A Brother to All: Story of a Claretian Missionary Brother

Bro. Nicer (middle) with the Bajaus going to one of the islands in Basilan to plant mangroves as a solidarity activity for Earth day Celebration.

It’s more than a decade that I joined the esteemed Claretian congregation.

I entered the seminary when I was just fifteen years old. In my journey as a consecrated brother, there is a recurring question from the people I met in different circumstances. People ask me, “Why on earth you chose to become just a brother, rather than be a priest who preaches in the altar?” My usual humble answer is, “I just want to be a brother to all.”

I originally came from a pious community of Palo, Leyte wherein the seat of cathedral in eastern Visayas belongs. I grew up with also an ultraconservative Catholic family who believes that somebody in the family must be a nun or a priest as a family contribution to the whole Catholic Church. Unfortunately I was not either. We are 12 siblings in the family and we are close to the religious priests and nuns, since the bishop’s residence is just few meters away from our house. My mother as a usual kind of pious Catholic who follows the doctrine of the church to the letter. She practices abstinence and mortifications without fail. The family also inherently compels to say the angelus every six o’clock in the evening. These religious practices eventually and unknowingly nourishes my spiritual life.

I remember how jubilant my family was, when I told them that I am entering the seminary. They were so happy about my decision that they even bought new shoes for my graduation day (It was unlikely for me to have new shoes. I usually receive secondhand shoes from my older brothers in my early school years). However, they were doubtful also that I will be able to persevere and finish the seminary formation since they considered me as the black-sheep among the twelve siblings. On the other hand, they think that the seminary will help me change my ways and become a better person, thus eventually they supported my decision.

Fast forward, inside the Claretian congregation among thirty seminarians only three persevered, two became religious priests and I was only the one who chose to be a consecrated brother. It was difficult for my batch-mates to understand my decision as well as for the Claretian formators, but eventually they supported me in the end when they realized that I was serious and convinced with my decision.

My family and my relatives were first happy that I indeed able to persevere in the seminary and able to finish my initial formation. However, they have difficulty in grasping the form of religious life that I chose. Now, they wanted me to become a priest not just to change me to a better person. They want to see me celebrating mass and preaching in parishes. I told them that my motivation of becoming a religious is not just to say mass. I have more transcendent motivation. I explained to them my earnest intention is to work in the vineyard of the Lord. I told them that there are so many ways in helping building the kingdom of God, and my calling is not to be ordained as a priest but a faithful consecrated brother for all people. I even jokingly told them that being ordained does not qualify a person to enter heaven. I told them that everybody without exemption are invited to be in the banquet with the Lord, the only thing that a person will do is to follow God’s invitation. I give theological and biblical grounds on my different explanations. But it was to no avail. Until now, my family and my friends cannot still comprehend. They are still waiting for my ordination that will not come, eventually. In my part, I will try to remain a faithful missionary brother.

After several scholastic, theological and spiritual formation, eventually I became a full pledged Claretian missionary. I became in charge of different apostolate projects of the Claretian congregation in the Philippine province. As I see it, I became more effective on implementing missionary projects as a brother, since I am not tied with any clerical work like doing the sacraments.

I have ample of time to be with the community and can easily relate with the people as a lay person. I can own my time in studying different dynamics of the community, as well as prioritizing developmental programs concerning their real-life issues.

I can go beyond “spiritualizing” matters and create possible solutions to life’s recurring problems. And it was the same with the community, they can easily relate with me without any pretensions. For the Christian community, they don’t put me in the pedestal as they see me as one of them.

Presently, I am in-charge with the Claretian mission with Indigenous People — the Bajaus in Maluso, Basilan. The place is more than thousand miles away from Leyte. My assignment in Basilan and with the Bajaus contributes another intrigue to the people whom I knew, “What on earth are you doing in Basilan? And what on earth are you doing with the communities of Bajaus?”

My humble answer to them is the same. I just wanted to become a brother to the marginalized and neglected communities of Bajaus. I know that they will be shocked again. And I know that even the readers of my story will be puzzled and will not understand. But if anyone is insistent to know the reasons why I continue this kind of missionary life, I advise them to be with our community and to live among with the Claretian missionaries. And hopefully in the process he/she will discover the beauty of being a brother/sister to all. (Nicer O. Natulla, CMF)