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| The altar of the church |
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| The Virgin of the Assumption in the Church |
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| The mass times at the St. George's Church in Brunei |
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| We were seated at the nearest pew we were allowed to sit |
There's nothing like being a minority for one
to appreciate one's roots, that's why people who have never traveled
will most likely be a bigger bigot than those who have seen that the
world is a much bigger place than themselves. Since Brunei
has a large Filipino population, it is not surprising to find a
Catholic church and school in it.
Today, we attended the 9:30 AM Sunday mass in St. George's Church, the only Catholic church in Brunei,
and I've observed that people here come on time, way before the priest
enters the church! Sad to say, in my own parish, around 70% of the
attendees come late, and yet they expect God to save ALL their problems.
Also, people here dress up! Well, the chapel is airconditioned but
still, you don't see people in flip flops or shorts or tank tops which
some Catholics back here still wear!
One bonus during Sunday mass today was the
priest, who happened to be Bisaya! His sermon was delivered in a very
humorous way, it was refreshing to hear since I almost always fall
asleep in the masses especially during the homily, when I'm
straining to hear what the priest is saying!
Anyway, he is flying home
today and he said during his sermon that he will pass by the Loboc
Bohol parish where he used to say mass. It must be a heartbreaking
return voyage for him. The Filipinos here though were generous with
their donations both in kind and cash as many wished him well on his
trip back here. I even saw some foreigners come to him and give their
donations. What's heartwarming in all of this is that even if the
Filipinos here are far away from the devastation in Bohol and Cebu, they
still did not forget about their kababayans back here.
