One very touching experience was when we visited a number of orphanages:

Sarah reflects: “As a group we met and talked to the ‘poorest of the poor’ in a third-world country;

infants and children who had been abandoned or surrendered to orphanages, elderly people who had

been abandoned by their families, orphans with severe disabili"es, and families who were struggling

through every week under a very low income and other personal burdens – all of whom were living in

rela"ve poverty. “When I saw these people undergoing such hardship I grieved for

them and felt guilty knowing that in comparison I lived such a luxurious life. I wanted to help

but deeply struggled to understanding how I could assist them in any significant way – I could

play with orphans for a few hours, or keep company with disabled children, but inevitably I

had to leave. Even though I visited them a few weeks ago and tried to bring them joy, I am

now back home and they are s"ll struggling.

Mission Immersion Experience

PHILIPPINES

January 4 to 19, 2013

The missionaries: Tristan White, Shaun Xuereb,

Dylan Menezes, Fr Mario, Paul Maniquiz,

Luke Portelli, Red Lusterio, Sarah Cook, Fr Jude and

Sheryn Mallillin with our new friend Mr Jollibee.

Our parish has o8en been visited by Paulist Missionaries ministering in other

countries. More recently we have been visited by Fr Mark, Fr Joe and Fr Stephen, all of

whom worked or are s"ll working in the Paulist mission in the Philippines. We are o8en

encouraged to remember our missionaries in prayer and by suppor"ng them financially.

This awareness of the work being done by our missionaries gave rise to the

ques"on whether we could invite a group of young parishioners to visit one of our

missions, leading to the Philippines Mission Immersion project.

Plans were made, contacts established, programmes drawn and invita"ons went

out. Finally the group of missionaries started to take shape and we could start mee"ng

to prepare ourselves for this stage of our life journey.

Philippines was the chosen mission for this first mission trip. At present four

Paulist Missionaries are working in our Pinoy mission. Fr Joe is parish priest of

Pagalanggang Parish in Dinalupihan, Bataan Province; Fr Lonnie is a chaplain at the

Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Manila; Fr Stephen works among

youth; and Fr Hector looks a8er students preparing to become priests with the

Missionary Society of St Paul. Our seminary is in New Manila, Quezon City.

The aim of the mission programme was for the missionaries from our parish to build a connec"on

with other Paulist Missionary missions, give them a tangible experience of global issues, experience and

par"cipate in the Church’s response to these global issues and to help our parish live out its call to

serve the poor and the marginalised in our society and in our world.

The group of young missionaries from our parish travelled in the name of and with the blessing of

our whole parish. Before they le8 our parish prayed over them and commissioned them. A leaving

collec"on was also taken up, giving the missionaries money to donate to the work happening in the

Philippines.

Now as we come back home, it is our duty to thank you and to share with you the fruits of our

mission experience. In this small insert to our weekly newsle@er, we would like to share with you some

of our experiences and some photos from our trip. We are sure you will be hearing more about our

experience in the coming weeks.

Mount Samat: Monument to the

Philippino heroes of World War II.

As part of our experience we

familiarised ourselves with the history

of the Philippines.

Visi"ng the orphanages and home for the elderly was an emo"onal train ride: I

experienced anger, joy, happiness, sadness, surprise, disappointment and hopelessness. I

think the feeling of hopelessness was the most prominent feeling when we were in the

orphanages, because although I was playing with the children or trying to make them happy, I

knew that once we le8, they were going to be sad once again, again without hope.

The whole experience of visi"ng the orphanages was difficult but necessary because I

learnt that every small step counts, even if we were able to make children happy for only a

very short "me, at least they could experience happiness; that happiness I so o�en take for

granted here in Australia.

(Dylan)

The missionaries with some of the orphans.

2

Tristan writes:

When people ask me how

our mission trip to the Philippines was, of

course I say ‘oh it was incredible’; but that

barely begins to scratch the surface of the

experience we had overseas.

Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to

sum up two weeks’ worth of thoughts,

experiences and lessons learnt into two or

three sentences; in fact, it is a task I will

never be capable of. Our mission began

on a day when only a few of us had

already built strong friendships, but by the

end of the short trip we all managed to

form friendships that will last a life"me.

Our mission was quite simple

in theory: go and experience a different

way of living in the Philippines and gain a connec"on with the exis"ng work

of the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP). This was a concept that some of

us struggled with at "mes, as a8er seeing the poverty and corrup"on that

lies in the streets of Manila our only desire was to change the world. I was

one of those who had to learn that the problems faced by third world

countries (and indeed by the whole world) do not have quick-fix solu"ons.

The photos we share and the stories we tell are mostly happy ones, but

looking back at them I realised that a picture can hide a thousand words as

easily as it can say a thousand words. Whilst our visits to orphanages were

joyful and happy "mes spent with the children, we also saw how devastated

and desperate some people can be. The children did not care that we were

complete strangers; when they saw us they threw their arms straight into the

air so that we would pick them up. Then once we did, they would not let go.

