CLINICAL PASTORALEDUCTATION

MDHBATCH

9

Journeying with the SELFToward Ministry to OTHERS

July 27 to August 31, 2012

CLINICAL PASTORALEDUCTATION

CLINICAL PASTORALEDUCTATIONPASTORALPASTORALPASTORAL

MDHBATCH

9 July 27 to August 31, 2012

MDHBATCH

9 July 27 to August 31, 2012

Hospital DirectorMessage from the

Atty. Pilar Nenuca P. AlmiraHospital Director–MDH

It is heartwarming indeed that the Manila Doctors

Hospital has served as the formation and training

ground for future Church ministers through the

Clinical Pastoral Education Program (CPE).

Redounding to the benefit of our patients and their

families, we continue working hand in hand with

the pastoral team of the hospital. The CPE and its

students truly share in the holistic quality patient

care that the hospital continuously strives to provide.

It is fervent wish and prayer that as you are to

graduate from this program, you will forever cherish the experiences, learnings,

and insights from our patients. Each patient has a story to tell, and this unique

encounter with them enriched you all as a person and revitalized your spirit.

In serving the sick, you are serving God. In dealing with their pain and suffering,

you share in their graces. In lifting their spirits, you too become perfect in the eyes

of God. You became a part of their healing physically and spiritually.

It is my challenge to you to continue in this quest as to be of continuous and

untiring service to others, to give part of yourselves but to expect nothing grand

in return. May the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ inspire you more to work

zealously without earthly rewards for the fruit of your labor has its heavenly gift.

May God shower you with more blessings as you go on your separate ways to find

fulfillment in this life and beyond.

FormatorsMessages from the

San Carlos Seminary

There is an old story about the rabbi who

asked his disciples how they knew that night had ended and

the day was on its way back.

“Could it be,” asked one, “when you can see an animal in the

distance and tell whether it is a sheep or a dog?”

“No,” the rabbi said.

“Well, then what is it?” the disciples pressed.

“It is when you look on the face of any woman or man and see that she or he is

your sister or brother. Because if you cannot do this, no matter what time it is, it

is still night.”

(Seeing God in Others, 1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Francis

Mihalic, SVD)

The ten-week CPE program is coming to an end. The days you have spent at the

Manila Doctors Hospital brought you face to face with real people during their

moments of pain and discomfort, their anxieties and sufferings. The opening lines of

Gaudium et Spes aptly captured this experience: “The joy and the hope, the grief and

the anguish of the men of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in

any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and the anguish of the followers of Christ as

well. Nothing that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts” (GS 1). And

so you were moved, and you responded in the best way you can. Perhaps not always

to offer relief from their pains or answers to their questions; oftentimes, it was your

reassuring presence that helped them realize that they were not alone and that others

cared for them. In a very special way, you reminded them of God’s loving concern and

power over their predicament, rekindling hope in their hearts.

FormatorsMessages from the

Fr. Joey Martin

“For by His incarnation, Jesus the Son of God has in a certain way united Himself with

each man. He worked with human hands, He thought with human mind. He acted

with human will, and with human heart He loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has

truly made one of us, like us in all things but sin. By suffering for us, He not only gave

us an example so that we might follow in His footsteps, but also opened up a way. If

we follow this path, life and death are made holy and acquire new meaning” (GS 22).

The CPE experience likewise opened for you a chance to rediscover yourself. New

skills and talents were developed, complementing what you already had. Better

ways of understanding people and looking at things were achieved. At the same

time, this journey led you to face your very own experiences, struggles, and

weaknesses. You dared to confront them, with the encouragement and guidance

of your supervisors and batchmates. Now you are able to embrace your experiences

and learn to accept and love yourself.

