A week ago Bishop Pablo Virgilio David (known fondly as Bishop Ambo) of the Diocese of Kalookan, and Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of the Diocese of Pasig, assumed the offices of President and Vice President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
What a great time for them to take the reigns of CBCP with stewardship gaining ground in the Church of the Philippines, since Fr. Andrew Kemberling and I first gave a day of reflection on stewardship for Philippine bishops in 2005. This privilege was made possible thanks to the influence of the late Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, who, along with Bishop Julio X. Labayen, hosted the first national stewardship seminar in the Archdiocese of Cebu in 2003.
It’s amazing how many previous CBCP presidents have been receptive to the message of stewardship as a way of life—from Archbishop Fernando Capalla in 2005 to Archbishop Romulo Valles. It’s also interesting that the first and the last CBCP President with whom I had the privilege of working are both from the Archdiocese of Davao.
Today, Bishops Ambo and Mylo, who have personally embraced and successfully implemented stewardship as a way of life in their dioceses, will carry out the mandate of the Pastoral Statement on Stewardship. They are, therefore, more than ready to fulfill the challenge. Bishops Ambo and Mylo have been promoting stewardship as a way of life in the Philippines. They were among the major speakers at the first Asian Pacific Stewardship Conference in Alfonso, Cavite, Philippines. Bishop Mylo also was a keynote speaker st the 2014 International Catholic Stewardship Council in Dallas, Texas.
I first met Bishop Ambo when a group of stewardship experts from the US presented at the 2013 CBCP Plenary Dallas, Assembly in celebration of 10 years of promoting stewardship as a way of life in the Church in the. Philippines. He was then an auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of San Fernando. I sat next to him at said Plenary Assembly. Bishop Mylo gave a progress report of how the Diocese of Pasig has embraced and implemented stewardship as a way of life in the diocese. Bishop Mylo has personally embraced stewardship a way of life in 2006 after he replaced Bishop Leo Drona the Diocese of San Jose, Nueva Ecija. Bishop Drona was among four bishops who participated in the 2003 stewardship seminar.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself if stewardship as a way of life is really gaining ground in the Church in the Philippines. Why? Because my initial thought was only to help the Prelature of Infanta, my home diocese in the Philippines. I know this is part of God’s plan and the Holy Spirit is definitely working here. Fr. Andrew and I thought we were going to share our experience and that would be the end of it! As the Psalmist says, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalms 118:1; 136:1).
