Father Cerilo Javinez named diocesan consultant to Filipino ministries

DOVER  Father Cerilo Javinez, parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish here, expressed surprise and enthusiasm over having been appointed as diocesan consultant to the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries (DCCFM) for a six-year term, which started on Sept. 1. In collaboration with the commission and the Diocese, the Philippine-born priest pledges to continue promoting and sharing Filipino faith traditions, such as devotion to the Blessed Mother and celebration of special liturgies, while also welcoming in and working with the wider Catholic community.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made the appointment. The position will be reviewed and renewed each year by mutual consent of Father Javinez, 42, and Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization. He will work closely with Father Manning and the DCCFM in planning and managing diocesan initiatives in ministry to the local Filipino community, a ministry which is anticipated to take about 10 hours a month. Father Javinez succeeds Father Vidal Gonzales, pastor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Sparta, who served eight years as the first priest consultant of the commission, Father Javinez said.

“I was surprised by the appointment,” said Father Javinez, one of 11 Filipino priests in the Diocese. Earlier this month, he said he plans to meet with Father Gonzales soon to seek his guidance. “I’m looking forward to the position. I’m grateful that the bishop trusts me with this responsibility. I want to help bring together all people in beauty and diversity,” he said.

Although the DCCFM has been active for at least 17 years, it was formally established by Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli eight years ago. It is the voice of and for Catholics of Filipino origin in the Diocese and has developed and implemented a pastoral plan for Filipino Ministry with the approval of the bishop and with the consultation of the Presby­teral Counsel, College of Consultors, the deans of the Diocese, Diocesan Pastoral Council, and other groups, according to DCCFM’s web page, https://rcdop.org/filipino-commisision.

The 15-member commission works to preserve and share Filipino Catholic traditions and values, bringing unity and collaboration among the parishes in the Diocese and furthering the spiritual evangelization of the Filipino Catholic community. It collaborates with various Fili­pino associations and diocesan offices.

Each year, the commission coordinates two annual Filipino Catholic celebrations. They are the Mass for the Feast of the Martyrs to celebrate two martyrs of their homeland — St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod, this year in October, and “Simbang Gabi,” a nine-day novena celebrated during Advent in preparation for the Nativity of Jesus Christ, in December, said Elmer Maximo, commission chairman and parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway.

Other commission activities during the year include a retreat, a summer picnic, and volunteer opportunities at Straight and Narrow, the substance­abuse-treatment center of diocesan Catholic Charities in Paterson, and Eva’s Village, which serves the homeless, poor, and addicted, also in Paterson, Maximo said.

In his letter to Father Javinez, Bishop Sweeney wrote, “I am grateful to God for your generosity in accepting this responsibility and to the faithful men and women of our Catholic Filipino community.

“I am equally grateful for the devotion, care, and guidance of your predecessor, Father Vidal Gonzales, in his service to the commission over the last eight years. This appointment is a concrete sign of my confidence in you and your abilities to collaborate with others. I know that you will bring your faith and skills to the position,” the bishop writes in the letter.

Father Javinez is serving a growing Filipino community in the Diocese. Today, there are Masses in Filipino, also known as Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, at various times weekly or monthly at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Passaic, St. Peter the Apostle Church in Parsippany, Sacred Heart Church in Rockaway, and St. Joseph Church in Lincoln Park, said the priest, who has celebrated at some of these Masses.

“The Filipino culture is about family relationships. People are encouraged to get more involved in activities, including in the church. Filipinos are devoted to the Blessed Mother, especially Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the rosary. These traditions give color to the wider society,” said Father Javinez, who came to the United States in 2009.

Born in 1980 in Palanas, Masbate City, the Philippines, to Efren and Lucerfida Javinez, Father Javinez earned a bachelor’s degree in Catholic studies from Seton Hall University, South Orange. He also earned a Master of Divinity degree and a master’s degree in Systematic Theology, both from Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange. He was ordained in 2017 by Bishop Serratelli and served St. Cecilia and Sacred Heart parishes in Rockaway before being assigned to St. Mary’s, the priest said.

Maximo praised Father Javinez, calling him a “good thinker.”

“He is a champion of good relations in the Filipino community. He will do well,” said Maximo, adding that the DCCFM hopes to hold a congress of Filipino leaders in the Diocese. Maximo also called Father Gonzales “energetic. He knows a lot about organization. He went around the Diocese and was involved with Filipino organizations outside the Diocese,” he said.

Father Manning called Father Javinez “Father Vidal’s worthy successor.”

“I know Father Javinez brings his own enthusiasm and abilities to this new opportunity and that Bishop Sweeney has confidence in his effective and collaborative leadership,” said Father Manning, who also praised Father Gonzales’s service since 2014. “Father Gonzales has provided wise and stable leadership and has helped the commission continue to identify and celebrate the gifts and contributions of Catholics of Filipino descent. I appreciate that he exercised this ministry without fanfare and with initiative and autonomy,” Father Manning said.