By Sr. Soledad Ladores, fmm

I came to Amman Dec. 5, 1984 after doing two years of Arabic Course in Jerusalem. I tried to help the sister-in-charge of the catechism classes  in our parish but I realized that my Arabic was not good enough to do any apostolate among the Arabs. I was really searching for an involvement. One day, while on a visit to Jerusalem, a Filipino sister handed me a letter written by a Columban priest, Fr. Charles Meager, during his visit to the Holy Land in August 1984. I happened to know the priest as he was our parish priest when I was assigned in Iligan City in Mindanao. The letter read:

Dear Sr. Flor, when I was in Amman, I met a Filipino girl working in a hotel. Two things came into my mind. First, even though she is in Amman for four years, she has never been to the Holy Land. Is it not a pity that the priest or sisters in Amman could not arrange a visit for them to the holy places? I think it would be a good experience for their faith. Second, many of the Filipinos in Amman are in danger of falling away from the Church and their faith. They need ministry. Could you not push some sisters in a ministry to the Filipinos in Amman? It is really a great need.

This letter challenged me-after my home visit in summer 1995 I started to get involved with this ministry. I began to attend Sunday Masses as Jebel Amman where most Filipinos go for Mass. After that I met some nurses who lived in a dormitory nearby. One Sunday they introduced me to the parish priest by the name of Fr. Rafig Shoubash. He invited me to work in his parish, which I accepted with the content of my community.

The Filipino Center

With 15 members we started to form a choir to make the Sunday Mass more alive. We had no materials so each one tried to recall hymns they learned in the Philippines and sing it to the group for the liturgy the following week. Little by Little the group grew in number. Then it was divided into two   groups, those who sing on Fridays and those on Sundays. Through the FMM community we rented a house where we could gather after Mass. We called it the Filipino Centers. Here we prepare meals together on Friday, Sunday and other feast. Our choir sings Jebel Webdeh and Jobal Amman Church and at Jabal Hussien for Christmas Eve and Holy Week services.

In Safe Hands

This center serves as a welcome house especially to those who have no place to go during their day off. This becomes their home where they feel a sense of belonging – they share not only their heartaches but also their joys to each other. Many employers are grateful that thier employees go to this center for they know they are in safe hands. Last March 1996, through the agreement between the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Jesuits in Jordan, an English Language Parish was created. All the English speaking community in Amman belong to this parish, including the Filipinos. This is a blessing for us - we got our own pastor to attend to our spiritual needs – more so for me as I don’t feel alone anymore in my work.

Now after 13 fruitful years of ministering to my kababayans, I have to say goodbye to answer another call. I’ll miss everybody but this is what it takes to be a missionary. I just have to go where God leads me.