“Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen”: The MOJ Legacy -- Kapatid, Kapamilya, Kapuso -- 20 Years of Unending Grace
By Roms Dungca Jr.
on Wednesday, June 4, 2014 at 8:34 PM
"For many are called, but few are chosen." - Matthew 22:14
Every book has a preface, every song sounds good with an introduction, every movie is better with a prequel, every ruling calls for a precedent, every person must have a predecessor, every success story started with a humble beginning and every great nation study its history.
“If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree. ” ― Michael Crichton.
[“The MOTHER OF JESUS is a religious youth organization who serves in the Parish of Santo Domingo Church - The Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila. The group recently celebrated its 20th year of existence last 6th of May 2014 since it was founded by 9 friends, (who treated each other as “Kapatid” because of their common passion for dedicated service & singing) who that time were bonded with authentic friendship, child-like hearts and whole-hearted passion for service. Let us look back and discover the humble beginnings of such a great endeavor. “]
December 1993. It started with 7 friends who were once members of a religious organization in the same parish. It came to a point that their ideals and desires as a youth serving within the parish were no longer entwined with that of the group. Indifferences spurted. They were no longer happy. A difficult decision had to be made -- which they did. They finally called it quits and left the previous organization full of questions, doubts, fears and pain. They ventured into a soul-searching journey to find the real meaning of pure, committed & unblemished service amidst with what had happened. They called it "A Change of Hearts." These 9 friends were Kuya Ponso, Kuya Jhun, Kuya Bong, Kuya Noli, sisters Ate Tina, Ate Racquel, & Ate Cynthia, joining them were their younger brother, Romeo {who had intentions to join the group they once belonged to when he reach 18 years old} and Kuya Chris.
January 6, 1994. This group was always guided by Divine providence; they always believed that the Holy Spirit guides their every actions and decisions. For reasons unknown to them they fled and reached Cavite and settled into one of the resorts there to meditate and soul search. After some time, they decided to find shelter in a house of a relative, and from there they felt the warmth of love and belongingness from a family (“Kapamilya”). Kuya Pons, who was once a legionary member of a junior Praesidium way back his grade school years, shared with the group the main vision & mission of every legionary and that is to "imitate the spirit of the legion of Mary who is that of Mary herself."
Full of enthusiasm and high new hopes, the group made a pact to establish a group which was first and foremost based on the Legion of Mary and second, since all of them carries the same passion in singing songs of praise & glory to God, a choir who will serve the parish in echoing & voicing out the grace and glory of God through singing.
February 6, 1994. The friends assembled at their first home base, (The Dungca's residence )- {FYI: the first ever Legion of Mary meeting also transpired in a humble abode- Frank Duff’s house} where they had their first legion of Mary Praesidium meeting. The mood of the group's first praesidium meeting was very nostalgic -- it was solemn and cheerful. The Mediatrix of all Graces image was bought courtesy of "Papa" & the flower vase, mantle & flowers on the other hand were courtesy of "Mama" (not to mention the endless meals served during the conception of the group. Papa & Mama were the group's first adoptive parents: Mr. & Mrs. Dungca -- "Kapamilya").
The meeting was facilitated by the group's first spiritual Director Sis. Gloria Cansanay, T.O.P. (who also served as Vice president of the Curiae, Regina Sacratisimi Rosarii Curiae that time). She was well-rounded with the legion of Mary, being part of it since she was a child. She further sparked the burning desires of the group to continue with the realization of their heart's desires in founding a group with such passion and dedication. Sis. Gloria was the one who approved the group’s praesidium identity - Mirror of Justice Praesidium (Mirror of Justice was the name of the praesidium where Kuya Ponso was once a member, praesidium names must be submitted and approved first by a Curiae officer), the group was very fortunate to have the Curiae's VP as its SD/adviser.
Since Romeo (Jun) was just 15 years old, he was refrained to join the succeeding praesidium meetings. However, Sis. Gloria said that once the Curiae acknowledge the existence of Mirror of Justice Praesidium, (at least a 1 month probationary period), the group can also create a Junior Praesidium where Jun can be part of it. And so it did.
March 6, 1994. After a month, the Senior praesidium (Mirror of Justice) gave birth to a Junior praesidium which was called MQA (Mary, Queen of Angels).
Along with the developments of the senior and junior praesidia were endless apostolate works. Since January, the group was exhausting every effort to rehearse songs and offer services to the Parish such as daily street masses, not to mention singing and offering rosary on wakes, mass campaigns, house to house visitation – and most importantly, recruiting members with the same passion and dedication. Among the first ones who responded were couples kuya Ato & ate Lani and kuya Manny & ate Marge, Siblings ate Beng & kuya Dict, Friends ate Christy, ate Anna & ate Weng. One time, the group was invited to sing in a Wedding Mass where the group sang its first theme song “Love is the Answer”. From then on, the group always echoed the song in every slum areas of the Parish during street masses.
Came April 1994, the group was really blessed with prompt astonishing developments, Fr. Bien (the Parish Priest that time) offered the group a slot on the Frist Friday Mass which was originally the slot of Tiples de Santo Domingo.
