ABS-CBN workshops help build church for healing

Beverly Vergel, who now acts as director of ABS-CBN’s Center for Communication Arts, Inc. (CCAI), has led her batch of workshoppers to support an outreach project that helped build the healing church and grotto of Kamay ni Hesus Ministry Foundation in Lucban, Quezon.

Beverly, her CCAI staff and the students of Workshops@ABS-CBN mounted a benefit-concert in Lucban in June last year to raise funds for the completion of the Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church, with Fr. Joey Faller as spiritual director. Workshops@ABS-BN is under Star Magic senior vice president, Johnny Manahan.

"Fr. Joey and I have known each other for 12 years," Beverly grants. "We did several outreach programs both here and abroad. We also did pilgrimages to Holy Land and Europe."

The grotto and the church were visions of Fr. Joey, who received a "message" while attending the Worldwide Charismatic Conference abroad that his vision would be turned into reality. From then on, donations from the faithful started flowing in. Construction of the church and grotto started more than two years ago on a six-hectare lot donated by Lucban, Quezon resident Jose Ella to Bishop Ruben Profugo more than 10 years ago.

A stroke patient, businessman Benito Brizuela, was healed by Fr. Joey and agreed to finance the construction of the grotto which started in February 2002. The grotto is carved on a mountainside where one can see the images depicting the paschal mystery of Christ. Atop the 280-step stairs is a 50-foot image of Jesus Christ.

"Three horses took turns transporting slabs of huge stones to the top of the mountain where the image was carved," Fr. Joey shares. "The grotto is truly a labor of love. It is amazing how an insignificant place was transformed into an area where the faithful can come to attend healing masses and spend time communing with God in an environment conducive to prayer."

Today, the grotto stands as one of the newest, awe-inspiring sights in Lucban, as it continuously opens its doors to devotees. Fr. Joey says local travel agencies have even included the grotto in their Quezon itinerary.

The Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church, meanwhile, was constructed to accommodate the increasing number of devotees from all over the country. As Fr. Joey notes, "The church is a continuous display of God’s amazing providence. Its completion is a constant reminder that God’s love never fails a believer’s heart." Fr. Joey envisions a retreat house for family renewal and an infirmary to house those seriously ill for soaking in prayer.

Fr. Joey’s life is a manifestation of how God rewards those willing to unselfishly serve him. Coming from an affluent family of doctors in Quezon, Fr. Joey enjoyed his academic achievement until a string of unfortunate events jolted him. First was the death of his favorite sister Stella, who wanted to talk to him before she died. Next was his dad’s passing away, which left Fr. Joey with the patriarchal responsibility of looking after his family and managing their hospital. A year after he was ordained into priesthood, Fr. Joey’s mother died. He attests his first five years in the priesthood were the most turbulent, as he kept on asking himself about God’s real purpose.

But God used Fr. Joey’s passion for basketball to make him feel His love. In a basketball game with the Oasis of Love Community, he met Beverly Vergel, who became God’s instrument for the renewal of his spiritual life. Beverly invited him to join the Oasis community, where Fr. Joey’s participation paved the way for him to see how God works to bring him back on the mission to be of service to others.

In 1994, Fr. Joey even received a more pronounced manifestation of how God clearly wants to use him. He met a car accident that gave him a four-inch gaping wound across his forehead and permanently damaged the ulnar nerve of his right hand, paralyzing two of his fingers.

After a long, slow recovery, Fr. Joey realized his hand resembled the hand of the resurrected Christ and the Sto. Niño. Hence, he considered the accident the ultimate sign that God wanted him to use his gift of healing. Since then, Fr. Joey did not stop serving the Lord through his blessed acts.