A Carmelite at Heart

CEBU, Philippines —  Fr. Camomot stayed in the St. Teresa de Avila Parish, in Talisay, for 12 years. While in this parish, he was attracted to the Carmelite spirituality. Although he was a diocesan priest, Fr. Camomot had a special regard to the Order of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD).

No existing documents or records are available to tell how Fr. Camomot was introduced to the religious congregation except for historical backgrounds of how the OCD in the Philippines came to be.

“Cebu is the cradle of Christianity in Asia. Its Carmel, dedicated to St. Therese, was founded on May 27, 1949, by Sr. Mother Mary of Jesus, OCD. The following year, on July 16, 1950, Sr. Mother Mary of Jesus organized the Third Order of Carmelite Discalced (TOCD), and then Archbishop Julio Rosales received into the Third Order his secretary, Fr. Epifanio Surban (later bishop of Dumaguete), the chancellor, Fr. Luis Ceballos, Gorgonia Niere, Conception Borromeo, Venestrano Borromeo, Ester Borromeo, Tomasa Jurado, and others.”

“The following year, Archbishop Julio Rosales himself became a member with Msgr. Cesar Alcoseba, Fr. Sergio Alfafara, and Fr. Teofilo Camomot.”

“In 1952, Fr. Silverio of St. Teresa, prior general of the Teresian Carmelite Order, appointed Fr. Marj Horan of the Immaculate Conception, from the Anglo-Irish Province as apostolic vistator to the Carmelite nuns in the Philippines. Fr. Horan also became the first National Director of the Carmelite Third Order in the Philippines.”

“The following years saw more priests joining the secular order, and their number was even bolstered when a group of seminarians who had made their profession as Secular Carmelites were ordained priests. This led to the establishment of the St. Elias Chapter for priests with Fr. Teofilo Camomot as prior in 1955.”

The same article further states that Fr. Camomot “served other dioceses afterwards but remained a Carmelite at heart.” Throughout his life, he would use the symbols and motto of Carmel as he assumed higher office.

Fr. Teofilo Camomot never got tired in tending God’s flock and found joy in the ordinary parchment of simplicity. People wanted to keep him in Talisay for good. For them, he was an extraordinary priest, with the charisma to touch people’s hearts and minds. 

But it seemed God had other plans for Fr. Camomot. Knowing that he was capable of bringing more people closer to the Lord, the Holy See in the Vatican decided to ordain Fr. Camomot a bishop. Early morning on May 29, 1955, the bells of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral pealed out with jubilation, reverberating the joy of the local Church as a beloved son was about to be ushered in to the episcopate – a revered office that traces its roots back to the apostles.

On that day, Cebuanos celebrated the consecration of the 41-year-old Teofilo Camomot to the office of bishop,  as Catholics all over the world immortalized the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Bishop Camomot was named Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro, Iloilo, and was given the title of “Titular Bishop of Clysma.”  (FREEMAN)