During the pandemic, a theater director, Jon Lawrence Rivera had a simple quest to learn how to cook the #filipinodishes his mom Zenaida Rivera made for him and 2 other siblings. Portions were enough to feed 10 folks. So he took a photo of what he cooked with a question, ‘who’s hungry?’ He charged #zero – he instinctively was following his mom’s example of supporting folks and former neighbors in the Philippines with scholarships and more. The beauty of his well intentioned acts of generosity was spontaneously reciprocated with built fencing, garden plots created by friends, surprise grocery drop-offs, patio Christmas lights, vintage finds, fruits from the backyard, and soon, a vibrant network of evolved humanitarians who bump into each other casually seeing plays for 2 decades was now growing into a solid, tight-knit of multicultural Los Angelenos. I have been a volunteer to several organizations nationally, regionally and locally for 4 decades. I am an idealist who believes ‘we are all leaders, we are all teachers and we are all students.” Last night, my dream was actualized before my eyes, wherein anyone steps up to volunteer and to help one another, with diverse ethnicities. It gave me sustained hope and true joy, viewing his Instagram posts. It was meaningful and became my spiritual food weekly. As he channeled his energy and passion to direct theater plays, learned to cook #Filipinocuisine and shared what he cooked with his community of artists, his community of artists were enjoying Filipino food, while new Filipino recipes like vegan sinigang and tofu adobo were created.#free spontaneous #circleoflife and #spontaneously#reciprocated#sowersofgenerosityWith restaurants closed, he kept attracting his theater friends of #actors, #directors, #castingdirectors#stagemanagers#housemanagers#physiciansupporters and even this theater audience member, this grandma. He would even take the time to make contact-less delivery of these food items to house bound friends. It felt like being visited by an #earthangel who genuinely cared about others. Then, a series of four flip_kitchen fundraisers was organized to support Playwrights’ Arena, a live theater non-profit dedicated to showcasing diverse actors, talents and folks who are creating their original plays. I just love meeting this new community of #artistic#creatives who are #humane#generous in sharing #themselves, their #stories#skills and #resources to support a very generous #wholehearted#creative#innovativecommunity and @directorrivera, a #theaterdirector who presented two plays #March and #Waiting to the LA community, following #strict #CoronaVirus protocols. #imaginative #publichealthcompliant #proofofvaccinations #wholesome #authenticfolks #evolvedhumanitarians #generosityofspirit #lightabounds
I wrote this 2012. He gave me one of the most lucid, organized, inspiring interviews at 88 yo.
Photo taken from Holy Family Artesia Facebook post.
———
Fr. Albert S. Carreon
Resident Priest, Assumption Church
Six decades of being God’s vibrant servant
By Prosy Abarquez- De la Cruz
AJPress
“Give us patience, faith, and charity to minister to those who do the dirty jobs of planting the haciendas, trimming the trees, harvesting [fruits and vegetables] in the hot sun, that we may pass laws honoring their dignity as human beings. Let us not treat them as second-class citizens, but, like every immigrant, who came before from England, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, and all those who came to America, a nation of immigrants, these [undocumented immigrants] are also worthy of their own path to progress. Let us treat them as equals, as our Christian brothers and sisters, with dignity in our words and practice.” – Fr. Albert S. Carreon, 2011.
Fr. Albert S. Carreon is 88 years old. He is vibrant and steadfast in his commitment to the poor, the sick and the immigrant community. He converses fluently in Spanish with parishioners who come to his office.
It is only 9am, but his schedule is on overdrive: a Spanish television interview, a mass, an interview with Asian Journal, a seminar for those seeking sobriety through their faith, and a visit to the sick. He has ministered to the Philippine president, Philippine ambassador and lepers in Tala Leprosarium. He has served as faculty in Manila, Rome and Mexico, a cultural attaché to the embassy, a defender to couples seeking annulment and a negotiator/leader who worked with Senator Harry Reid for immigrant rights.
