The Gazette

We Try To Help The Needy, Feed The Poor, & Care For The Sick Of The Third World

Inside This Issue
1	Report from The Founder Ted Malone
2	An Unlikely Hero Blessed Brother Andre
3	Salvador ‘Bong’ Nasol, Philippine Facilitator
4	Dr. Adan Eva, Director , Bicol Medical Center, Naga City.
5	Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila

Through the generosity of so many Lower Mainland Vancouver people, institutions, businesses, hospitals, and school boards, who have helped the Society gather so many 1,000’s of items that had been stored in warehouses, basements, and storage areas. These were all de-inventoried materials, written off, or due to be scrapped, or simply put in the land fill.

On behalf of the hundreds of recipients made up of tens of thousands of Third World poor in four Philippine Provinces, we say, a heartfelt thank you for caring, thank you for sharing, from our hearts to yours.

We have always worked on the premise, that by having our recipients, donate the cost of shipping

We’re Calling All Hearts
For All The Change You
Can Spare,
Calling All Hearts to Share.
We’re Calling all Hearts,
For All the Things You Can Spare,
Calling All Hearts To Share,
So We, Can Help the Needy
Feed the Poor and Care For The Sick,
To Help Bring Love And Hope, For All Those Folks,
Who Need Our Help and Care,
We’re Calling All Hearts To
All Those Folks who can Care,
Calling All Hearts To Share

These containers which come from donations by schools, parishes, Barangay Captains, Council Members, Senators, Member of Congress, doctors, priests, etc. in the Philippines.

Each request is validated by Bong Nasol our Philippine Facilitator, who does an onsite ocular inspection to ensure the donee is a worthy recipient, and that the end user, the poor, will directly benefit from the donation..

Each donee is requested to help in the offsetting of shipping costs from Canada to their province. In the Philippines. Many cannot afford to give anything, but that is OK with us. They can help in the distribution and off loading of the container, and are treated equally.

Many of these recipients are barrio schools with 60 students to a class, 3 pupils to a desk, sharing one book among them. Teachers often have to supply these children lunch from their own pocket.

Mrs. Eva Solina, the principal of St. Benilde Integrated School, Bacolod, Negros Occidental Province works very hard in obtaining new recipients, raising funds for the shipments and obtains the donations for the Society. She speaks publicly on the Society’s work throughout the province. She recently has accepted the election as the Secretary for Region X School District of the School Principals and Teachers Association. All this work is done freely on a voluntary basis.

The Society currently has in excess of 100 request letters for aide and help spreading into several new provinces of the Philippines.

The Society has been so well received by Vancouver hospitals, and school boards in the Lower mainland, that we have enough material being held on hand that we could ship immediately four more containers. Lack of funds to ship prevent us from doing so.

These materials now consist of 100 + computers, 100 + electric typewriters , movie cameras and training educational films, 90 children’s mechanical hospital beds, 88 children’s hospital cribs, 30 pallets of school books, plus another 30 pallets from another school board. This alone is material for another two immediate containers.

Containers have run an average cost of $ 8,500 US each. This is made up of local cartage, overseas telephone ( our single biggest expense ) seafreight, but does not include nor has ever allowed for a salary for the facilitator.

The Society has no debts, except moneys it owes the directors who have lent the society funds to meet current expenses.

Through the professionally donated assistance of Mr. Rod Razi, MBA, who has prepared the books, statements, and tax returns for the Society. Mr. Razi is currently in the process of preparing a business plan and project budget forecast. We have recently found out that the Society being over two years old, now can qualify for a substantial Federal Grant. This we hope will now allow us to budget and ship a container a month in the future.

Through the generous donations of MAPS International.(Canadian Medicine Aid Programme) Mr. John Rumble the Executive Director in Toronto, the Society on November 23, 1996 through a donation of drugs and medicines was able to conduct a medical mission in Bicol Province supplying free eyeglasses obtained from Vancouver local eye oculists, free medicines, free medical examinations, free eye examinations for 586 freely donated used pairs of eye glasses, along with free dental care for all the people of Pamplona, Camerines Sur.

