Fr. Lou

PRIESTLY CASTE?

Consider this: We are two priests in the family. Fr. Romulo “Lou” Dolor is my brother. He is presently assigned as pastor at San Isidro Labrador Parish at San Isidro, Batangas City. But my relatives abound in the ranks of Lipa Clergy. Fr. Juan Nepomuceno D. Fruto is my nephew. His mother is my second cousin. The D in his middle initial stands for “Dolor”. His maternal grandfather was a former seminarian – already in Theology, I believe. In Fr. Nepo’s family, another brother entered the SFS Minor. Among his first cousins (my nephews), the Medranos: Monching, Tadeo, Jojo and Double were former seminarians. Another of Fr. Nepo’s first cousin – Ariel Mercado – also finished at SFS Minor.
If you think, I am through with that list, you’re dead wrong. Fr. Conrado Castillo is a relative on my mother’s side, who is a Castillo. That is why many priests are curious if I am also related to Fr. Eyong C. Ramos, whose “C” also stands for Castillo. But I can’t quite establish the relations even after much research from my old folks – as San Roque and Inicbulan are really neighbors (if we use the backdoor and the short-cut trails). But I am digressing! Fr. Dado and I call each other “pinsan”.

Fr. Daks
One of the newly-ordained priests, Fr. Dakila Ramos – who graduated from the Minor Seminary during my short stint as its rector, one of the unfortunate ones he he he – has discovered from his sleuthing that we are related. I have known this for quite sometime already, although I did not tell him at that time. His mother’s grandmother is very closely related to my mother’s family. Fr. Daks’ mother comes from Talaga, Mabini where the Castillos are a dime a dozen.
That’s the Castillo side of the story. Let’s go back to the Dolor side, as it is this clan that produced a lot of would-have-been priests but the Lord’s call to be “in the world” dawned on them to be their calling.
The Dimalibot Brothers – Dodi and Rado – are my nephews in the same vein as Fr. Nepo. Their mother, Ate Nene Dolor, is my second cousin. Our fathers were first cousins. In fact, the relations were so close: my father’s godfather in baptism was the grandfather (Ate Nene’s father) of Dodi and Rado.
Another set of brothers (SFS Minor has a lot of these brothers and cousins entering its venerable gates) August and Claudio de Joya are also my relatives. Their maternal grandmother (our Kakang Maria Contreras) and my father are first cousins. I leave it to you to decide our close relationship, so close that even now, August lives just adjacent to our house in San Roque; so close that Claudie asked me to stand as one of his wedding sponsors when he got married in Davao City, with his classmates Fr. Mike Samaniego and Fr. Glen Cantos officiating at the wedding. Of couse, it was Fr. Totit, Fr. Eyong, his classmate Fr. Ilde, and I who concelebrated when August finally decided to settle down! Incidentally, I also stood as wedding sponsor or “ninong” to Double Medrano when he got hitched in St. Philip Neri Church in Mandaluyong City.
Let’s talk about relation by marriages.

Well, Fr. Jing Buensalida’s auntie married my uncle, the brother of my father! And once upon a time, both Fr. Jing and I used to visit the same seminarian at SFS Minor: Manuel B. Dolor -- his nephew (son of her sister) and also my nephew (son of my second cousin).

My second cousin (on my mother's side), who happens to be my baptismal godfather, married a Lopez, who had two of her nephews as former seminarians also. Their names: Louie and Larry Lopez. You see, I have not run out of relatives, he he he! #

My Family

I was born to a couple named Genaro T. Dolor and Juana Castillo, of lower middle class. My father comes from a fishing and farming village of San Andres, Bauan, Batangas. My mother came from San Roque of the same municipality. It was from my father that we all took our love and dedication to education.
It was from my mother that we took our determination and love for household chores. It was indeed a very good combination. My father was honed in ecclesiastical chores, having been a household help/sacristan major/a jack-of-all-trades to some of his relatives who were priests. My mother comes from a very religious family.

We were eight siblings. However, the seventh died at the age of 3, of leukemia! Jim was born when I was at the Juvenate. He died when I was a Novice in the Redemptorists. Ate Coring is our eldest.
I came in second -- the oldest among the five boys, and by Filipino culture the "heir" to my father's patriarchal role in the family! After me came Ermie, then Danny, El, and Fr. Lou. Jim was in between him and Mayet, our youngest.
My father died on October 24, 1975. Of him, I will write later and much more! That left me, Ate Coring and Inay to fend for the others who at that time were not yet through with their formal education. It was providence that kept the boys and Mayet in school. Ermie finished in about a year and was soon employed as teacher at St. Bridget's where she is now the College registrar. It could be said that we were never been in want since Tatay's death and my eventual (re)entry to the Seminary. By the grace of God, Danny and El got through with their studies and landing on decent employments. Then Lou decided to leave his engineering course to enter the seminary. How we financed his priestly formation, that itself is another story.
All the girls are now married. Ate Coring has two girls; Ermie has three boys; Danny has a boy (out of wedlock but not necessarily without love); El has a boy and a girl. It is only Mayet who did not have her children -- however, she is mother and provider to our nieces and nephews that keep her company.

