We Have a New Bishop!

Provincia Filippine - Australia - Saipan - Taiwan

Inserita il: 14/06/2013

4 commentario(i) ...

After almost a year and a half of expectant waiting for the replacement of the vacated diocese upon the appointment of Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle as Archbishop of Manila on October 13, 2011, our faith in God’s own hour was finally rewarded with the appointment of Most Rev. Reynaldo Gonda Evangelista, as new Bishop of the Diocese of Imus on April 8, 2013. He was installed on June 5, 2013 by the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, D.D. The Installation was also graced by the presence of the three Filipino Cardinals: Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop-emeritus of Manila, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop-emeritus of Cebu, and Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila.The momentous event was joined as well by about 10 Archbishops and 40 Bishops from all over the Philippines, aside from the faithful and clergies not only from Imus, but also from the Dioceses of Batangas, his home Province, Boac, his former diocese and other provinces.

Bishop Rey, as he is fondly called by his brother priests and parishioners, is 53 years old, and hails from Mabini, Batangas. He has been a priest for almost 27 years, a former Parish Priest of Talisay, Batangas, a Seminary formator for 14 years, and a bishop for 8 years in the Diocese of Boac, Marinduque, prior to his present assignment as Bishop of the Diocese of Imus.

Imus, Cavite was the cradle of the Pastorelle Sisters in the Philippines where the first Community was founded. Caviteños as a people are known for their courtesy, hospitality, generosity, religiosity and friendliness, but more so, for their bravery and courage. History tells that Cavite as a Province distinguished itself in different battles during the Spanish Revolution and produced several heroes to the Philippines. To name a few: The Cavite Mutiny (1872), the Battle of Imus (l896), the Battle of Binakayan in Kawit (1896), the Tejeros Convention (1897), the Battle of Alapan (1898), and the Declaration of Independence of our Country by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, which all happened in Cavite. Added to these significant events, is Cavite’s richness in culture and tradition with its rich faith stories as well, which continue to flourish even more to maturity side by side with its present soaring economic development.

From the excerpts of his own homily, Bishop Rey expressed his earnest desire and dream to make the Diocese of Imus, as a Local Church, live up to its vision and mission statement to be a people “pro-God, pro-people, pro-human life, pro-creation, pro-country (maka-Diyos, makatao, makabuhay, maka-kalikasan at maka-bayan) responsive and committed towards a renewed society through the intercession of Mary, Our Lady of the Pillar.”

Mindful of the Word of God: “Tend the flock of God in your midst (overseeing) not by constraint, but willingly as God would have it, not for shameful profit, but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5;2-3), he humbly implored not only God’s mercy and compassion to look upon him, but also asked the prayer and support of all those present, particularly, the priests, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Imus, “to unite in our deep love for our diocese and work together in the spirit of communion investing our time, diverse gifts and ministries to build up the Kingdom of God according to the will of the Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd,”as he also promised ‘to lead all of you in the spirit of pastoral charity and to accomplish all things and endure all things in the light of faith’" (Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops).

Surprisingly, the rest of his homily rings as though coming from the thoughts of our own Founder:

“All the events that happened in my life are God’s grace for me to be shared for the good of the Church. I do not deserve them knowing all my weaknesses and sins and I constantly implore the mercy of God for His loving forgiveness as I serve Him. Everything is grace, from the abundance of God’s love for me and his Church. I am coming here now fully aware that it is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, who is the real and true Shepherd of the Diocese of Imus. I am but His instrument . . . I am just an instrument of the‘great shepherd of the sheep’" (Heb. 13:20).

I am aware as Bishop of Imus, that I am called to conform myself closely to Christ both in my personal life and in the exercise of my ministry, in such a way that the ‘mind of Christ’ (1Cor. 2:16) thoroughly conforms my thoughts, words and deeds, and the light streaming from the face of Christ illumines my ‘care of souls, which is the art of arts’ (cf. Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops, 2).

As a Bishop, I constantly remind myself that the spiritual fruitfulness of my ministry would depend upon the intensity of my prayerful union with the Lord. It is from this deep communion in prayer that I can draw light, strength and comfort for my pastoral activity. I therefore appeal to you, please pray for me. Please give my name to God in your daily prayers that I may always have the holiness, strength, gentleness, humility, and deep pastoral charity as I lead my flock, the Diocese of Imus, to a life of holiness, unity and deep love for one another. Please pray that with the support of my priests, the religious and the lay leaders of our parishes and different communities, we may continuously grow as a People of God with deep faith, firm hope and deep love for one another until we reach our eternal reward, no other than everlasting life.”

It is our earnest desire to share with you the above excerpts of Bishop Rey’s homily because of how it is coincidentally related with our own spirituality as Pastorelle. We pray that it would find a sacred space in our hearts to reflect upon and live as we start the new apostolic year 2013-2014 for us in the Philippines.

May the blessing of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and Mama Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd, be with us all!

Sisters of Jesus Good Shepherd - Pastorelle - Imus - Cavite

Leggi i commenti

Sr Marita,sjbp

30/06/2013 | 11:40

Congratulations! All the be to the Diocese of Imus. Please pray that we will also have a Bishop here in Saipan.

rosaria Longobardi

14/06/2013 | 16:25

Congratulation!!!! Buon lavoro pastorale!

Sr Rita

14/06/2013 | 15:59

What a wonderful way to begin the apostolic year, with the installation of your new archbishop and his the profound salient message, inspiring a pastoral spirit and a renewed desire to have the heart and mind of the Good Shepherd. Thank you for sharing with us this experience.

sr Giuseppina Alberghina

14/06/2013 | 15:59

Carissime sorelle, mi rallegro con voi per il vostro nuovo Vescovo di Imus, che prende il posto del Card Tagle e sono certa che continuerà con lo stile del buon Pastore! Ho visto con gioia i vostri volti nelle foto e vi assicuro la preghiera per la vostra comunità diocesana e per il vostro Vescovo. Un abbraccio grande a tutte, sr Giuseppina Alberghina e sorelle di via Traversari