Honoring the PME Fathers

In thanksgiving for their contribution in the building of the local Church of Davao, the Archdiocese is honoring the PME Fathers through a Eucharistic celebration.

Held last September 23 at the newly restored St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary in Catalunan Grande, the mass was presided over by Archbishop of Davao Romulo G. Valles.

Five PME Fathers were concelebrants including Fr. Renato Togon, PME, a Filipino priest from Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental who was the second Filipino priest ordained as PME or Pretres des Missions Etrangeres.

Archbishop Valles said it would be fitting to have the PME Fathers come and visit Davao again especially that the seminary has been restored.

The five priests were set to attend the ordination of another Filipino PME priest in the Diocese of Digos the following day.

It can be remembered that the PME Fathers built the St. Francis Xavier College Seminary and later the St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao, both in Catalunan Grande, Davao City during the time of the late Archbishop of Davao Clovis Thibault, PME.

“We remember them greatly, the extraordinary work of the PME here in Davao,” Archbishop Valles said.

He added that they cannot imagine how the Church of Davao has grown without remembering the selfless and tireless missionary work of the PME Fathers in Davao.

The archbishop also emphasized that as part of their mission, the PME Fathers wanted to establish the local clergy through the establishment of the seminary.

“The PME Fathers gave the best men to man the college and major seminaries. My conclusion is, those years in the past, they already got it right to produce good priests, excellent priests, local priests which is a fundamental mission of the Church,” the archbishop said.

He added that producing good priests is certainly for the good of the local church, saying that holy priests are important in the life of the Church.

He also told the seminarians who attended the mass to keep a profound sense of mission like the PME Fathers who are self-sacrificing.

Archbishop Valles said that they can only do so if they find their faith like light that can be shared.