All medical personnel were supplied by Dr. Adan Eva the Director of the Bicol Medical Center, who supplied medical staff of twenty five doctors and nurses, and who serviced 4, 776 townspeople in a single day.

This medical mission has proved so successful that we have again received enough medicines that we can now conduct and serve another 10,000 people shortly, along with another 986 pairs of donated used eyeglasses.

One has only to see the gratitude shown by so many for so little given. For most people, this proved to be the first time they had been seen by a doctor.

The chapel of St. Joseph in the Barrio of Tambo, Camerines Sur, Bicol Province which had been ravished by typhoons was painted, furnished, and rededicated by Archbishop Aurellio, thanks to donations of mass vestments, candelabra, candles, stations of the cross, statues, a confessional, hymnals, alter, tabernacle, alter tables, alter chairs, banners, church interior lights, vigil lights, mass bells, and finally paint; enough to do two coats on both the exterior and interior of the chapel.

Everything noted above was donated on the second container by the parishes, schools, and convents of the archdiocese.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Peniafrancia built and established a Perpetual Adoration Chapel to St. Joseph. This chapel was donated a set of new mass vestments, a monstrance, kneelers, vigil chairs, a Sacred Heart statue, and provided for the rector’s office a ceramic of Christ the King, a painting of Pope John Paul 11, and a tapestry of Christ the King.

The Society, then furnished six rooms with beds, bed tables, lamps, sitting chairs, desks & chairs, crucifixes, bed linens, and drapes. This is now a home at the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peniafrancia for retired priests. Furnishings again came from Youville Residence of Vancouver.

Through the generosity of the Archdiocese, 10 boxes of souvenir plates in two sizes which were surplice from the visit of John Paul in 1985 were given by Msgr. Nero to visiting priests of the Philippines.

The Basilica each year holds a Fluvial Procession for nine days in honor of Our Lady of Peniafrancia, the national Patroness of the Bicol Region of the Philippines.

The dinner table at each meal, was set up with these plates. Visiting priests coming for meals were enthralled with the magnificence of the dinner table. At the end of the meal. The Rector, Msgr. Alberto Nero PH, invited his visitors to take the plates home with them, much to the great joy of all the guests. God is good, so are our chancery people. Thank you.

Again from Youville Residence donations. Six rooms for retired sisters were furnished in Mother Seaton Hospital by the Sisters of Charity, in Naga City, Camerines Sur, Bicol Province.

Through the generosity of both the Catholic and Vancouver Public School Boards, a library was established in the barrio of San Vincente, and a second in the barrio of Tambo. These are the first and only reference libraries in the province and are used by all the teachers and students throughout the province. They are the first public lending libraries in Bicol Province.

In Cagayan de Oro City, at Cathedral School of Technology, another library and science lab were founded through school board donations.

A four bed clinic was established for indigent mothers and families staffed by two doctors and volunteers. Again through donations of Youville Residence. As the birth table is 100 years old, any donation of equipment and instruments less then 25 years old will greatly be appreciated. 152 baby births were serviced in its first 6 months of operation.

Through the generosity of IKON BUSINESS MACHINES of Vancouver, in excess of 45 photo copy machines, and 15 fax machines, have been shipped to all parts of the country, and are used by schools, colleges, hospitals, diocesan and government offices.

Dr. Adan Eva in a letter of thanks to the Society expressed himself this way " communications in this modern world are as important as the saving of lives." Thank you Ikon, God will surely bless you.

UBC donated in excess of 100 computers and typewriters which were used to establish the first hands on free computer courses in the school system at both the elementary, high school and collage level.

