Biyaheng Recoletos 400 Continues: Malaybalay City to Davao City

DAVAO CITY, June 06, 2006. In the Benedictine Monastery, we relished our breakfast there, bought souvenir items from the monastery gift shop and we went to another building to thank the abbot. We admired so much the location of this building we visited. Actually, it was their chapel uniquely built and it is situated on a site where you can enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view and magnificent beauty of the mountains, plus the green meadows around you. We also appreciated the way the abbot entertained us and finally, he gave us God's blessings through his prayer. After recharging in a holy place, we departed for Davao at half-past eight in the morning while we dropped the policemen somewhere in a nearby highway...with smiles on their faces and a blessed experience with St. Ezekiel Moreno. Each was gifted with a miniature image of the Recollect saint and novena prayers.

In time, the air-conditioned Rural Tours bus reached the next destination—Davao City. We were to proceed to Barrio Obrero. Prior to our arrival, we had been entertaining some facts about this city like; it is the biggest city in the whole world in terms of land area, one of the cleanest cities in the country, with disciplined citizens. So much for these because we have seen them with ourselves.
So we arrived in Ulas at 1:00 P.M. and the Oasis of Love Community, a Catholic charismatic group welcomed us and then led the caravan. As a “caravan,” the number of vehicles was sixteen. I heard someone who exclaimed, “What a caravan!” By 1:33 P.M., we reached Sacred Heart Parish, Barrio Obrero who parish priest is Fr. Jess Samaniego. Then, we ate our lunch sponsored by Oasis of Love group at the Sacred Heart Hall, adjacent to the parish church. Fr. Abel Apigo, as the representative of the bishop, greeted us and joined us during the meal.
After the customary Biyaheng Recoletos video-documentary and Power Point lectures on OAR history and St. Ezekiel Moreno, everyone was ready for the next religious activity that was the healing mass. It was 3:30 P.M. As the Oasis of Love choir sang the entrance song, about a thousand participants stood as they attended the Holy Eucharist. Once again Fr. Soy delivered his homily in Visayan Sugbuanon. The healing mass ended at 6:30 P.M. We then ate our dinner. Some dined in a birthday party; another group in a friend's house.
Twenty minutes after 9:00 in the evening and we were already in Catalunan Grande. We were accommodated by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Each room had a name culled from Mother Nature, like rain, moon, herbs, fire, etc. Very Franciscan, indeed! “Lord, Lord, make us your instruments of your peace...”


-- Bro. Jose Teodulfo A. Jadulco