Story and Photos By Georgene Quilaton-Tambiga
With thanksgiving in his heart and praise on his lips, a Thomasian came home to celebrate his recent ordination into the priesthood.
Rev. Fr. Jhyryx Vincent F. Gamulo, OAR, a member of Colegio de Sto. Tomas-Recoletos, Inc. Batch 2011, presided over the Holy Mass of Thanksgiving at the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva-Recoletos Chapel last January 6, 2025. Fr. Gamulo’s former Thomasian teachers and batchmates attended the event. The Thomasians of the Senior High School Department witnessed his testimonial of CST-R’s enduring impact on his life and vocation.
Siempre en Mision
Ordained priest last December 7, 2024 in the Our Lady of Consolation Parish, Mira-Nila, Quezon City, Fr. Gamulo’s first assignment will be in Sierra Leone in Africa where he will join other Filipino missionaries from the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno.
During an interview, he said that he was in Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary in Baguio City when it “occurred to me that I wanted to do the missions.” In fact, it was his own father who asked him why he really wanted to become a priest. To which Fr. Gamulo answered that it was because “I wanted to become a missionary” to Africa.
His dream came true in July 2024 when he was finally sent to Sierra Leone to immerse in the communities of Kamabai and Kamalo for his diaconal exposure. His diaconal ordination was last November 18, 2023.
“CST-R, We’re Your Children”
While delivering his homily to Grade 11 and 12 Thomasians, Fr. Gamulo emphasized that his gratitude for his high school Alma Mater knows no bounds thus his homecoming now that he is a priest.
Pouring out his heart, he testified that in CST-R “I was formed [not just] in knowledge, [but also] in faith.” The religious enumerated that he particularly treasures the values learned in CST-R and in STV-R Formation House, then a minor seminary, the discipline inculcated in him, the relationship and lessons from his teachers and the friends gained who walked with him in the journey of the vocation.
Fr. Gamulo, who was once branded unlikely to become a priest, encouraged the Thomasians telling them that, “No matter where life takes us, we are never far from God, who calls each of us by name.” He also enjoined those who may have the religious calling to heed the call to the vocation. The newly ordained priest was recruited into the minor seminary by another Thomasian, Rev. Fr. Vicente Ramon, Jr., OAR of Batch 1987, who went to St. Augustine Academy of Bayawan to promote the vocations.
Fr. Gamulo was in third year high school when he arrived at STV-R and enrolled in CST-R together with three other boys from Bayawan City, Negros Oriental. Of the four of them, only two graduated as a minor seminarian and only Fr. Gamulo became a religious priest.
Recoletos de San Carlos prior and CST-R president Rev. Fr. Cristopher C. Maspara, OAR, during his speech, congratulated Fr. Gamulo and noted that the Thanksgiving Mass was “a gathering of teachers whose former students are now priests” and that they are Thomasians, too.
In attendance were the following religious: Rev. Fr. Enrico Peter Silab, OAR of CST-R Batch 1969, who was the novice master of Fr. Maspara (CST-R Batch 1987) and Rev. Fr. Aniceto Rodriguez, O.Carm. of CST-R Batch 2001. Fr. Rodriguez was Fr. Maspara’s student and was Fr. Gamulo’s chemistry teacher.
Closing the celebration, Fr. Maspara called it a worthy event because while many Thomasians become professionals in varied fields of knowledge and skills, only very few become ordained priest.
