island. The majority has always been in
Manggarai. Perhaps for these reasons there were many families who were there in
the airport to give farewell to their sons. As the time for the departure came,
many were burst into tears. Some really cried out loud. Even us seminarians
were also in tears. We have been in our familiar place and now we have to
adventure in the foreign land.
The Comedy in the Airplane
All
of us travel with the plane for the first time. The feeling of uneasiness and
curiosity dominated the trip. We were like putting in the jungle and we did not
know what to do. Before our trip, Fr. Carmelo has given us some important
indications. He was speaking to us in English and it was not clear how many
really understood what he told us. We remembered one of his messages is that
not to take anything that is offered in the plane and in the hotel because we
would pay them later and who would do that will pay by his own money. We did
not know exactly if it was the content of the message or we just did not
understand what he said.
On
the plane, the waitress came to bring to us the snacks. Those who sit in front
began to reject because they were too afraid that they would pay later. On the
other hand, there were also some who accepted the offer of waitress. Here began
the argument. Those who did not accept the snacks began to reprimand the ones
who accepted. They reminded them that we were forbidden to accept any offer
from the waitress. Their voices became louder and louder until the waitress
heard us.
She
laughed at us and approached us that it is part of the ticket. We didn’t need
to pay for that later. It is gratis for everybody. At the end, we were very
ashamed.
Bali is beautiful but not for us in that
moment…
Bali
is the largest tourist destination in Indonesia. We were aware of that but in
one day that we stayed there we did not go out much to see the beauty of this
famous island. We kept on staying in the Betania Retreat House owned by the RVM
sisters. We either didn’t have the courage to go the place that we didn’t know
well or our minds were still in our families and relatives. We slept in Bali in
one day but Bali that people used to say is the paradise we did not experience
in that moment.
Early
in the morning of March 11, we were given the tickets and some modules to comply.
It was the ticket of Brunei Airlines. Our flight will be in the afternoon. The
hours past so fast. Before the flight, Carmelo reminded us that we can eat the
food that will be offered in the plane. Another important indication that he
gave was not to walk in the group. He advised us to walk two by two. Since we
were with the aspirants of the OSM Sisters, we were asked to go one seminarian
with one aspirant.
In the Calmness of the City of Brunei
Darussalam
We arrived in Brunei
Darussalam airport in the evening of March 11, 2002. We were reminded by Fr.
Carmelo that Brunei Darussalam is a muslim country. We were told not to say
that we are seminarians and also not to tell them that Carmelo is a priest who
accompany us to go to Manila. Upon our arrival in the immigration lane, some of
us were interrogated by the migration officers of Brunei. There were some who
were confused but at the end they let us go and spent a night in Brunei Hotel.
To
say it frankly, Flores was the island that didn’t have yet the city set-up. We
were awkward to be accommodated in the beautiful hotel of Brunei. Fr. Carmelo
reminded us once again not to take anything from the freezer in our rooms
because upon our departures, they would ask to pay.
As
the darkness of the night waded away, we woke up from our deep sleep. We were
pleased to be served with the American style breakfast. Perhaps there were such
things as etiquettes but in our case, we ate like the people of Flores eat in
their own land. We did not mind how we ate. We just ate until we got satisfied.
Right
after breakfast we had some free time. We went around the small city of Brunei.
There were some mosque around the city but we did not even bother to see or
visit them. For us, as devoted Christians we were, it is not admissible to
enter the mosque. We had still the hesitance to know another religion
especially Islam.
In
the afternoon of that day, we were headed for Manila, our final destination.
Upon our arrival, some theologians have been waiting for us. We were so excited
to begin our new life in Manila. We dropped our luggage in 7th
Street New Manila. It was in 4, 13th Street that we were welcomed by
the scalabrinian community. That was one of the unforgettable days because it
was marked by the immense hospitality of the theologians. We were so happy.
Studying English
On
March 18, 2002 we were sent by Fr. Carmelo to study English in one of the
famous and most expensive universities in the Philippines, University of Ateneo
de Manila. This university offers Intensive English Language Program for
foreigners. Together with us, there were other two Scalabrinian brothers from
Colombia and Brazil who would study theology in Manila.
