With the approval of Archbishop Fernando Capalla, DD, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Davao, Fr. Wilson Peñaranda, MI assumed the position of hospital chaplain at San Pedro Hospital of Davao.  He began his ministry there last October 16, 2009, partnering with Fr Leonie España, a diocesan priest of the Davao Archdiocese.

The entry of Fr. Wilson into San Pedro Hospital came in the wake of the request of the hospital administrator, Sr. Carmelita Llanos of the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Trinity.  Knowing that the 350-bed capacity hospital cannot do without a second chaplain, she asked Archbishop Capalla for help.  Archbishop Capalla, in turn, advised her to approach the Camillian Fathers, who welcomed her request for assistance and saw it as a God-given call to share Camillian services with more people in Davao.

A religious was needed to materialize the request.   With generosity, Fr. Wilson accepted the chaplaincy assignment, leaving his ministry of formation at the St. Camillus College Seminary.

After about a week’s work in San Pedro Hospital, Fr. Wilson writes about his new ministry:

In the morning of October 12, 2009, Fr. Bong, now my superior, and I arrived in Davao City.  Later that morning, together with Rev. Marven, we called on Sr. Carmelita E. Llanos, OP, administrator of San Pedro Hospital.  Fr. Bong introduced me to her as the new co-chaplain of Fr. Leonie España, fondly called Fr. Toto.

After that brief encounter, we shared a sumptuous lunch with the Sr. Carmelita and her community.  Then Fr. Toto gave me a tour of the hospital, which is the first catholic hospital in Mindanao and is ISO accredited. He oriented me to the different hospital departments and introduced me to the head nurses. I felt warmly welcomed at each introduction.  That short orientation ended at around three in the afternoon.

I began my work officially on October 16.  In the afternoon of that day, the hospital threw a party to welcome me and to celebrate the birthday of Fr. Donald Bouchard, PIME.  Fr. Donald served the hospital for more than a decade as a chaplain and has retired.  The medical director and all the department heads attended the party. It became an opportunity for me to get introduced to them.

With Fr. Toto graciously agreeing to work the night shift, I took the daylight duties. I start the day by checking if there are requests from patients that the chaplaincy could respond to. Then I make the rounds at the Intensive Care Unit to administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Anointing to the catholic patients.  I pray over the patients of other faiths.  I continue visiting the patients until the time that I prepare for the 11:30 am Mass. From time to time, I take calls from the emergency and operating rooms.

Chaplaincy at San Pedro is managed by the Pastoral Care Services of the hospital which has laid down programs that extensively ease the work of the chaplains and their religious and lay collaborators.  Chaplaincy services are available 24 hours a day.  Sr. Prudencia B. Nardo, OP heads the Pastoral Care Department.  She is assisted by a few other Dominican Sisters. The department takes care of the pastoral needs of the patients and employees.  Services include the administration of sacraments, counseling, patient visitation, annual recollections and seminars for the employees’ spiritual growth, funeral masses and prayer services for the dead relatives of the hospital employees. Most of the workers here are Catholics who in one way or another work together to give the best service and care to the patients.  The Dominican Sisters of the Holy Trinity manage San Pedro Hospital and are cheerful and encouraging collaborators of the chaplains.