You heeded the invitation of Jesus: to care for the afflicted and the sick. But in so

doing, you also received from Him healing and integration of you own self. This

grace-filled journey allows you now to respond with greater fervor and commitment

to continue ministering to others through selfless service. “A fully human person is

one who gives oneself in love and is ready to bear the many crosses that self-giving

entails. To be genuine, however, in self-giving, requires a foothold in self-knowledge,

self-appreciation, self-acceptance, or in other words, in self-love” (The Updated

Program of Priestly Formation, 30–31).

On behalf of the San Carlos Seminary community, we congratulate all of you. A new

day is breaking. We see in you the reflection of Jesus, reaching out and ministering

to others. And it is also our prayer that you may continue seeing the face of a

brother and sister in every person you will encounter as you generously heed His

command: “Love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this:

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Congratulations to all the CPE

participants. May you gain more self-knowledge

and integral formation you have received in the

past two months, and we put all our hope that you

have wholeheartedly served to the best of God to

others and yourself. Bring the Gospel of Jesus and

his attitudes to build the kingdom of God in your

vocation of service in your different ministries.

Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Sr. Alejandra Muñoz, ss.cc

Society of St. Paul

Fr. Alan Gamutan, SSP

My heartfelt commendations to all

of you for finishing an important chapter in your formation.

I believe that your ten-week CPE program has been fruitful

and meaningful not only for the patients you ministered

to but to your own persons. Indeed, self-awareness and

integration is an essential part of your Christian identity and

mission. It is my hope that you have found the face of God in

everyone you have encountered during your hospital duties,

and that beyond this program, you will all bring with you the

insights, realizations, and resolutions you have made through

CPE and faithfully bring them into fruition in your lives.

MDH Pastoral OfficeMessage from the

Sr. Ludivina Cercado, SOM

Dear graduates,Congratulations on your successful

completion of the Clinical Pastoral

Education (CPE) Program here at the

Manila Doctors Hospital.

I would like to say “Thank You” for

the tremendous help you have lent to

our pastoral health care ministry on

this hospital. Christ is indeed present

in each one of us. Your visit to every

patient brings comfort and consolation,

for they come to realize that they are

not alone in their sufferings. May your

experiences during this program be

of great help in your journey and in

other ministries that you are about to

face in the future. As often times said,

graduation is not an end but it is just a

beginning of a new stage to a deeper

commitment and direction to life. To

all of you, continue your journey and

may God bless you always.

Mes

sage

fro

m t

he

and here we are, ready to venture on another

journey, each in our own way.

Ten weeks of CPE may be too long for some, too short

for others, and just enough for others. Whichever

perception of length, one thing is sure: each one has

had an unforgettable experience and has grown in

each’s own way, pace, and time. I hope and pray that

you will translate into action all the learnings and

insights you have gained during the CPE quarter.

Congratulations and God bless as you move on!

supe

rvis

or

Sr. Remedios Nobleza, RSM

Ten weeks have gone by so fast,

CPETHE GRADUATES

Nine individuals. Three communities. One Goal.

Adrian S. Bacani

The CPE program is one of the best things I ever experienced

in my life. I learned a lot from it

especially when it comes to self-

awareness, my relationship with my

peers, and my concern for the sick. To

summarize all the things I experienced

from the past ten weeks, for me CPE

stands for compassion, patience, and

encouragement. Compassion has

made me develop my pastoral skill

and sincerity in spending time and

connecting with the patient. CPE is not

just about visiting the patient; rather,

it is about understanding them, their

pain and suffering by putting myself in

their condition and being with them.

Patience is about my experiences

every time I go to MDH and go back

to the seminary. Jam-packed LRTs and

MRTs really tested my patience, and

I am thankful for it. Encouragement

is about encouraging myself and my

peers that there is always a big room

for improvement and there are ways

of handling properly our issues and

concerns in life. In the end, I am really

thankful that I have undergone the

CPE program. It has made remarkable

changes, both in my personality and

my relationship with other people.

“Ian,” Archdiocese of ManilaBorn February 1, 1982; from Pandacan, Manila.

