“AWARENESS,” answered Scholastic Dan V. Cancino, Jr., MI when Bishop Patricio H. Alo of the Diocese of Mati asked him what the Church can do to prevent the spread of HIV.

Dan, a doctor of public health by profession, talked on the theology of the ministry among the sick on the second day of the 1st National Episcopal Commission on Health Care Congress held last 21-23 April 2009 at the Lay Formation Center, San Carlos Seminary, Makati City. Organized by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Health Care, the seminar was attended by bishops, priests, religious and lay.

For the second time, the four day Pastoral Training on HIV-AIDS was held at St. Camillus Pastoral Healthcare Center last April 16 to 19. Those who attended were mostly religious from different congregations like the Order of the Ministers of the Infirm, Religious of the Good Shepherd, Sisters of the Ministers of the Infirm, Order of Friars Minor, Alagad ni Maria, and the Order of Pious Schools. Among the facilitators and speakers of the training seminar were participants of the first training seminar held last March 22 – 26.

Ten participants comprise the sixth batch of CPE students currently taking up the first quarter program running from March 30 to June 6, 2009 at the St. Camillus Pastoral Healthcare Center (SCPHC).   The Camillian presence dominates this batch: six of us are Camillian scholastics. They are Bro. Peter Krengkrai Sukjit and Bro. Joseph Watchara Sengcharoen of the Thailand Vice-Province, and Bro. Roderick Tampis, Bro. Brian Vincent Rances, Bro. Avensius Harung, and myself from the Philippine Province. Two are incoming Camillian adult formands, namely Joseph Pingkian and Emil Verson Marlin.  Fortunately, there is also the enriching participation of Bro. Florante Moren of the Alagad ni Maria (AM) and Friar Randy Rendora, of the Order of the Friar Minor (OFM).  We are the ten brave men who will again face the ten-week regimen of patient visitation and verbatim report-writing (i.e. scriptwriting), self-assessment and processing. Of course, we look forward to the highlight of it all – the outing! 

Faithful to its mission to promote health especially among the poor, the St. Camillus Healthcare Center in Cainta, Rizal once again produced a new set of graduates of Basic Healthcare Training. Fourteen participants, residents of Cainta and Pasig City, completed the course last April 19. They made up the third batch to complete the program with sessions conducted every other Sunday for six months by some staff of St. Camillus Polyclinic-Pasig and some Camillian Scholastics.

“It doesn’t matter if they don’t become Camillian Healthcare Volunteers (CHVs) in our Center. What matters most is that they apply their learnings from the training in their very own families. That’s our basic goal,” says Fr. Rolly J. Fernandez, MI, religious-in charge of the Center.

Aside from health-related training programs, St. Camillus Healthcare Center also offers medical and dental services at friendly, low-income rates, as well as other vital services through its pharmacy, laboratory and x-ray facilities.

A Blessed and Happy Easter to all the Baloney readers.  Without Christ’s resurrection all of us would have been duped.  It’s refreshing to know we have someone we can trust.  That’s a rare commodity in the world today.

We made the Spiritual Exercises, preached by a Xaverian Missionary, Fr. Luigino Marchioron. The theme was "Our Father".

Lenten Recollection

In observance of the Lenten season, the chaplaincy office sponsored a half-day recollection last March 20, 2009 at the Chapel of the Divine Healer. It was attended by a good number of parishioners. The facilitator, Bro. Allan Pancho of the Lord’s Flock charismatic community, presented to us two simple questions: “What makes you happy? Why does it make you happy?” and invited us to reflect and answer them truthfully. The religious activity culminated with a Holy Mass officiated by the chaplain himself, Fr. Tex Buntol, MI.

Conference with Fr. Ivo

On March 20, 2009, the members of the Camillian Family of Davao, Inc. (CFDI) enjoyed the rare opportunity to have a conference with Fr. Ivo Z. Anselmi, MI, the Provincial Superior of the Philippine Province, during his pastoral visit to the Camillian Community in Davao. It was really a very fruitful and enlightening meeting. Many salient issues and queries were answered, clarified and understood.  Thank you very much, Fr. Ivo!

The Philippine Orthopedic Center

At the corner of Maria Clara and Banawe Street, Quezon City, stands the National Orthopedic Hospital (NOH).  It occupies about one-fourth of the whole block where the ICM’s St. Theresa’s College had been established. 

According to its history, the National Orthopedic Hospital, now known as Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC), was originally established in 1945 by the Americans.  It was first located in Mandaluyong, Rizal, and known as the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) No. 1, whose primary purpose was to take care of the civilian casualties during the time of liberation in Manila and its suburbs.

Holy Week

During the Holy Week Fr. Meng, MI assigned the seminarians to the different chapels in the parish. Postulants Albert Silos and Henry Angupa went to San Josef, a two hour travel on foot. They taught basic catechesis to the children, youth and also to the elderly. They organized and practiced the choir and gave orientation to those who are about to receive the sacrament of confirmation which will be administered at the Nuestra dela Annunciata Parish on its 5th anniversary as a parish this coming May 7.