Yet, he remains close to Hispanics, referring to his special ministry of teaching sobriety by renewing one’s closeness to God.
He believes that the undocumented must be given a legal path to work and be responsible taxpayers, hence he advocates for the bracero program.
“After a track record of obeying US laws for three years, they can get a green card and later, citizenship,” he said. He shared this collective perspective (gathered from his faith community — a 2,000 person-strong rally in Nevada) with Sen. Harry Reid. This is humane public policy, he added, but he does not believe in amnesty for those who should be deported because they committed crimes. He assisted a thousand refugees during the Reagan years to acquire legal papers, particularly those who fled the civil war in El Salvador.
He heard God’s calling in fifth grade, as an altar boy. During that time, he won the Central Meycawayan Singing Contest and a zarzuela director, who watched him sing, cast him in a three-act play, called Batis ng Kaligtasan (Fountain of Salvation). He traveled and performed with the cast, in all the provinces of Luzon.
That public exposure got him a scholarship to Colegio Serafico San Francisco del Monte, where he studied Humanities, Latin and Spanish. He was initiated to the Franciscan order.
When WW II broke on Dec. 8, 1942, the Franciscans disbanded and students were sent home. He stayed in San Carlos Major Seminary in Mandaluyong, and studied logic. Later, he got admitted to the Novitiate of the Dominican Order in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
After the war, he studied philosophy and theology in Hongkong. He was ordained a priest of the Dominican order on Sept. 21, 1951. He got assigned pastor in the UST chapel and he served as the chaplain of North General Hospital. He took his MA degree in UST and wrote “The Metaphysical Analysis of the Documents about Ecclessiastical View of Nationalism,” which he defended successfully to an examination panel of professors and student body. He got a summa cum laude qualification.
He taught forensic medicine in Maryknoll (now Miriam College). He became the chaplain to the family of President Ramon Magsaysay. As the President’s chaplain, he traveled with him and together, they went to Leyte to celebrate the anniversary of the Fall of Leyte. After that, the President headed for Cebu, while Fr. Albert went to Bukidnon. Had he not joined the bishops, he would have had the same fate as President Ramon Magsaysay, who died in a plane crash on his way to Cebu.
He was sent to Rome and studied for a year at Angelicum University. There he met John Paul II, who was in his senior year. In Rome, he was the Ecclesiastical Advisor to Ambassador Jose Delgado in the Vatican. Given that he is fluent in Spanish, he gained access to the Vatican Library and read the Vatican memos which ordered the Spanish clergy in the Philippines to cede control and form a native clergy. The Spaniards did not comply with the memos.
After he studied in Rome, he became Letran’s Dean of High School and Principal in Manila. He was involved in the Filipinization of the Spanish Dominicans, separating the Spaniards from the Filipinos. Monsignor Leonardo Legaspi became its first vicar — the first Filipino rector of UST. This is, perhaps, the first implementation of Rome’s prior edict.
He taught in the Studium Generale of The Dominicans in Mexico and became the Master of Novices. He became a faculty member of the National University of Mexico and the University of Motolinia, and the head of the department of moral and psychiatry department of Clinica Prima Vera, an orthopedic hospital. He took his Ph.D. — majoring in psychology in the Jesuit University of Mexico. His dissertation was “The Passion-Love, according to St. Thomas Aquinas.”
He was chosen as the representative of the Cardinal in Mexico and addressed the Congress of the Christian family movement. Here, he gave a memorable speech: “A good nation is built on a well-educated family in morality, spirituality, fidelity and faith. When parents are educated in these values of morality and spirituality, they pass on these values to their children, and they teach by words and deeds their own examples of harmony, fidelity and faith. If the parents are not educated in morality and spirituality, what values do they transmit to the family? After all, a marriage is a commitment of mature people to build a community of life and love with children. ”
His speech caught the attention of Philippine Ambassador Octavio Maloles, who asked him to succeed Horacio dela Costa (a Jesuit scholar) as the cultural attaché of the Philippine Embassy, a position which Fr. Carreon held for 9 years.
