Brother Philip – Santuario de San Antonio Parish

Bro. Philip came to the Philippines in 1966 to help Fr. Madian, OFM open a school for lay brothers in Leyte. After two years, he was assigned to join the formation team for brothers at the Our Lady of the Angels Seminary (OLAS), where he was also in administration (in his words, “..to get things moving”). Since 1970, he has been actively involved in helping the lepers in Tala Leprosarium. He was assigned to Santuario de San Antonio in 1999 and has been here since then as procurator.

On May 17, he will leave for his next assignment – a parish in South Field, Michigan, USA, where he will again do what he loves doing, that is, teach about St. Francis and help out in community life. Asked about his parting words, he said, “I am glad I came here not only to help the community but also to work behind the scene. Given the chance, I will do it all over again.”

Good-bye Bro. Philip and God bless.

A Special Message from Bro. Philip on July 7, 2013 Parish Bulletin

Transfiguration Friary
25231 Code Road, Southfield, MI. 48033
248-356-8788

Dear Friends of SSA Parish;

Thank you, thank you to each of you.

I have been here at my new assignment now for over a month in Southfield, Michigan. It is really different because the parish has fewer families. The parish priest has only three Masses on Sunday and one Mass each day. I help out in our out-reach program of giving bags of food twice a week to those without work. That can be between 70-120 families on those days. We also have a Secular Franciscan Fraternity. However it has only a few members.

Our new parish priest, Fr. Bill Farris arrived last week and his assistant will be arriving later this month. Then we will have a community. What I miss is being with my brother priests and doing what I could, as a lay-brother, in prayer and service so they can be a service to all of you. I remember the different ministries in SSAP: helping at the Masses with the men of the Sacred Heart, the poor that come to the parish, the CCD program with the younger children, the young adults, SFO and CWL.

Truly I thank God for being a part of your parish family. I thank God for allowing me also to serve in a small way our Hansenites in Tala. Thank you who helped me be a part of that apostolate. They taught me that prayer must come from the heart.

I wish I could have been able to personally have said thank you to
more of you.

When I look back at the 11 years I realize what grace I received through all of you. For this I continue my prayers for the brothers and priests and all of you in the parish of Santuario de San Antonio.