Before
beginning the English course, we did the test in order to know in which level
we would be. In this school, they divided the students into two levels (A and
B). Three were in level A while the rest were in level B. In the class there
were other foreigners mostly of South Corea. The first modul was done from
March 18 to May 7. The second modul from May 13 to June 24. We studied there
until this June 24, 2002. The school offered a good English course. The only
problem was that among us we did not speak English. We spoke in our dialect or
in Bahasa Indonesia.
Prepadeutic year
During
our prepadeutic year, we did not go out to other schools to study. All the
courses were done in the house. Besides deepening our knowledge in English, we
studied also New and Old Testament, Human Formation and some teaching points
given by Fr. Romeo Velos. The prepadeutic year was the most critical moment not
only for us but also for the Filipino brothers. There were a lot of
misunderstandings and incomprehensions. There were clashes of characters.
Several of the Filipinos went out during this period.
The Confusion of Philosophy Years
After
the prepadeutic year, we were obliged to study philosophy. We studied
philosophy from 2003-2005. The first problem facing the Indonesian candidates
was the difference in educational system. For the Indonesians, after elementary
school, they have to take six years to finish high school. For the Filipinos,
they need only 4 years for high school before going to the college. The
question was: do the Indonesians have to do 4 years college? The Christ the
King Mission seminary, the school of philosophy run by the divine word
missionaries, demanded the four years program if we want to finish Bachelor in
Philosophy. There were some confusions then. Father Romeo Velos wanted this
four years program so that we can attain a degree while Fr. Carmelo wanted us
to take only two years philosophy even if we will not attain any scholarship
degree. At the end, we persuaded the two years program where we took only
philosophy subjects.
However,
after one year of studying philosophy, 4 of us were asked by Fr. Nilo
Mantilla,cs, to change the status from the GUEST STUDENTS to the regular
students. With this change, we were abliged to go back to the first year of
college and took the regular courses for college students so that at the end of
the fourth year we can attain a civil degree. As we back to the first year, we
learn all the minor subjects like algebra, chemistry, etc., and we got not even
one philosophy subjects.
When
we finished this school year, we thought that we would continue studying
philosophy. To our surprise and amazement, we were sent to continue our
formation stages. This time we moved to novitiate stage. The thought of
finishing philosophy degree faded away. That one year of regular student was a
waste of time.
Postulancy
The
formation team has made a special arrangement for our postulancy. For the
summer vacation during our philosophy years, we went to Cebu, one of the famous
cities in the southern Philippines where our novitiate house is located. We
would spend our one month vacation there. Here the novice master invited some
people who would give us some inputs. Here we attended the seminars on: Human
Formation and counseling (Mom Evelyn Rosal and Mom Kets), Anthropology
(rogasionists priest), and some other teaching points given by one RVM nun and
Fr. Hily Gonsalez.
Novitiate year
We
begin our novitiate on May 1st, 2006. We were 8 in the group, 2
filipinos and 6 Indonesians. Along the way, the two Filipinos and two
Indonesians decided to go out from the congregation. There were only four
Indonesians did the first profession of religious vows. Two were destined to
study theology in Manila while the other two were asked to study in Rome.
Many entered and few persevere
As of
now, only 2 of us remain in the congregation. We started 18 and we end up in 2.
Naturally, the question comes up; why many entered and only few persevere?
Until
now, I could not give the exact answer. I could offer only few points on which
I retain important.
Firstly,
With the coming of the new female congregations in Indonesia especially in
flores marked the beginning of the VOCATION PROMOTION in Flores. Before it was
the candidate who seek the congregations but now it was in another way around;
it is the congregation who seek for the candidates. There were very few
congregations present in Manggarai and they screened the candidates who wanted
to enter. They put many requirements that the candidate had to comply. They
made the entrance exam. Only few could pass the entrance exam. With the coming
of the new congregations, it became easier to enter the convent. The
scalabrinians were no exemption. The congregation accepted whoever wanted to
enter the convent. It was one of the new reality. For this many wanted to enter
even if without motivation at all.
Secondly,
the congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles was not yet known in
Indonesia. The candidates know more about the Divine Word Missionaries because
they have missions all over the island of Flores. They don’t have yet any idea
what it means to be a Scalabrinian. There were materials given to us but all
the materials are written in English. There was one candidate who decided to go
out because his parents were afraid that Scalabrinian congregation probably is
not real religious congregation.
Finally,
I would say that the vocation to the priesthood is a mystery. We never know how
many would be chosen. The candidates need only to discover what God wants for
his life.
|
The first Indonesians who joined the Scalabrinians |