THE OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE (OMI)
Fr. Rey Roda
Notre Dame students in Tawi-Tawi cry as the remains of Fr. Reynaldo Roda is loaded into a helicopter bound for Cotabato City Friday. Chino Gaston III
Just this week, a missionary priest from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate has become the congregations 3rd martyr in Sulu and Tawi Tawi. Father Jesus Reynaldo Roda, the parish priest of Tabawan, Tawi-tawi was killed by armed men out to kidnap him. Instead of allowing himself to be kidnapped, he resisted the attackers who dragged him, beat him, and finally stabbed him to death. Roda followed the martyrdom of Bishop Benjamin de Jesus in 1997 and Father Benjamin Inocencio in 2000.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate was founded in 1816 by Charles Joseph Eugène de Mazenod (b. at Aix, 1 August, 1782). The congregation was formed to repair the havoc caused by the French Revolution, and its very existence so soon afterwards was a sign of religious revival. Its primary end is to revive the spirit of faith among rural and industrial populations by means of missions and retreats, in which devotion to the Sacred Heart and to Mary Immaculate is recommended as a supernatural means of regeneration. “He hath sent me to preach the Gospel to the poor“, has been adopted as the device of the congregation.
Today in the Philippines, missionaries of OMI are present in predominantly Muslim areas in Mindanao such as Cotabato, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi. Ironically, the objective of the mission is not to convert Muslims to Christianity. There have been questions what a group of missionaries is doing in a place where converting and proselytizing are not one of their objectives. Several priest offered an explanation, but perhaps the best explanation came from Cotabato Bishop Orlando Quevedo who said,
“Theology is no longer Mission as understood at the time of St. Francis Xavier. In 1971, a Synod of Bishops from all over the world gathered in Rome and taught that ‘action for justice and participation in the transformation of the world is a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel.
Fr. Rey’s generation of seminarians and young priests had this in mind when going to the missions, as in Sulu. Helping create a world more peaceful and more just, more harmonious and more ‘fraternal’ in collaboration with peoples of other faiths — that is at the heart of the Oblate missions in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. And why? Because such a world is a fuller reflection of the universal Reigning of God. That is part of Catholic belief and is probably shared in one form or another by various religious traditions.”
religious traditions”
What a wonderful message.
Again, Roda’s death, far from weakening the resolve of Catholics to spread love and hope to all peoples, nourished the Church again with their blood. This is what is going for the past 2000 years and which made the Church resilient, as promised by Christ, in the face of hostility, physical, moral or theological.
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Got this info from MyCebuPhoto blog. The final list of participants for Sinulog 2008.
Sinulog-Based Category:
1. College of Technological Sciences from Cebu
2. Hagwa Festival from Bohol
3. Sinanduloy Cultural Troupe from Tangub City
4. Santa Filomena National High School from Alegria town
5. Tribu Tisa-anon from Cebu City
6. Tribu de los Pastores from Naga City
7. The Cebu City Government
8. San Isidro Parish School from Cebu City
9. Pakol Festival from Sta. Catalina in Negros Oriental
10. Apo sa Magbabaol sa mga Talisaynon from Talisay City
11. Silaw Culture and Arts from Carcar town
12. Barangay Suba from Cebu City
13. City Central School
14. Tribu Kabulakan of Maguikay in Mandaue City
15. Tribu Jimm’s Coffee
16. Coastal Bank
17. Barangay Punta Princesa
18. Sangguniang Kabataan of barangay Apas.
19. ? *
20. ? *
21. ? *
22. ? *
*Four more groups managed to register before the cut-off.
Free Interpretation Category
1.Alikaraw Organization from Hilongos, Leyte
2. Municipality of Carmen
3. Kaogma Festival of Camarines Sur
4. AMA Education System
5. Tribu Mannalon- Kalinudan Festival of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat
6. Tribu Teduray of Upi, Shariff Kabunsuan
7. Tribu Pintaflores of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental
8. Tribu Iliganon of Iligan City
9. Hambabalud Festival of Jimalalud, Negros Oriental
10. Cabadbaran City from Agusan del Norte
11. Tribu Kinaiyahan from barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City
12. Balangay Basak Pardo of Cebu City
13. Zapatera Night High School
14. Tribu Kamayo of Mari Hatag of Abellana National School
16. Cordova Home Owners of Cordova town
17. Lumad Basakanon of Barangay San Nicolas – Pride of Cebu! Woohoo!
18. Lumad Mandawehanon of the Mandaue City Government
19. SMART Communications Inc.
20. Kawayan Festival of Alegria town
21. Tribu Mabolokon of barangay Mabolo
22. Landonian Tribe of Globe Telecom
23. Mahugyawong Pasil
24. Pundok Sarokanon of Consolacion town
25. Tribu Kasaulogan of barangay Kasambagan in Cebu City
26. Tribu Oslobanon of Oslob town
27. San Diego Dance Company – Pride of Cebu! Woohoo!
28. ?
29. ?? Two more groups managed to register before the cut-off.
According to the blogger, red indicated that these are the contingents to watch out for.
For Sinulog 2008 live coverage, just tuned in to Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN) in your local cable operator. CCTN is the official channel of the Sinulog 2008. Tonight is the live coverage for the Cebu Pop Music Festival.
So far, absent in the abovementioned list are Camiguin and Surigao del Norte, two of the winningest Mindanao contingents over the years. However, its confusing because according to Ricky Poca, anchor of CCTN Maayong Buntag Cebu mentioned Camiguin as practicing right in the Cebu Sports Complex. Someone out there might be helpful enough to clarify on this. Also, there are two contingents which beat the cut off time for registration. It might be Camiguin and Surigao. Who knows.
Fr. Rey, receive the price of your heroism from the hands of God whom you now see face to face. The OMI Community in the Philippines and around the world who lost a brother/friend through violence, has no reason to be sad. Fr. Rey is a martyr because he died becauseo f his faith. We know that the blood of the martyrs nourishes the Church and that is the case for the last 2000 years with Jesus as the first victim.
We now ask Fr Rey, loved so much proofed by the crying students waving their hands for a final farewell, to please pray for the Philippines and us Filipinos he left. May there be peace in our land and in our midst and around the world. All of us regardless of race, religion and locale have one Father and one Mother; Mary the Immaculate.
OMI, thanks a lot for giving us Fr Rey!
What has happened in the Philippines have given them the opporunity to experience the faith of the true writing of the bible and Jesus. The continued commitment to OMI has been shown even after such a tradegy. As we all know volience is not the answer, the continued adoration of OMI is necessary for this wonderful future.
Thank you