With its long history, Cebu is undeniably the queen city of the South where the first seed of Christianity in the Philippines was planted. My first time in Cebu blessed me with new experiences when I became a delegate of the National Youth Day (NYD).
The Columban Missionaries were instrumental in the evangelization of Botolan. I was a freshman student in school year 1957-1958 when I first met them. Botolan High School, where I studied, was still a private non-sectarian school at that time, but the Columban fathers had already started their work, with the help of the Student Catholic Action, of which I was a member.
But being part of the Columban family has given me fresh eyes and a renewed sense of optimism. It’s like slowly letting the sun shine in through the window after years of being adamant in keeping them shut. Soon enough, I’d be able to stand in front of it and wave to the world outside. Despite my qualms about the Church in general, I love working in a place whose beliefs are aligned with my own. I especially enjoy being surrounded by people who challenges me to rethink my standpoint in life.
I thank God and Mama Mary for these “close encounters” with the Columban Missionaries. It is indeed a year to be grateful, being connected with the Columban Family since the late 1940s.
Gloria is married to Leonardo Fallorina of Candelaria, Zambales. They have four children, all girls. She has been back from Japan (to the Philippines) since 2000. In her golden years, she is still actively engaged in church works in Valenzuela City, Bulacan.
The Columban Sisters in the Philippines celebrated their 80th Anniversary of missionary presence in the country on November 30, 2019 in San Juan, Metro Manila.
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