It was difficult to see how deprived of love and care a child without a parent

could be, and although we put a smile on their face for the brief "me that we

spent with them, it quickly turned to tears when we had to put them down.

I cannot properly describe what I was feeling in the days leading to the Philippines

Mission Immersion Experience. Since I was born in the Philippines I knew what to

expect. However, I also knew that I had only ever seen, and not experienced closely, the

poverty of some of the areas of the Philippines. I was afraid that growing up in my early

years seeing this poverty, had le� me de-sensi*zed to it.

For me, the Mission Experience was filled with many difficult moments; moments

where I felt angry at the fate of all the orphans abandoned by their families, saddened

at the circumstances that so many of the families were in, a sense of hopelessness at

the enormity of the poverty, not only financial, but of values and opportunity.

However I also experienced some of the most blessed moments: the smile on the

face of an orphan boy, the hospitality of a family with li0le to give but who gave it

anyway, the camaraderie of the young people forming part of the Paulist family and

the friendship of the community in the Parish at Bataan.

(Red)

The parish house at the MSSP Bataan parish, where the group

stayed.

As a group we were faced with certain global issues such as

cultural differences and poverty, making very difficult for me to

separate myself from them. I could not help but put myself into the

sandals, of the people I met.

The sheer size of some of these global issues such as, poverty,

absent will and corrup"on, were simply too overwhelming; I became

agitated with the thought that I could not do enough to help.

One reflec"on shared by the group related to the gospel story

of the five loaves and the two fish; for me this gospel story taught

me that I can only give what I have, but I will never get to know how

far my li@le contribu"on will reach.

As a group we were able to contribute to the educa"on of the

children in various schools we visited; visited three orphanages

where we tried to bring some happiness to the children abandoned

by their families; and played games with the local kids in the MSSP

parish in Bataan bringing some enjoyment and laughter to their

days. I was also privileged to be able to donate my skills as a

chiropractor in one of Bataan’s free medical clinic and by visi"ng

some people unable to visit the clinic.

We spent some "me with some missionaries who felt very

reassured by the fact that there was another genera"on of youth

excited about mission. One Franciscan sister described our visit as “a

breath of fresh air on a hot day.”

(Luke)

As part of the experience the group visited four schools and shared with

the children informa"on on the land down under!

3

It was not un"l a good way into our experience that I realised that I could not personally help all the people I would have

liked to. One of the central lessons I learned on this mission trip is that helping poorer people is not always best done by handing

them sums of money; there are already systems in place which we can contribute to, avenues of charity where the money can be

more wisely spent.

(Sarah)

We spent the majority of our trip living with Fr Joe, the parish

priest of a small village in Dinalupihan, Bataan. His mission is to build

a be@er future for the youth by giving them the tools to become

successful. He receives money from the MSSP to carry out his work,

but he does not spend it on things for himself, nor does he buy fancy

gi8s for his parishioners. He invests in the gi8s and passions of his

youth by allowing them to start their own orchestra of mandolins,

vocals, guitars and percussion. When I think of Fr Joe, I can only

remember him saying

‘the people are the

best resources you

have’. The group of

MSSP members that

we were privileged

enough to work with

adopt the same

philosophy: giving their lives to helping and inspiring good in the world.

Giving money straight out is not always a good thing. For one, it can reduce one’s dignity and

secondly it seems to portray ‘us’ as be@er than ‘them’, turning the saying ‘we are all equal’ on its

head. However, despite this, our society teaches us that the rich should give to the poor. Our

mission was not long enough to change the world, but it was long enough to form a special bond

with the people we worked with – fellow missionaries and locals alike. No amount of money will

help the orphan child I spent a morning playing with, but a loving parent will. I did not build a

hospital for the youth that we worked with, but I learnt more than I ever could have imagined by

journeying with them. The friendships and lessons I have learnt will remain with me all my life

and I feel like I will become a be@er person out of what I learnt on this mission trip.

(Tristan)

If you had asked me before I le8: “Sheryn, how

will you feel when you get back?” The answer that I was expec"ng to

give would have been: “Fantas"c! We came in and saved the world! We made the

world a be@er place!” But if you were to ask me the same ques"on now, my answer would be

completely different.

I hope that in our own special way we have been of some help. I had to keep reminding myself that every

li@le bit counts. I may never get to know what kind of impact I le8 behind but I believe that we made a difference,

no ma@er how small. This is hard to comprehend when the ini"al reac"on and aim is to change the world!

(Sheryn)

Eucharist in the chapel at the MSSP house in New Manila,

together with some youth who form part of the local

Paulist community.

