A Caring and Nurturing Shepherd

CEBU, Philippines — The Daughters of Saint Teresa (DST) that Archbishop Teofilo Camomot founded later spread to other parts of Mindanao, like Bukidnon and Davao. But when the archbishop relinquished his post as coadjutor archbishop of Cagayan de Oro and returned to Cebu, the congregation split up and got fragmented.

For a while Archbishop Camomot wasn’t able to attend to the group, as he underwent kidney operation. He appointed his nephew, Fr. Oscar Camomot, to look after the DST members. But, sadly, the looming separation and departure of some DST members couldn’t be stopped.

Concerned about the plight of the congregation as well as of his prolonged absence, Archbishop Camomot relegated the DST nuns to the guidance and protection of Bishop Antonio Fortich of Bacolod. Still, in 1968, a small group of sisters later decided to leave the group. In 1970, he returned to Cebu with some DST sisters who later settled in a convent in Villadolid, Carcar. The group’s superior general, Mother Asuncion Mendiola, and 20 nuns chose to remain in Bacolod to create their own congregation.

Sr. Patrocinia Labordo was among the former DST nuns who experienced the congregation’s shaky beginnings. She recalled how Archbishop Camomot handled the problems:

“Amid the upheaval and separation, Monsignor Camomot remained calm. He got sick and when he recovered, he visited us in Bacolod and asked how we were getting along. When we said that we were all right, he said it is okay with him too. All the while, he was most prayerful, full of faith and hope. And I admire the way he made holy [the year]1970, a time of upheaval in the Church because of Vatican II changes. What happened to his congregation was a cause of making a holy person, with God’s help and the intercession of Mother Mary.”

Camomot was certainly disheartened by the division of the congregation he founded and nurtured. But, trusting in God’s providence, he remained hopeful. In a homily he delivered in a Mass in Villadolid, Carcar, he said:

“It is not easy to face great problems in life, especially if you take them alone by yourself. But if you allow God to carry the Cross with you, then it won’t be as heavy. Like, for example, as the founder, it is painful to face the truth of the splits that happened in our congregation. But thanks be to God, He gave this reflection: The cake that is sweet will always attract ants which will take it away... take it away for good.”

While recovering from a kidney operation, Archbishop Camomot little by little revitalized the spiritual life and formation of the remaining DST sisters. By God’s grace and through the archibishiop’s persistence, more women joined the group, choosing to commit themselves totally to the Lord and the Church. One of them was Sr. Maria Naomi Paccial who became a member of DST in 1980, when she was 20 years old. She related her first day at the DST convent in Valladolid, Carcar:

“I arrived at the DST convent on March 2, 1980. The following day, it was monsignor’s 66th birthday. In a homily, he told us, ‘Remember, sisters, that God is in your hearts. If God is in your hearts, you could not afford to do something evil. You could not commit sin.’ I would not forget how he always encouraged me to persevere and fulfill my vocation. And now, I’m on my 33rd year as nun.”  (FREEMAN)