The Saga of Sacred Heart Brothers

About 55  years ago, three (3) young and pinkish-faced Canadian missionaries (Brother Elric, Brother Conrad and Brother William)  belonging to the Brothers of the Sacred Heart congregation flew from across the globe and arrived in Digos, then a small town 60 kilometers south of Davao City. That was when travelling on rough roads took us four hours to the capital.

Last week, we gathered under the afternoon sun in the Brothers’ formation center  in Catalunan Grande in Davao City.  The occasion   was the book  launching of ‘FIRST 50 YEARS”,  a history of the Brothers in the Philippines (1959 to 2009) authored by  a former colleague, veteran journalist Antonio V. Figueroa. It was an occasion for some of us ton somehow reminisce on those days when the Brothers of the Sacred Heart founded the Holy Cross of Digos, boys department  (now Cor Jesu College) and started nurturing and molding  young high school-aged  boys from the remotest barrios in the south. I was one of those young barrio boys.  We were suddenly weaned one day from the RVM sisters and sadly separated from the girls in skirts when the boys moved to another more interior — but brand new — “for boys only” school premises.

Bro. Noelvic Deloria, SC. delegate superior said the congregation’s passion for spirituality and transformation continues to this day.

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ZAMBO BOOED MILF FORUM —It was unfortunate that the MILF forum in Zamboanga City was booed and some participants walked out in protest of the proposed setting up of a bangsamoro entity in Mindanao.

The MILF team and its counterpart government panel were   there to only make a courtesy call on Mayor Bing Climaco Salazar but upon the mayor’s prodding, a forum-dialogue was instead convened. Unknown to the peace panels, a plan was clearly hatched to embarrass them.

This was uncalled for. Yes,  those who are unhappy with the agreement could forcefully argue against it in a civil manner. To disrupt the event with some booeing and a walkout is a display of what I can call our “bastosity”.

The mayor ought to apologize for the incident.  Unless of course she was privy or had agreed to this herself. With the way some Zamboangenos acted, I am not surprised why violent incidents and continuing threats persist in this exotic city in the south.