A Catholic priest prayed as loud as he could as he celebrated mass at a church in Bohol as Typhoon Odette (Rai) lashed the province, going viral Thursday for his display of faith.
Fr. Virgilio "Ondoy" Salas stood firm at the near empty Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Taloto, Tagbilaran City while lamps and Christmas lanterns swung wildly to the typhoon's winds.
Coincidentally, Salas' shares a nickname with one of the most memorable storms in recent years, Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009 that brought epic flooding to Metro Manila.
Despite blackouts caused by Odette, that 7 p.m. mass pushed through because there were seven evacuees and six altar boys and lay ministers present, said Salas' colleague, parish priest Fr. Jose Cecil Lobrigas.
When asked why Salas agreed to say the Mass during the storm, Lobrigas told TeleRadyo: "Wala akong takot kasi... nasa likod ko nandon naman si Christ. Bakit naman tayo matatakot?"
The two videos, posted last Dec. 18, have almost 370,000 views combined in five days.
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"Malakas kasi 'yung trompa ng simbahan namin at maririnig 'yan sa neighborhood, sa mga bahay so even if there was rain, the wind was strong, maririnig pa rin nila may misa," Lobrigas told TeleRadyo.
Odette made landfall twice in Bohol -- over Bien Unido in the northeast and in Pres. Carlos P. Garcia. Tagbilaran is in the southwest part of the main island, some 100 kilometers away from Bien Unido.
"Alam namin na wala naman taong pupunta don kasi it was already dangerous but we continued because we know they are listening to the Mass in their houses and that gives them strength po."
For Lobrigas, it was an act of faith so people won't fear the storm. It's also the perfect time to show the real meaning of Christmas by being "better persons" in times of crises.
"Makikita naman namin dito sa surrounding namin na they take the opportunity, nagmamahalan mga presyo, tubig mahal na, gasoline mahal na but nevertheless there are people who are shining: nagbibigay sila tubig for free, they offer free charging for the cellphones and gadgets," said Lobrigas.
"For me it's the best time for us to relay to other people the real meaning of Christmas."
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