Painting Rogate

A stroke of the brush dipped in red followed by quick swooshes of yellow tint. This was how Jervis Hidalgo started his masterpiece.

Jervis intently draws, making sure every stroke is precise and every color is vibrant. He takes in his subject, thinks it over in his head again and again and then finally decides that yes, that element should be there.

Jervis is no painter though. He is a seminarian at the Rogationist of the Heart of Jesus Seminary. He is one of many seminarians who joined "Paskong Pilipino: Love ko ‘to," an in-house painting activity of the seminary.

Jervis’ and all the other seminarians’ paintings will be auctioned off on December 7 at 5 pm at the Rogationist Seminary, 65 St. Hannibal St., Merville Park, Parañaque. The paintings can be viewed at the Our Lady of Beautiful Love Parish on Washington St., Merville Park, Parañaque.

Christmas cards bearing the seminarians’ designs have been available since October 15.

The Rogationist of the Heart of Jesus Seminary began 32 years ago as an expansion mission by an Italian Congregation of St. Hannibal Mary Di Francia, the Father of the Orphans and of the Poor in 1976. Four Italian priests were commissioned to come to the Philippines and establish their first house congregation here in Asia.

Daunting and as difficult as it was, the four priests took on the mission to send the sublime and urgent message of the "Rogate" or the prayer to obtain good and holy workers for Jesus in the country.

Today, with over 80 seminarians, the Rogationist of the Heart of Jesus Seminary does more than just teach and train young men to become priests; these seminarians together with the priests have been serving their community by reaching out to the less fortunate kids through feeding programs and Catechism teaching.

Countless children touched by their programs, who the priests fondly call "Rogate Kids" are now grown-ups and are responsible, contributing members of society.

But despite the Seminary’s holy mission, it too is not spared these trying times. The seminary can no longer afford to support the education of some of its seminarians nor its daily operations and community projects.

The Seminary’s community and Catechism projects are also affected -- from weekly feeding programs, the Seminary is now down to one every two weeks.

Thus all proceeds of the auction and the Christmas cards are earmarked for the education of the seminarians and the "Rogate Kids." -- Reprinted from The Manila Bulletin