Puerto Princesa (AsiaNews) - Before daybreak, Father Broderick Pabillo walks three hours to the river where he takes a small boat to reach the next village. After mass and talking with the community, he continues his trek to the next village. The next day, he again takes a boat to the adjoining village and walks another four hours to the next chapel.
Father Pabillo needs a whole month in order to visit all his chapels. To do this, he either takes a small boat, or rides his motorcycle and, often times, walks for hours.
Whereas in other vicariates and dioceses around the country, the clergy use 4-wheel drive cars provided by their bishops or rich benefactors, Father Pabillo, like 31 other priests in the Vicariate, still walk the path of the early missionaries, the Spanish Recollects who first came to the area in the 17th century.
In 1910, Pope Pius X created the Apostolic Prefecture of Palawan, in the province approximately 586 kilometers southwest of Manila. It was elevated to a Apostolic Vicariate on July 3, 1955. Because of the vicariate's vastness (around 150,000km) and its increasing population (800,000, with 70 percent Catholic) and only one bishop as its shepherd, two years ago, the vicariate was divided into two: the Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, the province's capital city, and the Vicariate of Taytay in the north.
On July 3, the Vicariate will begin its celebration of the1955-creation as Apostolic Vicariate with a year-long preparatory phase, "to make the lay aware of the Jubilee's significance," Bro. Rodriguez, Chancellor of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa told AsiaNews. "The actual Jubilee will follow starting July 3, 2005."
"The theme of the Jubilee is Thanksgiving and the Renewal of the Clergy and Laity," Bishop Pedro Arigo told AsiaNews. "We plan to realize these objectives through the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs), where we hope to implement the "Pondo ng Pinoy" and thereby empower the laity." "Pondo ng Pinoy", or "Funds of the Filipinos" is a movement, based on the 'Theology of the Crumbs', recently launched by the Archbishop of Manila and its Ecclesiastical Provinces, including Puerto Princesa. "The Vicariate has three priorities: integral transformation, renewal of the clergy and people empowerment," Bishop Pedro informed.
With the exception of three priests, all the Vicariate's clergy will attend the National Congress on the Clergy in Manila, which will coincide with the theme of the Jubilee.
In 1997, during the Vicariate's First Pastoral Assembly, issues concerning the clergy, the Church, families, catechesis, and ecumenical dialogue were tackled with several commissions formed. But, says Bro. Rodriguez, "The priests were overburdened because of their numerous tasks in the parish, and were not able to concentrate on their commissions."
"We at the Vicariate still have a lot of things to do. We are still a missionary territory," he said. "From our pastoral assemblies, we learn more about our Church - in Ad Entra and Ad Extra. We have our vision, and with the coming Jubilee, we hope this vision will be realized."
The first missionaries, from the Spanish Order of Augustinian Recollects, arrived in 1623 in Palawan. Recollect St. Ezequiel Moreno worked here in the area in the 19th century. One of the villages he visited is Inagawan, known for a well [called "the priests' well" by the residents] which has never run dry despite draughts.(S.E.)
