Visiting the Salesians at Edmonton, Alberta

 I have just arrived from a very emotional visit to our Salesian presence in Edmonton, Alberta. I was picked up by my relatives (Marivic, Chris, and their children Miel and Mark) at the airport and stayed and bonded with them the whole of Friday. On Saturday they brought me to St Joseph Villa (Salesian house) where we met Fr Romano Venturelli, SDB, the pastor St. John Bosco Parish. Then we proceeded to the Church for the Saturday evening Mass. My relatives headed back home to River Bend and I stayed with Fr Romano for the night at the villa. 

The following day after the 9:30 and 11:30 am Masses, Fr Romano and I went for lunch at Chianti's and after visited Fr Bernard Gilliece, SDB former pastor of St. Dominic Savio Parish for 15 years. Fr Bernie now stays at the Youville nursing home in St. Albert.  The Youville home sits beside the La Chapelle du Pere Lacombe (the first mission church in Alberta).  Now St Dominic Savio Parish has been turned over to the Archdiocese again. We used to have Mary Help of Christians (Chinese-speaking Parish) before with Fr. Joseph Ho. Fr Joseph is now in Ontario helping out at St. Benedict's.

Then we visited our three other confreres who were resting at the cemetery. We said some short prayers. I was inspired to be standing on holy ground, on the grave of heroes. I was proud to be standing on the shoulders of salesian priests who worked for the Church before me and carved a name for the Salesians of Don Bosco in the hearts of the people of Edmonton, Alberta. For them, I am grateful.

Racoons

I saw a family of racoons coming over our fence this morning to drink from our bird pool in our backyard.

They might look cute but they can be pesky. They tell me they're the thieves of the animal kingdom. Notice their masks and they usually come only at night to do their stealing.

Well one thing for sure, Canada has stolen my heart when it comes to these animals that come and go by our place. Well in some places even the bears do too.

Canada with a Cambodian lining

I was asked to help out at a multicultural parish which hosted multi-lingual communities of Filipinos, Polish, Spanish, Iraqi, Indian, and Lao.

On May 6, 2013, I arrived at my new assignment in Canada. As I was going around the premises of Our Lady of Good Counsel (Surrey, BC), my pastor showed me the Church,
the School,

the Youth Center.

Then my pastor invited me to cross the street and showed me something that surprised me across it.
It was a Cambodian pagoda - tent version.

Outside we met the Cambodian monk who was with another Khmer. After almost five years, I got to make some small talk (sontanea) with them in the Khmer language again. Gosh am I missing this language, its people and its land. Nik git haoy!

The Laida Magtalas and Miggy Montenegro story: their Wedding Vow

Strangely May is a month of weddings here in the Philippines probably because the churches have already been booked in June or couples want to avoid the rainy season. And I've heard a lot of wedding vows before. But this one in the movie "It Takes  Man and a Woman" caught my attention. It accepts what marriage is all about -a commitment that's not just wanting a happily ever after but rather choosing the reality ever after.

Here's the transcript of Laida Magtalas and Miggy Montenegro's wedding speech:


Laida: Noon, pinangarap ko lang mahalin ang isang Miggy Montenegro, ngayon nagpapasalamat ako dahil hindi na ‘ko naghintay pa ng matagal para matupad ang pangarap ko na yun. Hindi naging madali ang love story natin. Ilang beses din akong napagod at sumuko. Matagal bago ko naintindihan na walang instant happy ending and then I realized, that I failed to understand the true meaning of unconditional love – of love that I always thought I perfectly had for you.  

Miggy: Five years ago, during one of the worst days of my life, when everyone was walking out of me, a girl walked in into my life; and I never thought that, that day - hindi ko alam na yun palang kaharap ko, yun na pala ang future ko.

Laida: Patawarin mo sana ako sa mga oras na sumuko ako. Ganun pala pag nagmahal ka ng totoo, kasama lahat ng maganda, ng panget, ng malungkot, ng masakit. Ngayon, kaharap mo ang isang Laida na alam na ng buong buo ang pinapasok nya. Isang Laida na hindi lang happily ever after ang gusto, kundi isang Laida na pinipili ang reality ever after with you. Mahal na mahal kita bebe ko. Mahal na mahal kita at wala na kong ibang nakikitang pang gagawin kundi mahalin ka at pagsilbihan ka buong buhay ko…

Miggy: Today I realized I won’t be making any vows in my wedding. Because this is not the day for promises. Today I stand here in front of you in complete surrender. I have no worries. I have no fear because I know, and I know because I am sure, and I am sure because I am yours. God bless our marriage. And God bless me for wanting to have kids with you.