Believe in miracles
He’s barely five feet tall but dignified, and carries a bright smile. Friar Bobong accepted an enormous assignment some time ago to rebuild a parish in a community of 40,000 people in one of the poorest neighborhoods in greater Manila. This parish community in Tala, near Caloocan City, borders a leprosarium and includes many homeless, jobless, restless, but certainly not hopeless, souls. Fr. Bobong’s daunting task was to rebuild the parish – “to sink or swim” – with no start-up fund, no resources, no budget, nothing. Just rebuild the parish. Get ready to believe in miracles.
Fr. Bobong – The worker
The parish is called “Saint Joseph, The Worker.” When he first arrived, Fr. Bobong admitted that he was appalled at what he saw. “Walang bubong,” (“We had no roof,”) he said, in Filipino. A parsonage with no roof is not surprising in a town with thousands of homeless. To build a roof, he turned to some friends for donations. With just the right amount of charm, and of course the authority of God, in a matter of weeks he was able to build the roof.
40,000 souls
His next project is construction of a parking lot and renovation of the aging, dilapidated church building and its sanctuary. At first, Fr. Bobong was overwhelmed. “I’m a man of God, but I’m not immune to frustrations and despair,” stated Fr. Bobong. He confided to me that even priests get depressed, especially when surrounded by extreme poverty and given the task to be the spiritual leader of the poorest of the poor – 40,000 of them. You need many miracles. It still baffles me to this day how one man can minister to 40,000. He has no associates – just a small volunteer staff to help him run the parish.
Leprosarium, changing attitudes
Right next to his parish is a leprosarium. “The good news is there is now a cure,” says Fr. Bobong.” The lepers are part of his parish community. And although people are still reluctant to socialize with the lepers, Fr. Bobong believes that the attitude towards this disease is changing. “We are trying to integrate them within our parish,” he says. “Many of them are working and are productive members now,” he adds.
Priest and teacher
Fr. Bobong has a doctorate (PhD) in civil administration. He is also a Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Philippines. This made me more curious as to why he continues to do what he does. He certainly can just walk away from the relentless pressure of his job. Even he admits there is always a job waiting for him in the private or public sector. But men like Fr. Bobong are inspired individuals. It’s not clear where the inspiration comes from, but they seem to understand the biblical phrase that “faith can move mountains.”
Just one man
He administers six masses every Sunday and at least one mass each day. On any given day there is great demand for his services. He is called to baptize, administer to the sick, perform wedding ceremonies, conduct confessions, make home visits, and always attend to the spiritual needs of his flock. I was shocked to hear that there is no other priest in his parish. Despite his enormous responsibilities, he still finds time to teach. He says that teaching is sort of an escape from the mundane, day-to-day tasks of administering to those precious to him, those who need him.
Beyond Christmas
This Christmas he hopes to feed hundreds of kids in the parish. He is organizing the annual Christmas party. As always, he is not sure where the money might come from to buy the food. But he believes that something will happen. As we chat, I was reminded of Mother Theresa who started with nothing in the poor neighborhood of Calcutta and built a parish community that to this day remains vibrant and internationally recognized. Whenever possible, our firm assists Fr. Bobong in pulling off his Christmas party. One dollar will buy a bowl of spaghetti, a drink, and possibly even dessert for each parishioner who attends. But these people need so much more beyond a Christmas party just to survive.
A Harvard scholar and a blessing
Fr. Bobong recently received a scholarship to attend a Harvard University Graduate School Program where he took classes in community organizing. After spending six months at Harvard, we had dinner one evening as he prepared to return to Manila and resume his priestly duties. (It was then I learned of his challenges.) I asked him if his experience at Harvard, or just living in the US, had changed his mind about going back to his 40,000.
He looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes and he surprisingly said “I like the change here.” He said that he may apply for another scholarship, but he does not know if his bishop will allow him to return. And so he returned to Manila as a typhoon ravaged the islands. On the day of his flight, he sent me a text message thanking me for everything.
My reply was, “You are a gift to the 40,000, and whatever you do, you bless them with your presence.”
Helping heroes
The heroes of this world are not the army generals or the politicians or the billionaires or the pro athletes. The real heroes are the men and women who are quietly inspired. And through their inspiration, they stand out as an inspiration to others. No doubt that Fr. Bobong’s church community was affected by the typhoon as he winged his way back to his flock.
Please contact our office if you would like to help his parish.
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Lazaro Law Group, Professional Corporation represents immigrants all over the United States and the US Embassy in Manila. The firm’s offices are located in San Francisco, Fremont/Newark/Union City, and Sacramento, California. Attorney Johnson Lazaro can be reached at (415) 800-5775 or toll free at (855) 4-LAZARO. His email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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This article should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. The information is intended to be general and should not be relied upon for any specific situation. This is not meant to create a lawyer-client relationship.
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