In the seventies, he was assigned to the diocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas. The Bishop assigned him to a new parish, with a base of 300 families. There was no church to hold the mass. He visited all 300 families in their homes to be able to evangelize them. He convinced them to worship at a nearby school. He organized them into a community and asked them to support the building of a new church.
He looked for a terrain that the church could be built on. With the raised funds, he bought 9 acres for $100,000. The community lent him more support, one farmowner donated a barn that was converted to a social hall, with converted floors to use as a skating rink for young teens and for bingo/dances they held.
He secured a loan from the Diocese, and they extended him $274,000. His architect friend designed the church. Fr. Albert became the founding pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist Church in Galveston-Houston, which still stands today. He also founded the Knights of Columbus and the Spanish Cursillo. After 20 years of being the founding parish priest, he was given medical retirement and sought treatment for his ailment in California.
Though he is retired now, he has not slowed down. He works everyday, going where the need is greatest.
As we parted, he gave me his business card and said, “ I like you to be my friend. Remember that our Lord was an immigrant to Egypt.” He then blessed me, and said this prayer for me: “Jesus, please change the hearts of men/women, only you can do it, so they are conscious that they are always loved, not hated.”
I wrote this 2012. He gave me one of the most lucid, organized, inspiring interviews at 88 yo.
Photo taken from Holy Family Artesia Facebook post.
———
Fr. Albert S. Carreon
Resident Priest, Assumption Church
Six decades of being God’s vibrant servant
By Prosy Abarquez- De la Cruz
AJPress
“Give us patience, faith, and charity to minister to those who do the dirty jobs of planting the haciendas, trimming the trees, harvesting [fruits and vegetables] in the hot sun, that we may pass laws honoring their dignity as human beings. Let us not treat them as second-class citizens, but, like every immigrant, who came before from England, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, and all those who came to America, a nation of immigrants, these [undocumented immigrants] are also worthy of their own path to progress. Let us treat them as equals, as our Christian brothers and sisters, with dignity in our words and practice.” – Fr. Albert S. Carreon, 2011.
Fr. Albert S. Carreon is 88 years old. He is vibrant and steadfast in his commitment to the poor, the sick and the immigrant community. He converses fluently in Spanish with parishioners who come to his office.
It is only 9am, but his schedule is on overdrive: a Spanish television interview, a mass, an interview with Asian Journal, a seminar for those seeking sobriety through their faith, and a visit to the sick. He has ministered to the Philippine president, Philippine ambassador and lepers in Tala Leprosarium. He has served as faculty in Manila, Rome and Mexico, a cultural attaché to the embassy, a defender to couples seeking annulment and a negotiator/leader who worked with Senator Harry Reid for immigrant rights.
Yet, he remains close to Hispanics, referring to his special ministry of teaching sobriety by renewing one’s closeness to God.
He believes that the undocumented must be given a legal path to work and be responsible taxpayers, hence he advocates for the bracero program.
“After a track record of obeying US laws for three years, they can get a green card and later, citizenship,” he said. He shared this collective perspective (gathered from his faith community — a 2,000 person-strong rally in Nevada) with Sen. Harry Reid. This is humane public policy, he added, but he does not believe in amnesty for those who should be deported because they committed crimes. He assisted a thousand refugees during the Reagan years to acquire legal papers, particularly those who fled the civil war in El Salvador.
He heard God’s calling in fifth grade, as an altar boy. During that time, he won the Central Meycawayan Singing Contest and a zarzuela director, who watched him sing, cast him in a three-act play, called Batis ng Kaligtasan (Fountain of Salvation). He traveled and performed with the cast, in all the provinces of Luzon.
That public exposure got him a scholarship to Colegio Serafico San Francisco del Monte, where he studied Humanities, Latin and Spanish. He was initiated to the Franciscan order.