Ace Fernando Y. Cara

After undergoing CPE, I can say that I know myself better. The

ten-week program has enabled me to journey within, bringing me to areas I have

never been before and making me understand myself beneath my skin. As a

result, I have learned to appreciate myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and the

dynamics of my personality. Now I can say with a joyful heart that “I love myself.”

CPE also thought me to share this love for myself to others. I journeyed within

with others. Through CPE I made new friends and learned many things from

other people. Loving oneself means experiencing the very love of God. CPE has

encouraged me to share this love to others through patient visitation and active

participation in group discussions. Many people are in need of love. Undergoing

CPE meant making myself available for others and making them feel that

someone loves and cares for them.

CPE has brought me in contact with my own blessedness. It made me understand

that God loves me. I am very thankful I have undergone CPE. I love the experience.

It is indeed worth remembering.

“Ace,” Diocese of San Jose, Nueva EcijaBorn December 10, 1985;from Sto. Domingo, N. Ecija

Albert O. Garong“Albert,” Society of St. Paul

I believe it is no coincidence that

around the time our batch undertook

the CPE program, the Olympics was

taking place in London. Every four years,

athletes meet in this revered event,

aiming to break records and breed

legends of human achievement, inspired

as they are by the Olympic motto “Faster,

higher, stronger!”

Meanwhile, in the halls of Manila Doctors

Hospital, I am engaged in my own

“epic” undertaking. Though without

the adulations of fans or the press, the

experience of CPE does not feel all that

different. Like the athletes, I strive to

overcome my greatest opponents—my

own inhibitions—exploring deep inside

me and further knowing and accepting

not only my own weaknesses but, more

importantly, my innate blessedness.

With my teammates, my batch mates

in the program, I experience going on

this journey with others, learning and

supporting each other along the way.

And with my trainer, Sr. Remy, and God,

my faithful sponsor, ever-loving coach,

and number-one fan, I venture onward

this journey assured that, whatever

happens, I can come out a winner.

And win I did. Self-acceptance, new

friends, renewed appreciation of God

and others—all these tell me that the CPE

was one worthwhile experience. Thus,

I walk away from this program with

greater maturity and a smile—ever more

eager to engage this game called life.

Born March 5, 1986; from Las Pinas, M.M.

Paul Enrique H. Gungon IV

Before the start of CPE,

I was asking myself how this program will

benefit me as future priest, questions such

as “Why do I have to undergo this program?

Why do I have to visit the patients? Why

do I have to be in the hospital?” After

two months of being in this program I

think the answer to my questions is also a

question: “Why not? Why not undergo this

program? Why not visit the patients?” I’m

really thankful that I was able to discover

new things about me. I really learned a

lot after attending this program. I became

more confident in dealing with people.

I became more compassionate to others

especially with the sick. I never thought that

I will be able to like ministering to the sick.

Ministering to them is not easy, but if you will

listen to the patients’ pains and sufferings,

you would understand how important this

ministry is. People really longed to talk and

be able to share their feelings to us. But it is

not only they who benefit during our visits;

we too learned from their experiences, much

more from their faith. Being a seminarian,

“Paul,” Archdiocese of ManilaBorn September 20, 1987; from Quezon City

Natalia Setya Rahayu

much is expected from us, especially

with our prayer life. It was indeed a

challenge for me, to meet patients who

are more prayerful than me and more

faithful than I am. I cannot guarantee

everybody that after two months in this

program I will become a new person. I

believe CPE will not change me, but it

will make me become aware of my own

issues as a person and it will challenge

me to become a better individual.

I also take this opportunity to thank

the people who made me aware of my

issues and helped me understanding

myself more. To Sr. Remy, thank you

for everything you have done to me.

Thank you CPE classmates for all the

advice and corrections we have done

in our verbatim. I will not forget that.

To SOM sisters, thank you for taking

care of us, especially for the snacks you

always provide. I will pray for all of you.