The Society, has provided books, and project supplies, to both private and government schools for the deaf and mute, autistic children, handicapped, and hundreds of public barrio schools in four provinces, have been supplied books and school materials such as pens, pencils, paper, uniforms, rulers, protractor sets, of every kind and description. Movie projectors, films, overhead projectors are just a few of the named donated items.

How God loves you all for sharing,especially the children who gave up their precious possessions and toys.

Initially and unbeknown to us, the Society after having obtained the required Deeds of Donation and then having the containers inspected by the Philippine Consulate officials in Vancouver. We found out to our dismay that our recipients were being charged unjust levies, taxes, assessments and demurrage which amounted to between P 225,000 and P 300,000 per container.

These funds convert to $12,500 up to $ 16,666 dollars Canadian per container. That is 3 to 4 times our shipping cost.

These hanious charges were then raised among the donees who are forced to pay these unfair and unjust charges. The people paid them as the containers to them are worth (born out by our insurance) between I million and 2,5 million dollars a container. Insured replacement value of goods shipped is ten million dollars.

People who raised these funds in the Philippines were in fact government employees of one type or another , or religious who serve the community.

We have requested the aid and assistance of the President, Fidel Ramos, Senator Raul S. Roco of the Philippine Senate, and Jaime Cardinal Sin of Manila to assist us in solving this problem.

It makes no sense whatsoever for Customs to tax its own government, who in most cases are the donee and the end user. Where does the money go? Who benefits from this traditional and adherent practice? Certainly not the impoverished donee. We as of this writing have received a reply from Cardinal Sin, but have not had a reply or heard from the above mentioned.

To enable us to continue in this work. Look into your own heart. See, that by an act of love, God let you be fortunate enough to be born in this country. God could have chosen for you to be born in a Third World country, where you could be that parent or child who has nothing, and then spend a lifetime just trying to feed your family. With no hope, no education, and no future for you or your children. Never mind enjoying the basics of life such as shelter, a bed, food, and medicine which can rarely be had by your Third World brothers and sisters.

These are your international brothers and sisters. Reach into your heart to help us send them what we take so much for granted.

We know we cannot bring all the world’s poor into Canada to give them a life. But we can bring a little bit of Canada to them and ease their plight.

You can earn your own crown in heaven by (GOYB) Get off your butt, don’t leave it all up to the next guy to do your fair share. Take responsibility to give your own fair share. Remember Mother Teresa and Jesus when they said "You did it to me."

SEND YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION
(FED. LIC. # 89063 6160 RR0001)
TO:
St. Francis of Assisi
Marian Development Society
110-9288 Cameron St., Burnaby, BC, V3J 1L8
Tel/Fax (604) 420-3865

You might have missed him had he not answered the door. In fact, there was very little on first glance to command the man. He was short, almost to small in statue, and he wore the simple and often faded habit of a Holy Cross brother. The only contrast to the black was the white collar and the silver medal of St. Joseph that hung around his neck. He was not eloquent in speech. He held no important office in the religious community that would be his family for sixty seven years until his death at the age of ninety one. The work he did was relatively menial: laundry at the school, some house cleaning, cutting the students hair, answering the door. For all of this - the diminutive appearance, simplicity of manner, the humble work, there was nothing arresting about the man. What you noticed even when he was an old man, was the sharpness of his eyes indicating something deeper within. Here was the clarity of faith, determined belief in the immeasurable love of God and the power of prayer. These were the eyes often of a vague smile, that welcomed visitors to the school in Montreal where Bro. Andre worked for most of his religious life in Holy cross. But when he opened the doors of the College of Notre dame, he also opened the doors of his heart in compassion and love and it was this that made the difference.

