“Salamat at na abot kami.”  This is the sentiment most often expressed by parishioners of Fr. Gerald Palay, when he visits their homes.

Fr. Gerald mission station in New Canipo is bordered by the barrio’s coastline on one side and the foot of the mountains of San Vicente on the other side.  People’s livelihood is either fishing or farming, depending on where they live, and it’s just enough to cover their daily needs.   While the mission’s main church is in New Canipo, there are 12 chapels and 77 BEC’s (Basic Ecclesial Communities) spread out over these chapels.  Their word for the BEC is “Kriska”, for Kristianong Kapitbahayan, and each Kriska has 10 to 15 families.

Fr. Gerald has this program he calls Bisita Kapilya wherein he stays in a chapel for 3 to 4 days and does house visitation with the families belonging to that particular chapel.  Chapels are typically 1 to 1 ½ hrs. ride  from the main church by motorcycle and the families belonging to the chapel typically walk 30 to 45 minutes to get there.  Some chapels have provisions for lodging but where there is none, Fr. Gerald lodges in the homes of some of the families.  They hold Kriska Masses in the homes for a more intimate celebration.  They also conduct Bible sharing in these gatherings. It’s no surprise then that people feel they have been ‘reached’.  That they belong is what he continuously reminds them of. “You belong to Kriska.”

The mission station was established only eight years ago and Fr. Gerald himself is a young priest, only five years since he was ordained and three years since he was assigned there.  One of his biggest challenges was how to relate to the people, bringing to them the ideals of the church, and bridging these with the people’s understanding of how the church should be, their expectations and their level of understanding of the faith. It was a challenge to make them understand the need to attend formation.  Constant dialogue is his approach, to break all communication barriers and to have a common understanding of where they want to go. 

The next challenge is the distance of the places they have to reach, “malalayo talaga,” he says, which poses logistical requirements.  Still another challenge is the commitment of the people in the chapels.  And even while commitment is there, they do not have the resources, “walang pamasahe.”  Fr. Gerald cites the importance of financial support as all pastoral activities entail transportation and other costs. 

He recently held a two-day overnight leadership training for Kriska leaders, to train and empower them for their roles in their BEC’s.  COPA’s financial assistance goes to these activities as well as needs like gas, transportation, food. 

He encourages the people who go to Mass to join the ministries, and not just go to Mass.  He gets the young people to be altar servers, choir members, to help in the organization of events. He is also slowly inculcating in his parishioners the idea of stewardship, such that whatever blessings they receive, they also give back like responsible stewards. There is still a long way to go as far as getting more people involved in church activities, especially with the difficulties of distance and lack of resources.  But as Fr. Gerald says, “Walang mahirap na hindi na-aabot ni Hesus.”