Just by being religious like always going to church to hear mass on Sundays and on other days of obligation or by praying the rosary before bedtime seemed that it was not enough as Nanay’s passion of a modest religious life that she had to do more. During her early life, Nanay had this childhood vow of becoming a nun but knowing her lack of proper education, she did not pursue it. Instead, she just maintained her helpful and religious upbringing till her married life. So, while the Kalawag Parish was still in its infancy in the early 1950s, Nanay was already a big help to the church and to the parishioners. She established close relationship with every priest assigned here and helped in the activities and roles of the church to its faithful throughout the years.
By her heartfelt roles that she loved, Nanay at the time was almost identified with the church. So, it was not a surprise that whenever would-be-couples contract marriages and do not have sponsors as witnesses, she was oftentimes asked by the presiding priest to act as one. Ever a very kind and wonderful woman, Nanay always obliged. Thus, that explain why we have many god-brothers and god-sisters who we do not know much until they introduce themselves.
As the population of Kalawag grew, the parish also got bigger. It was at this time that Nanay along with her contemporaries in the church formed the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) in the early 1960s to assist the church in its functions and obligations to the parishioners. Among those responsible in the formation were Rizalina Javellana, Maria Villareal, Rosario Pasigna and many others who have long passed away. Although Nanay was a very active member, she never led it in its existence as it was not her expertise to lead, but was always a strong voice and force within the CWL. Where the group sometimes failed, Nanay usually made up for those shortcomings at her own expense. Such that when she got fed up with the bickerings of members every time of how or what to spend for the feast of the Last Supper during Holy Thursday, she assumed all the responsibilities of the whole affair. Thus, the celebration of the Last Supper revolved around us since.
During Holy Week when the church is in its observance of lent, Nanay had always roles to do. She was assigned with the 6th Station of the Cross kapilya, does much in the preparations of the Last Supper, in the sequence of wheeled-pasos that are entered in the processions on Good Friday until the reenactment in the morning of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Besides just being active in the church’s events, Nanay also provided and donated religious icons for the church. In fact, the newly refurbished Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus statues that decorate both sides of the altar of the San Carlos Parish Church now are just two of the many items she bought for the church.
In the many years that our parents were living together, Tatay who was born a Protestant never interfered or was ever a hindrance to Nanay when it comes to her religious activities. Since they were wed in a Catholic ceremony in 1934, Tatay had not been a churchgoer like Nanay. However, he gave Nanay all the freedom to preach us her faith and she did not fail in her endeavor. Nanay taught us how to pray early, to be true Catholics, to be good, to be honest and to be respectful and most of all, to be God-fearing children. As if it was their respective roles, Tatay though only up to third grade in his educational attainment was good enough to serve as our first teacher while Nanay was the preacher and disciplinarian put together. For their roles in our lives, we are very proud and too grateful to them.
Through Nanay’s prayers that Tatay may someday see the light, he slowly mellowed in his spiritual life. Encouraged by Fr. John Sherlock, Tatay joined the Samaria cursillo in Mlang, North Cotabato in the early 1970s. From thereon, there was no stopping Tatay from joining whatever church-related activity he was asked by Nanay. Soon, they hear mass together, pray the rosary together and in 1974, Tatay joined the Knights of Columbus. He was installed a 3rd Degree Knight years later along with the new parish priest, Fr. Jose N. Bulao. Tatay was exemplified into the 4th Degree in 1983 in Davao City and with him in this honor were two of Kalawag’s early pioneers, namely: Dr. Ramon Aristoza, Sr. and Carlos Jamison.
At the time when Fr. Bulao was the parish priest, our parents seemed to be most honored by him for their unselfish and heartfelt services to the church. He looked up to our parents as if they were his benefactors that he called them Daddy and Mommy. Fr. Bulao’s story as a priest was one for the record book. He was perhaps the only married man ever to become a priest. As his resumé showed, Jose Bulao was already about to be ordained priest when the Second World War broke out in 1941. Unable to pursue his childhood ambition to become a priest, he was forced to go into a married life during the war and raised children. He returned to the service of the church when his wife died at the time when all his children were already adults. As a widow and with still a burning passion to be a priest, he asked and was granted by his bishop to be ordained priest and the rest is now history.
As his fitting tribute to our parents, Fr. Bulao was responsible in giving our brother Toto Efrain a very decent and memorable date in Toto’s life. Despite being the eldest, Toto has remained a bachelor at 37 and was the only one left in our family of five to remain unmarried. Toto was in the service of the US Navy from 1963 to 1969 that despite having roamed the four corners of the globe to look for the right girl to marry, he did not find one – not until he met Melinda Lavalle just across our street. Neneng as she was better known was a country girl 15 years his junior and with their wedding now set, it was here that Fr. Bulao entered.
In his intercession, Fr. Bulao wished that they be given a most lavish and grand wedding. Fr. Bulao asked Bishop Reginald Arliss at the Bishop’s Palace in Koronadal, South Cotabato that Toto and his bride-to-be be married in the palace with the bishop as the officiating priest. The bishop agreed and on April 24, 1977, Toto and Neneng exchanged “I do’s” at the Bishop’s Palace with Bishop Arliss officiating, a very rare feat ever granted to parishioners even within Koronadal. The reception then followed at the Celema’s Place right in Koronadal. The day after, my eldest child and Tatay’s namesake Godofredo II was born.
To be continued….