If saints were judged as heroes often are, on the greatness of personal achievement and the promise of glory, Brother Andre(along with most saints) would hardly have met the qualification. Indeed judging from his beginnings and most of the circumstances, it would seem unlikely that he would accomplish much at all. He was born Alfred Bessete in Quebec in 1845 and was one of a dozen children orphaned at the age of twelve, he and his siblings were taken in by a courageous aunt. Alfred had to forgo a formal education and find whatever work he could to support his large family. He spent most of his youthful years in textile mills in New England and Canada and tried his hand at a variety of other trades. Cobbler, blacksmith, baker, and farmhand - though never becoming sufficiently adept in any one of them to make a livelihood. He also suffered chronic illness throughout his lifetime. So, by the time he was twenty five and presented himself to the Congregation of the Holy Cross as a working brother, there was precious little to recommend him. Considered to old for the rudimentary education that might change his fortunes in Holy Cross - he could barely write his own name - Alfred was accepted with a view towards giving him some basic work, useful but undemanding. And yet, there was something more to the young man that his superiors noticed. It was clear that he was a person of great faith, animated by a great devotion to St. Joseph and committed to a life of prayer and service.

After his profession as a Holy Cross brother, and having taken the name Andre from his childhood pastor who encouraged him in his vocation, he was assigned to the secondary school, Notre Dame, at the foot of the Mount Royal in Montreal. He was given much to do but was in charge of very little. He rang bells for the school, did laundry, and cleaned parlors, and answered the door. Though this work was unflattering, Andre never flagged in carrying out his duties. He combined in his daily life a dedication to prayer for his apostate, the twin foundations of the Holy Cross religious life. As the two came together, especially in his work as porter for the college. Not only did Andre help visitors meet their appointments in the college, but he received them, listened to their stories, and offered his own words of counsel and prayer. The work that had begun simply enough as answering the door became, for Brother Andre, a ministry of welcome, comfort, and prayer. People felt listened to and felt encouragement in Andre’s declaration of faith. He would constantly refer the sufferings of people to St. Joseph and pray with them for whatever transformation God was seeking to give them in their lives. In time these transformations were not only spiritual healings, but often enough recoveries from some illness or physical incapacity. The story that is told is as long as the life of this extraordinary man. But, in short, it was the people encountering a person of holiness, of being touched by him and the faith he shared with them and celebrating what had happened with friends and neighbors. The number of visitors grew, not all of them bound for some appointment the college, but more and more wanting to visit with the brother who greeted them. It wasn’t long before the hallways of the college were choked with visitors, some of them carried in on litters, to be prayed over by Brother Andre. Teachers and students at the school found the whole business increasingly tiresome: Andre was considered naive, his devotion to St. Joseph was thought to be excessive, some even thought him to be "an old charlatan" when it came to reports of physical cures. But Andre felt determined to do what he felt God was telling him to. If the school wasn’t the place to welcome such visitors, then they would have to go elsewhere. By 1910 Andre received permission to move the site of his ministry to an open train station across from the college and, from there and through the generous offerings of these same visitors, to a simple oratory built on Mount Royal in honor of St. Joseph.

Andre’s fame came more and more celebrated. He became known as the "Miracle Man of Montreal" but he was constant and empathic in directing any praise that stemmed from his ministry to the intercession of St. Joseph and the transforming power of God.

Though the numbers of visitors to St. Joseph’s Oratory increased and Andre was to remain in Montreal and greet them, there was understandable pressure that he go to places in Canada and the United States where people unable to journey to Montreal, could see and pray with him. By 1936 and in his early 90’s, Andre was no longer able to carry out his ministry with his usual zeal. He died on January 6,1937 and was buried in a simple tomb in the oratory that he had spent his life building. Though he would never live to see its completion, the foundations of the new and larger oratory to St. Joseph had been laid in his final years. Long after his death, visitors continue to come to the Shrine of St. Joseph and the tomb of Brother Andre, to pray and be healed in body and spirit. In 1978 he was declared venerable and, on May 23, 1982 Pope Paul 11 beatified Brother Andre in Rome.

