2 religious congregations house fire victims

Alexian Brothers and Dominican Sisters welcome Agdao residents

“Come to our house, we are neighbors.”

Brother Vincent was on the terrace and was looking down on Marang Street, hoping to throw coins to the children below to celebrate the beginning of the New Year 2018. The families calling out, excitedly to each other, “Happy New Year!,” did not see the firecracker (kwitis) fly from somewhere and fell on a coconut tree. Brother Vincent saw it landed and caught fire on the palms and then fell on the house below. Frantic at the growing fire, he shouted at the people and pointed at the burning house but no one saw and heard him.

Motorcycles roared, horns blew, families exclaimed “happy new year, happy new year!” Brother Vincent then called 911, ran down as fast as he could, opened the main gate of the Alexian Brothers Formation House and shouted to the people that a fire had started.

From one house to another, he ran and called on families to leave their homes and secure themselves in the formation house. The other Alexian Brothers, five of them, led the families in and opened the exit gates to make ready the need for further evacuation.

On the other side of the block, Sr. Ching was also on the terrace of their convent and saw the same. She called on the people below at the top of her voice, ran down and opened the gates of their convent, along with the other nine Dominican Sisters. They led in the convent grounds the running people to safety.

From that moment on, the community heeded to the calls of the Brothers and Sisters. The firemen and fire volunteers came within a few minutes but the fire had gone far. And change came in the formation house of the Alexian Brothers.

At four in the mornings, since that fateful midnight of January 1, 2018, Brother Vincent would wake up to cook and supervise the cooking of breakfast for the 129 families who took refuge in the brothers’ house in Marang St., Purok Fatima, Barangay Wilfredo Aquino Jr.

He fed, first, the students who did not stop going to school. Food for lunch, dinner and merienda were also personally prepared and served by him and some other volunteers from the families whom he had “empowered.”

The Alexian Brothers packed and supervised the packing of relief goods that came abundantly on the first three days from individuals and groups, from the local government, and from the other religious communities. Aside from their basic needs, they also offered spiritual and mental guidance by giving them a briefing to cope up with the trauma that the incident had caused.

“Unta mag-padayon gihapon kita sa pagbukas sa atong kasing-kasing sa katawhan sa tanang panahon,” Assistant Vocation of Alexian Brothers, Br. Vincent Ferrer CFA said.

On the other hand, the Dominican Sisters in the mornings came from the other side of the street to the Alexian house to help in the packing. Sisters from other religious communities, though they were not seen there, extended their support by praying for the families, donating generously their resources and asking for help from other people to sustain the basic needs of the fire victims. They, themselves, gave the gifts they received for Christmas to help provide for the urgent need especially for the women. The Brothers sacrificed their need for a prayer life as a community in favor for a round- the-clock service to their neighbors whom they have welcomed in their home.

Brother Vincent and the brothers stayed on very late to see that everything was in place for the nights and for the next days’ demands. Prayer for Bro. Vincent would come after all these when he prayed for the “families, soon, can build their homes.” Even though they saw each other laugh at themselves and their situation, mindless, it seemed of what had happened and happy to be together- one block, in one home, Bro. Vincent and Sr. Ching felt, too, the families’ deep longing for the comfort of their own homes where they can find “their place, themselves.”

The Brothers and Sisters looked well and smiling. They did not want their pictures taken but their names we could not miss to know. It could not happen because they were always with the families- chatting with them, preparing food with them, doing anything with them and for them. But, looking closely at Bro. Vincent and Sr. Ching, who represent their communities, one could see easily the effects of the labor that they had offered to the families — through thick and thin, their neighbors.

Fr. Toto Espaῆa and Fr. Don Silvosa, the priests of San Antonio de Padua Parish, came immediately at the site to see their parishioners from the Our Lady of Fatima GKK, Bajada. Their presence was enough the parishioners said to trust in their concern and sincerity for their welfare.

In that first morning after the fire, the parish priest Fr. Toto sent for food, clothing and cooking utensils through the Disaster Team of the Parish. Cash assistance was also given to the members of the GKK. And every now and then, they check on their parishioners.

Those affected by fire are encouraged to stay at the Alexian Brother’s House until their homes will be built again. For the renters, they are advised to look for an affordable place to stay.

This year is the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons when they are called to become renewed servant leaders for the new evangelization. But, for Bro. Vincent and Sr. Ching who speak for the other brothers and sisters in their communities, “every day is a time for service especially for the poor and the weak” way before they entered their respective formation. Fr. Toto, Fr. Don, and the rest of the clergy and religious may proclaim the same too.

Interested individuals can help the affected 56 households through these congregations through numbers: Dominican Sisters – 284-5167 | Alexian Brothers c/o Superior Br. Daniel McCormick at 221-4173. (Elena Corazon Mozo, SAP SoCCom | with reports from Rochelle Rusiana and Jomarie Dawn Tajo, HCDC interns)