Ilonggo missionary students sent to Kenya
Two Mill Hill Missionary students recently left for Nairobi, Kenya for a four-year theological study. The study is part of the nine-year period before becoming a full-fledged missionary priest.
The two are Brothers Leo Divinagracia and Melchor Orquejo. They left last week for Nairobi to join a number of students from the different parts of the world. Divinagracia and Orquejo are among the many who heeded God's call for missionary works.
This writer was lucky to have interviewed the two missionary students before they left.
Prior to joining Mill Hill Missionaries Divinagracia has already entered the St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary in 1993. He stayed in the seminary for eight years before he took a respite for three years. Later, he joined the St. Joseph Missionary Society.
Divinagracia is sure that his calling is really with the missionary works as he looks forward for their trip to Nairobi. His inclination to the divine call for priestly missionary life is burning. Prior to their trip to South Africa, he was also sent for religious works in the hinterlands of Antique province.
Divinagracia foresees difficulty as they join with people of different races and culture. However, they can adjust and overcome all the intricacies in their formative years with God's grace and guidance.
"Living a very simple life is one of the positive attitudes needed in joining the priestly missionary works. We also have to leave our families in our formative years," said Divinagracia.
Orquejo, a native of Hamtic, Antique said he was attracted to join the Mill Hill Missionaries because of the dedication shown by of the Mill Hill Fathers in serving the Antiqueños.
As early as 1962, Antique has been the center of pastoral works of the Mill Hill Fathers. Aside from spiritually nourishing the people, the missionaries also helped the locals in their material needs. The province was then considered as the "sacada" capital of the country. It was the Mill Hill Missionaries that established the Antique Cooperative Rural Extension Services (ANCORES) to lessen poverty in the province. The St. Anthony's College (SAC) is another living proof of the Society's commitment to provide quality education to Antiqueños.
Orquejo said he has a mixed feeling on their journey to Nairobi. He said he is excited and same time anxious on what will happen to them while they are in the African continent. We will leave our comfort zone and mingle with the different race, he said.
Fr. Rex Fedelicio, vocation director of the Mill Hill Missionaries explained that the students' trip to Nairobi for a theological study is already part of the second cycle in forming them as a missionary priest.
Fr. Fedelicio said there are two formation stages in becoming a missionary under the Saint Joseph's Missionary Society Mill Hill Missionaries, the first and second cycle.
In the first cycle, the student will undergo basic formation stage and the philosophy study. A student spends one year in the basic formation and another two years for the philosophy.
The second stage includes theology study and mission experience program. The students have to spend four years for the theological study and one year for the mission experience program.
Fr. Fedelicio said the students will be taught of enjoying their freedom while they are in the Mill Hill formation house in Nairobi. They have to decide for themselves while they are away. They must also have the projection on what is to come.
They must have independence to act in every situation. They have one mission and same time exchange culture with other brothers in the Society. They should promote brotherhood among themselves, said Fr. Fedelicio.
The formation director also hinted that they need more young people to join in the mission. They will conduct search-in weekends for those who are interested to join missionary works. This year, the search-in weekends will start on September 9 to 10, 2006 for the first weekend. The second week of search-in will be on October 14 to 15th, November 11 to 12 for the third week and December 9th to 10th, 2006 for the fourth weekend.
Those interested can visit the Mill Hill Missionaries Central House in 52 Avanceña St., Molo, Iloilo City. It is open to college students and young professionals. They should bring Bible, notepad, pen or pencil, towel and toiletries.