So many conflicting stories have been floating around about the Filipino Chaplaincy. First, there was an announcement that various ethnic chaplaincies would be discontinued and that they would start with the Filipinos.
Fr. Chris de Souza, Vicar General for the Diocese of Parramatta has dismissed news that circulated in the community as “mischievous rumours” when he was interviewed by another newspaper.
Ang Kalatas newspaper quoted Fr. Raning Creta as having said “On October 20, 2012, we [together with Fr. Ruben] met with Fr. John Boyle, Vicar for Chaplaincies and Health.”
“He told us about the decision of Bishop Tony Fisher to stop all the chaplaincies starting with the Filipino Chaplaincy. One reason he said was that Filipinos can integrate better with the Australian Community.”
Replacement Chaplain now in Sydney
Fr. Ruben Elago, MSP, originally from the Auckland Filipino Chaplaincy in New Zealand, has been in Sydney since May 2012. The original plan was for him to replace Fr. Raning Creta as Filipino Chaplain. Fr. Raning has since been assigned as Parish Priest of Winston Hills while Fr. Ruben is currently assigned to assist Fr. Ron McFarlane at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Marayong.
The plan for Fr. Ruben appears to have been frozen, apparently because of news that spread in the Filipino community about the alleged discontinuance of the chaplaincy. More recent reports have it that Fr. Ruben might be tasked to head an MSP (Mission Society of the Philippines) headquarters somewhere in Sydney. Until then, Fr. Ruben is in limbo. As of press time, Fr. Ruben could not be reached for comment.
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