Rebuild My Church!

(The Church and typhoon refuge emerge from the jungle at Basal.)

MANY Catholic Voice readers will be familiar with the story of St Francis of Assisi’s call from the Lord.

In 1205 Francis stopped at an old, ruined chapel and prayed before an image of Jesus. Three times he heard the Lord say: “Francis, go repair my house, as you see, it is falling into ruin.” The young man took this literally and began to rebuild the chapel. Others joined him and eventually Francis realised that the Lord was speaking metaphorically as well as literally and the great Franciscan renewal was born.

Today, in the Philippines island of Mindoro a small group of indigenous Mangyan people and their friends are doing something similar.

The Mangyan are one of many Indigenous People Groups in the Philippines. They look very different to the majority of Filipinos and have their own distinctive culture. While they now have constitutional protections, they have faced considerable discrimination, being displaced from their traditional homelands into mountain areas that are especially vulnerable to devastating bagyo – typhoons. They are usually desperately poor but perhaps worse is the sense of dislocation and shame familiar to many Indigenous peoples.

The local Church and Missionary groups have been helping the Mangyan, advocating for their needs, providing education and above all bringing the Gospel.

The Missionaries of God’s Love Order, founded in Canberra, have a substantial mission in Manila working with the poorest of the poor. For many years MGL Priest, Fr Alex Nolasco, has been leading groups of Filipino and overseas young people to serve with their Mangyan brothers and sisters. Missions include conducting youth camps, providing the sacraments and bringing in groups of volunteer teachers and medical professionals.

One of their main centres has been a mountain village called Basal which has become the heart of the Rebuild My Church movement.

Basal came into existence when a local Mangyan leader went to the Bishop of Mindoro Oriental, seeking a less exposed site for his community. The Church purchased some traditional land legally owned by a developer and 30, later 90, Mangyan families relocated. The heart of the village is a small bamboo chapel which doubles as a meeting place and (inadequate) typhoon shelter.

In time a diocesan Priest Fr Chris Raymundo, moved into the isolated community and began working with the villagers. Their biggest needs were enabling children to pursue secondary education, employment opportunities, a better chapel and providing a typhoon safe emergency centre.

The Mangyan were insistent on being part of the solutions to these problems. Before long almost all village children, encouraged by their parents, began attending then graduating high school. Many moved on to tertiary training including becoming teachers. Education, and Religious Life are the most valued vocations in Basal. Having Mangyan teachers in their schools helps motivate students and provides vital income.

Next Fr Chris hit upon a way to address several needs simultaneously. A new church was needed as was a typhoon shelter and the village wanted skilled workers. Initially the plan was to build a small concrete church that could double as a shelter. However, the Mangyan wanted a bigger church where the whole region could gather to worship God. As Fr Chris later said, “We dream of little things, but God dreamed of bigger things for the poor.”

A Manila architect provided free plans, a foreman was hired, villagers provided the workforce and slowly a new church emerged from the jungle. The church is being built like a medieval European cathedral – bit by bit as donations appear. When there is no money, the builders work their vegetable and fruit plots hidden in the surrounding bundok [mountains].

The shelter – the basement of the church – is now complete and can host hundreds if a big typhoon hits. The labourers have learned valuable skills, and many have qualified as tradesmen at the local TAFE equivalent. The more donations come in, the sooner the church will be finished.

Unsurprisingly, events in Basal attracted the attention of other Mangyan. The adjacent village, Katarata, had a chapel even smaller than Basal’s. The tiny building suffered badly from the most recent typhoon and is now unusable. And so, Fr Chris, the Missionaries of God’s Love and the Mangyan themselves are working on building an improved chapel, not quite as large as Basal’s but nevertheless a place to worship the Lord and to shelter from the bagyo.

And after that there’s the chapel in Sinunog a village without electricity…and then there are the trackless villages that Fr Chris walks days to get to who want and need a chapel.

As part of that effort a group of young Catholics from Canberra, Darwin and Manila have committed part of their Christmas break to rebuilding the church in Katarata. An architect has drawn up plans and fundraising is beginning.

The little Rebuild My Church movement in the mountains of Mindoro is giving life to people in deep need. With help from their brothers and sisters in the wider Church, Mangyan are finding shelter, skills, empowerment and the joy of the Gospel. Long may it continue.

• Anthony Doyle is a youth minister, teacher and Army chaplain who divides his time between volunteering in the Philippines in Mindoro and Manila and living with his family and working in Canberra. If you would like to support Rebuild My Church, his email is do_team@ hotmail.com