NEWLY-ORDAINED Bishop of Kabankalan Most Reverend Louie Galbines said yesterday, May 28, that the blessings of God for him to become the next bishop of Kabankalan came when he was playing tennis.
He received God's call through Papal Nuncio to the Philippines His Excellency Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia on March 4 not in moments of prayer and meditation but during a tennis game.
"You see? God is not only kind and merciful but he is playful. So if you want to become a Bishop, you must know how to play tennis. It is never too late to learn tennis," he said.
He dreamt of becoming a priest. But becoming a bishop is all God's dream.
"I thank God for loving me this much - in my weaknesses, sinfulness, and poverty. God's hundredfold blessings are too good to be true but it is really true, not only in the Bible but also and above all, on the roadmap of my life. In my nothingness, God becomes everything. And my life is no longer the same because He is always there forever. I thank God for all the people he sent in order to form me as His minister."
"First, I thank my family. My dad (87 years old), my brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, and my mom who passed away eight years ago, who never stop believing in God's goodness and mercy," he added.
He said may the good Shepherd bestow upon him the wisdom of the Saints so that he can always manage to take good care of His people.
Galbines will take care of the parishes from Victorias City to Hinoba-an.
He was ordained yesterday by His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, the main consecrator, and His Excellency Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP); His Excellency Archbishop Romeo Lazo, co-consecrator, Bacolod Catholic Bishop Patricio Buzon, co-consecrator.
His episcopal ordination at the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City was witnessed by close to a thousand faithful, and guests.
It was also witnessed by Monsignor Gabriel Viola, representative of the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines; Bishop Emeritus Most Reverend Vicente Navarra, homilist; bishops, archbishops and priests, and government officials.
During the solemn rites, Galbines was made to lie flat in the middle of the altar. It was a manifestation of a complete surrender and trust to God Almighty.
He even appealed to the faithful to pray for him because he does not know about the future. But what he is certain of is that God is there with him.
Papal Nuncio to the Philippines also blessed him and prayed for him as he faces his new journey.
(Grateful)
He thanked God for his godmothers and godfathers; his teachers in the elementary and high school; his seminary formators in the Sacred Heart Seminary; his classmates.
He also thanked God for his Dominican Priests' formators from the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary, his spiritual director, and all Dominican Priests.
"I thank God for my brother priests in the Diocese of Bacolod, for their continued support, trust, care, and love in spite of my limitations. Their generosity is amazing. Thank you brother priests. I thank God for the various communities that helped me to become who I am today," he said.
"I thanked God for the bishops and Archbishops who formed me: the late Bishop Antonio Fortich who sent me to University of Santo Tomas (UST), Bishop Camilo Gregorio, who ordained me. He passed away last May 21 and whose funeral is also celebrated today. Let us pause for a minute of silence in remembrance of him. I thank Bishop Emeritus Vicente Navarra who mentored me in many noble things and my dear Bishop, Most Reverend Patricio Buzon who always inspires me to make things better. I thank Archbishop Romeo Lazo for his brotherly support, in a very special way, I thank His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, our main consecrator, and my ever inspiring, simple and humble superior and chairman of the CBCP Commission on Clergy Assist Program. I also thank Bishop John Dunne of Rockville Center Diocese, New York in Long Island for the scholarship," Galbines said.
He was also grateful to the Catholic faithful in the city.
"I thank God for all of you, the ever generous people of Bacolod. God's hundredfold blessings are so concrete and so abiding by your kindness. Like St. Paul, I would like to say, 'I thank my God every time I remember you. And when I pray for you, I pray with joy.'"
(Happy day)
"This is a happy day for Bacolod and Negros Occidental because Bishop Galbines is somebody we can really call our own," said Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia in a statement.
Leonardia, along with his wife Elsa, witnessed the episcopal ordination yesterday.
"We are somehow happy about it because when we celebrated our very private and small 35th wedding anniversary and he was the one who officiated it," Leonardia said.
He said ever since, his wife Elsa has been a fan of Bishop Galbines.
"He is a rare breed, he can talk about the Gospel, church teachings and you can feel very comfortable with him because he has a very good sense of humor," he added.
Leonardia noted that Bishops retire at the age of 70 or 75 years old so Bishop Galbines, who was about 52 or 53 years old, has a very long way to go.
"He is the kind who has the potential of even maybe climbing the ladder higher and higher," the mayor added.
He said: "We look forward to his vocation to receive more blessings because he is so spiritual and at the same time very practical, very human and very humorous." (with reports from Merlinda A. Pedrosa)