“Lia,” Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

I sum up my CPE experience this way:

C = Centering our self,

P = Putting our self into the image and sentiments of Christ, and

E= Embracing our own woundedness, weaknesses and strengths.

Born December 22, 1980; from Cilacap, Indonesia

Paula Dwi Handayani“Paula” Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Born February 3, 1970; from Bandung, Indonesia

I thought this was just

another one of those requirements’

I had to take, but found out that it

was one of the most stimulating,

challenging, educational and personal

growth experiences I had ever

encountered.” What I encountered

was a life-changing experience that led

me to a whole new understanding of

God and my relationship with God. I

discovered a God of surprises who drew

me into a sacred moment and invites

me to continue seeing His presence in

every person I meet.

I was challenged continually as a

chaplain intern to step into the already

well developed role for chaplains

at Manila Doctor Hospital. The

challenging environment brought

opportunity for growth, and

development. This was one of the

most profound learning experiences

I have ever had the opportunity to

participate in. I learned so much about

grace, mercy and compassion during

my time together with (the supervisor),

the group and the patients.

Eric Mark S. Salamat

CPE is just a quarter-long process,

but I must admit that it is one of the

most challenging parts of my seminary

formation. It may not be a non-academic,

but it requires dedication and focus in

making accurate verbatims and reports

and the readiness to answer questions

during processing. As “Dora” explores

the world and discovers many things, I

also experienced exploring the feelings

of the patients about their illness and in

return discovered some of the hidden

parts of my being. Recognizing these

things through the help of my supervisor

and CPE classmates made me realize

and appreciate my strengths which I

did not recognize before and accept my

weaknesses as a person which would serve

as challenges for me to strive in improving

myself especially in the ministry.

I believe that CPE’s one main goal is

to prepare a person for ministry. It is

to discover and develop the capability

of relating and ministering to others.

Ministry requires one special thing—

maturity. As our supervisor defines

it, “Maturity is responding to a thing

appropriately.” The challenge remains

for me—to continuously aim toward

maturity in performing my ministry.

May all the learning experiences I got

during CPE serve as tools for my growth

as religious. My gratitude goes to my

supervisor, CPE classmates, hospital

staff, and of course the patients whom

I encountered and ministered. You all

became part of my journey, and you will

all be cherished forever.

“Mark,” Society of St. PaulBorn April 6, 1986; from Nagcarlan, Laguna.

Servasa Mardiani

Love requires knowledge, and

knowledge requires understanding. The

CPE program helped me to understand,

know, and love myself better; and it

helped me to love others, especially the

patients in MDH, better. My experience

of visiting the patients helped me to

see my own self and reaction toward

patients who were facing fear, pain,

helplessness, or loneliness. I was there

as a simple instrument of God to listen

to them and assure them of my prayers.

There were patients who were really

longing for somebody to listen to and

pray for them. It was a privilege to listen

“Ani,” Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

to them and help them to share their

feelings and pain about their sickness.

It made me aware of the importance

of the ministry of listening. In

contrast, there were patients who

did not want to be visited or respond

to my greetings. At first I felt very

bad about it, but slowly I learned to

deal with it and respect their space.

These moments of satisfaction and

frustration in my visit gave me a

better picture of who I am. Moreover,

by making effort in ministering better

to patients, I develop how to listen

compassionately. I learned to listen

Born May 10, 1978, at P. Siantar, Indosia

Dennis M. Venturina

beyond spoken words, to the message of their body

language and meaning behind their sharing. It is not

easy to listen to other people, but my openness and

care could somehow ease their burden. I treasure my

CPE experiences, and I would like to end my short

reflection with this: when I am capable of loving

myself, I can love others better.

“Dennis,” Diocese of San Jose, Nueva Ecija

CPE starts with the self and ends with the well-processed

and aware self!

It is not in the CPE room,

not in the patient’s room,

and not in the patient itself,

but it is within You!

