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St. Barbara Parish Welcomes Father Jaime Sullan Ozoa
WELCOME FATHER JIMMY! - August 2010
There has always been a close relationship between the Philippines and the United States —the Philippines became independent of the U.S. on July 4, 1946 — and the relationship is even closer for Catholics. (Many of our military personnel who have served in the Pacific theatre echo their love and respect for the peoples of the Philippines, Guam and Samoa.)
That faith relationship inspired Father Jaime Sullan Ozoa, who arrived from the Diocese of Tagum in late June, to serve in the Diocese of Greensburg for the next four years. "Father Jimmy," has been assigned as Parochial Vicar at St. Barbara Parish in Harrison City, and we are most happy to welcome him with open arms. He is 45 and celebrated his 20th anniversary of priestly ordination April 24 of this year.
Father Jimmy will replace our beloved Father Doug Dorula, who will be leaving August 18 to serve as Parochial Vicar Pro Tem of Mount Saint Peter Parish in New Kensington; he will be greatly missed, and we congratulate him, and pray for all success in his new office.
Father Jimmy arrived with Father Joseph Dadizon Armamento, "Father Joe," , also of the Diocese of Tagum; Father Joe is 43 years old, and has been a priest for 18 years.
In a June 30 interview while staying at the Neumann House, William G. Connare Center, the priests talked about their lives; Bishop Brandt had promised pastoral assignments "later this summer", and he was quick and true to his word!
"We have been helped before by U.S. Catholics," Father Jimmy said of the Philippines. "This is our way of paying back."
"This is our way of expressing our gratitude," Father Joe echoed.
They recalled that Catholicism took root on their home island, Mindanao, a large island in the southern part of the Philippines, in the 1950s because of the work of U.S. Catholic missionaries, including Maryknoll priests who had been ordered to leave China, and priests from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.
The first bishop of the prelature of Tagum, which was formed in 1962, was a Maryknoll priest from the Archdiocese of Boston, Bishop Joseph W. Regan. Tagum became a diocese in 1980, which makes it younger than the two priests. Since 1986, it has been led by Bishop Wilfredo D. Manlapaz, who ordained them.
Father Jimmy noted similarities between the Diocese of Tagum and the Diocese of Greensburg. They are similar in size, 3,139 square miles for Tagum and 3,334 square miles for Greensburg, both have active lay ministry programs, and both have rural, farming regions.
A major difference is population. While Greensburg has 163,000 Catholics in a total population of 678,000 (a Catholic ratio of approximately 1:4), the Diocese of Tagum has 1.1 million Catholics in a total population of 1.5 million (approximately 3:4).
Their initial impressions have been that "people are friendly," and they say their orientation has been organized and well planned. Their whirlwind first week included moving into temporary living quarters, taking care of personnel issues including international clearances, setting up bank accounts, meeting with several diocesan departments, visiting Uniontown and Mount Pleasant as they begin traveling around the diocese, and concelebrating their first Sunday Mass in the diocese at St. Bruno Parish, Greensburg, June 27. Father Jimmy said later that Sunday a young woman greeted them with, "I saw you in church."
Both priests said they take particular joy in celebrating Mass with the people, and they are looking forward to doing that with the people of the diocese. "We are trained as priests to see the church as universal," Father Joe said.
"We are all members of the same faith," said Father Jimmy, adding he hopes his perspective can be broadened by his experience here while he helps local Catholics broaden their perspectives. GOD BLESS YOU FATHER JIMMY for bringing Christ to us with such enthusiasm - WELCOME TO OUR PARISH!