50 Years of Growing the Augustinian Recollect Calling: Fr. Silab’s Golden Anniversary of Simple Profession of Vows

SAN CARLOS CITY, Negros Occidental – On the occasion of the Thanksgiving Mass of his 50th Anniversary of Simple Profession of Vows, Rev. Fr. Enrico Peter A. Silab, OAR shared his vocation story that began with a batch of 15 teenage boys who entered the high school seminary of Colegio de Sto. Tomas-Recoletos.

His Vocation Story
Fr. Silab continued telling about how one member of that batch became the only Filipino among a batch of seven to be ordained priest in Marcilla, Navara, Spain several years later.

He also narrated how he was inspired by an illustration of a priest on his Grade 4 teacher’s “Chart of Occupations.” His first attraction to the priestly vocation began then because “the facial expression of the priest [was] so serene.”

Growing and Developing in Our Calling
The central theme of Fr. Silab’s homily was related to the Gospel on the Parable of the Mustard Seed and to Erik Erikson’s “Stages of Development.”

“God will never walk away from us as we go through the different stages of growth or developments,” said the former president of the University of San Jose-Recoletos.

Clinching his Thanksgiving Mass Homily with a uniquely written “Anniversary Prayer, Fr. Silab, encouraged his guests to apply the same prayer to anniversaries that they will also celebrate.  

In attendance were his brothers in the Recoletos de San Carlos community led by Rev. Fr. Cristopher C. Maspara, OAR (prior and CST-R President) with Rev. Fr. Joel Dequilla, OAR, Rev. Fr. Monday Benjamine Edobor, OAR and Rev. Fr. Excel Saycon, OAR.

Rev. Fr. Joel Alve, OAR (President of University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos), Rev. Fr. Eduardo Celiz, Jr., OAR (President of USJ-R), Rev. Fr. Leander Barrot, OAR (Provincial Council), Fray Joaquin Jamelo, OAR, Rev. Fr. Glynn Ortega, OAR, Rev. Fr. Leonardo Pauligue, OAR, and Rev. Fr. Romeo Ben Potencio, Jr., OAR were in attendance.

Fr. Silab is a member of CST-R Batch 1969. He was the school’s director and Christian Living Education teacher from 2000 to 2003. He now serves as the Vice-Prior of the Recoletos de San Carlos community and the spiritual director of the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity – San Carlos City Chapter.

Photos By: Georgene Quilaton-Tambiga