On February 4-5 Father General, Fr. Giorgio Nalin, the General Secretary, Fr. Fortunato Siciliano, some of his councilors (Fr. Gabriel Flores, Fr. Giovanni Guarino, Fr. Angelo Sardone) and Fr. Philip Golez, visited the first mission area of the Rogationists in the Philippines, known as Parang, in Bagac, Bataan. The people of Parang and the whole parish of St. Francis Xavier together with the Rogationist Community of the parish welcomed the visiting Father General and his councilors with great enthusiasm and warm similar to the welcomed they did with the first rogationist missionaries.
At 5 in the afternoon of the people waited in front of the Parang National High School, around 300 meters from the parish. Upon their arrival on the place a garland of flowers was given to each one of them by the officers of the various chapels belonging to the parish. A group of drums and lires was ready to accompany the Father General and company walking toward the parish Church. People came out from their house to witness the coming of their visitor. At 6 in the evening a solemn Mass was presided over by the same Father General and concelebrated by the Rogationist priests. The Church was full and an extraordinary number of people joined the celebration. The General in his exhortation reminded the people of the joy the late Fr. Diego Buscio had in serving the people and the same sentiment he felt upon arrival at Parang. After the mass there was a supper and then a lively program was offered by the youth of the Parish which included dances and songs.
The following morning there was again a concelebrated Mass in the main Church then they proceeded to visit the barangay chapels (San Antonio, Binukawan, Antipolo, banawang, and Marucduc). People of the various barangays warmly welcomed the Father General and company. Then at 10:30 of the same morning there was a meeting with the Rogatonist Community of Saint Francis Xavier Parish. The community for the meantime is composed of Fr. Herman Abcede as responsible, Fr. Antonio Dammay as parish priest, Fr. Herbie Canete as temporary collaborator and Bro. Allan Hope Mutia as assistant in practical training. After the meeting everybody went to the House of Bishop Socrates Villegas in Balanga City for a lunch. The Bishop accommodated us well and had some moments of dialogue with us during lunch. After the bountiful lunch they proceeded to see the historical Mount Samat and then returned to Manila.
