“WHEN I learned to write stories in the hearts of man, I stopped writing them on paper.” – Rev. Fr. Camilo Pacanza
Fr. Camilo “Miloy” Pacanza refers to himself as Bertong Butones -- a take on Brad Pitt’s role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It is a movie about an old man who gets younger, as he gains years.
In one of his homilies, Fr. Miloy shared: ” Out of obedience, I came. I am now in a rebirth, growing old is growing young in reverse. Mahilig tayong maglagay ng patapos: Ayoko na. Hanggang dito lang ako. Yet, there are only beginnings with God. Fr. Rodel opened up a new awareness for me. Though I went through a lot of suffering, though I could have been a journalist, an architect, even an actor at age 30, I was really destined to be a priest. What will it offer me?, I asked. It is not about gifts, not about what I want, but about what God wants me to do. America is now my new home, where friendships blossom and Sacredness settles in.”
To the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church’s choir members, Fr. Miloy is a priest of many talents. To Fr. Rodel he is a gifted editor, a writer, an interior designer, an aspiring singing priest in Hollywood and the one who decorates IHMC at Easter and Christmas. As much as he is a man of the arts, he was groomed by Divine Providence to become a man of theology.
His love for reading started at an early age. At six years old, he retrieved Reader’s Digest from the uptown’s household trash left on the sidewalks. Uptown trash was the source of his treasures and a vibrant dream: to see the Oberammergauer Passion Play.
His life was (and continues to be) an unraveling of miracles. “When I was in third year high school in Catbalogan, Samar, my brothers and sisters, who promised to send me back to the city, conveniently forgot about me. They got married instead,” he narrated. He accepted every job opportunity he could find -- a household help who did cleaning, marketing, cooking and washing clothes for free board and lodging.
He went to San Jose Seminary and another opportunity opened for him -- to take the national exam for seminarians. The rector did not allow him to take the exam. But, John Schumacher, who conducted the exam personally, asked him to take it. He met John while he worked as a housekeeper, preparing beds and cleaning rooms. He landed the #7 spot for full scholarship, which got him to the Ateneo. He got on the Dean’s List and finished Pre-Divinity Studies, minor in education and mass communication. To support his theological studies, he taught at Maryknoll high school.
But, he took a detour, as he doubted that his passions could be tamed inside the seminary. He carried bales of fish in the port, from 8am to 3pm. He earned a quarter each day, enough to buy him coffee and breakfast. He lived with the urban poor settlers, they all took turns sleeping in a closet-sized room. He formed a community theater and taught the barrio folks how to sing. He also learned to play the guitar. He produced passion plays, including designing the stage props and costumes.
He then decided to go back to the seminary and focused on theology. He was ordained on July 12, 1981. By this July, he will be celebrating 30 years as a priest.
“I have done more with little chances. Poverty awakened all my dreams. Poverty is not an ending – it opens opportunities,” he said.
While Fr. Miloy had hardships, he took every opportunity to hone his talents, including designing furniture and mausoleums. Little did he know that God was preparing him to make his dream come true. The turning point came when Pope John Paul organized an international retreat for 5,000 priests. Fr. Miloy was chosen as one of the 500 priests from the Philippines, the only priest from his diocese, to attend it in Rome. His bishop initially did not permit him to leave. But, he acted as if he was going.
He worked through his travel papers and while at the embassy, he met the priest organizing the international retreat, who encouraged him to go. Fr. Miloy persuaded his bishop, who finally gave him his blessing. He raised $1,000, which at that time was Php 60,000. He raised it by helping friends design furniture and mausoleums.
On June 6, 1989, his dream came true. He went to Colegio Filipino in Rome and offered to work as a part-time telephone operator. He slept at bus and train stations. He visited churches and cathedrals on the way to Germany, and subsisted on $10 a day. He visited Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Amsterdam, Israel and even witnessed the bringing down of the Berlin Wall. He hitchhiked while in Jerusalem and extended his European trip to also include the US and be reunited with his sisters. He travelled the Junipero Serra’s route. He documented the California mission churches, as well as those found in San Antonio, Texas.
When he got to Germany, he could not get tickets to see the play. He was not about to give up. As divine providence would have it, he went to a store that was closed. The storeowner, who happened to be one of the performing actors, noticed Fr. Miloy. Unbeknowst to Fr. Miloy, the store owner called the ticket stand and instructed Fr. Miloy to go back there, even though it was still closed to the public. He got his ticket to see the play and he was filled with joy.
Fr. Miloy’s hair is now salt and pepper hair, but he ages in reverse -- he gains more youthful years, humbled that he found his second home in IHMC. God must want him to be at IHMC, which is about to undergo a structural renovation for its jubilee in 2012. Who best to help oversee this House of God, its renovation, than God’s hand-chosen “architect and designer,” who sacrificed and travelled to see God’s passion play in Munich, Germany 22 years ago? What a fitting circle for Fr. Miloy, to be at IHMC, and to witness its jubilee celebration in 2012, where each year, the parishioners stage the most invigorating and inspiring passion play!
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