Coffee, creamer, and sugar make up 3-in-1 coffee. Coffee lovers must have loved this idea!

Three-in-one packages are now flourishing in the market. Aside from coffee, these commercial items range from body care products to food supplements to energy drinks to anything else conceivable (and profitable!) under the sun.

Million dollar question: Does the merging of Fr. Gabby Garcia, MI, Fr. Sam Cuarto, MI, and Fr. Meng Barawid, MI categorically belong to this concept?

Fr. Gabby, Fr. Sam, and Fr. Meng head St. Camillus Adult Formation Center, Camillus MedHaven, and Nuestra Señora dela Anunciata Parish respectively. At present, they are the three religious in three varied ministries getting together to form one unique community – the Blessed Luigi Tezza Community.

“Unlike a typical community, we are not physically together 24/7; that’s why we are unique,” Fr. Gabby, the local superior, stressed with his signature humor. Managing their respective institutions and individual responsibilities totally different from each other, (the institutions they shepherd are, matter-of-factly, kilometers away from each other), they find themselves truly limited in living together as a community.

“As a superior (and for the first time at that), a human being, a religious, and being the youngest among us three, I long to have with me brothers to whom I can express myself, with whom I can share light moments, from whom I can ask suggestions and support in times of decision making, and among whom tasks can be mutually delegated,” Fr. Gabby expressed as regards the challenges he encountered in his new community. “But in my eight months of staying here, yes, I can say that I am still adjusting but I can also say that I’m already in the process of acceptance of this reality.” “It’s not a limitation after all but a challenge,” he clarified.   

Nevertheless, Fr. Gabby believes that physical presence or living together is not the only way towards the creation of a healthy community, “It is availability, connection, openness to needs, and mutual assistance,” he quipped.

At present, Fr. Meng and Fr. Gabby interchange ministries from time to time. Fr. Meng would help in the formation of the adult formands while Fr. Gabby would also take schedules in the parish. “This is a support system in our ministries as expression of our support for each other as a community,” said Fr. Gabby. “I also go to MedHaven (Fr. Sam’s area of responsibility) to drop communications (What does this mean?) and for Masses and on special occasions. It is where my formands also go not merely as seminarians doing some apostolate in the area but as fellow community members establishing connections in our ministries and with one another.”

Like 3-in-1 coffee, Fr. Meng, Fr. Sam, and Fr. Gabby are now blending. Already planned is a schedule for a regular monthly meeting for updating, networking, life-sharing, and some light moments. A nurturing community is apparently in the making where each one is giving an effect on each other like a cup of a satisfying mixture of coffee, creamer, and [brown] sugar. (Dermal complexions not insinuated here!)