Some sixty years after his death, Brother Andre is still a compelling figure and a model of humble service to God’s people. His work continues in many ways, certainly at the shrine he built in Montreal, but also in the ministries of hospitality at Andre houses in Oakland, Ca., and in Phoenix, Arizona. In the simple way that described his own work in the shadow of Mount Royal nearly a century ago, the poor, the hungry, the suffering are all still welcomed in. And from there the story goes on, told not by so much in words but the lives of the people who have been touched by Brother Andre and those who follow in his work.

Criteria for CanonizationFor those who inquire about how the church judges a special favor obtained by the intercession of Blessed Brother Andre or who have been touched by Blessed Brother Andre as a miracle, the favor must meet the following criteria:

ª a serious illnessª faith expressed in fervent and confident prayer by a group or persons.ª Instant cure ª the absence of a link between medical treatment and the cure.ª the cure must be complete.ª the cure must be permanent.ª the community of faith must perceive the cure as a sign of God’s love.

Lord You chose Blessed Brother Andre to spread devotions to St. Joseph, and to minister to his afflicted brothers and sisters in their needs.Through his intercession grant us the favor we now ask for ........ grant us also the grace to imitate his holiness and his charity and so to come to share with him the regard you promised to those who care for their neighbor out of love for you. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen

By "Bong" Nasol - Philippine SFA-MDS Facilitator; Cagayan de Oro City, Aug. 28/97

4 Flashlights, 2 jeepneys and a taxi cab served to provide light to unload container No. 5 as we are in a brown out. As the volunteer porters from the port of Cagayan de Oro carry these heavy loads on their shoulders from the container van to the covered court of Macabalan Elementary School was a catching scenario to every Filipino of sacrifice. We had struggled for five months for the release of this container from customs.It is the rebirth of the BAYAUIHAN. ( FILIPINO TERM TO SHARE) The truck that hauled the container could not enter the road to the distribution center, as the road is too narrow.Porters, teachers, the principal, barangay officials, and some members of the PTA helped us and joined their hands together to bear and carry this donated equipment. It is quite a distance from the main road of Macabalan. 270 meters is not a joke with photo copy machines, medical equipment, beds, and boxes to move by hand carry. Female teachers support was with the preparation of food. A buffet supper in candle light ( as I said its brownout) and no space for setting table everywhere is taken up with donated materials.These gesture of community participation help ease and relax our tired minds and bodies after a long week of exhausting facilitation activity with customs officials. Now we have the container and the distribution has been done. Praise God.Two years have now passed, I still recall the first container I facilitated. I was moving like a pendulum inside the Bureau of Customs in Manila. I had no idea of what to do to start the process of clearing our documents. Thanks to Senator Roco and his Staff, the process was made easier, the container released and turned over to the people of Bicol. Today the library SFA established serves the District of Pamplona. Two months later, I again received a pouch containing another Deed of Donation and papers for another container. It was consigned to Msgr. Alberto Nero of Peniafrancia Basilica Minore. We had a hard time with this container. I work to seek the help of some of our recipients. The Bicol Medical Center send two of their medical personnel to ask endorsement from the Dept. Of Health for tax exception to the Dept. Of Finance. We got it after 30 days in customs to finally distribute it to so many. This container open our way to extend help to the southern part of the Philippines.In July of 1996, I scouted and found many new recipients in that part of the country. Through the help of the RVM sisters I received invitations to speak at many seminars and various organization meetings. The PIA (Philippine Information Agency) gave us a lot of exposure on radio, TV, and in the print press. The inflock of people who needed help and assistance came. The 3 rd. Container was assigned to the RVM sisters of Cathedral School of Technology, the coverage of distribution became wider into new provinces.We covered Zamboangu del Norto, the island of Negros Occidental, Bocolod and found a new Director, Mrs. Eva Solina a principal of Bocolod City. Through Mrs. Solina we were able to gather enough schools to take the No. 4 container of one million books that went to so many many barrio schools and institutions. Once again a container came No. 5 of medical supplies, hospital equipment, hospital beds and `photo copiers. This was all shared by different hospitals in Bocolod, Cagayan de Oro City, Naga City, Pamplona, and Tambo. We were not able to raise the seafreight to pay the expenses for this container, and now have No. 6 that just arrived in Manila. We hope to have another medical mission in October. The society needs medicines and supplies. We also plan to open St. Francis of Assisi Marian Emergency Lying-In Clinic from No. 6 container next month. This clinic will serve the towns of Pamplona, Tambo, San Vincente, and is to be the first medical facility outside of Naga City in the district.We count on your help for the realization of these laudable programs. Please do not quit now, for if you do not help us, who will ?

