PRIOR PROVINCIAL AND 3 OTHERS CELEBRATE 40TH YEAR AS RELIGIOUS

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental – Fr. Bernard Amparado, OAR, Prior Provincial; Fr. Cristituto Palomar, OAR; Fr. Joseph Granada, OAR and Fr. Jorge Peligro, OAR celebrated their 40th anniversary of Simple Profession of vows last June 11, 2023, at 9 am at the Oratory of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, UNO-R, Bacolod City.   The Thanksgiving Mass was joined by Fr. Amadeo Lucero, OAR; Fr. Joel Alve, OAR; Fr. Romeo Ben Potencio, Jr., OAR; Fr. Samuel Eyas, OAR; Fr. Corvin Maturan, OAR; Fr. Leo Alaras, OAR, Fr. Ronel Gealon, OAR, and  Fr. Emilio P. Jaruda, OAR. 

In His Homily, Fr. Palomar shared that this is a great day of thanksgiving for the love of the Lord.  He said that God is big, and we are small; we give our little, and He gives us His all;  We are unfaithful, yet He remains faithful; We give our time, He gives us His eternity; We offer Him bread, He gives us Himself, His body and blood as our Food. Thank you,  My God. Furthermore, when expressed in gratitude, love is the most wonderful feeling during this occasion. He also shared that when he and Fr. Provincial had a talk and was reminded of their 4oth year as Religious, Fr Amparado said it is necessary that we do it now, for we do not know what will happen next. So thus, the celebration and thanksgiving.  After the sermon, Fr. Amadeo Lucero, OAR, Local Prior of Recoletos de Bacolod community presided over the renewal of the religious vows of the Jubilarians.  

After the Mass, the four rendered a song for the community. Fr. Provincial, in his message, said that celebrating their 40 years of religious life is meaningful, for it is likened to the forty days of fasting of the Lord in the desert before he started his ministry. It is also like the 40 years of the Israelites in the desert. He said that their forty years of religious life is a test and a trial of God to those who are loved by Him. The success in their forty-year journey calls for thanksgiving and celebration with those who had journeyed with them. They have chosen UNO-R because it is a common ground for all four. Fr. Amparado was assigned as Chaplain and  Head of the Theology Department (1987-1990) and Vice President (1997-2000) and University President (2000-2003);  Fr. Granada as Local Prior and VP-Finance (2000-2003); Fr. Peligro as VP-Academics (2012-2015) and Fr. Palomar as VP-Religious Affairs, Campus Ministry Director and Religious Education Dept. Head (2018-2022) and Chaplain (2018 – present).    He noted that UNO-R is special to him, for it is his first assignment as a priest. He ended by saying that it is the Love of God and the community that helped them in their journey.