Dylan reflects: My trip to the Philippines was without any doubt one of the most enriching

events I have ever par*cipated in. From the moment we stepped out of the

airport the change in scenery was obvious. Manila is a city nothing like

Melbourne: from the people to the buildings, it was all different. The few days

was spent ge4ng acclima*sing to our new environment. Our first real ‘mission’

experience was when we visited the orphanage run by the Augus*nian sisters in

Tagaytay. Here we were able to share a small por*on of the day with the

children, playing with them and holding them. The next day we visited the

houses of the Sisters of Charity of Mother Teresa. These sisters look a�er

children with special needs and the elderly. Again we could only help by our

presence; playing and talking to the children and the elderly. The following day

we visited yet another orphanage in Bataan province. This was a very similar

experience in a new place.

As part of our experience in the Philippines, we had our own rice

plan"ng session. Fr Joe grows his own rice which he then uses to hand

out to those in need.

Fr Joe, Paulist Missionary who welcomed us

to his parish in Bataan province, with Fr Jude

4

The group and I felt an instantaneous connec"on with all the Paulist

Missionaries working in the Philippines. The priests and brothers were

cheerful characters, who welcomed us into their homes and the Paulist

family. The pre-established connec"on with the Paulists through their

presence at St James could also be strongly felt. All Paulist priests,

brothers, parishioners, and youth groups of the MSSP across the world,

share encouraging feelings of community and unity.

The Phils mission trip has supported and given momentum to the

spirit of mission which already exists at St James. We parishioners at can

make a difference in the Paulist missions in Philippines, Peru, Pakistan

and even here on our own turf in Hoppers Crossing. GeKng involved in

humanitarian work, and empowering the poor and disadvantaged at

any level is always rewarding. We all have gi8s to share, whether its

money, a skill or even a smile. You never know how far your gi8s, will

spread.

(Luke)

“Wacky” photo: The missionaries with a group of young people from the

Paulist parish in Bataan province.

It was hard to separate myself from the Australian standard of living. We are lucky to live here in Australia. For majority of us we are

fortunate to have everything at our disposal. So when it came to helping the poor and marginalised, my mentality was one of the ‘financial

handouts’ because o�en that is our instant reac*on here; give them money because that is what they need. So I brought that mind set with

me to the Philippines. Money does indeed help, but it is not the only solu*on; rather, it is the ability to empower people to be accountable and

self-sufficient. Fr Joe greatly inspired me in his drive for wan*ng to bring about a be0er tomorrow for the community. He did not do this by

providing financial assistance, but by arming people with the skills and materials they need to be0er themselves and the life that they live.

Even though there is a struggle in the Philippines, they are not struggling when it comes to faith, unity and love. The drive and mo*va*on

of the Filipino people is definitely inspiring and, no ma0er what the circumstance or situa*on, it is done with a smile, an overwhelming sense

of hope and the strength of heart and determina*on to overcome whatever is put in front of them.

My experience in working with the MSSP in both Manila and Bataan was one filled with unity, love and support. Even though we were all

coming from different parts of the world, there was no division or segrega*on among us. Everyone wanted to get to know us and our story.

When I needed to chat and process, they were there. If I needed to share the pain and tears, they were there. Never once judging me or telling

me how to feel and react. The spiritual guidance that they shared with us will not be forgo0en. The openness, trust and faith of everyone there

was inspiring. I did not just feel part of a community; I felt part of an interna*onal family that shares a common goal of restoring faith and

humanity to the lost, broken, poor and marginalised.

(Sheryn)

I come back home with a greater connec"on to the people that the Paulist

Missionaries seek support, encourage and empower. These people allowed

me to journey those few days with them and invited me into their lives. They

are no longer just the faces of the poor, instead I have been privileged to

have encountered them as brothers and sisters. I pray for each one of them

now, for they have le8 a mark upon me that I will not easily forget.

I thank God for the work of the Paulist Missionaries. They work to

provide opportuni"es to the people, the

whole community become the be@er for

it.

I went to the Philippines seeking to

help and make a change. I am sure that in

my small way and with my ‘yes’ to this

experience, God has worked through me

for these people. I think that in being able

to journey with them, they have changed

me, showing me how important it is to

have God in my life.

(Red)

Throughout the whole experience we were guided by the

Paulist Missionaries. Mee"ng the various priests and brothers

who live together in community was in itself a most

rewarding experience.

We were introduced to, and became part of, an

interna"onal family, which includes people from various parts

of the world. We met people from Malta, Philippines, Peru

and India, all living together as one

people; God’s people.

Through each other they managed to

give themselves the energy to spread the

Good News to all. They work in union and

manage to live out their founder’s mo@o:

‘I follow wherever you go.’

In my experience the Paulists are much

more than a group of priests, they are a

worldwide family who ensure that the

message of Christ is heard through the

love and care they share.

In a few words I have tried to share

some of the experiences I lived through

this mission trip to the Philippines.

(Dylan)

We thank God for his faithfulness during this journey, we thank our missionaries for sharing

with us this beau"ful experience, and we thank all parishioners for your prayerful support as

we prepared ourselves and during our Mission Immersion Experience.

Fr Jude and Fr Mario.