Priests as Church Managers

CEBU, Philippines - The soon-to-be-beatified Archbishop Teofilo B. Camomot installed this writer as the fourth parish priest, or “cura parocco,” of Ocaña, Carcar about 40 years ago, in May, 1977. Beatification is a process towards canonization, a declaration by the Pope that the person is a saint or surely to be in heaven.

To date, the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in Ocaña has been through 14 priests at its helm: Padre P. Baricuatro (1962-1968), Padre G. Bacolod (1968-1971) , Padre E. Villoria (1971-1977), Padre A. Sollano, Jr. (1977-1979), Padre G. Jumao-as (1979-1986), Padre P. Tovilla (1986-1991), Padre A. Bornia  (1991-1998), Padre M. Agravante, Jr. (1998-2002), Padre E. Gabutan (2002-2006), Caretakers Padres Ladie, Ely, Otik (2006-08), Padre S. de la Peña (2008-2014) and Padre M. Binondo (2014- present).

Individual differences make no two of those priests exactly the same. Each one has his own way of managing parochial affairs. That is why there is the saying: “cada cura con su locura”. One is remembered as “Padre Makalas”; another is described as “Cura Pakurog”; one had two bigger-than-life-size statues set up on both sides of the church door; his successor was an iconoclast. Etcetera, etcetera…

The first parish priest’s pioneering efforts must have been very difficult. It is on record that he later got married, resulting in the suspension of the exercise of his priestly functions. However, when his wife died, these functions were restored to him.

After him, three more parish priests of Ocaña got married: Padres Bacolod, Sollano and Jumao-as. When a validly ordained Roman Catholic priest gets married, he no longer belongs to the clergy and he cannot be supported by stipends or “fees” for his administering the sacraments. However, it is solid Roman Catholic doctrine that three sacraments imprint an indelible mark on the soul called “character” – Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Order. This means that once a person is baptized, he or she is baptized forever, once he or she is confirmed, he or she is confirmed forever; once a person is ordained a priest, he is a priest forever.

But then again, priests – while they remain priests and assigned in-charge of parishes – have their own individual styles of running the parishes assigned to them. Some are true embodiments of the principles of the faith that they preach, others lack any semblance of the quest for holiness. Priests are still human beings.

May the canonization of Archbishop Camomot inspire the priests to strive to be good examples – not warnings – of the Catholic faith. And may the good Archbishop intercede for the current priests to have exemplary “character,” going through their earthly lives for the sake of the hereafter and not for the here-and-now.