Our faith is based on experience

Excerpts of the Homily of Most Rev. Romulo Valles, D.D., Archbishop of Davao, 51st Parochial Fiesta of St. Jude Thaddeus Shrine Parish on October 28, 2019.

I came from a GKK sa St. Jude nga sakop sa parokya sa Babak. This is how the community began…

It began with a person named Florencio Valera, who in the early 40s worked with a rank in the Philippine army, taga Maslog. During the war, when Japanese came and occupied especially Davao area, he was suspected to be a spy for the government. So, he was picked and brought to prison here in Davao City. I suspect that it is the PC barracks near Cathedral. And the family fled as they were told by Florencio. They went up to Carmen, near Davao Penal Colony. But Florencio was picked up by the Japanese.

They were eight in the batch. And Florencio is not a Catholic, a believer, yes. They were tortured, severely, terrible torture. From among the eight, one will be called outside the prison and will not come back. Two will be called and will not come back. Until only a few of them. And then, one of them, a very Catholic guy… told him, severe torture, in fact that other person was telling Florencio, “I cannot bear it anymore.” But this person, very Catholic told, kay si Florencio is not Roman Catholic, “I tell you, you pray to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron of the impossible…”

After three days, one morning, a Japanese came to the barracks and told him, “Valera! Florencio! Go home!” Free. And he went home. He told his wife, investigate, “who is that St. Jude?”

… In 1944, they began, of course, he is not familiar what is novena kay dili man siya Roman Catholic. He converted to Roman Catholic. They prayed the fiesta novena and built a chapel… He was convinced that his life is truly a miracle and that miracle happened through St. Jude. Talk about the story of the patron saint of the impossible. The whole family was converted.

… That is why I would suggest that those who come to St. Jude, you have your beautiful stories, long and short, big and small, stories of God’s grace, God’s blessing through St. Jude.