At first glance, there would not seem to be much difference between the parish of Sampoli and one of ours (a few years ago). If you attend Mass on Sunday morning, you will find a church packed with people, a well-prepared liturgy, various lay people involved in different ministries. It is necessary to let the interested parties speak in order to understand just what it is that two PIME Missionaries do in this parish in the extreme north of the Ipil diocese, on the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines, about 190 miles from the city of Zamboanga del Sur. The Catholic Church has been present and consolidated here for some time, yet the context continues to remain a missionary one in nature. The two PIME Priests who work there explain it to us, both are Brazilian and young: the parish priest, Fr. Émerson Cristiano Gazetta, and Fr. Paulo Cézar Dos Santos, his assistant Pastor.

Fr. Émerson comes from a well-to-do family, owners of a farm, where he worked for a period with his father before entering the seminary. His entrepreneurial attitude remained with him and is seen in the arrangement of the parish structures that followed over the last few years. Fr. Paulo also has a short professional experience tucked under his belt: at 18 he briefly worked in a supermarket. Both are very close to Fr. Antonio Alborghetti, who in some way was at the origin of their vocational journey. In the Philippines the two Brazilians will be together for a short time: Fr. Paulo, 31, is waiting to be transferred to the outskirts of Ipil, where the diocese will soon open a new parish.

“The challenge for us missionaries is above all to cultivate popular religiosity, a great value, making it more solid, which would amount to authentic faith”, starts out Fr. Emerson. He is one who is not afraid of debunking the myth of the “Catholic Philippines”, even though he recognizes that a local value, exquisitely evangelical, is one that makes all feel welcome. “Large festivals are celebrated in the Philippines, but showmanship often prevails; besides, the sacraments are sometimes seen as a form of ‘magic’, to obtain favors from God”. Fr. Emerson continues: “We need to educate the laity to a true ecclesial, direct and personal involvement: sometimes, however, when the leaders of the different mission stations are in need of spiritual renewal, few come forward. For this reason, as missionaries, we work hard on formation, having as priority catechesis and special attention to the ministry of the Eucharist.”

“Many marriages, even if celebrated in church, do not last; sometimes we sense that they only serve to get the documents to go abroad. In some homes there is heavy alcoholism and many children, still today, grow up in the street and often die of neglect.” Even if at first sight Sampoli would seem “on the fringes of the world”. “Yet here,” says Fr. Émerson,”there is an atmosphere ‘contaminated’ by the modern world: ‘the strong influence of mobile phones, internet and TV, as well as gambling all come to mind…”

Out of about 20,000 inhabitants, two-thirds are Catholic; in the territory of the parish there are 20 chapels, one of which is remote, in the mountains, accessible only on foot. “In that area there are often armed clashes. It is hardly accessible and the faithful feel a bit ‘abandoned’; there are only ten Catholic families left. Another problem found here, as elsewhere in the Philippines, is that many young people do not want to live the same life as their parents; but prefer to direct their attention on Manila or go abroad, and this is reflected in pastoral care. There is no infusion of new blood; only the elderly remain.” It would seem a negative picture, but Fr. Emerson does not let himself be discouraged: “Being missionaries means believing in the possibility that God changes hearts; we are called to sow, even though we may not reap the fruits of our labor.”

As for Fr. Paulo Cézar Dos Santos, the beginning of the adventure in the Philippines was not the easiest. “When I was ordained, I was 27 and I was the youngest member of PIME. I was thinking of ending up in vocation recruiting or missionary awareness outreach, because of my age. Instead, fortunately, I was asked to go to the missions. I presented a list of three preferences to the Superior General: China, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines; his choice fell on the latter country.

However, as soon as [my] destination was received [in the fall of 2011], Fr. Fausto Tentorio was gunned down. I still remember perfectly the moment when the terrible news came to us. I was afraid, I confess, and in the following days, many began to say that I was crazy to leave for that dangerous destination. But the Superior General, to whom I expressed my hesitations, listened to me and reassured me. And so I left. I’ve been in the Philippines five years now and I feel at home here.”

Fr. Paulo is very grateful to his confrere for being his mentor for acclimating to the environment and the culture of the Philippines. “At the beginning it was very tiring for me and Fr. Émerson helped me a lot; he never scolded me because I did not yet know the language.”

In pastoral work, the fact that both are Brazilians has proven itself an added value: “We try to lead a simple lifestyle and be humble;” Fr. Paulo explains, “we work together and we take turns with Masses and meetings. We try to be a bit creative: in the various periods of the year we aim at giving special attention to different categories of people, such as patients, students and others.”

The hardest thing to accomplish: to understand the Filipinos, Fr. Paulo confesses. “At first I thought of them as being all just perfect, honest and kind. In reality it is not so easy to perceive what is truly in their hearts. In spite of all this, I love them a bit more with every passing day. Hardships do not drag me down. Actually, they make me love them even more. I feel that I was born to be a missionary in the Philippines: I cannot picture myself anywhere else.”