WHEN Bro. Marc Jozsef Lester Hallig received a call from the Carmelite General Curia in Rome, the unexpected news left him dazed.
Hallig, 54, a journalism alumnus and former news editor of the Varsitarian, is set to become the first Filipino from the Province of St. Titus Brandsma to serve as co-secretary general of the Carmelites’ General Curia.
He will serve as the English correspondent of the mendicant religious order for the next six years, beginning in July.
New role in Rome
Hallig admitted he initially hesitated when the opportunity came.
“At first, I was hesitant, but then it was an opportunity. Lalo na for growth. And you don’t say no when an opportunity for growth comes up,” he said.
One of Hallig’s preparations is learning Italian to overcome the language barrier, similar to what he experienced when he was first assigned to the Visayas and Mindanao.
“The Lord has a sense of humor. It’s important to have a sense of humor in life. It will help you go through so many things, kung may sense of humor [ka],” he said, recalling that Carmelite nuns once told him they would pray for him to become a Carmelite friar.
A vocation
At the University, Hallig spent much of his mornings at the Santísimo Rosario Parish Church and the Miguel de Benavides Library, where he read theology books.
Drawn to the priesthood, he sought the advice of their parish priest in Imus, Cavite, but was told to finish his studies first because he was still too young.
“Because it doesn’t go away…and if the Lord really wants you in His service, He will not stop. He will keep bugging you until you do something about it. So I did,” Hallig said.
During a reporting assignment in Bacolod, Hallig met five Carmelite nuns and spoke with them about spirituality.
When one of the nuns asked, “Why don’t you become a Carmelite?” he realized it was the sign he had been waiting for.
“And then that’s when it dawned on me. I asked for one [sign], God gave me five. Siguro sabi ni Lord, ‘kulit mo!’” he said in jest.
(And then that’s when it dawned on me. I asked for one sign, God gave me five. Perhaps the Lord was saying, “You’re so persistent!”)
In 2010, Hallig left secular life and entered the Benedictine monastic order.
“There was resistance because this was totally new to them. They felt that having a career was really the be-all and end-all,” Hallig said.
Three years later, he joined the Carmelite order.
Although he never felt called to become an ordained priest, Hallig found fulfillment in ministries that involved teaching, writing and engaging with people. He said he never imagined that entering religious life would still allow him to pursue work similar to his former profession.
Hallig also serves as a postulator, a Church-accredited researcher who prepares causes for beatification and canonization for the Carmelite Philippine province.
He is working on two causes for sainthood but both remain in the early stages.
In the media
Interested in religion writing, Hallig applied for the Witness section when he joined the Varsitarian in 1992.
Instead, he was assigned to the News section, which he initially wanted to avoid because of its stressful pace and “immediate deadlines.”
At the same time, he contributed articles to the Manila Bulletin‘s Youth and Campus section.
In his second year with the V, he sought the Witness editorship but eventually became News editor in his senior year.
After graduating from the University in 1994, Hallig joined The Philippine Star, where he began writing for the special features section.
“I just want one foot in the door, and that’s okay, na. Then, I can work my way,” Hallig said, recalling that he had initially wanted to join the entertainment beat.
In 1996, he transferred to the entertainment section and was promoted to assistant editor.
Hallig joined the Bank of the Philippine Islands in 2000 to work in public relations.
He said the move gave him a new perspective on writing.
“Not only was it different, but it gave me a new insight into writing,” Hallig said.
He returned to journalism in 2006, rejoining The Philippine Star as a travel writer covering destinations across the Philippines.
On June 25, Hallig was reappointed to the editorial board of Carmel in the World, a magazine published by the Carmelite Institute in Rome, after serving on the publication since 2023. Yuvshenka Andrea R. Osea
