A FRANCISCAN friar on Wednesday urged the members of the Order of Preachers to be missionaries who combat modern-day heresies, during the Mass in honor of St. Dominic de Guzman at Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City.
Fr. Cielo Almazan, O.F.M., minister provincial of the province of San Pedro Bautista, called on Dominicans to emulate St. Dominic, “who worked patiently amid opposition and exasperation” in preserving the teachings of the Church amid heresies during his time.
“If you, fellow religious refuse to walk these talks with God, you will become modern heretics by default,” he said in his homily.
Almazan also called for a stronger relationship between the diocesan clergy and the religious for a deeper impact in fighting for truth and justice in the society.
“We religious cannot build the Church without giving due respect to our bishops and the pope. We need to be in communion with one another. We need to collaborate to advance God’s kingdom,” he said.
By tradition, Dominicans and Franciscans preside over Masses for the feast of the founder of the other order to commemorate the friendship between Saints Dominic and Francis of Assisi.
Filipino Dominicans also launched a countdown for its 50th anniversary in 2021 after the mass.
In a conference, former UST rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., reminded his brother Dominicans to empower locals to become leaders themselves.
“A missionary must learn to adapt himself to local situations to the point where he becomes an enabler, thereby empowering the local clergy and religious in their God-given tasks of leading the native Church,” he said.
Fr. Rogelio Alarcon, O.P., the first prior provincial of Filipino Dominicans, led the golden jubilee prayer.
The Dominican Province in the Philippines (DPP) was established on Dec. 8, 1971 by the former master of the Order of Preachers, Fr. Aniceto Fernandez, O.P.
Since its inauguration, DPP has established missionary outposts, schools, and ministries in the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Some of its members have also been appointed to significant positions in the Church including Fr. Gerard Timoner, III, O.P, the sole Filipino member of the International Theological Commission. Eugene Dominic V. Aboy, O.P.
