Sacramentino Davao: 50-Year Presence in the Archdiocese of Davao

1957 – The first community of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in the Philippines was established at Sta. Cruz Parish in the Archdiocese of Manila. Then, to start the formation of the Filipino members of the Congregation, the Blessed Sacrament Novitiate community was established in the year 1961 in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Seeing that the administration of the Sta. Cruz parish was successful, the Congregation was ready to take a new challenge in forming a new community. Thus, upon the invitation of the former Archbishop of Davao, the late Most Rev. Clovis Thibault, D.D., the Sacramentinos canonically erected the 3rd community in the Philippines, here in Davao on July 02, 1972.

The Davao Community established in the Province of the Our Lady of the Assumption (the Philippine Province of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament) has a unique character compared to other communities. This uniqueness, as this writer calls it, is the threefold presence of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in the Archdiocese of Davao. These threefold presence are as follows: Eucharistic presence, Pastoral presence, and Seminary presence.

The Eucharistic presence is mainly the presence of the congregation in line with the charism of the founder, St. Peter Julian Eymard. The Sacramentinos have a special charism in promoting the mysteries of the Eucharist. The promotion of the charism involves the celebration of the Eucharist, adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic evangelization. The community, in partnership with the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, gather volunteers in and out of the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish to adore before the Blessed Sacrament. However, this work is difficult to achieve without proper education to the laity that they may be able to understand and appreciate the Eucharist. And so, over the years, the Sacramentinos formed groups of lay people to become collaborators in the Eucharistic evangelization. Such groups are the Life in the Eucharist Seminar (LITES), the People’s Eucharistic League (PEL) and the newly established Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament (ABS). The Blessed Sacrament fathers and brothers, together with the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, give formation to these groups so that Jesus in the Eucharist maybe loved and adored by the faithful.

The Pastoral presence of the Sacramentinos in the Archdiocese of Davao is the same with the other communities established in the Philippine province that administers a parish community. As stated in the parish vision of the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, it envisions that the community may be able to celebrate and live the Eucharistic mysteries. Thus, the Sacramentinos being a pastoral team in the parish, guide the parish in the formation of the laity through orientations in the Eucharist, in particular, to the different ministries in the parish, such as, liturgical ministries, youth ministry and the social action ministry. Likewise, the Pastoral team of the Sacramentinos in the parish are very active in the formation of the basic ecclesial communities in the parish, known as Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKK). Before the pandemic, the Saacramentinos brought the Eucharist to the people through the regular GKK masses. Also, the Sacramentinos gives communion to the sick members of the parish every first Friday of the month, which is halted temporarily due to the health protocols brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sacrament of Reconciliation and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is also being brought to the GKK chapels in preparation for their GKK feast day, which again temporarily stopped because of the existing pandemic.

Lastly, the uniqueness of the Davao Community is mainly brought by the Seminary presence. The Davao Community started accommodating the seminarians in the Philippine province of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament after some years of its establishment. During the 1970’s, Davao Community was also the Scholasticate community of the province. The seminarians during those times studied Theology in the Regional Major Seminary (ReMaSe). One distinguished product of this Scholasticate formation is the Bishop of Cabanatuan, Most Rev. Sofronio (Ronnie) Bancud, SSS, D.D. Then, during the 1980’s, the Davao Community still served as a community for the seminary formation mainly for the Postulancy Program. The Postulancy Program is the first formal stage of formation for those who aspire to become a religious of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Thus, the community is a cradle of hope for the continuous presence of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in the Archdiocese of Davao.

Fond memories of priests who came for the golden homecoming were also shared. Fr. Mandy Tipones warmly recalls the time when as a deacon, he assisted Pope John Paul II when he celebrated mass at the Davao International Airport in February 1981. He remembers kissing the pope’s hand before proclaiming the gospel, embracing him during the kiss of peace and telling him “I love you Holy Father.”

Fr. Jerry Habunal, who was assigned in Davao City in various capacity as a scholastic (1976-1980), Postulant Director (1982-1985) and now a diocesan priest in the Diocese of Paranaque can only wish “May our Eucharistic Lord Jesus and St. Peter Julian Eymard continue to inspire generations of SSS Priests, Brothers and Sisters to serve this community.”

This has been the life of the Sacramentinos here in the Archdiocese of Davao in its 50 years of presence. In the succeeding years, the Congregation will try to sustain their presence to further promote the Eucharistic Charism of Father Eymard in the Archdiocese of Davao, a golden gift indeed.

Adveniat Regnum Tuum Eucharisticum! May Your Eucharistic Kingdom Come! (Fr. Leo Ayuyao, SSS)