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Department of Health
Regional Field office No. 5
BICOL MEDICAL CENTER
Naga City
Dr. Adan Eva - Chief MO
The Bicol Medical Center, a tertiary-general hospital with an authorized bed capacity of 300 bed Medical Center and a 200 bed Mental Ward The Psychiatry Department of the Center) is situated at Concepcion Pequela, Naga city, Camerines Sur, Philippines. The center attends to all patients requiring hospitalization and/or special medical services coming from the different provinces and cities of the region., which adequate services cannot be provided in their local hospitals. It is also a teaching/training hospital and likewise admits interns as its facilities may permit.The Center not only caters to in-patients, it as well has sponsored numerous medical/surgical and dental missions around the Bicol Region as requested by both government and non-government organizations. It also has regular Outreach Missions for mental patients covering the different provinces of the Region and Central Missions as requested by other district hospitals and even private organizations.The Center is also a recipient of donations coming from various organizations/foundations. These donations in a way has also become a help to the center, especially equipment that has been donated.One of the organizations that have sent donations to this Center is the St. Francis of Assisi Marian Development Society.It was in June of 1996 when this Center received donations from the society. The Center was donated with hospital beds (steel) mattresses, and electric hospital beds, wheelchairs, and assorted medical supplies. Recently last August of 1997 the Center have again received donations from the Society, among the others are laboratory fume hoods, suction machine, mechanical beds with foam mattresses (heavy duty), a biopsy machine, medicine cabinets, physio bed, bedside scales, walkers, commodes, plain paper copier and assorted surgical supplies for use by the center.The Medical Center through it’s chief of Hospital Dr. Adan R. Eva expresses our heartfelt thanks to the Society and the people of Vancouver, BC for the donations they have sent to the Center. It was such a great help to us, especially the equipment which was an addition to our hospital equipment’s. On behalf of all the staff of the Bicol Medical Center, and in the name of the public service, may the Center and this Society become partners in promotion of a healthy community through the Center’s effort to become a Center of Wellness healthy community builds a healthy nation. God bless and thank you Canada. Dios Mabalos Po"

We pray that you have received our letter of August 21/97 attempting to explain to you the bureaucratic process of clearing donated containers through our bureau of customs. There are valid reasons why this bureaucratic process was installed.In the not too distant past, easy entry of "donated" commodities was used by unscrupulous persons as a loophole for technical smuggling of highly dutiable and marketable goods. It was big business. These unscrupulous people set up hundreds of "charitable" foundations to exploit this loophole and rake in money for themselves.Many legitimate and government accredited foundations have accepted, if not supported, plugging this loophole. Some of these legitimate foundations have even supported the imposition of reasonable compensating taxes on some donated commodities to protect and encourage local production of these commodities which in the long run will benefit the country and its people. Poor as we are, we have to be more discerning as to what would be in the best interest of our people in the short, medium, and long haul.Yes, we do indeed need help and collaboration from men and women of good will, whether they be local, expatriates, or non filipinos. But this assistance and collaboration must be appreciated and in accordance with the needs, requirements, conventions, and realities of the here and now.Again, thank you for your concern and goodwill in helping our needy, the sick, and the poor. You may, if you wish, publish our letter to you in your newsletter. God bless you all.

Msgr. Francisco G. Tonoco, Jr.,Executive Director forJaime Cardinal Sin,Archbishop of Manila.