We still gather for a family get-together at least once a month. Together with Inay, we go out to eat, to take a sight-seeing tour, or simply to gather at the house to have informal programs and prayers. This is what that saying goes "the family that prays together stays together!" We are not materially rich; it is our sense of family that is our treasure!
I love my family!

My High School Days!

MY HIGH SCHOOL DAYS!

I spent my high school at the seminary of the Redemptorists -- Our Mother of Perpetual Help Juvenate -- at the boondocks of Antipolo, Rizal. this was during the 60s. I was barely 12 years old when I was admitted to the seminary. Fr. Edmund Ryan, a Redemptorist priest at Lipa City, recruited me from Bauan Central School. It turned out that they were opening the seminary at that year in Antipolo. I belong to the first batch of seminarians in the newly constructed building that became a landmark till it was demolished several years ago.
I was at Antipolo from 1963 to 1968. This is my most memorable years in my life -- years that left an indelible imprint in me. Up to now, I always go back to those fruitful formative years I spent in the hidden yet breath-taking place we called home away from home.
How can I forget Fr. Reginald Ahearn, from whom I got my British accent. It was also he who got me as his working assistant since my first year up to the day I left for good. I was his side-kick at the little store we had. I was his helper in caring for the sick Juvenist. Of course, I may not have been his most favored but definitely I was his Friday man during those days, having free access to his room, to clean up, to get the things needed in the store, to get medicines for a Juvenist in bed. How I adored the man! I even imitated his writing!
A special friendship I developed with Fr. Owen Ryan. He was something else. Fr. Ryan was our Latin professor. In Little time, Latin became my favorite subject. I even got a flat 99 in Latin so much so that I was the first medalist for Latin among the first year students. Fr. Ryan was also our basketball coach. it was he who encouraged me to learn how to coached. He put me in charge of the midgets when I met that tragic accident which dislocated my hips and frustrated me to no end. To compensate my loss in the Varsity, Fr. Ryan made me a coach.
Moreover, Fr. Owen became a family friend. Every summer vacation, he would spend at least a week in our place at San Roque. He would sleep over, bring me to LIpa monastery, and together we would go on "vocation campaign". One of the products of this sortee was Doroteo Manalo from Calaca. I was already in 4th year when we recruited Dort or Doro as he was then known in the Juvenate. Fr. Owen and I also visited Quezon, my first province outside Batangas (and Rizal) to really explore! So close were we that around the 70s, when Fr. Owen was provincial (stationed in Australia), he paid me a visit in Batangas City (where I was already managing the Church's radio station).
I will write about my co-Juvenists later.
Let me end my account by saying that before the 80s, our Juvenate was phased out. The building became first a formation house for brothers and college seminarians. Then it served as mission house until finally, the Redemptorists sold it to interested business firm, Moldex -- I am not too sure about who really bought it! However, it was only in 2004 that I saw for myself that the buidling which became home to many of us, the building which became a landmark at Sumulong Highway, was no longer there to give way to a subdivision. How I discovered that and how I felt when I found this out is again another story.#

About the Owner

I am Fr. Leonido C. Dolor a.k.a. Fr Nonie D., a priest of the Archdiocese of Lipa. Aside from being an ordained Catholic priest, I am also a practicing media person -- broadcast and print -- since 1969; and a classroom teacher since 1973. I was ordained to the priesthood last December 2, 1981 by the late Archbishop Mariano Gaviola, D.D.
Together with now-Monsignor Alfredo Madlangbayan, I pioneered the Church's radio station in Batangas City -- DWAM 1080 Khz. on Am Band -- in 1972. Unfortunately, this AM station went off the air permanently in 2002. However, with Fr. Miguel Samaniego as my assistant, we were able to put up an FM station, now know as "Spirit 99.1 FM", in 1999. I left the administration and management of this -- and the whole of Social Communications -- to Fr. Mike in the following year, 2000.
I concentrated on my chaplaincy at De La Salle Lipa, to which I was assigned by Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales, D.D. in the year 1996, after serving as Rector of the St. Francis de Sales Minor Seminary during the school year 1995-1996.
I still work as an announcer-disc jockjey at the Church's FM radio every Sunday, 12:00nn-3:00pm. At 4:00pm on the same day, I go on Cable TV in Batangas City for the SUNDAY TV MASS, (most of the time I am the Mass celebrant; at times I handle camera work -- as I am the director of this cable event. I write for Dyaryo Veritas weekly. My column there is entitled "Seriously Speaking". Prior to that, I was with BATANGAN, writing for that weekly newspaper for about four straight years, gratis et amore. In 2004, I was invited to write a weekly column for THE MANILA TIMES.
June of last year (2005), I was asked to help ULAT BATANGAN. Now, this paper is thriving as the Archdiocesan newspaper, which comes out monthly.