Born January 27, 1984; from Carranglan, N. Ecija

SEENHEARD

&Featuring the most memorable quotes and snapshots from the ninth batch of CPE graduates in MaDocs, meaningful glimpses from a quarter of togetherness, discovery, and ministry.

There’s a BIG room for aBIG IMPROVEMENT“ ”-Dennis

GROUP SESSIONS are the heart and soul of the CPE program. From verbatim presentations to evaluations and case studies, these served instrumental to our growth as persons and ministers. Be it listening to another’s struggles, sharing your own fears, or challenging a classmate’s ideas or methods, it is in these “intimate” gatherings were we help each one to grow.

”is the ability to respond to thingsMATURITY“

-Sr. Remyappropriately

BREAK then visit!“ ”- chaplain on duty

THE BREAK had its

own growth process in our

brief quarter together. From

short intermissions where

each subgroup would eat

separately, it evolved into

long banquets brimming

with food and laughter.

And what started all this?

The simple chili paste: that

insanely addictive spicy

condiment made by the

Indonesian sisters. That, and

the occasional pizza from Sr.

Remy, has helped our group

of hearty eaters to deepen

our bonds and nourish our

friendship..

VISITING OUR MINIPARISH is the primary ministry of the CPE

student. As chaplains, we make daily rounds to “explore and listen to the patient’s

feelings about his or her sickness.” And listen we did: to the unusually upbeat

cancer patient, the inconsolable parent, the anxious breadwinner-turned-paralytic,

even those who plain rejected us. And as we helped them, they in turn helped us,

broadening our horizons, lengthening our patience, and reinvigorating our faith.

”try to explore more

your patient.

Be like DORA:“-A common “advice” in our group

“

OUR MIDPOINT OUTING was definitely a cause for excitement. To

be away from the hospital, relax by the pool, laughing, and eat on and off the road,

it was the much-needed break we all hungered for. But as fate would have it, we

found ourselves, of all places, in the hospital, caring for the sick, although this time

it was our beloved supervisor. Still, the group remained undaunted as we tried to

make even that ordeal as fun as we could. In the end, we we can only smile as we

recall our little (mis)adventure.

Let’s make FUN“ ”- Paul’s midpoint battlecryout of this!

Bahay kubo kahit munti . . . singkamas at talong,

“

BREAKING BARRIERSis just par for the course in

the CPE. Exploring oneself and

others essentially demands

that we go beyond whatever

blocks our road to growth and

maturity. But this was especially

true for our dear Indonesian

SS.CC sisters. Apart from the

usual hindrances, the sisters

had to deal with cultural and

linguistic barriers in their daily

routine. As expected, it was a

continuous struggle that was

not without its missteps—and

bloopers. We remember some

of them here—not to humiliate

but to honor Ani, Lia, and Paula

for delighting our hearts with

their perseverance, humility, and,

ultimately, their success.

”She was diagnosed with diabetes with“

-Sr. PaulaHEART DELIGHT

”He will have excision of“-Sr. Ani, referring to “gouts”

multiple GOATS

”The patient lives in “-Sr. Paula, referring to “Muntinlupa”

MOUNTAIN LUPA

”He has many“

-Sr. Lia, referring to “moles”MOLDS in his face.

When I ”“-Sr. Ani’s own version of the word “ask”

AXEDthe patient . . .

Bahay kubo kahit munti . . . singkamas at talong,

SIGARILYOat mani . . .

“”-Sr. Lia, revisign our folk song

“

GRADUATIONCPE BATCH 9

PROGRAM OF EVENTS:Date: August 31, 2012

Time: 9:30 a.m.Venue: MDH Chapel

Celebrant: Fr. Joey MartinFirst Reading: Ace Cara

Psalmist: Natalia Setya RahayuServer: Ian Bacani

Graduation Rite: Sr. RemySharers: Paul Gungon and Servasa Mardiani

Thanksgiving message: Albert Garong