When WW II broke on Dec. 8, 1942, the Franciscans disbanded and students were sent home. He stayed in San Carlos Major Seminary in Mandaluyong, and studied logic. Later, he got admitted to the Novitiate of the Dominican Order in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
After the war, he studied philosophy and theology in Hongkong. He was ordained a priest of the Dominican order on Sept. 21, 1951. He got assigned pastor in the UST chapel and he served as the chaplain of North General Hospital. He took his MA degree in UST and wrote “The Metaphysical Analysis of the Documents about Ecclessiastical View of Nationalism,” which he defended successfully to an examination panel of professors and student body. He got a summa cum laude qualification.
He taught forensic medicine in Maryknoll (now Miriam College). He became the chaplain to the family of President Ramon Magsaysay. As the President’s chaplain, he traveled with him and together, they went to Leyte to celebrate the anniversary of the Fall of Leyte. After that, the President headed for Cebu, while Fr. Albert went to Bukidnon. Had he not joined the bishops, he would have had the same fate as President Ramon Magsaysay, who died in a plane crash on his way to Cebu.
He was sent to Rome and studied for a year at Angelicum University. There he met John Paul II, who was in his senior year. In Rome, he was the Ecclesiastical Advisor to Ambassador Jose Delgado in the Vatican. Given that he is fluent in Spanish, he gained access to the Vatican Library and read the Vatican memos which ordered the Spanish clergy in the Philippines to cede control and form a native clergy. The Spaniards did not comply with the memos.
After he studied in Rome, he became Letran’s Dean of High School and Principal in Manila. He was involved in the Filipinization of the Spanish Dominicans, separating the Spaniards from the Filipinos. Monsignor Leonardo Legaspi became its first vicar — the first Filipino rector of UST. This is, perhaps, the first implementation of Rome’s prior edict.
He taught in the Studium Generale of The Dominicans in Mexico and became the Master of Novices. He became a faculty member of the National University of Mexico and the University of Motolinia, and the head of the department of moral and psychiatry department of Clinica Prima Vera, an orthopedic hospital. He took his Ph.D. — majoring in psychology in the Jesuit University of Mexico. His dissertation was “The Passion-Love, according to St. Thomas Aquinas.”
He was chosen as the representative of the Cardinal in Mexico and addressed the Congress of the Christian family movement. Here, he gave a memorable speech: “A good nation is built on a well-educated family in morality, spirituality, fidelity and faith. When parents are educated in these values of morality and spirituality, they pass on these values to their children, and they teach by words and deeds their own examples of harmony, fidelity and faith. If the parents are not educated in morality and spirituality, what values do they transmit to the family? After all, a marriage is a commitment of mature people to build a community of life and love with children. ”
His speech caught the attention of Philippine Ambassador Octavio Maloles, who asked him to succeed Horacio dela Costa (a Jesuit scholar) as the cultural attaché of the Philippine Embassy, a position which Fr. Carreon held for 9 years.
In the seventies, he was assigned to the diocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas. The Bishop assigned him to a new parish, with a base of 300 families. There was no church to hold the mass. He visited all 300 families in their homes to be able to evangelize them. He convinced them to worship at a nearby school. He organized them into a community and asked them to support the building of a new church.
He looked for a terrain that the church could be built on. With the raised funds, he bought 9 acres for $100,000. The community lent him more support, one farmowner donated a barn that was converted to a social hall, with converted floors to use as a skating rink for young teens and for bingo/dances they held.
He secured a loan from the Diocese, and they extended him $274,000. His architect friend designed the church. Fr. Albert became the founding pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist Church in Galveston-Houston, which still stands today. He also founded the Knights of Columbus and the Spanish Cursillo. After 20 years of being the founding parish priest, he was given medical retirement and sought treatment for his ailment in California.
Though he is retired now, he has not slowed down. He works everyday, going where the need is greatest.
