The Bathroom Boys and Other Anomalies

Let you in on a little secret… In our Novitiate House in Tugbok, Davao City, formators have this unwritten (and somewhat funny) tradition of giving a particular class of novices a “nom de guerre.” For my novitiate class (besides myself, there were Vinci Guia, Romy Miano and Arnel Tindugan), we were humorously referred to as the “ihi” group (roughly translated in English as the “bathroom boys”) because we were constantly asking permission to go to the bathroom. Until now I can often be caught on the lookout for the nearest bathroom when entering new premises… just in case I need to live up to my batch’s lofty calling.

Last August 6, 2010, eight students of the Philippine-Vietnam Commissariat made their Solemn Vows as Carmelites. This means that they bind themselves to be faithful to their vows of chastity, poverty and obedience for the rest of their lives. These eight students come from three novitiate classes: Bros. Francis Nguyen Tien and Jonald Panganiban from the novitiate class of 2002-03; Bros. Joseph Nguyen Binh, Dhyck Piangco, Vito Competente, Ransom Rapirap and Andy Quiza from batch 2003-04; and finally, Bro. Richard Escoto from batch 2004-05. I’d like to think that it’s more than just coincidence that I was Superior of the Novitiate House during this same three-year period. To add to the coincidence, Fr. Dan Fauste, the current Superior of the Student House was their Novice Director. And if that is not enough, Fr. Rey Sotelo, the current Student Director was their Postulant Director in our Postulancy House in Bacolod City.

Being the Superior of the Novitiate house for that particular period, I got to more or less “preside” over the giving of the different batch’s (you guessed it) “nom de guerre.” To make this article more exciting and inter-active, I’ll be giving a short description of the batch and their given “nom de guerre” without any particular order. I’ll just leave it up to the reader to make the connection between the different batches and the respective group descriptions that I will be making. Or better still, you can ask them yourselves. Mind you, not all the members of the batch fit the “label” given them. It’s just that this is what struck the formators at that time. And subsequently the batch became known for that over-riding attribute.

One batch seemed to have been obsessed with ghosts (called “white lady” in Tugbok). Ghosts were supposed to be making regular appearances along the corridors and the courtyard at night. The usual implements (like holy water, rosaries and even garlic cloves) to ward off spirits were constantly being hung around the novices’ respective rooms. This batch we called “the ghost busters.” We also had the “iyakin” (weepers) batch. The name caught on to them because compared to the other batches, it looked to us that they cried more often. I was told by my own Novice Director Fr. Alan Rieger, that he also had an “iyakin” batch during his stint in Tugbok… but that’s another story. Finally, there was the “madamdamin” (overly sensitive) batch. The members of this group seemed to be always at odds with each other. Although there were a lot conflicts, it is to this batch’s credit that they were always able to reconcile with one another.

As you can see from my short exposé above, religious life is not at all just a series of prayer, religious ceremonies and theological studies. Human idiosyncrasies and frailties are part and parcel of daily living. Even after many years of formation, the novices I handled during those years still struggle (as I also struggle) with old, as well as newly discovered issues. People who respond to God’s call are not perfect human beings and will probably never be. More often, they are very much aware of their weaknesses and (I’d like to think) small infidelities. It is their trust in God’s mercy that they continue to struggle even if it seems at times that their efforts appear to be futile and never ending.

You can probably surmise that Carmelites, although called to sublime Union with God, are still very much a “work in progress.” For this reason, we Carmelites have to constantly struggle to be faithful to prayer and will always need all the prayers we can get.

Prayers please…