New priest serves the faithful with energy, enthusiasm

Long days, diverse activities won't wipe the smile off Fr. Nilo

- WCR photo by Ramon Gonzalez Father Nilo Macapiniac is happy serving the Lord at St. Theresa Parish.

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

Fifteen months after his ordination, Father Nilo Macapinlac is a happy priest who serves the faithful of St. Theresa Parish with energy and enthusiasm. And he always welcomes everybody with a wide, shining smile.

"I'm always excited with delight and full of joy to serve the people of God and that builds the dynamic of my Christian life," Macapinlac says. "I'm happy to be a channel of God's grace to the people."

The 35-year-old native of the Philippines was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Thomas Collins Nov. 21, 2005 at St. Joseph's Basilica. He has been serving at St. Theresa in Millwoods since his ordination as deacon in August 2005.

Meaningful life

"I find life more meaningful for me since the realization of my dream of becoming a priest," he said. "I feel a more clear sense of direction in my life of leading the people towards God."

Immediately after his ordination, Collins appointed Macapinlac spiritual director of the Legion of Mary and associate pastor at St. Theresa, one of the archdiocese's largest parishes. There, he is one of two priests serving under Father Martin Carroll, the pastor.

In addition to celebrating Mass, Macapinlac visits and celebrates services at some of the 12 Catholic schools in the area as well as four nursing homes. He officiates at weddings, funerals and Baptisms, blesses houses and families and attends countless meetings, including the monthly gatherings of an evangelizing movement called Couples for Christ, of which he is the spiritual director.

He also finds time for personal prayer and meditation and for hearing Confessions, providing spiritual direction and counselling married couples in crisis.

Is he working too hard? "Not really," he replies with his eternal smile. "I try to have a balanced life and I think I'm budgeting my time well."

Macapinlac's day usually begins at 7:45 a.m. "Once I pray my Liturgy of the Hours, my Morning Prayer, I go to Mass and after that I try to accommodate a lot of phone calls and I schedule appointments."

Prayers for guidance

Some days Macapinlac is still at his office at 9 p.m. And he's been awoken at 3 or 4 a.m. a few times to go to a hospital to administer the sacraments to a dying person. He doesn't mind. "For me it is a joy to be able to accompany a person in his last moments," he said.

Macapinlac never begins a day without asking the Lord for guidance and never ends a day without thanking the Lord for his support. "The Lord made me a Christ-centred priest and at the same time he made me a contemplative pastor," he explained. "I'm here to contemplate the workings of the Holy Spirit in this parish."

Like most priests, Macapinlac takes Mondays off, time he uses for jogging, walking and reading. In the summer he also plays soccer.

Last year he took a two-month vacation to his native Philippines. There he realized how important priests are to the local people. Many local reporters tried to interview him. He refused but they searched the Internet and compiled stories using information they obtained from the WCR.

Born in New Lucena, Iloilo, Philippines, in 1972, Macapinlac was raised in a large extended family. At age nine he was already an altar server and member of the Legion of Mary. As a boy, he grew to admire those whose job it was to save souls and dreamed of the day he would be able to join their ranks.

Macapinlac completed his theological formation in 2001 but instead of pursuing ordination, he took a teaching position.

When his uncle William Angeles travelled to the Philippines from Edmonton and told him of the great need for priests in Canada, Macapinlac decided to apply to the Edmonton Archdiocese. He was accepted and today he is a shining light to many St. Theresa parishioners.

"It's a blessing to have him here as priest," said parishioner Nina Obleada, also a Filipino. "He is very friendly and he is always smiling."

Macapinlac's knowledge of the Gospel impresses Obleada. "He's got a lot of wisdom from Scripture and he uses it well in his homilies," she observed.

Sister Cornelia Ramirez, who is in charge of sacramental preparation at St. Theresa, described Macapinlac as "very dedicated to his priestly vocation and the needs of the people."

Recently Ramirez and Macapinlac visited three schools together. "The kids love him. He is so very joyful, so full of life."

"Everything he does, he does for God," said receptionist Sandra Carrette.

Even when Macapinlac blesses a family, a Filipino tradition, he sees it as a way to bring souls to God. "This is a venue for me to evangelize people and encourage them to go back to the Church," he said. "It is also a venue for me to encounter children and to promote vocations.

"I'm only an instrument of Christ and so I'm very humbled and I feel very privileged to be one of his priests. For me this is a life deeply rooted in Christ."

Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 -- Western Catholic Reporter