As we parted, he gave me his business card and said, “ I like you to be my friend. Remember that our Lord was an immigrant to Egypt.” He then blessed me, and said this prayer for me: “Jesus, please change the hearts of men/women, only you can do it, so they are conscious that they are always loved, not hated.”
Simply divine….. sunset, ocean view, Italian cuisine and words of wisdom!
It was great catching up with good old friends to celebrate Prosy’s birthday!
Advance Happy Birthday Prosy! May you continue to be inspired by the Holy Spirit “to share experiences, to write about them, to consciously mentor folks and to leave the earth better than you found it.”
After 472 days of Coronavirus shut-in in New York, 445 days of quarantine and phased-in access to different parts of California, we can now have full access to the reopening of all businesses in California and New York, including national and state parks.
It feels good to be released from the virus stranglehold. Yet, this morning at a Koreatown supermarket, everyone were still wearing their masks though folks were way more sociable, stopping to converse a bit more than before when folks avoided one another.
Folks, we now can run, we can play, we can fly our kites outdoors, we can socialize, we can travel.
Thank you to President Joe Biden , to all the citizen voters who voted for him, here in America and those living abroad as US citizens, as you all made this happen. In December, we were held by the strong grips of the pandemic and deaths were left and right. By the time we got vaccinated in Jan. and Feb. hope levels went up.
Thank you Governor Andrew Cuomo though I live in California, your daily press briefings since March 2020 to weekly, then as needed, briefings, based on scientific facts, consultation with the world’s public health experts, were my reliable sources of credible leadership example and of course, news and optimism! I appreciated that more than anything to watch a credible State Governor take the helm in a pandemic, based on truth, integrity, and accountable public service. You may have made a mistake, but over 471 days of credible leadership is commendable.
Now, the road traffic in Los Angeles is at its highest peak levels again.
Thank you also to the coordinated responses of the city, county and state of California Gavin Newsom a special recognition to Supervisor Hilda Solis, who for the most part were accountable, albeit with some hiccups on sharing power and control between the state and over 60 local county health departments who tried to be so independent, when collaboration and teamwork during pandemic is a must. Thank you to Santa Clara health department for its exemplary public health decisions.
Thank you to Asian Journal and staffers for diligent, conscientious, credible news reporting and featuring stories of our California nurses, our frontline heroes who sacrificed their lives and offered solace, comfort and songs to accompany those dying from #CoronaVirus. Thank you for your beautiful way of dignifying who they were, their love for Disney characters and the small businesses’ struggles.
Thank you to Pope Francis FC whose homilies kept us hopeful, optimistic, God-centered, as the pastors of Holy Family Catholic Church, Artesia with the best homilies, cantors and livestreamed masses almost daily; and to Bishop Ambo David for his homilies that inspired us, too. Thank you to our Blessed Virgin Mary who kept us protected. I got to attend 397 digital masses, for that I am grateful for Facebook, as a force for positive good!
Thank you to Hydee Pichai who created, developed, organized and maintained my website, <lotusrainier.com>, which became repositories of transformational stories, hopeful journal entries of the pandemic, compelling me to see the hand of God in the ordinary details of life.
A special thank you to my adult children, Corina, Carlo and their partners who took care of us during the early peak periods as the latter periods as well and the safe, short, outdoor get – togethers we did for birthdays. It kept us all hopeful, connected, yet socially distant and responsible.
To my 6yo #princess2015la my granddaughter who showed optimism, vibrance, zest for life, and resilience – she inspired me to keep moving forward.
And a very special gratitude to several priests who guided me with their warm outreach, spiritually enlightening homilies, some even communicated their concerns via phone calls and texts: Fr. Rodel G.Balagtas Fr. John Cordero, Fr. Randy Odchigue, Fr. Joaquim Ablanida, Fr. Aris Martin and Fr. Joel Bugas. My big thank you to you all!
