Brother Fabio Patt – 25th anniversary of perpetual religious profession

There was only a clear conviction in me that, only if I started walking, taking concrete steps that would bring me closer to that vague idea that nagged at my heart, would the Lord let me know whether I was on the right path or not. At that time, I was already the coordinator of the maintenance team of a large hospital in Milan. Yet, although that job was secure and the working conditions were very good, I did not feel satisfied and comfortable in that environment. Therefore, I participated in a search programme for my future that helped me to clarify my ideas a bit.

After two years of discernment, I decided to embark on the ‘missionary journey’, hoping that the Lord would help me better understand what he wanted from me, and I entered the Comboni Postulancy. After only a year, I started the Novitiate.

During this first part of the journey, what had only been a ‘feeling of possibility’ appeared to me more and more as a real prospect. So, I decided to enter the Institute of the Combonian Missionaries, taking my first religious vows on 18^th May 1991.

Thank God, I immediately felt ‘fulfilled’ and happy, unlike when I was working at the hospital. Since then, I have continued to walk briskly on the road that God presented to me day by day, convinced that it was the right one!

After my vows, I was sent to Nairobi, Kenya, to continue my formation as a Brother. The plan was that I should stay in that International Centre for Brothers for at least four years. Instead, only 10 months later, I received a letter from the Superior General sending me to Hong Kong to study Chinese. Completely unaware of the challenges that awaited me (I did not even know exactly where Hong Kong was!) I said ‘yes’.

On 31^st December 1992, I landed at Manila International Airport around 6pm. The first impact with the Philippines was the wall of heat and humidity I ‘slammed’ against as I reached the aircraft door to descend the ladder to the bus waiting to take passengers to the terminal (at that time there were no air-conditioned moving ‘corridors’...).

That first time I stayed in the Philippines for only 10 days, spent with the confreres in Tagaytay at the delegation annual assembly. Then I went to Hong Kong, where I studied Cantonese for two years.

The culture shock was immediate and very deadly, but with God’s grace I survived. I remember that during the first six months, all I could do in my personal prayer was to cry out to God: “Lord, why did you send me to this place where I do not understand anything?”

After learning Cantonese, I came to Manila in February 1995, where I stayed until June 1996 to study the basics of theology and attend some Bible courses. It was an enjoyable 15 months in every sense of the word, during which I discovered the ‘sweet’ side of the Philippines, visiting places, making many friendships (which continue to this day) and enjoying the company of people.

Most of you who came from Quezon City today are still friends from that time!

But, as the old adage goes, “time flies when you’re having fun”. And so, I had to leave for Macau to start my first missionary service. Here I stayed for 11 years, coming to Manila once a year for our delegation assembly. It was in Macao that I made my perpetual religious profession on 8^th December 1999.

At the end of 2007, there was a need for a new delegation bursar and World Mission magazine administrator, and the superiors asked me to leave Macao and come to Sucat. Having to meet deadlines and deal with local bureaucracy, and sometimes even maintenance staff, during this time I discovered the ‘not entirely sweet’ side of the Philippines: delays, setbacks and a thousand other things made me lose patience. However, to my surprise, with a break of only four short years (spent serving the province of Italy), I am still doing the same job. I wonder if it is because I need extra penance for my sins, or if it is to help those around me to become saints faster…

Regarding the sense of ‘gratitude’ I feel when I think about my 25 years of religious life, I must say, firstly, that we must all always give thanks to God for the gifts he gives us every day. They are truly great gifts: life, the love of family and friends, vocations (to married life, religious life, priestly life...), our work, the many human relationships... Everything is his gift!

Secondly, I feel I must say thank you to all of you for coming here to Manila today to share with me this important anniversary in my life. I ask you to join me in praising God for his faithfulness. If I am here today, it is first of all because of his mercy and love.

A big thank you also goes to all of you for your patience, your friendship and your multifaceted support, on a practical, spiritual, moral and material level. Thank you also for the wonderful decorations and the perfect organisation of this event: I consider all this a great gift from you.

But I also feel the need to ask your forgiveness for all the times that, even without wanting to, I have made you suffer!

Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!! Thank you!

Bro. Fabio Patt, mccj