Bongao (AsiaNews) – A heartfelt thanks to the “Muslim brothers” for their help and support of the Catholics currently building their parish Church in Kualabaru, was expressed by Fr. Dodoy Daquipil, Oblate priest of the Holy Rosary in Bongao, Tawi Tawi province and capital of Mindanao Island.
“During the first mass celebrated in December 2005, the Muslims supervised the entire are” recalls Fr. Dodoy, “now the Muslim population have even asked me to build a nursery for children”.
“We live and behave – says the priest as brothers and sisters sent by God to spread his love throughout the world”.
Kualabaru is not very well known and for many years it was not known that there was a small Christian presence there. The village lies within the municipality of Languyan – a Muslim city governed by the Matba family - and the 72 families living there are for the most part Catholic.
In the majority Muslim island of Mindanao, the Christian community has been growing for some time. More precisely since 1980 when long time Tawi Tawi governor Gerry Matba, began to employ Christians in Mindanao as land workers.
In exchange for their gratitude and warm relations, the last governor granted the Christians a piece of land on which to build their own church.