I could still remember when one of the residents instigated the closure of the gate separating the parish church from the condo compound. I know, because I was just ahead of my wife that Sunday night when I noticed her talking to another male resident who was raising his voice – apparently, he was complaining that church never allowed her wife to pass through the gate. To make the story short, that Sunday evening, there was even a PNP patrol car to ensure that nobody passes through.
And I also attended one of the masses in which the officiating priest criticized the CV security for shutting off the non-residents from using the CV gate instead going through mid-town, which is longer and more expensive for commuters. From my understanding, the story was a tit-for-tat thingie that the only group that sufferred are those non-residents, which most likely went to another parish just to avoid this un-Christian event.
Parking is always an issue during Sundays at St. Francis de Assisi parish. But not after the CV gate is completely closed due to security reasons (and bruised ego?).
And there was also the argument that why can’t the CV residents press the parish to simply open the gates, regardless that CV security is stopping the non-residents to pass through – considering that the church was donated by the developer. This has been the assumption until one of the officating priests told the story when the parish started. Apparently, for a parish to exist, the catholic church set some standards, including a specific area for the church where it will be built. And it turned out, the Diocese of Antipolo owned the area occupied by the current parish and the parking building! For the parish to get started, because it doesn’t have extra funds to construct the church, it sold the area where now the parking building stood! There goes the myth that the catholic church owes the CV developer, in turn the CV resident.
This picture is taken on Sunday. One cannot ignore the absence of a crowd compared before the gate is completely closed from non-CV residents.
As a long time resident of 10 years, it just makes me feel sad. I saw how the church community grew from its early days. It’s just disappointing that the effort of the first parish priest, Fr. Padilla, to bring the parishioners together into the St. Francis of the Assisi parish is getting eroded. I am not saying that we simply kiss and make up, this situation is most probably more complicated than that. But it doesn’t make it easier for me to see the disappointing social impact of the situation. People may downplay it – it’s just a gate – but I am sure that those series of decisions will have unintended consequences.
Does this mean we are going to miss the high engagement rate of the parishioners during the Holy Week on 2019?
Hard to admit, but I would miss the noisy kids and teens sitting near the pulpit during Sunday afternoons (they simply loved this schedule). I realized, annoying they may be because it was hard to focus, they are part of the parish community. And now, I am not even sure if they are still going to our parish.
The tarp that welcomes Fr. Jimmy Padilla to the St. Francis de Assisi parish. From the author’s perspective, he made a mark to ensure that the parish continues to grow. Sadly, his effort is getting eroded just because of a gate (#sarcasm).
I do hope clear minds prevail, and the CV security concerns can be addressed while negating the negative impact to the parish community as a whole.
Cambridge Village (Cainta), A Place I Call Home 