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Before our arrival in the Philippines, the first group met in the U.S. to get to know each other, live in community and learn English. The first batch: Fr. Rino Venturin, Fr. Eduardo Aguero and Fr. Juan D. Griffone from Argentina arrived on September 27th, 1988. Fr. Stephen Schmitz from Germany on Sept. 29th. Fr. Franciszek Pupkowski and Fr. Stanislaw Okas from Poland and Fr. Yohanes Sonopribadi from Indonesia on Oct. 9th. Fr. Jeremiah Sheehy from England and Fr. Hans Sondermeijer (Dutch from Indonesia) on Jan. 12th and March 4th respectively.

In the meantime in January 1988 our Superior General Fr. Antonio Panteghini with his councilor Fr. Andre Perroux and Fr. Hans Sondermeijer went to the Philippines to make final arrangements.

"The project has started off well. We give thanks to the Heart of Christ and to Fr. Dehon, who is certainly looking from heaven with sympathy on this new mission initiative..." (Extract from the letter of the General Council, Feb.8, 1998)

After our course in English in Hales Corners and short vacations, we met again in Rome, Italy. From April 21 to May 3, 1989 during our meetings with the General Council we discussed different aspects of our mission. On April 26th we were able to concelebrate the Holy Mass with the Holy Father John Paul II and to ask him for a special blessing before our departure for Asia.

On May 3rd, 1989 after a solemn concelebration of the Eucharist  in our General House in Rome ending with a mission sending we left for Indonesia and then for the Philippines.

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From May 5th to May 17th, 1989 we  visited our SCJ Indonesian Province. On May 17th we arrived finally to the Philippines. Fr. Hans and Fr. Francis arrived some days before straight from Rome.

From May 24th to May 31st, 1989 we visited the Diocese of Pagadian and the Prelature of Ipil - places of our future assignments.

On May 31st, 1989 we left for Davao City for our Cebuano course from June 5th to November 17th, 1989.

After finishing the language course we arrived in Pagadian City on November 28th. On the following day November 29th we took over the Parish of Kumalarang. The take over of Margosatubig Parish was on November 30th and Dimataling Parish on December 1st, 1989.

Since the beginning we have had two visitations of the General Superior from Rome. Fr. Antonio Panteghini visited us from March 12th to March 19th, 1991 and Fr. Virginio Bressanelli from February 13th to February 23rd, 1994. We were also been visited  by the General Councillors responsible for our mission in the Philippines and also by a number of other SCJ confreres from the different Provinces.