RESHUFFLING… Anyone?

(Tomorrows Gospel talks about the sending-off of the 12 apostles to their ministry. It is the same ministry perpetuated by the priests. I want to share with you this reflection I wrote some three years ago. Please bear with the seemingly misuse of tenses, I want to publish this as it is. For now, let me talk about reshuffling. For all you know, reshuffling is one of the most exciting events of a parish priests' lives. )


By: Sem. Erdman B. Pandero FY6 --- July 2009

I was wondering before what’s the big fuss about parish assignments and reshuffling. I mean, in the first place, priests know for a fact that he cannot stay in his assignment for life. Our years of seminary formation taught us to accept that our lives are no longer for us to decide but our bishops’. Yeah right, I was a little condescending to priests not wanting to let go of their present parish assignments. I was… not until last Sunday.

The SAHA Batch went to Lumbia Parish (our pastoral exposure parish) for the orientation and the assignments. Having perhaps the edge over something (huh?) because I was the BEC coordinator, I was pretty much confident that I could keep my beloved Batinay (I was assigned in the sitio of Batinay a year prior to the writing of this reflection). I had plans for the chapel. Great plans, so I thought!

But it seemed that the Parish Pastoral Plan was not in congruence with what I had in mind. The parish was then divided into 4 clusters (Centro, Airport, Pagalungan, Tagpangi) with a vision of bringing the sacraments and other services to the people without them flocking to the Centro. The formation team expressed their need for us to help them form formation teams in the clusters. There were 8 of us and there were 4 clusters. Using simple mathematics, this means there would be 2 of us assigned in each cluster.

The Pastoral Plan was just great. The vision and plans of Fr. Joe (then parish priest now Bishop of Malaybalay) was indeed bishopric. It was great… yeah…

Arn2, Junjie and I were assigned last year in Tagpangi. That means to say that one of us had to let go but it should not be me, so I thought! We decided to have our assignments be based on our charisms vis-à-vis the need of the clusters. (Vianney Month helped us to honestly see what our strengths and limitations are.) Craig and Ricky volunteered to help the Airport People. James’ musical prowess was greatly needed in the Centro. Pusoy and Chris stayed with Pagalungan, their previous assignments. Now, who would roll his mat and leave Tagpangi? Centro team needed help for the module making that would be used for the entire parish on their 3-Year formation program. That was my greatest strength; that was where I was most effective with – module making. I rolled my mat (over a cup of tears) and bid goodbye from my previous assignment.

Perhaps, God is baking a rather tastier cookie for me. Honestly, it took me sometime to win the Batinay folks’ heart. I was a little ‘off’ for them. Imagine this, I was assigned in the farthest end of the world after my 3 years work in a rather Americanized environment in Cebu City. It was difficult; I was literally struggling to be in and to be with them. Now that I am in, now that I am with them, now that I am a member of that community, now that I am in their hearts, God wants me out.

Lesson of the Day: This is not my ministry; my assignment is not mine to choose. This is God’s work, I am just an instrument.

My Realization: Reshuffling will always be painful to priests who give their all to the parish. It will always be painful but one has to move on. Next parish assignment please!!!