With that in mind, the group stepped a notch higher and was thinking of getting a choir master to teach the group mass songs. Jun said he knew a classmate who knows how to play the keyboards, so the group invited him over, kuya Lemuel, to at least accompany during masses. On the first night of the group’s rehearsals, kuya Lemuel said that he knew someone who really was a choir master before but stopped for an unknown reason. So full of enthusiasm, kuya Ponso and ate Cynch together with Lemuel and Jun went to the house of the said choir master (kuya Rey) to invite & convince him to teach the group. {Just so happened, Kuya Rey was also praying for a sign to Our Lady of La Naval, for he was in a dilemma -- if he would continue to serve by teaching in a choir or move on and just search for a job.}
It was a coincidence however, that kuya Rey taught ate Cynch with her 4th year classmates at her school's choral competition a couple of years ago (where they grabbed the Grand Prize, their close rival was taught by a Madrigal Singer member). So without any doubts and hesitations, he agreed to teach the group with just one reservation, the group had to sing a full choral piece which will impress him – nothing much in the group’s arsenal but “Love is the Answer”. The group captured the emotion and soul of kuya Rey that very instant, not because the group sounded very well that time, but because of 3 things; he said that the group had a (1) complete set of SATB voices, (2) the group had dynamics when singing, and (3) very importantly, the group sang full of emotion and "heart". Everything just fell into its proper place -- Divine Providence setting in.
And so it happened, the group was starting to fill up its repertoire. Since it was a summer vacation, the group rehearsed almost daily, seizing every day to make the necessary preparations for the group’s launching on May. Came along with it was to think of a name to brand the choir. {Several names sprouted such as Santo Domingo Legionaire Ensemble (SDLE), Santo Domingo Legionary Singers (SDLS), etc.}
In one event, The Bb. Santo Domingo was officially introducing its candidates and one of them was the group’s very own ate Tina Dungca. The group was invited to do an intermission. However, the group did an extraordinary intermission since the ones available were only the boys of MOJ, the group did a comedy skit entitled “Natural”, and the group was introduced as "MOJ" since Mirror of Justice is the praesidium name (the MOJ boys thought of just using MOJ ‘coz of the nature of the intermission to be done which was pretty unbecoming of Legionaries). Everything went smooth, everyone enjoyed and burst into laughter after the MOJ boys’ performance. An old lady approached one of the group members and asked what MOJ meant, to cut the long story short, the old lady stressed “I thought it was Mother of Jesus”. Was it merely a coincidence? Perhaps, but in the group’s minds it is Divine Providence at work; Ergo, the birth of “Mother of Jesus.”
Concurrently, the group logo was being designed by ate Tina Dungca who prayed for the perfect logo for the group, and she did. The group was surprised and humbled at the same time when she showed the finished designed. It was first and foremost a Heart shape, the left lobe is Mama Mary's face and the right lobe is Jesus' face (Madonna and Child) and in the middle is a Cross which symbolizes that Jesus is the center of the group while Mama Mary is the heart. Inside the heart is a keyboard which symbolizes that music keeps the group's heart beating as one. Emerging from the top right corner is the holy spirit radiating over the Mother and Child which symbolizes that the Holy Spirit is the driving force of the group. Just below the horizontal line of the cross reads " Mother of Jesus Chorus" and below the vertical line of the cross writes May 1994.
May 6, 1994. First Friday Mass. Mass in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The 21 member of MOJ Chorus sang gleefully for the first time together on the Church altar.
The Mother of Jesus Chorus was officially launched and introduced to the Santo Domingo Parish Community as part of its recognized and official religious organization mainly as a Legion of Mary Praesidium and Choir during the First Friday Mass. The group serenaded the invited guests with two songs “Take and Receive” Original arrangement of Kuya Rey and “Love is the Answer.” Guests present were Rev. Fr. Bienvenido Trinilla, Jr., O.P., SDP Parish Pastoral Council officers SDP Youth Ministry officers, Sis. Gloria Cansanay, T.O.P., relatives and friends.
The official 21 Pioneer members introduced were:
1. Alfonso Fabregas (President, Mirror of Justice)
2. Maria Cristina Dungca (Vice President, Mirror of Justice/Coordinator of Mother of Jesus Chorus)
3. Racquel Dungca (Secretary, Mirror of Justice/Mother of Jesus Chorus)
4. Cynthia Dungca (Treasurer, Mirror of Justice/Mother of Jesus Chorus/President, Mary Queen of Angels)
5. Jose Revaldo (Vice-President, Mary Queen of Angels)
6. Bong Pagul
7. Noli
8. Crisanto Cristobal
9. Romeo Dungca (Treasurer, Mary Queen of Angels)
10. George
11. Ato
12. Lani
13. Manny
14. Margie
15. Bobet
16. Beverly Dungca
17. Benedict Dungca
18. Ma. Christina Maglaque (Secretary, Mary Queen of Angels)
19. Annalyn Delagubaton+
20. Rowena Asumbrado
21. Lemuel Tiu
And, Reynaldo Medrano (Choir Master, Mother of Jesus Chorus)
From then on, the Mother of Jesus Chorus sang songs of praise and grace for the glory of God, continued on with doing several apostolates and conducting Praesidium meetings. The group was also entrusted to sing during Saturday anticipated mass up to present. It started with “Kapatid” (friends who consider themselves siblings) and "Kapamilya” (mostly sibling members, not to mention the unconditional help from parents and family) to “Kapuso” {a lot of MOJ members ended up as married couples, MOJ very much instrumental with their intimacy and union and eventually producing MOJ babies}. Hence, the MOJ legacy of unending grace will forever leave a mark in the hearts and minds of the people who, in one way or another, had been part of such a great endeavour to uplift each other's individuality & spirituality and radiate an authentic spirit of love and service -- In the glory of God to Jesus through the intercession of Mary.
The call for the "FEW CHOSEN" lives on.... here's to another 20 years of unending grace!
-rgdjr
Legend:
MOJ = abbreviated form of Mother Of Jesus / Mirror of Justice
Kapatid = sibling
Kapamilya = family
Kapuso = better half/significant other (love one)
Phrases or words inside () = addendum or additional remarks
Phrases or words inside {} = trivial
SDP = Santo Domingo Parish
T.O.P. = Third Order of Preachers
SD = Spiritual Director
