“GKK in Davao is alive indeed!” – Seminarian

The presence of a towering 6’6″ in a sotana made everyone look like dwarves inside the cramped GKK Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at Matina Gravahan during the regular 5:30 AM mass on the 5th Sunday of Easter, May 15, 2022.

Bro. Tristan Pacheco, 40 years old is on a 10-day exposure program from Bataan who wants to witness and experience first-hand the famed small ecclesial communities or basic ecclesial communities (Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban, GKK) of the Davao Archdiocese.

“Indeed, the GKK here in Davao is alive!” he quipped after a brief greeting in Bisaya, “Maayong buntag kaninyong tanan!” as the first words in Bisaya that he learned.

Brother Tristan, who came with Ascension of the Lord Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Zenon B. Ampong, presider of the mass, introduced him to the more than 100 mass goers, and will move from one parish to another.

“He could have been mistaken as the brother of a famous basketball star turned comedy actor Benjie Paras,” Fr. Ampong commented.

He left his career as a licensed civil engineer to enter priesthood. In this late vocation, Brother Tristan spoke to the congregation before the final blessing saying, age is not a hindrance when one is called by God.

“It started when I was in 2nd year college,” he recalls, “nahirapan ako (sa studies), and may cousin ako na nag-recommend sa akin na mag novena kay St. Therese (of Lisieux).”

Inspired with the discovery of that Saint’s and other saints’ lives, he applied in the Holy Apostles Senior Seminary at EDSA Makati after taking the advice of a priest to finish his studies and get a job experience. But it was not an easy ride for him for he got rejected due to a heart condition, also the reason that despite his great height asset, he did not delve into basketball.

Though devastated, he tried to work and even entered into a relationship. But when Pope Francis came in 2015, he got more inspired. When he had a chance to visit Vietnam, Brother Tristan became more inspired upon seeing the tomb of the many martyrs.

After he underwent a successful open heart surgery, his first agenda was to re-apply at the seminary in 2017 at the age of 34 years old. This time, he was admitted. Now, he is on his third year of theology and hopes to graduate next year.

On his first few days of exposure in the GKKs of Ascension of the Lord Parish, he was amazed how active the members are of the far-flung communities, “yung community ay buhay na buhay, tapos very organized; they have a complete set of servers and prepared the mass on their own,” he added.

Though these communities are far from the center parish, he observed that the people’s faith is kept alive and burning in their love and service to God once they are empowered.

“Totoo po palang napakahalaga nang ganitong mga structures (GKK) sa simbahan kung tutuusin,” he continued, “kasi sa amin po, parang nagmimisa lang dun sa chapel pero hindi organized yung mga tao na sila talaga ang nag-mo-move.”

He then urged all young men not to ignore the call of God and addressed their young girlfriends to offer their boyfriends to serve God.

He expressed his gratitude to the warm welcome felt from the members of the community.

For his message on the 50th GKK Anniversary in Davao, Brother Tristan encouraged everyone to continue doing the good examples on how the Christian communities are organized, “kasi po nagiging inspirasyon po kayo para sa ibang mga simbahan na walang ganito (GKK), na pwede po pala ganito ka organisado at malaki pala ang naiaambag ng ganitong grupo para mas manatiling buhay po ang pananampalataya sa parokya; ibigay nyo po ang mga sarili ninyo sa mga programa nyo po dahil para din po sa inyo po ito at isang maipagmamalaki, isa nyong pride.”

His next assignment in June, he added, will be in one of the parishes in the Island Garden City of Samal.