I survived because you all cared and prayed for me and loved me. Maraming Salamat sa inyong lahat! And my hubby Enrique de la Cruz who walked, who biked, who did gardening, who wrote opinion editorials, who did his power juicing for the family and most of all, grocery shopping with double masks during the peak periods. He will not be slowed down by the virus.
After 472 days of Coronavirus shut-in in New York, 445 days of quarantine, and phased-in access to different parts of California, we can now have full access to the reopening of all businesses in California and New York, including national and state parks.
It feels good to be released from the virus stranglehold. Yet, this morning at a Koreatown supermarket, everyone was still wearing their masks though folks were way more sociable, stopping to converse a bit more than before when folks avoided one another.
Folks, we now can run, we can play, we can fly our kites outdoors, we can socialize, we can travel.
Thank you to President Joe Biden , to all the citizen voters who voted for him, here in America, and to those living abroad as US citizens, as you all made this happen. In December, we were held by the strong grips of the pandemic and deaths were left and right. By the time we got vaccinated in Jan. and Feb., hope levels went up.
Thank you Governor Andrew Cuomo though I live in California, your daily press briefings since March 2020 to weekly, then as-needed, briefings, based on scientific facts, and consultation with the world’s public health experts, were my reliable sources of credible leadership example and of course, news and optimism! I appreciated that more than anything to watch a credible State Governor take the helm in a pandemic, based on truth, integrity, and accountable public service. You may have made a mistake, but over 471 days of credible leadership is commendable.
Now, the road traffic in Los Angeles is at its highest peak levels again.
Thank you also to the coordinated responses of the city, county, and state of California Gavin Newsom a special recognition to Supervisor Hilda Solis, who for the most part were accountable, albeit with some hiccups on sharing power and control between the state and over 60 local county health departments who tried to be so independent, when collaboration and teamwork during a pandemic is a must. Thank you to the Santa Clara health department for its exemplary public health decisions.
Thank you to Asian Journal and its staffers for diligent, conscientious, credible news reporting and featuring stories of our California nurses, our frontline heroes who sacrificed their lives and offered solace, comfort, and songs to accompany those dying from #CoronaVirus. Thank you for your beautiful way of dignifying who they were, their love for Disney characters, and the small businesses’ struggles.
Thank you to Pope Francis FC whose homilies kept us hopeful, optimistic, and God-centered, as the pastors of Holy Family Catholic Church, Artesia with the best homilies, cantors, and live-streamed masses almost daily; and to Bishop Ambo David for his homilies that inspired us, too. Thank you to our Blessed Virgin Mary who kept us protected. I got to attend 397 digital masses, and for that, I am grateful for Facebook, as a force for positive good!
Thank you to Hydee Pichai who created, developed, organized, and maintained my website, <lotusrainier.com>, which became repositories of transformational stories, and hopeful journal entries of the pandemic, compelling me to see the hand of God in the ordinary details of life.
A special thank you to my adult children, Corina, Carlo, and their partners who took care of us during the early peak periods and the latter periods as well as the safe, short, outdoor get-togethers we did for birthdays. It kept us all hopeful, and connected, yet socially distant and responsible.
To my 6yo #princess2015la my granddaughter who showed optimism, vibrance, zest for life, and resilience – she inspired me to keep moving forward.
And a very special gratitude to several priests who guided me with their warm outreach, and spiritually enlightening homilies, some even communicated their concerns via phone calls and texts: Fr. Rodel G.Balagtas Fr. John Cordero, Fr. Randy Odchigue, Fr. Joaquim Ablanida, Fr. Aris Martin and Fr. Joel Bugas. My big thank you to you all!
I survived because you all cared and prayed for me and loved me. Maraming Salamat sa inyong lahat! And my hubby Enrique de la Cruz who walked, who biked, who did gardening, who wrote opinion editorials, who did his power juicing for the family, and most of all, grocery shopping with double masks during the peak periods. He will not be slowed down by the virus.
