A mission house often serves as a front-line hub for evangelization, pastoral care, missionary activities, and local community outreach. And when a mission community is geographically distant from the seat of the Delegation in Asia in Manila, and even more so from the general headquarters in Rome, a pastoral visit bridges the gap between synodal leadership and field ministry, providing spiritual accompaniment, pastoral support and encouragement, and strategic oversight.
The sisters of St. Charles community in Tagum, Philippines, warmly welcomed on July 7, 2026, Sr. Luiza dal Moro, superior general, accompanied by Sr. Myrna Tordillo, general animator of the apostolate, after they participated in the Delegation in Asia assembly held in Manila last June. The pastoral visit was a fruitful and opportune time to experience firsthand the life and mission of the four Scalabrinian missionary sisters in Tagum.
St. John Baptist Scalabrini once exhorted his missionaries that they must spread “the beautiful fragrance of Jesus” through their lives, proclaiming the Gospel more by example than by words (Scalabrini, A Living Voice, p. 467). The exhortation by the co-founder of the Scalabrinian Sisters, offers courage, joy, and hope to the sisters and forms the spiritual bedrock needed to sustain long, difficult, and often hard work in the field.
Of the four sisters, one works as coordinator of the Migrants Commission of the Diocese of Tagum, another is a nurse in the Diocesan hospital, while two Junior sisters are volunteer parish workers who at the same time are full-time university students. St. Charles community started in August 2021 during the pandemic time, with the aim of forming a community focusing on migrant ministry in the diocese and for vocation animation. Additionally, the Diocese of Tagum through its Micro Finance Office, was the first to assist with loans of minimal interests to parents and families of students who join the MSCS study program in Taiwan, lead by Sr. Marcedita Saboga-a, MSCS, Executive Program Coordinator of the Minghsin University of Science and Technology Academe-Industry Collaboration Program for International Students (Filipino Students) under Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy.
The Diocese of Tagum serves 87 % of the population who are Roman Catholics. It has 58 parishes and 13 vicariates with a total of 200 plus clergy. It has a minor seminary which houses 100 plus seminarians, a tertiary hospital, a micro finance, a clergy house and the chancery which houses the offices of various apostolates.
The general superior- Sr. Luiza, accompanied by the sisters and the newly appointed Delegate Superior in Asia, Sr. Marcedita Saboga-a, had fruitful visits including: 1) a courtesy visit to the Bishop of Tagum, Most Rev. Medil Aseo, D.D., who graciously spent time listening to and sharing with them; 2) an opportunity to meet with the director of the Diocesan Migrants Commission, Rev. Romeo Castillo and volunteers; 3) visit and networking with the City of Tagum Overseas Foreign Workers’ (OFW) Migrants office; 4) a celebration and sharing blessings with a Thanksgiving Mass for the 2nd to 10th batches of Minghsin University of Science and Technology (MUST) students, with Rev. Raymund D. Bagohin presiding over the Eucharistic Celebration and director of the Spes Pauperum Foundation- SPFI Microfinance NGO, Inc. (See https://www.facebook.com/share/18dDz8xb7B/ ).
The five-day pastoral visit among others, was a graced moment for the superior general to encourage, pray for, and minister to those ministering to others, while at the same time, it was a source of mutual learning, observing real-world, front-line conditions firsthand so broader church leadership can make informed decisions about support, missionary strategy and funding. There was time also for community connection, engaging with the local population served by the mission house—listening, understanding their context, and offering direct blessings.
Pope Leo XIV in a video message to religious women said , “All Christians are called to be builders of Christ’s communion, formed in a synodal Church in which everyone cooperates in the same mission according to their own charism and ministry” (70th anniversary of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the United States).
May St. Jonh Baptist Scalabrini, Blessed Mother Assunta Marchetti and the Venerable Fr. Joseph Marchetti, intercede for the MSCS in Tagum to be joyful and faithful witnesses of the Gospel message.
